decoded_text
stringlengths 4.18k
47.6k
|
|---|
-the-arrival-of-video-compressions-future/
Additionally, the price and availability of bandwidth continue to move in favor of ubiquitous access to significant amounts of bandwidth. In fact, our median user has a 54 Mbps and 21 Mbps connection in the US and Europe respectively.
Finally, cloud providers have been investing substantial resources in GPUs over the last couple of years. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google all announced new GPU instances available throughout the world. These GPU instances are primarily valuable to machine learning algorithms for artificial intelligence projects, but they’re also very valuable to Parsec and others trying to move rendering to the cloud.
How Do I Start Playing On My Raspberry Pi?
Our goal is to both expand the market for gaming by giving people access to gaming hardware from the cloud and to prove that computers-as-a-service is the future of computing. With Parsec for RPi, we’re decoupling expensive PC hardware from gaming, so anyone with a screen, a $35 computer, and a good internet connection can play their favorite games at the highest settings.Dustin Lance Black Writing New Gay Rights Movement TV Series
Dustin Lance Black, is set to write a new TV series about the history of the gay rights movement.
The Academy Award-winning screenwriter for ‘Milk,’ will develop the eight-hour scripted miniseries for US network ABC.
ABC have commissioned Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black to tell the story of the modern LGBT rights movement, beginning with the 1969 Stonewall Riots, through an eight-hour scripted miniseries.
This new series will be a return to the small screen for Black, who began his writing career on the HBO series “Big Love,”. In addition to writing feature films like ‘Milk,’ and ‘J. Edgar,’ Black also wrote the play ’8′ about the Prop 8 trial in California, which starred such celebrities as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Black is also currently working on an adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book Under the Banner of Heaven, as well as a forthcoming earthquake disaster movie with J.J. Abrams. An air date for the new miniseries has not yet been released.
Source - The Hollywood Reporter
Subscribe to our free newsletter... Enter your e-mail address here and hit subscribe:
rukkle participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. This means that whenever you buy a product on Amazon from a link here, I get a small percentage of its price. That helps support rukkle by offsetting a fraction of what it takes to maintain the site, and is very much appreciated.May 23, 2017
Senior Front-End Engineer Javascript frameworks Node.js opportunity at startup enabling world trade for small businesses-proven founders and major investors
…do you have a buzzword quota?
NAME here. I recruit front-end and full-stack engineering roles for venture-backed, game-changing disruptive companies.
“game-changing”, AKA distributing the latest World of Warcraft patch.
I am reaching out today about a Senior Front-End Eng role with COMPANY in Menlo Park. COMPANY is a Series B stage startup located in Menlo Park out to create a new class of micro-multinationals. They were founded in 2015 and launched their platform in January 2017.
Pretend I don’t know anything about COMPANY (unlikely, as this is the sixth email you’ve sent me). What on earth is a “micro-multinational”? Should I ask my doctor about them? Is it the latest diet craze? “Microservices, but for the Philippines?”
COMPANY provides a reliable and secure environment for establishing, conducting, managing, documenting, paying for, and evaluating business relationships; enabling small to mid-sized business to engage in global commerce in a way they have never been able do before.
I’ll be honest here, I still have no idea what you do. You could replace that paragraph with this gif:
COMPANY brings the latest in Natural Language Processing & Machine Learning to businesses across the globe, to make globalization reachable to every business,
I mean, if you’re going to speak in nothing but buzzwords, might as well go all out, right? Machine Learning - so hot right now.
matching buyers with a selection of the right service providers at the right price.
All those fancy words to say you’re Yet Another Marketplace. The lesson here is that fancy words usually mean there’s nothing behind them.
The founders have a proven record that includes five successful startups, all resulting in impressive exits. One of which, OTHER_COMPANY, sold for $500 Million.
And yet they chose to start a sixth company instead of buying a private island or a juicing machine?
COMPANY is backed by a star-studded group of investors who are providing significant expertise in addition to their substantial capital investment.
Expertise in everything but writing recruiting emails
COMPANY’s initial focus is on the verticals of marketing, legal, energy, environment, and social impact, with more to follow
After those verticals, what’s left? Direct-to-consumer papaya delivery?
If you are interested in learning more, send over your resume and you and I can set up an initial talk.
How’s about you tell me literally anything about the job you want me to do?
Pls do let me know either way.
After an InMail dense with polysyllabic words, you abbreviate ‘pls’?The Colorado Rapids appear close to adding another offensive player to its roster and that addition likely is up-and-coming scoring threat Martin Rivero, a 22-year-old attacking midfielder from Argentina.
While team officials would not confirm or deny an imminent signing of Rivero, team president Tim Hinchey has hinted that the club was negotiating with a “No. 10”-type player from Argentina, known as an offensive difference maker.
Rivero best fits that description among players known to have attracted the Rapids’ interest. He scored five goals over 41 games since 2008 for Rosario Central in the Santa Fe province — his only team. He first joined the team as a teenager in the Argentine first division, before the team was relegated in 2010 to the second division.
But Rivero’s stock rose last summer with a four-goal spree over 20 appearances.
He would be the latest in an offensive-heavy offseason makeover.
If Rivero signs, he would be at least the fourth new South American name added to the Rapids’ ranks since last season, after new coach Oscar Pareja, assistant coach Wilmer Cabrera, and play-making midfielder Jaime Castrillón. Castrillón arrived from Colombia, while MLS and U.S. national team veteran coaches Pareja and Cabrera have Colombian professional and national team time on their resumes as former players.
Last month, Rivero told reporters in Rosario that he was upset with Central management over his contract. Rivero did not train with the team in January and his name was removed from the team’s website. He also surfaced in rumors linking him in a move to Deportivo Cali in the Colombian first division.
But Hinchey announced last week that the team had a “P1 Visa now sorted, looking forward to our new 22-year old Argentine play maker to arrive by Hawaii.”
The Rapids are scheduled to train in Colorado through Saturday before leaving Sunday for preseson games in the Hawaiian Islands Invitational.
The team last week traded forward Macoumba Kandji to the Houston Dynamo for a conditional draft pick. Kandji scored Colorado’s game-winning goal in the 2010 MLS Cup final, but struggled through an injury last season. He was traded in a move that seemed to make room for another addition.
The team had said it would announce the signing today, but Hinchey tweeted Monday that the official announcement would be delayed until Tuesday.
More on The Terrace blog: Martin Rivero’s winding road to Colorado, as Rapids near signing him
Nick Groke: 303-954-1015 or [email protected]“Without PT/35(b), there would have been no indictment.” Richard Marquise — FBI Agent who led the US side of the Lockerbie investigation “I regard the Lockerbie verdict against Megrahi as a ‘Grand Monument to Human Stupidity’. Indeed, the written opinion of the Lockerbie judges is a remarkable document that claims an ‘honoured place in the history of British miscarriages of justice.’ If the SCCRC Commission accepts the application for a full review, the infamous Zeist verdict doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving.” INTEL TODAY — July 5 2017 “If Ludwig is correct — and he usually is — and the type of copper used in PT35b can be dated 1989 / early 90s, then it adds enormously to the evidence that the fragment was not found by Hayes in May 1989 as claimed. I have consistently claimed this since 2002 but following on from John Ashton’s achievements re the tinning this could be the biggest breakthrough to date.” George Thomson — Lockerbie Investigator (October 4 2015) “Once more, careful analysis of tiny bits of evidence and expert opinions appears to show that police and other officials have misrepresented and distorted the facts. It brings us back, yet again, to the question: can all of these misrepresentations of evidence really be adequately explained by stupidity?” Paul Feeney — British Terrorism Expert
PT/35(b) is a small fragment of a circuit timer that was allegedly found among the debris of Pan Am 103 near the town of Lockerbie. After more than ten years of investigation, I have come to the conclusion that PT/35(b) is a forgery that was planted among the debris to implicate Libya in the bombing of Pan Am 103 and to steer the investigation away from the original suspects. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
Here is a couple of emails exchanged between Richard A. Marquise — the former FBI agent who led the US side of the Lockerbie Investigation — and myself on September 6 2008.
“I think the timer [PT/35(b)] is a fabrication.” (Email to RAM 06/09/2008) “I really have to disagree on the timer fragment as unless there is a big, big conspiracy–involving the Scottish police and the FBI and the CIA and lots of other people–why can we not agree it was found the way it was claimed? I saw the supposed evidence card which was changed from cloth to debris. Without answering exactly what happened as I do not know–I know that when the fragment was found, no one knew what it was not even where it was–it was imbedded within cloth. Now, I have no idea why someone would change the evidence card (I am not sure what to call it but it was a piece of cardboard which documented what the item was and had writing on it) as it seems a simple enough fix–the one piece was a fragment of Yorkie and what was in it was a few other items of debris, one of which was PT-35. Please tell me what you do not believe about the fragment.” (Email from Marquise 06/09/2008)
As I reach the end of my life, I feel strongly about answering this question, as honestly and accurately as I can. I will do so in the simplest possible way.
Later, I will provide all the supporting evidence that I was able — thanks to many good friends — to collect over the years. I hope that you will see that the evidence of a “big conspiracy” is indeed overwhelming.
Of course, as I pointed before in relation to this case, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” But the evidence is undisputable: PT(35)/b is a forgery.
PT/35(b) & the MST-13 Timers
On May 12 1989, PT/35(b) was allegedly extracted from the collar of a “SLALOM” shirt (labelled PI/995). [There are many reasons to believe that this ‘discovery’ was antedated but we know that PT/35(b) existed by January 1990.]
The Lockerbie investigators concluded early in the investigation that this fragment was part of the mechanism that triggered a bomb aboard Pan Am 103.
This fragment was eventually matched to a timer (known as MST-13) discovered among the weapons and material seized from rebels after an attempted coup in Togo on 23rd September 1986.
The identification was made in the mid of 1990 by FBI Thomas Thurman, with some help from the CIA.
In February 1988, the CIA became aware of another MST-13 Timer that was found in a luggage “belonging” to a Libyan citizen travelling to Dakar, Senegal.
That device was easily traced to MEBO, a Swiss company, because of a similarity to a device that had been found in Chad in September 1984. The MST-13 had been supplied “solely” to Libya.
The match between PT/35(b) and the main board of the MST-13 timer looks obviously excellent. Perfect indeed. But appearance can be deceiving.
RELATED POST: The Chronology of PT/35(b) — A very detailed timeline of the many scientific investigations of PT/35(b)
The anatomy of a copper-clad laminate
A printed circuit board (PCB) mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components using conductive tracks, pads and other features etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. PCBs can be single sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers) or multi-layer (outer and inner layers).
FR-4 glass epoxy is the primary insulating substrate upon which the vast majority of rigid PCBs are produced.
A thin layer of copper foil is laminated to one or both sides of an FR-4 panel. Circuitry interconnections are etched into copper layers to produce printed circuit boards.
Finally, the copper tracks are “tinned”, either with a lead-tin alloy or pure tin.
WHY PT/35(b) is a Forgery
Strike 1 — The Tin
28 February 1992 — According to their HOLMES statements, McAdam and Buwert went to the Wolfson Centre and met Dr Rosemary Wilkinson by prior arrangement, and she attempted to examine the whole of DP/347(a) in her scanning electron microscope but due to technical difficulties this proved impossible, and she was authorised to remove a
sample from the circuit board at a place previously agreed with the fiscal depute. The
corner section was then removed (DP/494, Crown label 411) and put in the scanning
electron microscope.
Dr Wilkinson’s manuscript statement (prod 364) records that the surface of the new
sample looked different from the fragment.
The fragment’s surface had contained bright “crystallites” 1/2 to 2 microns in diameter, but no such structure was present on DP/494, which contained bright and dark areas 5 to 15 microns in diameter which after analysis were associated with a lead rich metal for the bright areas and a tin rich metal for the dark areas.
No copper was found except at the edge exposed by the cutting of the sample. Dr Wilkinson suggested that this was because in DP/494 had a greater thickness of tin/lead metal covering the copper.
Comparison between control sample and fragment: on the fragment Dr Wilkinson
could find no trace of lead on the copper track she tested, only copper and tin.
Lockerbie investigator John Ashton received confirmation from THURING that the boards suplied to MEBO had all copper tracks covered with a lead-tin alloy, unlike PT/35(b) which was covered with pure tin.
Early suspicions and confirmation
During the trial in 2000, there were suspicions about how PT/35(b) had been discovered and reported on by government scientists.
The trial judges had discounted these suspicions. Then in 2009 the al-Megrahi defence team made a startling discovery.
In the years since the trial and first appeal they had managed to obtain a huge set of documents from police and Scottish Crown archives. Among the documents was the forensic notebook of scientific witness Allen Feraday. Feraday had compared PT35(b) with control samples from MST13 timer circuit boards similar to those supplied to Libya in 1985 by MEBO. He told the trial judges: “the fragment materials and tracking pattern are similar in all respects” to that of the MST13 timer. But nine years prior to the trial, on 1st August 1991, when examining both the fragment and a MEBO MST13 timer circuit board, he had made two hand-written entries in his notebook which contradicted this. The first recorded that tracks on fragment PT35(b) were protected by a layer of “Pure tin”. The second said that tracks on the circuit of a control sample MST13 board were covered by an alloy of “70% tin and 30% lead”. Feraday and the police were fully aware of the difference. Two police scientific advisers suggested that the heat of the explosion might have evaporated the lead content of the alloy, leaving pure tin. Another police adviser working for Ferranti International noted that fragment PT35(b) had indications of being “home made”. Neither the scientist’s reports nor the Ferranti letter were followed up. All remained hidden in police files. The judges and defence team were unaware of their contents. In the light of this new information the defence team consulted two prominent independent experts in the field. The experts repeatedly heat tested the evaporation theory with temperatures exceeding that of the bomb explosion. But the alloy of 70/30 tin/lead remained just that.
Feraday either perjured himself or was grossly negligent. It was upon his statement — and the very dubious identification evidence by Gauci — that the case against Baset al-Megrahi would turn. [Lockerbie: The 28 year lie. ]
Strike 2 — The Resin
“The function of the resin is to act as a ‘glue’ to hold the laminate together. Epoxy resins can be purchased from various vendors at various steps of manufacture. Epoxy resin can be had in a liquid form so that it can be concocted to upstaged resin using proprietary recipes and processes. It can also be purchased in the advanced or upstaged state, wherein the solid resin, complete with hardness and catalysts, is ready for use in treating.”
According to a FBI document date 20 August 1990 (classified SECRET):
This glass cloth laminate is manufactured using a Bisphenol A epoxy resin cured with Dicyandiamide.
A Memo from Det. Insp. Williamson dated 3 september 1990 states that:
“The glass cloth laminate is manufactured using a Bisphenol A epoxy resin cured with Dicyandiamide.” “A feature of any interest in the manufacture of epoxy resin would be chemical used in the curing process. the In the Case of Production PT35 the curing chemical is dicyandiamide. This is the most commonly used chemical for this purpose in the industry and does not assist in identification.” RELATED POST: Anatomy of a Copper Clad Laminate. Part III: Epoxy Resins
According to a well-informed source, THURING AG always ordered the Copper Clad Laminates from a Swiss branch of ISOLA: Schweizerische Isolawerke AG in Breitenbach (SIB).
In early 1990, the resin of a board from ISOLA (Switzerland) was tested and definitely ruled out as the source of PT/35(b)!
Let us go back to the Timeline Part II and in particular to the entry dated 8 March 1990.
After the visit to Ciba Geigy on 8 February, he [Harrower] made contact with a number of companies involved in the production of fibreglass laminate used in the manufacture of PCBs, and obtained samples of the various laminates they produced for comparison with PT/35(b). He received in total 23 different sample laminates from producers in Europe and the Middle East, which he understood covered all the production companies, and he produced DP/143 (prod 337), a schedule showing the laminate samples and suppliers. He provided the 23 samples to John French at Ciba on 8 March 1990 for comparative analysis. He later obtained a statement from French of the results of the analysis. (…) According to French’s HOLMES statement after his analysis of the various samples he found that two types of laminate, Ditron (manufactured in Italy) and Sefolam (manufactured in Israel) were the closest match to the spectrum obtained from DP/12 [NB. DP/12 was extracted from PT/35(b)]
Now, let us take a look at the MEMO of Williamson dated 03/09/1990.
“The epoxy resin is slightly altered to suit the specific purpose to which the completed PCB will be put, e.g. certain chemicals are added for their fire resistance properties etc. Each laminate manufacturer differs in the type of chemicals and the quantities which they add making their resin slightly different from that of their competitors.” (Page 2) “On 8th February 1990, John French, Senior Chemist, Research Analysis Department, CIBA GEIGY PIc., Plastics Division, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, carried out a test in an attempt to identify the resin. Ciba Geigy PIc., are one of the worlds largest producers of resin for the PCB industry. Mr. French removed some small fragments from the piece of circuit board and analysed them on an FT-RI (Fourier Transform Infra Red) Spectrometer. This test showed that the laminate was manufactured using a Bisphenol A Epoxy Resin cured with Dicyandiamide which is very commonly used in the industry.” “The reporting officers thereafter made contact with all companies in Western Europe, Israel, and East Germany, who manufacture copper clad laminates for the PCB industry and obtained samples of their laminates. On 8th March 1990, they returned to Ciba Geigy Plc., and supplied the following samples of laminates to Mr. French for analysis and comparison with Production PT35.”
Among the 23 samples, there are three from ISOLA, including one from ISOLA Switzerland. And yet, the report goes on with this conclusion.
“The results of the test carried out by Mr French were analysed on computer and two types of laminate, Sefolam and Ditron appear to give the closest match to Production PT35.”
In other words, French had clearly ruled out SIB as the source of PT/35(b)! But once again, someone tried to get around this unescapable conclusion…
” It is worthy to point out at this stage that in the opinion of Mr French the condition of PT35 due to its exposure to extreme heat could have had an effect on the results of the analysis. Also, while the match to the two laminates, Sefolam and Ditron appear very close, this can only be treated as an indication and is in no way conclusive.”
BTW, the idea that heat of the explosion modified PT/35(b) is of course nonsensical and results from a misunderstanding of what constitutes an explosion. During the explosion, the temperature is very high but the heat transfer is rather small.
In any case, the presence of an unmelted soldering lead blob on the fragment is proof that PT/35(b) was certainly not exposed to much heat transfer!
Strike 3 — The Copper
DP/10 is undoubtedly the smallest and most important piece of evidence Lockerbie experts have never heard of.
Before and after the identification of PT/35(b), the police consulted a British company called Circuit Foil UK about the copper used on both PT/35(b) and the Thuring boards.
One of their projet managers – Michael Whitehead – looked at both PT/35(b) and DP/347(a) – The Thuring board supplied to MEBO – and concluded that the copper on the Thuring boards had been made earlier.
Unfortunately, the police officers seemed to have completely misunderstood his statements.
The consequences are far-reaching. His statements clearly support the theory that the board from which PT/35(b) originated was produced at a later date than the Thuring boards.
There is a good reason to believe that this copper was not produced — at the earliest — before the end of 1989.
If true, it would be proof that PT/35(b) was fabricated AFTER the Lockerbie tragedy. It would also destroy the “legend” that PT/35(b) was examined by Dr Hayes and Feraday in May 1989!
After the identification of PT/35(b), the police officers returned to see Michael Whitehead. Here is the SCCRC description of this meeting:
On 06/03/1992, Police officers travelled to Circuit Foil UK (formerly Yates Circuit Foils) at Silloth, and interviewed Michael Whitehead, who examined the matt side topography of the copper tracks on DP/504 (label 406) by using a scanning electron microscope and produced 2 micrographs, A and B, designated DP/508 (prod 347). (NB: DP/504 is a small part cut from DP/347(a) i.e. the Thuring board supplied to MEBO.) Michael Whitehead was also of the opinion that the copper foil for DP/504 was manufactured some time earlier than the copper foil for PT/35(b).
That is to say, this surely indicates strongly that PT/35/(b) was manufactured later than the board provided by Thuring.
There is indeed no doubt that the copper from PT/35(b) is not similar to the copper from the Thuring boards. Moreover, the difference is understood. In the very late 80’s and well into the 90’s, the industry modified the production of the copper and the laminating process to improve the adhesion of the copper to the board. The characteristics of the copper on PT/35(b) reflect this improvement.
I understand that some experts are willing to testify on camera that their findings were not reported correctly by the investigators.
Let us summarize…
I. The “Tinning” of PT/35(b) is wrong. (Pure Tin for PT/35(b) vs Tin/Lead alloy for the Thuring boards).
II. The density of the copper nodules on the “Matte” side of the copper foil is evidence that PT/35(b) was built on a copper clad laminate manufactured after the time the THURING boards delivered to MEBO in 1985 had been produced.
III. The epoxy resins used in PT/35(b) and in the Thuring boards are obviously different. (Probably to take advantage of the higher density of the copper nodules in PT/35(b) as noted above.)
It is abundantly clear that the fragment PT35(b) did not come from a Thuring circuit board supplied to MEBO to fabricate the MST-13 timers delivered to Libya.
As the Yanks like to say: “Three strikes and you are out.” How PT/35(b) was made and by whom remains a mystery… But ask yourself a simple question: Who on earth had means, motive and opportunity?
WHO? — Means, Motive and Opportunity
Swiss Inspector Hans Knaus suspected the CIA of having planted PT/35(b) among the debris of the crash in order to incriminate Libya. I believe that Knaus is right and I suspect that he KNEW that the CIA had done it before, not once but twice! (The first time in Togo 1986 and the second time in Senegal 1988). The CIA knew everything about MEBO since 1984.
Swiss Inspector Peter Fluckiger met with MEBO employee Ulrich Lumpert on June 22 1989. On June 6 2008, Lumpert told me that he gave a MST-13 timer prototype — as well as various related documents — to Fluckiger during that meeting.
According to Lumpert, Fluckiger requested this device and other documents at the demand of a “friendly Intelligence Agency.”
In July 2016, Lockerbie investigator George Thomson wrote the following message to me:
“During a recent investigation in Switzerland our team managed to get our hands on an official government document which confirms that in June 1989 Swiss Police did receive from a MEBO – source documents and materials in relation to MST timers. THE DOCUMENT GOES ON TO CONFIRM THAT THIS MATERIAL WAS THEN HANDED OVER TO THE AMERICANS.”
REMEMBER: This is one full year BEFORE Super FBI Genius Tom Thurman identified the link between PT/35(b) and MEBO. (June 15 1990).
Why? — The Lockerbie Solution
Jack Anderson and Dale Van Atta claimed that the Lockerbie investigation switched from Iran to Libya following a phone call in March 1989 between George H W Bush and Margaret Thatcher. [Van Atta recently confirmed the story.] What happened?
In July 1988, Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri was the designated successor of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — known to be very ill — who used to call him “the fruit of his life”.
From an American point of view, the prognosis in the aftermath of the downing of IRAN Airbus 655 was rather gloomy. Montazeri was about to succeed Khomeini soon and he wanted a open war with the US. [The US was at the time fully on board with Saddam’s Iraq during the war against Iran.]
RELATED POST: Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Takes Many Secrets to His Grave
Then, on 26 March 1989, Khomeini strongly denounced Montazeri’s actions. [Criticism of the Summer massacre, Salman Rushdie, and so on.] A couple of days later, Khomeini announced that Montazeri ‘had resigned his post’.
The demotion of Montazeri was a “game changing” event. After March 26, it may no longer serve the US/UK geopolitical interests to blame Iran. Khomeini was rumored to be at death’s door.
If pragmatic new leaders — “friendly” enough to seek a solution to the hostages crisis — could succeed him, it would be totally counter-productive to blame Iran for the action of the old regime. This would only serve the interests of the hard-liners. Thus, ‘Let us wait and see what happens next’ became the Lockerbie policy after March 1989.
Ruhollah Khomeini died on June 3rd 1989. Rafsanjani was instrumental in securing a quick solution to an urging crisis. On August 3rd 1989, Rafsanjani was elected Iran’s president.
Rafsanjani was — of course — well known to the US policy makers as he was instrumental in the infamous Iran-Contra scandal.
In the following weeks, PT(35)/b really ‘surfaced’ and a CIA document — dated September 1989! — links Megrahi to Pan Am 103 for the first time. That is long before the Lockerbie investigators — including the FBI agents — ever heard of him!
The Endgame
By September 1989, blaming Iran for Lockerbie would no longer serve the geopolitical interests of the US and UK. Justice was not served. As Marcel Pagnol once wrote:
“A wise man does not look for the culprits of a crime. A wise man chooses the right culprits.”
And the obvious “culprit” was Libya. An indictment – without a chance of a trial — was the perfect solution. The US would easily obtain — with a bit of “wheeling dealing” — a UN resolution (or two) against Libya, thus making an example of their favorite “punching bag”.
For Thatcher, it was also a path to end the supply of Libyan weapons to the Provisional IRA who had almost succeeded in assassinating her and came very close to destabilize the UK.
If there ever was an era of “Unilateralism”, it was that period. In some circles, the final “Lockerbie Solution” must be viewed as a brilliant strategic victory. For those who lost a relative at Lockerbie and wanted nothing but the truth, it is a bitter story.
PS — FBI Thurman: 21B vs SIB
The watermark “S I B” visible on the main board of the MEBO MST-13 timers clearly indicate that these boards were produced by a Swiss branch of the ISOLA Company.
Well, at least visible to anyone except to the experts of the CIA and Special Agent (“Explosive expert”) FBI Tom Thurman who managed to read “21B”, as I explained in: The THURING Board Watermark: FBI Analysis ).
That mistake was of course necessary to ruin the forensic investigation and build the case against Libya. Had the SIB logo been read correctly, the case would have collapsed on the spot!
When I made that discovery, a wise man made the following comment:
“The most cursory look at yesterday’s posting — which shows the watermark in its true aspect — shows the marks to be SIB. There is no way on earth it could be 21B when viewed correctly. The K1 timer was taken to pieces, analysed under microscope, its components tested, its circuits deconstructed in ideal lab conditions under optimal light conditions by the FBI and yet we are supposed to believe that the watermark when correctly viewed could look like 21B. This looks to me very like an attempt to mislead. A simple search of trade catalogues would give you SIB’s manufacturer in a couple of hours. It appears that the image above is viewed via high-powered light and shows the watermark on the underside of the PCB. Even so, it is clear that the B is upside down as the smaller of the two loops on the B is on the lower/bottom of the watermark. Turn it up the right way and you can’t escape that it’s SIB and eminently traceable.”
I rest my case…
Acknowledgement
I wish to thank all those who helped me to understand this affair. I cannot name all of them. They know anyway how much they helped me and that is all that counts in the end.
Nevertheless, I would like to thank the following persons: William Tobin (FBI), Fred Whitehurst (FBI), Richard Marquise (FBI), Bob Baer (CIA), Pat Lang (DIA), Bani Sadr (President of Iran), Abou Diouf (President of Senegal), Pr Robert Black (Architect of the Lockerbie trial), Hans Kochler (UN Observer at the Lockerbie trial), Dr Jim Swire (UK Lockerbie Family), John Ashton (Author, journalist and Lockerbie investigator), George Thomson (Lockerbie investigator), Otto Hostettler (Investigative reporter for the Swiss magazine BEOBACHTER) and Paul Feeney (UK terrorism expert).
REFERENCES
Lockerbie relatives urge inquiry into ‘suppressed evidence’ — Guardian
=
PT/35(b) — The Most Expensive Forgery in HistoryGov. Chris Christie's endorsement of Donald Trump is giving many people in New Jersey indigestion, but none more than former Gov. Christie Whitman, a Republican who has watched in horror as her party drifted rightward for the last decade.
I have a full column on Christie's shameless stunt coming tomorrow, but I wanted to share Whitman's quotes right away.
RELATED: Trump critic Whitman endorses John Kasich
First, she says she's planning to vote for Hillary Clinton if Trump gets the nod. She's keeping her options open, in case we find out something new and horrible about Hillary. But that's her plan now:
"You'll see a lot of Republicans do that," Whitman told me. "We don't want to. But I know I won't vote for Trump."
The real juice came when I asked her about Christie's move:
"I am ashamed that Christie would endorse anyone who has employed the kind of hate mongering and racism that Trump has," she said. "I would have thought being from a diverse state would have given him more awareness and compassion."
Right on, governor.
I've had my problems with Whitman over the years, but she's a decent human being, and more progressive than people give her credit for. For example, she created the state's first earned income tax credit for the working poor, which many people have forgotten, but which is a big deal.
And she's letting it rip here, showing that she puts the nation's interest above the party.
Look for the full column on Christie's move tomorrow morning.
More: Tom Moran columns
Tom Moran may be reached at [email protected] or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.CLOSE The U.S. said Sunday it was suspending non-immigrant visa services at its diplomatic facilities in Turkey following the arrest of a consulate employee, prompting Turkey to halt visa services in the U.S. Time
President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo11: Evan Vucci, AP)
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s justice minister on Monday said he hoped the United States would review its decision to suspend most visa services for Turkish citizens following the arrest of a U.S. consulate employee in Istanbul that has deepened tensions between the two NATO allies.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities announced that a second employee of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul had been “invited” to the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office to testify. Authorities did not explain why. Reports say the employee is a Turkish citizen, and the prosecutor’s office said his wife and child had also been detained for questioning.
The U.S. on Sunday suspended the issuing of visas for Turkish citizens hoping to visit or study in the United States after Turkey arrested U.S. consulate employee Metin Topuz last week on allegations of espionage.
Turkey immediately halted visa services in the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the U.S. decision a “saddening” development. He added that he had immediately ordered a retaliatory measure that resulted in the Turkish Embassy in Washington issuing an almost identical text to the U.S. announcement.
“Turkey is governed by the rule of law. Above all, we are not a tribe, we are not a tribal state,” Erdogan said.
Earlier, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the embassy’s second-in-charge, asking that Washington review the decision that caused “unnecessary escalation” and “victimized” both Turkish and U.S. citizens, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.
“It is Turkey’s right to try a Turkish citizen for acts carried out in Turkey,” said Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul. “Everyone should follow (legal procedures) with respect.”
Despite the seemingly friendly relations between President Trump and Erdogan, ties between the two countries are tense over the arrest of Topuz, a Turkish citizen, and several Americans over alleged ties to a movement led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for last summer’s coup attempt. Gulen denies involvement.
Topuz is accused of espionage and “attempting to overthrow the Turkish government and constitution.” Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported that he allegedly communicated with former police chiefs in a 2013 corruption probe and others involved in the attempted coup using an encrypted mobile messaging application.
The U.S. Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed” by the arrest and has complained of reports
|
of an officer who did not answer an emergency roll-call.
West Midlands Police said the hoax call "sparked an unprecedented police response and subsequent investigation which led to a suspect being arrested within 24 hours by counter-terrorism detectives.
"The call came at a time when the national terrorism threat level was severe."
The Police Federation said the effect of the call was "widespread and long lasting" and affected all employees and their families.
Hussain had tried to access police logs created following a call made in September and the kidnap call in December. Expert voice analysis of those calls to police revealed they were made by Bashir and Hussain respectively.
In September, police were given information that a forced marriage was taking place at an address in Moseley, Birmingham. Officers went to the address but decided the alert had been a hoax.This 72-yr-old voodoo priestess is crowdfunding her temple’s rebuilding after tragic fire https://t.co/hpnd0m4WdR pic.twitter.com/mCROT9Uleo — Fusion News (@FusionNews) March 2, 2016
Miriam Chamani has run the Voodoo Spiritual Temple since 1990, a space that she created to worship her beliefs and and share the religion, which was developed by African slaves and influenced by Caribbean immigrants and Catholicism, with the people and visitors of New Orleans. According to a report from Fusion, Chamani’s sacred space — in a building erected in 1829 — was devastated by a fire last month, ruining much of the temple with the exception of the room where religious items were kept. “Maybe I used up all of the house’s energy,” said the 72-year-old priestess, who turned to online crowdsourcing to fundraise for the repairs. As of Tuesday, more than 400 people have contributed to a GoFundMe account set up in Chamani’s name, raising over $16,000. “The temple is not a physical building,” she told Fusion. “It’s the intestines, the organs that go inside a physical building. It’s the people you have touched.”
Mississippi-born Chamani considers herself a “spiritual surgeon,” and her temple is the most prominent in the city to be run by a woman of color (and free). She’s so influential in New Orleans that a former mayor named May 5 “New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple Day.”
Read the full story at Fusion.What’s your passion? What gets you up in the morning? Well, besides the overwhelming need to pee. I should have phrased it a little better. What gets you out of your pajamas in the morning? Really? Eleven? Yeah, that’s still technically morning, but still, come on, that’s a little late. No, I’m just saying, that’s a big chunk of the day gone, right there. I mean, unless you work nights or something. Do you work nights? No?
OK, well, when you get out of your pajamas at eleven, what motivates you to brush your teeth, take a shower, to go tackle whatever is you’ve got to tackle? Yeah, OK, your dog needs to be walked, that’s valid. But is that your passion? Is that all you’ve got, your dog?
I always ask people, if you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do every day? Well, OK, really? Video games and movies on the couch, that’s it? Fine, what is it about video games that gets you going? Have you ever considered a career in video games? It’s not something you can do overnight, but maybe you could start off small, some programming courses here and there, a little intro to graphic design at night.
No? None of that sounds appealing? Well, yes, that’s a fair point. But do you honestly feel like you’re at the level where you’d be able to compete against professional gamers at the highest level? Because that’s what you’re talking about, right? Entering video game competitions? Are there cash prizes? I mean, are there people that make a living off of winning? How many?
I’m just thinking, is it like, “I want to be a professional basketball player?” Because sure, that’s a dream, but that’s one where you’ve got to be a little realistic. Like, if you really, really like basketball, but you’re kind of objectively looking at the possibilities that a guy in his early thirties might go from wherever he is right now all the way to the pros, it’s just … it’s one thing to chase your dreams, sure.
Well yeah, I was just using basketball as an example. In that case it’s really kind of easy to look at someone and tell them, listen, there’s not a lot of evidence or example that shows that there’s even a chance that a guy in your situation could go pro. I mean with video games, sure, age isn’t really a factor, but I mean … have you ever competed in any of these tournaments? No? Like if you play online in a randomly matched multiplayer, what are they chances that you’re going to come in the top ten percent?
OK, so facing those facts, do you really think that video games are your passion? I mean, is that how you’d treat something that you’re passionate about? Because I don’t think just casually spending your time on XBOX Live counts as a passion. And yeah, I see the number of hours you’ve accumulated, that’s … well, that’s a lot of hours. But it’s not impressive. That’s just spending time. That’s like taking a note of all of the meals you’ve eaten in the past five months and then telling me that you have a passion for eating.
All right, you know what? I’m just trying to do your mom a favor here, OK? You don’t have to be rude. Yeah, well, I don’t care if you don’t think Life Coach is a real job, I’m out there, I’m doing it, all right, whatever you’ve got going on here, this is definitely not a sustainable lifestyle. Oh yeah, great, well I disagree with you. Great, so, you know what? Why don’t you go … no, I’m just going to go. Good luck with everything, OK? I hope this all works out for you.SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Monday that the missile it launched a day earlier was a new ballistic missile that can carry a large, heavy nuclear warhead, warning that the United States’ military bases in the Pacific were within its range.
North Korea launched what American officials called an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday from the northwestern town of Kusong. The missile, believed to have a longer range than any other North Korean missile tested so far, landed in the sea between the North and Japan, sparking angry comments from President Trump, as well as from President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said on Monday that the new ground-to-ground missile, Hwasong-12, hit the targeted open water 489 miles away after soaring to an altitude of 1,312 miles. The missile was launched at a deliberately high angle so it would not fall too close to a neighboring country, the news agency said.
The flight data announced by the North roughly matched that released by Japanese and South Korean officials hours after the launch.There's a chilling trend in the market, and it could wreak havoc on your portfolio, a top market watcher said.
"We are seven years into a full-fledged, all out, central bankers doing everything they can to stimulate demand," Bank of America-Merrill Lynch's head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy Savita Subramanian recently warned on CNBC's "Fast Money."
"We looked at all of these indicators that have been pretty good at forecasting recessions and we extrapolated that if they follow the current trends they're on, we're going to hit a recession sometime in the second half of next year."
The most unsettling thing is that this recession risk isn't discounted into the market at these levels, according to Subramanian.
The S&P is 1.8-percent away from its intraday all-time high of 2,193.81, hit on August 15. Subramanian's year-end 2016 S&P 500 price target is 2000, about seven percent lower than where it's trading today. And, if she's right, it's about to get a lot worse next year.
"What scares me is the market been so fragile. So, remember what happened in January? We got a whiff of bad news and all of the sudden the market is at 1800," she said—a move that augured poorly for the near-term.
"I think that speaks to the reaction function of the market. There are a lot of itchy trigger fingers. There's lot of violent trades that can really roil a fairly complacent environment."
Even though Subramanian acknowledged there's a lot more risk than reward at this point, she says the health care and technology sectors look the best right now.
"They are both pretty cheap on a relative basis," she said.
"Health care has taken it on the chin because of Hillary [Clinton] risk and fears that the M&A cycle is over," she said, referencing the 2016 elections. Some sector analysts perceive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as a risk to the sector, mainly because of her stances on drug companies and health care.
It's now trading at almost the lowest multiples we've ever seen," Subramanian said. "But, meanwhile it actually has good growth."Computer makers are recalling 100,000 laptop battery packs made by Sony Corp. after 40 reports of overheating, according to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notice Thursday.
The recall applies to certain Sony 2.15Ah lithium-ion cell batteries made in Japan and sold around the world in laptops made by Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Toshiba Corp.
Some incidents involved smoke or flames, according to Sony. Twenty-one of the reports claimed minor property damage, and small burns were reported in four cases.
Sony blamed two factors for the defects: adjustments on its manufacturing line from October 2004 to June 2005, which may have affected the quality of cells in certain production lots, and a possible flaw in the metal foil for electrodes.
The company said no reports have been filed for batteries made after 2006, and noted that the recalled units are a small fraction of the more than 260 million it has shipped over six years.
This also pales in comparison to the recall of nearly 10 million of a different model of Sony batteries in 2006 and 2007, which affected almost every major PC manufacturer, including Dell Inc. and Apple Inc.
In this batch of problematic laptops, the bulk of the 35,000 affected computers in the U.S. were sold by HP between December 2004 and June 2006, according to the safety commission, including HP Pavilion, HP Compaq and Compaq Presario models.
Some Dell Latitude and Inspiron models shipped between November 2004 and November 2005 are also covered by the recall, as well as some Toshiba Satellite and Tecra laptops sold from April 2005 to October 2005.
An additional 65,000 of the flawed batteries were sold outside the U.S. The PCs and separate batteries were sold directly by the computer manufacturers, electronics stores and online retailers, not Sony.
Sony said its own Vaio laptops don't use the battery in question. Last month, however, the company recalled 440,000 Vaio notebooks worldwide because of a wiring flaw that can cause overheating.
The safety commission said PC users should remove laptop batteries immediately and contact the manufacturer to request a replacement.Earlier this week, we learned that former Boston Celtics guard Ricky Davis signed a contract with the Maine Red Claws, the team's D-League affiliate in hopes to reach the NBA again. On Sunday, we heard of another, less famous Celtic attempting an NBA comeback.
According to HoopsHype.com, former Celtics guard Michael Finley is looking to make an NBA comeback after a year out of the league. Finley was on the 2010 Celtics roster that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. He's also played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs before his stint with Boston.
Finley, 38, has played 16 seasons in the NBA and has averaged 15.7 points per game over his career. While Finley is unlikely to land back with the Celtics, he hopes that the right opportunity comes his way.
"My thing is, I want to play basketball, I would enjoy playing in the D-League, but at the same time I don't want to take an opportunity away from a young guy to get exposure. I'm still thinking about it. If the right situation comes, where I could be something like a player-coach, maybe I would take that opportunity." (via Hoops Hype)
For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, Celtics BlogThe Houston Texans would be interested in Jon Gruden as a candidate to fulfill owner Bob McNair's quest for an experienced NFL head coach to replace Gary Kubiak. But McNair shouldn't expect those feelings to be reciprocated.
Jon Gruden has worked as an NFL analyst at ESPN since 2009. Allen Kee/ESPN Image
Gruden will remain with ESPN through at least the 2014 season, the former Super Bowl-winning coach has confirmed.
"I'm just trying to do my job," Gruden said. "I'm not going to address every little rumor or supposed conversation that takes place, according to these so-called sources.
"There are a lot of good coaches out there available to coach these teams. I'm just hoping ESPN likes the the job I'm doing. That's my focus."
Gruden has a strong commitment to continue as the "Monday Night Football" analyst, his popular quarterback camp series and his outreach to consult high school coaches.
Other notable former head coaches who still have no plans to return to the sideline include Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy.
The Texans, who own the NFL's worst record at 2-11, fired Kubiak on Friday, one day after losing their franchise-record 11th consecutive game.
Gruden, who has worked at ESPN since 2009, compiled a 95-81 record in 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He reached the playoffs five times and coached the Buccaneers to the only Super Bowl championship in franchise history.Here are the facts:
A large computer peripheral manufacturer, with sales of $727 million last year and a profit of $107 million, paid some of its workers in the United States $1.21 an hour.
At least one of the workers was said to have worked 122 hours in a week. That would mean, for seven days straight, starting work at an average of 5:00 in the morning and ending at 10:25 at night, day after day; that's either cruelty or a seriously flawed time sheet.
The workers were Indians not legally able to work in the Unites States; the company was in gross violation of the immigration law as well as various labor laws.
The U.S. Department of Labor found out about it, but gave the firm, Electronics for Imaging, a slap on the wrist. So far there has been no reports of any penalties for the immigration violations.
None of the media coverage, including a reasonably good story by the Huffington Post, put together all four elements of the story outlined above; few got beyond the hourly wage and the company's prosperity.
Here is the story as I gathered it from press reports, company documents, Center for Immigration Studies reports on similar abuses in this industry, and by a certain amount of reading between the lines:
The Firm. Electronics for Imaging is a fast-growing, highly successful firm headquartered in Fremont, Calif., near Silicon Valley. Like many other computer-related firms, it evidently has an operation and employees in India, in this case Bangalore. Its market capitalization is $1.9 billion. Its CEO, Guy Gecht, was paid $5.9 million in 2013. Figuring 52 40-hour weeks for Mr. Gecht, that works out to $2,836.53 per hour.
The Task and the Pay. The company decided to install a new, and I am sure expensive, computer system. It sent eight workers from India to do this work (presumably ignoring hundreds if not thousands of computer installers in the Bay Area). The first arrived in September 2013, and the last left in December of that year. The eight spent thousands of hours installing the equipment. Their presence must have been highly visible.
The workers continued to be paid at their Indian wages plus an apparently tiny bonus; the total pay was $1.21 an hour in American money, or about 74 Indian rupees an hour. They were covered by both the federal and the California minimum wage law; the latter calls for at least $8.00 an hour and time and a half for overtime.
Apparently there was a great rush to install the new computer system, and at least one worker was forced to work 122 hours in a week; others must have worked long hours as well, but those details are not available.
The Immigration Law Violations. None of the media reports I saw, as is too often the case, mentioned the extent of the corporation's violations of the immigration law, but they had to have occurred. The workers were apparently brought to the United States on tourist or business visitor (B-1) visas; such visas allow aliens to attend conferences or undergo training, but not to engage in "gainful employment", such as installing computers. They should have been here (if at all) on a work visa such as H-1B (the company is on record as having filed for 40 such workers in the years 2011-2013).
If the workers were, in fact, on B-1 visas, (which cost all of $160 each) the employer presumably saved a small bundle on visa fees alone, as those for H-1Bs, which have a number of variables, often come to several thousand dollars each. This would be in addition to the company's massive savings on wages
So both the workers and the corporation were violating the INA. Perhaps the Department of Homeland Security will do something about this, but there have been no media reports (or press releases) that I have seen on this point.
The Slap on the Wrist. So what penalty does this $1.9 billion dollar corporation, with its $5.9 million-a-year CEO, have to pay for all these egregious violations of numerous federal and state laws?
The total comes to a little over $43,500. That'll teach 'em!
The Department of Labor figured that the difference between $1.21 an hour and the $8.00 state minimum plus the missing overtime payments came to about $20,000. It then (praise be for small blessings) doubled that figure and caused Electronics in Imaging to pay the doubled amount to the eight workers, presumably according to the number of hours worked by each. That came to an average of $5,000 per worker, or $40,000 all together.
DoL then added a $3,500 administrative fee to the total.
In contrast to $43,500, think $34 million. That's what a bigger computer-related firm, with much more extensive use of B-1 holders, has set aside to pay for its immigration law violations. That firm is India-based Infosys and it was hauled into federal court for its multiple violations of the INA, as we reported earlier.
The Employer's Excuse. According to a San Jose Mercury-News report, the firm's VP for human relations said: "[W]e unintentionally overlooked laws that require even foreign employees to be paid based on local U.S. standards."
This suggests one of two things: either the personnel people in the massive, sophisticated, and highly successful firm are remarkably incompetent, or someone's lying.BBC gets heat for censoring Elvis Costello's 1979 hit "Oliver's Army" Critics point out that the anti-war song has been played without edits for more than thirty years
The BBC is fielding complaints for editing the 1979 Elvis Costello hit "Oliver's Army" on a 6 Music radio broadcast last week. The Mail reports that BBC censored the "one more widow, one less white nigger" lyric, despite the fact that the song has generally played uncensored on the radio for more than thirty years.
According to the Telegraph, one listener said, "‘Although it is not a nice phrase and I wouldn’t condone the use of the word these days, it is an anti-war song as far as I believe, arguing against British colonialism and the word would be appropriate for that song."
Advertisement:
BBC DJs Mike Read and Trevor Nelson also criticized the censorship on a program called Feedback. Nelson called the conspicuous edit "a little patronizing," while Read said, "I think cutting a piece out and changing the whole tempo of the music simply draws attention to it. If you don’t like the sentiment or you don’t agree with the sentiment then don’t play it but to take the scissors and cut a bit out of it, I am sure Elvis Costello might have something to say about that."
In the 2002 reissue of the album, "Armed Forces," Costello offers context for the song, writing that it is about the conflict in Northern Ireland:
"I made my first trip to Belfast in 1978 and saw mere boys walking around in battle dress with automatic weapons. They were no longer just on the evening news. These snapshot experiences exploded into visions of mercenaries and imperial armies around the world. The song was based on the premise 'they always get a working class boy to do the killing'."
Given the song's history, Radio 1 and 1Xtra Head of Music George Ergatoudis said on Feedback that BBC had "contextualised" the word, but nonetheless, radio stations are in an "interesting position" with the use of "that word."
A spokesman from 6 Music told the Mail that "In this instance it was decided that the song would be edited but it does not mean that it would always be the case."
"We take into consideration a number of factors including the nature of the language, the station and its audience, the time of day, editorial justification and the wider context of the program," he said.Administrator
Level: 41
Posts: 406/459
EXP: 476216
Next: 3929
Since: 09-25-12
From: Germany
Last post: 137 days ago
Last view: 23 min. ago
Magikoopa
Code patcher for 3ds games
Magikoopa is a tool that compiles custom code for 3ds games and inserts it into code.bin files and also allows to insert hooks into the original code to the inserted code allowing for example replacing functions.
Because of memory segmentation it is not easy to add as much code to code.bin files as we want. To allow that we insert a small loader into the padding between the executable and data section that reprotects memory to our needs to mark perviously read-write only memory as executable.
Magikoopa features a nice UI that displays anthing that can go wrong during the compiling and inserting steps. It even allows you to jump directly to issues in code/hooks my clicking on the issues displayed in the UI.
Source Code:
I will add better explaination how to use the tool and add builds when I make a bit more progress on it.
You can also find examples working with NSMB2 here:
(The memory offsets in the example are based on the US Gold Edition)
____________________
GitHub - YouTube - NSMBHD
Magikoopa is a tool that compiles custom code for 3ds games and inserts it into code.bin files and also allows to insert hooks into the original code to the inserted code allowing for example replacing functions.Because of memory segmentation it is not easy to add as much code to code.bin files as we want. To allow that we insert a small loader into the padding between the executable and data section that reprotects memory to our needs to mark perviously read-write only memory as executable.Magikoopa features a nice UI that displays anthing that can go wrong during the compiling and inserting steps. It even allows you to jump directly to issues in code/hooks my clicking on the issues displayed in the UI.Source Code: https://github.com/RicBent/Magikoopa I will add better explaination how to use the tool and add builds when I make a bit more progress on it.You can also find examples working with NSMB2 here: https://github.com/RicBent/Magikoopa-NSMB2-Examples (The memory offsets in the example are based on the US Gold Edition)____________________This Saturday thousands of Americans took to the streets across the country, demanding that our alleged president release his tax returns. Trump, who was down at his Mar-a-Largo resort playing golf, was confused about the protests. After wishing the world a happy Easter, his next dumb tweet was “I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?”
The election ended in November of 2016.
Most of the protests went down without conflict and were generally pretty kumbaya. But not so much in Berkley, California, where things got rather tense as clashes broke out between pro-Trump supporters and and anti-Trump protesters, leaving 21 people arrested and 11 injured.
Nathan Damigo, a noted white supremacist who once tweeted that “Non-whites are incapable of replicating white culture,” was among the Trumpites in attendance. He was caught on video sucker punching a woman.
Mark Cuban had this commentary to offer about the punch and protests.
What happened at #Berkeley was not a riot or protest. It was an organized alt-right terrorist attack. Sad!. pic.twitter.com/O8GrQOev4m — Mark Cuban (@subzerov690) April 16, 2017
Damigo, the white man responsible for the sucker punch, is the founder of a white supremacist group called “Identity Evropa.” According to the Modesto Bee, “the site uses Greek and Renaissance male statues as its imagery and includes links to materials touting the superiority of whites and genetic inferiority of other races.” Damigo was interviewed back in February when fellow terrible person Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak at Cal Berkley. Huge protests happened then, too, and the school decided to cancel the speech.
Here’s some more video of the fights from this past weekend. The whole thing was really rather crazy.
More than a Dozen Arrests Amid Violent Clash Among Groups in Berkeley. Watch additional footage: http://t.co/932WUWsYza… pic.twitter.com/bEqihKZ296 — CitizenSlant (@CitizenSlant) April 16, 2017
Here’s video from above.
Demonstrators are punching each other and even using skateboards and helmets as weapons in #Berkeley. http://t.co/PAK3WUbllH pic.twitter.com/7G8hLtsA4I — NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) April 15, 2017
And more video.
http://twitter.com/Freeyourmindkid/status/853448696947781633
If you’re wondering to yourself, “why didn’t police step in and do anything to try and break this up?” You wouldn’t be alone in asking that very good question.
Shane Bauer, a reporter for Mother Jones, asked a police officer who was casually standing by and watching that very question. “I’ve been watching people get beat up all day and they [police] haven’t been around.” To which the officer responded, “Okay, and?”
I tell a police officer I've been seeing people get beat up all day and they haven't been around. "Okay, and?" he says. pic.twitter.com/OuGEcvvb8R — Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) April 15, 2017
It’s hard to say if any one side “won” during Saturday’s clashes, but numerous accounts on Twitter have been saying “this is just the beginning.” This is the third time in several months that opposing protests groups have butted heads in California and it seems like the conflicts are intensifying.Did you know that our faces are not symmetrical? Meaning when you split a face directly in the middle (though not in a horror movie kind of way), and you fold it, the features will not line up perfectly. Unless, of course, you’re Denzel Washington. That’s why people often want their ‘good side’ taken whenever they go in front of a camera.
‘Both Sides Of’ is a series by New York-based photographer Alex John Beck, in which he explores facial symmetry by capturing and merging the left and right sides of peoples’ portraits. Using mirror imaging, he takes the left side of a person’s face and mirrors it, creating a new face altogether. He does the same process with the right side, resulting in a side-by-side comparison of the left and right side faces.
Some of the subjects’ mirrored portraits reveal that there are indeed such things as good and bad sides. But more than that, the series makes us rethink about our concept of beauty and how symmetry influences our judgement on all things aesthetic.
UPDATE: Here’s a sneak peek at our exclusive interview with Alex John Beck.
What was the inspiration for the series, ‘Both Sides Of’?
I wanted to find a different way of shooting a transformative portrait. Rather than trying to capture an emotion, I tried to distill the various opposing emotions hidden within a face at rest.
What’s the message you’re trying to communicate by showing the two sides of a person’s face?
There’s no message, really, I think it’s more of a curiosity: revealing hidden characters.
Via My Modern MetHampshire 315 for 7 (Carberry 107, Dawson 87*, Roland-Jones 3-87) vs Middlesex
Scorecard
Adam Voges is out of the match with concussion (file picture) © Getty Images
Michael Carberry scored a fabulous first Specsavers County Championship century since September 2014 - but was overshadowed by a freak head injury to Middlesex captain Adam Voges.
Voges was struck on the back of the head by a ball lobbed back to the wicket by substitute Ollie Rayner and missed by wicketkeeper John Simpson, after Carberry had hit one of his 14 boundaries.
The Australian fell straight to the floor before being helped off the pitch by two physios - and was subsequently taken to hospital with suspected concussion and will not make another appearance in this game.
Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser said: "The feeling from the physio Peter Waxman is that it is a concussion but that will be shown up later. It was a freak injury but you wonder why when a cricket ball which gets thrown around the field as much as it does it doesn't happen as often. A cricket ball is a hard thing.
"It is sad for Adam and disappointing for us as we will have no more use out of him in this match. He wasn't feeling very well in the dressing room so we decided to get him to the hospital to get him checked over. He wants to remain here even if he can't play."
Batsman Carberry looked in fine fettle from the start, especially cracking full balls straight down the ground - after starting the season with disappointing innings of 3, 18 and 19.
He reached 50 in 114 balls, before continuing in similar style, timing the ball superbly, and celebrated reaching three figure from 184 deliveries with a crisp back-foot shot through extra cover.
Carberry had seen three team-mates come and go during his vigil. Firstly Jimmy Adams, on his first outing of the season after an ankle injury suffered while ducking a ball in the nets in pre-season, edged to Nick Compton at second slip in the sixth over.
His captain James Vince appeared as graceful as ever, showcasing a glorious cover drive on a number of occasions before he was well caught by Voges at first slip for 25. Will Smith also clipped through to the slip cordon, before Liam Dawson came to the crease to begin a 100-run partnership with Carberry.
The former England Test opener reached his ton but departed soon after, as James Harris collected his 350th first-class wicket. But Dawson carried on the reins, waiting for bad balls in a watchful knock - the type which showed a different side to his often exuberant game and alerts selectors to your presence - with Angus Fraser watching on.
Dawson, one of Hampshire's walking wounded at Yorkshire a fortnight ago, is unlikely to bowl due to an abdominal strain but was at ease with a bat in his hand - moving past his 50 in 117 balls.
Adam Wheater held up the other end with a patient 25 from 47 balls, before he was victim to Tim Murtagh's second wicket of the day, not getting far enough forward to a leg before. Ryan McClaren then fell in a similar vein to Toby Roland-Jones and Chris Wood continued the flurry of late wickets with two overs left in the day, another lbw casualty, as Hampshire closed on 315 for 7.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.The Mayrons and Whittakers return in a holiday comedy aimed for the whole family but only satisfies fans of Ferrell’s brand of humor.
RATING: ★1/2 (out of four stars)
Comedy is the most difficult genre in film to judge because every person has a different sense of humor, and with that, comes a taste for a particular comedy subgenre. I can tell you right now my favorite comedies of all time include the works of Monty Python, Airplane!, and The Blues Brothers for their elements of parody, deadpan delivery and absurdism. Throughout his career, Will Ferrell has dabbled in a variety of comedies that I have enjoyed, from the Kaufman-lite (and often overlooked) Stranger Than Fiction to the absurdist parodies that were Talladega Nights, Anchorman and Zoolander. However, his routine of playing egotistical man-children started to get tired for me after Semi-Pro, took too much of a turn for the annoying in Step Brothers, and became outright abysmal with the Anchorman sequel. Daddy’s Home 2 is a sequel to the most recent box office smash of Ferrell’s career, and despite smart additions to the main cast and a holiday setting, it suffers from the same problems as the worst movies in Ferrell’s filmography.
It’s a shame, too, because while it wasn’t great, the first Daddy’s Home came out in 2015 as a step in the right direction for Ferrell, who played Brad Whittaker, a domesticated stepfather of two engaged in a competition of one-upsmanship when the birth father of his children, alpha-male Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg) comes into his life and tries to win back his children. Despite hit-and-miss elements of slapstick and generic direction, the film thrived thanks to great chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg in a story that was grounded in reality for a change.
Daddy’s Home 2 begins with Dusty and Brad acting as ‘co-dads’ to their three stepchildren, and with their wives, announce a plan to celebrate Christmas with both of their families. All goes well until literally seconds later, when Dusty’s father Kurt (Mel Gibson) announces over the phone he’ll be visiting for the holidays. This makes Dusty anxious for his man’s-man of a father’s approval, while Brad happily welcomes his over-affectionate father (John Lithgow) to their Christmas celebration with open arms and a big kiss on the lips that’s been all over the movie’s advertising (and happens again in two later scenes). From there, Brad, his father and his wife Sara (Linda Cardellini), Kurt, Dusty and his wife Karen (Alessandria Ambrosio), their three stepchildren Dylan (Owen Vaccaro), Megan (Scarlett Estevez) and Adrianna (Didi Costine) all pile into two minivans and celebrate the week of Christmas in a large cabin in the woods.
What could possibly go wrong? For this movie, almost everything; the biggest issue being that there are too many characters and too many subplots to boot: Sara is often seen trying to figure out what Karen is writing about her in her little black book, Dylan wants to learn how to get the girl from the cabin next door on his way to becoming a man, and Brad’s father appears to be hiding a secret underneath all his affection. But this sequel doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on arcs for any of these characters to help them grow and change, because for some reason, it’s more important to watch Brad and Dusty exchange surface-level banter with their fathers, see young Megan learn how to hunt with disastrous results for one family member, or even watch Brad mow over all the Christmas lights and whip himself into the house, with no regard to whether the previous fifteen jokes registered or not.
That being said, it’s the subtle jokes that hit the most: in a scene where an infant tubes down a hill by accident and Brad is knocking over people and losing his pants trying to rescue it, there’s a brief glimpse of a child tubing down the same hill with his attention on an iPad. Also, while everyone appears to be going through the motions and every single character is stripped down to just one characteristic (Brad in particular regresses to the same over-emotional character Ferrell always plays), the newcomers in the cast do what they can to inject some life into it. Mel Gibson’s biting, snarky dialogue lands when it hits, and he makes the same pained expressions we’ve all made while Brad and his father sing Christmas carols in the back of their van. Meanwhile, the timing of Lithgow’s punch lines is especially hilarious, particularly in an early scene where he recalls a time he and Brad had ‘the talk’ about girls. But those moments are few and far in between because Daddy’s Home 2 wants to move so quickly to the next set piece where Will Ferrell gets hurt by something made of bad CGI because that one time he cartoonishly drove a motorcycle through the house in the first Daddy’s Home sure was a riot, wasn’t it?
As stated at the beginning of this review, comedy is subjective, and it couldn’t have been more evident than at the screening I attended, where the film was met with thunderous applause once the end credits rolled. For that reason, I can safely say that Daddy’s Home 2 should appeal to anyone that’s still a fan of Will Ferrell’s brand of comedy. For everyone else, however, you’re better off skipping this one and watching far superior holiday comedies like Christmas Vacation or even Elf, which was Ferrell’s first contemporary Christmas classic. He aimed for another one this year with this sequel, but Daddy’s Home
|
Fashion Drug & Alcohol Issues Economics Education Election Campaigns Employment & Industrial Relations Energy Entertainment Environment Environmental Protection Ethnic Communities & Heritage Families Family History & Genealogy Family Violence Festivals & Events (Arts) Festivals & Events (Cultural) Film & Cinema Fine Arts Food & Drink Foreign Affairs & Trade Forestry Games & Hobbies Geography and Mapping Geology Government & Law Government Indigenous Policy Health Health Research History Housing Humanities Immigration & Emigration Indigenous Art Indigenous Australians Indigenous Business & Commerce Indigenous Culture Indigenous Education Indigenous Employment Indigenous Health Indigenous History Indigenous Land Rights Indigenous Languages Indigenous Native Title Indigenous Tourism Industrial & Manufacturing Industry & Technology Law & Regulation Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Libraries & Cultural Institutions Linguistics Literature Local Government Local History Management Mathematics Media Medical & Hospital Care Medical Conditions & Diseases Men Mental Health Military History Mining Multi-Media and Digital Arts Music Natural Disasters Navy Newspapers Olympic & Paralympic Games People & Culture People with Disabilities Performing Arts Pharmaceuticals Philosophy Photography Physics Plants Poetry Political Action Political Humour & Satire Political Parties and Politicians Politics Public Health Radio Religion Schooling Sciences Sites for Children Social Institutions Social Media Social Problems and Action Social Welfare Society & Social Issues Sociology Sporting Events Sporting Organisations Sporting Personalities Sports & Recreation State & Territory Government Taxation Telecommunications Television Tertiary Education Tourism & Travel Transportation Unit Associations Veterans Vocational Education Water Women Youth
Sensoria : a journal of mind, brain and culture
To cite this page use: http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-147390 Create Persistent Identifier for URL:
This title continues E-Journal of Applied Psychology Sensoria : a journal of mind, brain and culture was selected for preservation by the National Library of Australia. This title is not scheduled for re-archiving. This original publisher's version may no longer be available.The Prime Minister of Singapore has said the country is ready to sign a free trade deal with the UK, once it exits the European Union.
In an interview with the BBC at the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF), Lee said: "Singapore would be ready to sign a free trade deal with Britain after it exists the EU."
Speaking earlier at the WEF, Lee said it was all the more important for Asian economic powerhouses to cooperate via the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in "these uncertain times".
"In 2016, we saw Britain vote for Brexit in a referendum, the US elect a non-establishment candidate as its next president, and Europe distracted by popular anxiety about jobs and immigrants, and doubts about the EU project.
"In many countries, the mood is to go it alone, unilaterally push for their own interests, and doubt the value of mutual give and take in a rules-based international order." Lee admitted ASEAN's "objectives are not as ambitious as the EU's" but that it could serve to "deepen cooperation" in Asia.
Singapore remains one of the Britain's largest trading partners in Asia, with over 1,000 British companies having a presence in the island nation, and is also home to 30,000 British expats.
Meanwhile, UK chancellor Philip Hammond told the WEF that prior to Brexit "there will be many transitions involved" which will take "many years."
He added the government was still on track to meet the "rigid timeframe" of Article 50, the mechanism for notification and negotiation of UK exit from the EU.
"By the end of March 2019 I expect to at least have agreement on the broad principles of the end state that will exist."
However, Hammond added that establishing "significant new infrastructure" to deal with potential issues such as Britain's borders and customs "cannot be built and deployed in a few months", which is why a transition deal would be so important.
"All of these things we have at the moment and all of these things we'd like to work closely with the EU on – these will take many years."That bus is the official Museum of Visionary Art vehicle. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/Flickr)
Baltimore was only the capital of the United States for two months, until early 1777, but Maryland’s largest city wore its official duties with characteristic panache–delegates from the Thirteen Colonies began meeting in a handsome three-story tavern as the American Revolution raged further north. Perhaps that’s why nothing much got done.
But Baltimore’s heyday was not in the 18th century, or even in the 19th, when Edgar Allan Poe haunted its bars and backstreets. It is only in the last 50 years or so that the city has truly solidified its legacy of eccentricity. These days the Continental Congress would be happening in an off-beat community theater or the headquarters of a rock opera society.
“You can look far and wide, but you’ll never discover a stranger city with such extreme style,” filmmaker and local celebrity John Waters wrote in his book, Shock Value. ”It’s as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay.”
Full of old sailors’ bars and idiosyncratic house museums, pink flamingo yard ornaments and grand old libraries, Baltimore has been an intriguing city for nearly three centuries. Here are 12 hidden wonders that prove that Baltimore may secretly be the most fascinating city in America.
Like a temple in the City That Reads. (Photo: Raphaël Labbé/Flickr)
1. George Peabody Library
In the 1990s one mayor tried to rebrand Baltimore as “The City That Reads,” and had the slogan painted on wooden benches all over the city. It failed to catch on like “Charm City” before it; canny residents quickly turned it into “The City That Bleeds.” Reading and crime statistics aside, the city’s George Peabody Library is a stunner. Naturally lit in the daytime by a skylight six floors above the hall, the 1878 library’s grand interior features ornate floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and patterned marble floors.
George Washington’s dentures. (Photo: voteprime/flickr)
2. National Museum of Dentistry
This Congress-approved museum is devoted to the history of our chompers and their health. Among the artifacts on display are a set of George Washington’s fabled wooden dentures (which were actually made of gold, ivory, lead, and human, horse and donkey teeth), intimidating-looking ancient extraction equipment, and Queen Victoria’s personal oral hygiene instruments. It is the perfect spot for museum fans who are a bit tired of art, and not afraid of the vicissitudes of dental work.
Slurpee? Ghosts? You got it. (Photo: Google Maps)
3. Ouija 7-Eleven
One of the many firsts to take place in Baltimore is the naming of the Ouija Board. The name stems from a seance in 1890 that took place in a boarding house that no longer exists. In the place of the boarding house is a regular old 7-Eleven convenience store which did not acknowledge the space’s role in family-friendly occult game history for most of its life. However, in 2015 the Talking Board Historical Society successfully lobbied to have a plaque installed in the store commemorating the event.
4. Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death
A bit harder to see, but none the less amazing, are the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death held in the Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore. These tiny crime scene dioramas, starring miniature corpses in a variety of macabre positions, were created in the mid-20th century as training aids for forensic scientists–and are still in use today. The 18 painstakingly crafted dioramas feature functioning locks and lights, and details such as overturned cups, bullet holes, and boxes of chocolates.
Homemade Fabergé egg. (Photo: istolethetv/Flickr)
5. The American Visionary Art Museum
Art museums don’t come much more unique than the American Visionary Art Museum, which celebrates self-taught artisans and their often strange DIY creations. The museum’s collection includes everything from a hand-crocheted “horse dress” to a mental patient’s self-portrait on an apple tree trunk. Every year, the museum organizes the Kinetic Sculpture Race, where folk-inspired floats race through the streets of Baltimore.
Nevermore, indeed. (Photo: brauerranch/Flickr)
6. Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave
Edgar Allan Poe spent years drifting around Baltimore before dying there in 1849 of mysterious causes. He’s buried with his wife, Virginia, in the Westminster Burial Ground, an historic graveyard in downtown Baltimore. His reconstructed headstone features a carved raven and the most famous line from Poe’s favorite poem, “Quoth the raven, ‘nevermore.’” A fine way to pay respect to one of America’s darkest and strangest authors.
A wax Dorothy Height, former president of the National Council of Negro Women. (Photo: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office/Flickr)
7. The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
Baltimore’s National Great Blacks in Wax Museum was the first wax museum to open in the city, in 1983, as well as the first in the country to focus on black history. Figures on display include greats like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, along with lesser-known characters like Arctic explorer Matthew Henson. There are also visceral displays about slavery that become all the more affecting in their 3-D depictions.
Go ahead and spray away. (Photo: Forsaken Foto/Flickr)
8. Graffiti Alley
It’s hard for graffiti artists to find places to share their artwork without fear of arrest and prosecution. Luckily for Baltimore’s taggers, there’s Graffiti Alley, a legal street art space. The Alley, once home to shady dealings, is now bursting with color and creativity. Since the work on the brick walls is always changing, you’ll never walk through the same Graffiti Alley twice.
A Carmelite convent’s peaceful garden. (Photo: Pilgrimfatima/Flickr)
9. Baltimore Carmelite Monastery
This Carmelite monastery was the first community of religious women formed in the Thirteen Colonies, founded at Port Tobacco in 1790. It shifted locations several times before ending up at its present location on 27 peaceful acres. The Carmelites, an order of the Roman Catholic Church, date back more than 800 years, with practitioners devoting their lives to constant prayer. You’ll only see the nuns in their white robes for services here; most of the time they wear regular clothes.
Where’s the antacid? (Photo: Public Domain/WikiCommons)
10. Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Arts Tower
Bromo-Seltzer was a brand of antacid invented by Isaac Emerson and first introduced in 1888, but the drug’s name is now more often associated with the Arts Tower, a longtime Baltimore city landmark. At 15 stories and 289 feet, it was the tallest building in Baltimore from its construction in 1911 until 1923. Its design was originally inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s now home to more than 30 studios belonging to painters, jewelers, writers, digital artists, and performers.
A sweet city symbol. (Photo: Kathleen Tyler Conklin/Flickr)
11. Domino Sugars Sign
After nearly seven decades of glowing above Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the neon Domino Sugars sign is now a beloved part of the city’s skyline. The sign is made up of 650 elongated glass tubes, hundreds of miles of wire, and 230 transformers. For a sense of size, the D is 40 feet high. Though it’s lit up every evening, individuals sometimes also request it be lit up for special occasions in the middle of the day. Meanwhile, the 94-year-old sugar refinery is the last major manufacturer still operating in an area better known these days for tourist attractions.
Mickey Mouse Club artifacts. (Photo: Avoiding Regret)
12. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum
Geppi’s Entertainment Museum attempts to cover the whole range of American pop culture in just one 16,000-square-foot museum–an daunting goal indeed. Cereal box personas, Pez dispensers, superheroes, and Depression-era newspapers all feature prominently.A woman who had a ten-year affair with a serial killer has revealed she had no idea about the horrible crimes he committed, and feared she could have been his next victim.
Holly Eudy dated real estate broker Todd Kohlhepp, before he was arrested in November when kidnapped woman was found chained up inside a shipping container on his Spartanburg, South Carolina, farm.
'I knew there was something about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it,' Eudy told Inside Edition.
Holly Eudy dated Todd Kohlhepp, the real estate broker from Spartanburg, S.C., who was arrested last November when a kidnapped woman was found on his property, for 10 years
Kala Brownwas found chained by the neck inside a storage container on his property.
Brown told police Kohlhepp killed her boyfriend, Charlie Carver, months back and there were additional bodies buried on the 95-acre property.
The couple had been missing for two months, and her cellphone indicated she might have been in the area when she vanished.
Kala Brown, 30 (left), and her boyfriend, Charles Carter, 32 (right), were the last of Kohlhepp's victims. Brown survived after police rescued her but the notorious serial killer murdered Carter
Eudy remembers a man who was rather attentive but believes she may have been the next target after Brown
In May, Kohlhepp pleaded guilty to the murder of seven people over a 13-year period. He was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole.
Eudy remembers a man who was rather attentive but believes she may have been the next target.
'He gave me a lot of attention, made me feel like I was important,' she told Inside Edition."Giants like PayPal, Amazon, Visa and MasterCard almost instantly crumbled under government (and p.r.) pressure to drop WikiLeaks, depriving the site of vital funding sources and online platforms. But other companies, some of them small, independent start-ups, have decided to risk the wrath of Joe Lieberman, the State Department, and their European counterparts and help keep WikiLeaks afloat by providing funding sources (Yeah, you can now donate to WikiLeaks even if you only have Visa or MasterCard.) and hosting the site. Here's a list of companies."
A gagged demonstrator holds placards during a protest over the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, outside the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London, 12/07/10. (photo: Getty Images)
Also See:
WikiLeaks' Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/wikileaks
WikiLeaks' Support Page: http://wikileaks.ch/support.html
Lieberman Attacks New York Times Over WikiLeaks Documents: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-joe-lieberman-new-york-times-investigatedThe ludicrously contrived controversy over Call of Juarez: The Cartel continues with news that some Mexican legislators want the game banned. Again, it's worth pointing out that all we've seen so far is some box art. That's enough for some government officials, apparently.
On both sides of the border, there has been a lot of controversy (and a jaw-dropping amount of presumption) surrounding the freshly released game. Legislators in the state of Chihuahua are said to be lobbying the Secretariat of Governance and the Secretariat of Economy to block sales of the game.
"Lots of kids say they want to be a hitman, because they are the ones that get away with everything," declared youth worker Laurencio Barraza. "This glorifies violence, as if victims were just another number or another bonus."
It's amazing how quickly we can go from a simple announcement to outright hysteria when it comes to videogames. There doesn't seem to be any other medium that goes from zero to ten overnight, but based on a sheer name alone, this seems to be the case with games.
[Via Reuters and GlobalVoices, thanks Ulises!]
You are logged out. Login | Sign upThe video will start in 8 Cancel
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
Liverpool's signing of Virgil van Dijk has eclipsed the record fee for a defender.
The Dutchman's move from Southampton to Anfield has been struck for a whopping £75million.
The deal that will go through officially on January 1, when the window opens, puts Manchester City's previous mega-splurges in the shade.
The Sky Blues claimed the record when they landed Kyle Walker from Tottenham for a remarkable £54million.
And Pep Guardiola also signed Monaco's Benjamin Mendy for a massive £52million in the summer.
But the Reds clearly value the 26-year-old highly and while City appear to be running away with the title, Jurgen Klopp and co have one up on them here.
Here is how Van Dijk fits in the 10 most expensive defenders of all time, with half of them being City players.
10. Nicolas Otamendi, Valencia to Man City, £31.5million
(Image: Manchester City Twitter)
9. Eliaquim Mangala, Porto to Man City, £32million
(Image: Manchester City FC/Press Association Images)
8. Thiago Silva, AC Milan to PSG, £33million
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
7. David Luiz, PSG to Chelsea, £34million
(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
6. Shkodran Mustafi, Valencia to Arsenal, £35million
(Image: Getty Images)
5. John Stones, Everton to Man City, £47.5million
(Image: Twitter/Man City)
4. David Luiz, Chelsea to PSG, £50million
(Image: Getty)
3. Benjamin Mendy, Monaco to Man City, £52million
(Image: mancity.com)
2. Kyle Walker, Tottenham to Man City, £54 million
(Image: Manchester City FC/Press Association)
1. Virgil van Dijk, Southampton to Liverpool, £75 million
(Image: AFP)Farrah Abraham wants the best for her little girl – and according to her, that might mean homeschooling her at some point in the future.
PEOPLE caught up with the Teen Mom OG star ahead of the season 6 premiere on Monday, and Abraham opened up about life with her daughter Sophia, 7.
“Right now, with how she’s going and how successful she is and how much the parents love her and how the kids wish they had her life, I am truthfully like, Oh my God, she is going to experience more jealousy than I ever encountered when she’s in high school,” says Abraham, 25.
She continues, “I’m thinking maybe I should do homeschooling when she gets to a certain age because I know she’s going to be so smart – and she’s gorgeous, she’s everything I could have ever asked for in a child – and getting through that when you’re in high school just means drama with everyone.”
Adds the reality star: “I just want her to be able to be happy and focus.”
Farrah Abraham with her daughter Sophia Farrah Abraham Instagram
Abraham says she and Sophia are “in a super great place. I always try to be very connected with her and be the best mom that I can be. I think we have a better communication than my mom and I ever had, and as she gets older we’ll be able to talk and stay close rather than argue and fight.”
And while mom and daughter are busy with their businesses – her daughter recently opened a boutique in Austin, Texas – they are definitely looking forward to expanding their family at some point in the future and are looking into adoption.
“It is so crazy that I know that little seed is in my heart to [adopt],” Abraham admits. “We initially were going to do this before we started stores, and now the stores have turned into a second child for me! It’s so much time, it’s really something huge.”
RELATED VIDEO: Farrah Abraham on Kim Kardashian – ‘Her Family Tries Too Much’
Get push notifications with news, features and more.
But Abraham says adoption is still on the horizon.
“I think it’s right there when I’m ready for it,” she teases. “I don’t really have a specific timeline for it anymore, because I feel like I barely have time to sleep right now. But I just know that Sophia is really wanting to have a sibling, and she’s so open to the adoption process. So we’ll be fully into it when the time is right.”
Teen Mom OG‘s two-hour season 6 premiere airs Monday at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.Netflix has been keeping perfectly coy about the forthcoming reunion season of'Arrested Development,' keeping us in suspense for a trailer or sneak peek before the big May 26 premiere. Still, we've got a good new look at the Bluth family reunited (mostly) on one of the show's most famous sets, so have a look at the latest photos from 'Arrested Development' season 4 inside!
Near of a month to the day, 'Arrested Development' will hold its long-awaited return as Netflix releases all 15 (yep, 15!) episodes of the reunion season at once on May 26. And while we've yet to see a trailer or sneak peek, Entertainment Weekly's latest covers do a fine job of reuniting most of the Bluth clan, safe for Buster (Tony Hale), who has his hooks in the men's cover anyway.
[ UPDATE : EW also released two new stills from 'Arrested Development,' showing off Michael Cera's George Michael having another successful encounter with a lady, and Tony Hale's Buster having another run-in with the army. See them both below.]
Says series creator Mitch Hurwitz of the new episodes, "This year is about the enduring entanglements of family. They are 10 years older than when we met, so that means emotionally they’re, like, two years older than we met them. Amazing things happen when one goes from being emotionally 12 years old to emotionally being 14 years old."
‘Arrested Development’ season 4 will feature appearances from Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen, Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter, ‘ Parks and Recreation ‘s’ Ben Schwartz, ‘Up All Night’s’ Chris Diamantopoulos, all three stars of Comedy Central’s ‘ Workaholics,’ ‘ Mad Men ’s’ John Slattery, Isla Fisher and Terry Crews, as well as returning series players Martin Mull, Ben Stiller, James Lipton, Carl Weathers, Jeff Garlin, Liza Minnelli, Judy Greer, Henry Winkler and Scott Baio.
You can check out Entertainment Weekly's 'Arrested Development' season 4 covers and photos below, and pick up the issues for a detailed insight into the new episodes premiering May 26! Tell us what you most want to see from the new season in the comments!
Netflix via EW
Netflix via EW
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment WeeklyIt’s up to you to decide if you like this modification or not. I always wanted to try it and since it’s pretty much reversible – why not. In theory a spoiler up front will help create low pressure under the car when combined with low ride height and ground effects to help seal the pressure. But the Mach1 chin spoiler is for looks and I doubt it will have any real affect on your fox’s aerodynamics. I also think it won’t cause the car to overheat as it would when you remove the factory air dam. You won’t need a ton of tools, just a bunch of vice-grips (long nose would be best), a drill, masking tape, saw or even some shears. Keep in mind that using a jack for an oil change (if you go from the front to access the k-member) will be a huge PITA now with that chin spoiler in place.
Alternative?
You could use an OEM air dam from a 83-88 Ford Ranger (E3TZ-10001A06-B). With some trimming and modifying, it can fit your fox but will dramatically lower the ride height, more than the Mach1 lip but will be more functional and does not install flush on the bumper cover. Details on BrazeauRacing.com’s page.
Mach1 Chin Spoiler
I bought the spoiler at LMR.com, it’s the SVE brand I found it to be easy to work with, wasn’t frail and was flexible enough to make installation on the “wrong car” pretty easy, this job took me a little under an hour and this includes taking videos and pictures.
Get Ready
Make life easier by removing the front wheels, the spoiler extends well past the tires and you won’t be able to test fit. I didn’t do this, I just cut the spoiler until it fit and cut it again once it was bolted it. First thing is find center, there’s a little hole on the spoiler that seems to indicate center, align that with your bumper center and use some vice-grips to hold it in place.
You have to cut some triangle shapes out of the spoiler to make it more malleable to form with the fox bumper. What I did (and suggest you do) was to fit the spoiler and use vice-grips along the way, you will notice right away where you need to cut V-shapes out of the spoiler.
Ready to Bolt It Up?
There’s some trial-and-error involved at the vice-grip stage, take your time to find the right placement. Below is a pic of the chin spoiler only held in place by a bunch of vice-grips, still not 100% correct? Go back and adjust it!
Once you are happy with the fitment and placement of the new Mach 1 spoiler, grab your drill and start making holes. Keep in mind I had no intention on using the plastic clip things that came with the kit, I used bolts instead. Warning: If using bolts, the lip will not break off if you hit something, instead it will take the entire bumper cover with it. Use at your own risk. I only used them thinking I was going to remove the lip for better comparison photos later in the season.
After securing the middle section, I trimmed off the excess spoiler on each side. I used masking take as a guide on where to cut the spoiler, it was flexible enough to cut it half-installed (for me anyway). Below is a pic of it bolted up, again I don’t suggest using bolts – I just wanted it to be easier to take off and on (not sure why as I write this).
Done!
It’s hard to visualize the effect since my fox is sitting on a lift but I like the look so far. I have about 4 3/4″ clearance at the lowest point of this spoiler (car has Eibach Sportline springs and tires are equal to 245/45R17 just a tad taller than stock).
I’ll have some better pictures once the season starts to help you decide if you want this for your fox or not. I always liked them when I saw it. Again the mod is reversible, the extra holes on the bottom of your bumper cover won’t show.Overview
Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers have had your back since 1950. These small revolvers were designed to fire a full power round and are as simple and easy to use as they are reliable. Available in various calibers and with three diverse hammer designs, it is no surprise that the Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular, small-frame, defense revolver on the market.
The Smith & Wesson Model 317, debuted in 1997, as part of the AirWeight series of revolvers. Built on an aluminum-alloy J-frame and chambered in 22 Long Rifle, this lightweight revolver is small enough to be carried inside a hunter or fisherman’s kit bag, as its name suggests.
Features
• Aluminum alloy frame and cylinder
• Stainless steel barrel
• HI-VIZ® Fiber Optic Green front sight
• Adjustable rear sight
ALL BACKED BY OUR SMITH & WESSON LIFETIME SERVICE POLICY.
Availability subject to applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.Dozens Burned During Tony Robbins Motivational Exercise
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Drew/AP Richard Drew/AP
They were hoping to conquer their fears by walking over a bed of hot coals. But instead, dozens of people participating in a Dallas event hosted by motivational speaker Tony Robbins were treated for burns.
As a result of walking across coals, "a large number of these people sustained burn injuries to their feet and lower extremities," Jason Evans, a spokesman for the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, said in a statement. Approximately 30-40 people were injured. Most elected to be treated at the scene, and five opted to go to a local hospital for evaluation.
According to Robbins' website, the coal-walking exercise is meant to "turn fear into power." The site reads: "Once you start doing what you thought was impossible, you'll conquer the other fires of your life with ease."
Jennifer Connelly, a spokeswoman for Robbins, tells the Two-Way that 7,000 attendees at the "Unleash Your Power Within" seminar successfully walked across the coals. She adds that it's been a "celebrated part of this event for 35 years." The walk typically causes "fewer than 1% of participants [to] experience 'hot spots' which is similar to a sunburn which can be treated with aloe."
Connelly suggests there was "no need for emergency personnel":
"Someone not familiar with the process of the fire walk called 911 reporting the need for emergency services vehicles to be dispatched. While there was no need for emergency personnel we are grateful to the quick and robust response from Dallas emergency services, only 5 of 7,000 participants requested any examination beyond what was readily available on site."
This isn't the first time participants at a Tony Robbins seminar have sustained burns. As The Associated Press reports, "21 out of 6,000 people who walked on hot coals at a Robbins event in 2012 in California were treated for burns."
Video posted by CBS DFW showed medical workers treating an injured woman sitting on a gurney. Another video shows a barefoot injured man hobbling alongside medics.
The event organizers had the proper permits for the coal walk, Evans tells NPR, including "a permit for Flammable and Combustible Liquids" and "a permit for Open Burning/Recreational Fires."
Walking across hot coals does have its advocates. CBS DFW spoke with uninjured participant Tish Brazil: "From a numbers perspective that result is negligible, and I don't mean to diminish anything that's happened to anybody. But there are some coaching techniques, really specific strategies, that he gives people."
Evans adds that from the fire department's perspective, coal walking "is something we don't encourage or condone under any circumstances." However, he says, "we have a duty to service those in need regardless of whether we condone their actions; and that is just what we did."A Pennsylvania district attorney can use a massage therapist's history of "prior bad acts" to prosecute him on indecent assault charges for grabbing a customer's penis, a state appeals court panel has determined.
Information that Jerome McNeill inappropriately touched female clients is pertinent to the prosecution's claim that McNeill's grabbing of the man's genitals wasn't merely a mistake, President Judge Emeritus Kate Ford Elliott wrote in a Superior Court opinion this week.
The state court decision overturns a Montgomery County judge's ruling that barred the DA from using evidence of McNeill's other alleged molestations. McNeill also is being prosecuted by Philadelphia authorities in one of the incidents the Montgomery DA wants to cite.
McNeill, 37, was arrested in the Montgomery County case after a 65-year-old client reported McNeill reached into the man's underwear and grabbed his penis while messaging him in July 2014, Elliott wrote. The victim didn't consent to the touching and told McNeill to stop, the judge noted. She said McNeill "stopped and subsequently told the victim that he was'sorry for any misunderstandings'.
According to Elliott, prosecutors sought permission to use other reports that McNeill had touched a woman's genitals in April 2014 - his employer ordered him to undergo training after that - and had supposedly fondled another woman between her legs four days before the alleged incident with the man.
The Philadelphia charges stem from an October 2014 incident where McNeill is accused of touching another woman's genitals while massaging her at a city hotel, the state judge noted. Records show McNeill is awaiting trial on charges including aggravated indecent assault in the Philly case.
"The very nature of massage raises the inference the (McNeill) might have come into contact with the victim's penis as a result of a mistake or an accident," Elliott wrote in siding with the DA. "The prosecution should not be deprived of dispelling the inference of mistake."
The fact that all the alleged inappropriate touching occurred during a 6-month period reinforces the justification for presenting evidence of those other incidents during McNeill's Montgomery County trial, the judge added.OB1 & OpenBazaar
BlueYard Capital Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 13, 2016
An increasingly aggregated, centralized and monopolistic internet — in combination with a decaying socio-political environment that is spilling over into the digital domain — poses a real threat to free trade on the internet.
Existing platforms (Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, etc) run centralized marketplaces that they control, which at the same time can be vulnerable to external influence. Their terms, algorithms and pricing structures can put merchants and buyers at a significant disadvantage. They can also lock out merchants and buyers that happen to be outside of their scope of operations (e.g. type of products, geography).
OB1, the company behind OpenBazaar, is building an open source marketplace that is fully decentralized. There is no gatekeeper that can influence who can participate in the marketplace, what goods are sold and at what price. There is no central entity that can dictate search / ranking algorithms, control data of merchants and buyers, or charge any fees. OpenBazaar operates as a peer-to-peer network between the participants of the marketplace and uses bitcoin as its payment mechanism.
Its open platform approach also allows others to build applications and services on top of OpenBazaar — making the marketplace highly flexible and allowing for competing user experiences and services to be built on top of OpenBazaar.
Our Thesis
OpenBazaar launched in April this year, witnessing hundreds of thousands of downloads. The team is working on a major upgrade (OpenBazaar 2.0), and the new funding is going towards having the resources to fulfill that vision. If OB1 can develop OpenBazaar into a marketplace that is suitable for mainstream adoption and provide a substantially better business proposition to merchants and buyers, it could become a superior trade platform for large global markets. This would put OB1 into a position to build a very large business around OpenBazaar.
We’re excited to be backing the OB1 team together with Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures on their journey ahead.I... have no words.
When I saw a package with Snoo lying in the post office, I was a bit confused. I knew it had to be for me, but I only joined the Holiday Cards exchange, right?
Yeah, well, my Santa decided I had to have the full Secret Santa experience and I could not be any luckier or any more thankful!
My Santa actually sent me TWO packages. The first was labeled "Philatelic Supply", and I promptly opened it while still in the post office. I had mentioned to my Santa that I would appreciate pretty stamps if possible, but I didn't think they'd actually purchase some for me! The postmaster and I gushed over the stamps for a few minutes. Haha. Not only that, though, the package also contained art postcards by Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland. With more stamps! Definitely keepers! I kinda wish I could use the stamps to send these, though. It's such a great set!
The second huge package contained a Christmas gift bag. <3 If I wasn't excited enough, this definitely heightened my excitement! Inside were a scarf of Santa's hockey team, Porin Ässät, with the team name on one side, and "Never give up" on the other, a bag of chewing gum, and a hockey calendar (!!!!)! I love the hockey scarf and the gum was super tasty, especially the pear one! I'll be sharing it with my family (particularly my brother who always has gum in his car).
My Santa had messaged me to say that they'd noticed that I was a hockey fan and so they'd try to get me something hockey-related also. I don't actually have a 2016 calendar yet, so the calendar is especially apt (honestly, the fact that it's hockey-related would've already had me squealing, but I'm doubly happy that it's something I can use and see everyday!). I've hung it up on my door already, next to my lovely Detroit Red Wings postcards!
Thank you, Santa. You went above and beyond anything I ever imagined. Seriously. Thank you for being a rematch. This is actually the only proper gift I received this Christmas so my heart is bursting with joy. You rock!
Edit: I received the holiday card, also! I have no idea why it arrived so late, but yay! :) :) Such a cute reindeer on the card. Love it! Thank you, Santa! <3Trump’s repeated claims that his defeat would only result from voter fraud may fuel doubts over election legitimacy and motivate supporters to surveil polls
Donald Trump’s claims that if he loses in November it will be due to a “rigged” election have sparked strong bipartisan criticism from election lawyers, donors and a former member of Congress who warn that the Republican candidate’s words are dangerous, fueling doubts about the election’s legitimacy and potentially leading to voter intimidation.
As his poll numbers have weakened and his high-decibel spats with critics escalated, Trump has raised the specter of rigged elections and suggested that if he loses it might well be because of voter fraud.
“The only way we can lose, in my opinion, I really mean this, Pennsylvania, is if cheating goes on,” Trump told a largely white rally last month in Altoona, Pennsylvania. “Go down to certain areas and watch and study [to] make sure other people don’t come in and vote five times.
“We’re going to have unbelievable turnout, but we don’t want to see people voting five times,” Trump added, saying that he had “heard some stories about certain parts of the state and we have to be very careful”.
Several election lawyers and analysts are disturbed by Trump’s
|
4 ) axarr [ 1 ]. plot ( listlengths, [ np. log ( sum ( t [ 'cycles' ]) / len ( t [ 'cycles' ])) for t in times ], label = 'Average Result' ) axarr [ 1 ]. plot ( listlengths, np. log ([ n * factorial ( n ) for n in listlengths ]), label = r '$n \cdot n!$' ) axarr [ 1 ]. legend ( loc = 0 ) axarr [ 1 ]. set_xlabel ( 'Length of Initial List' ) axarr [ 1 ]. set_ylabel ( 'Average Time Elapsed - ln(Operations)' ) fig. suptitle ( 'Parallel Bogosort' ) plt. tight_layout () plt. savefig ( 'bogosort.png' ) def is_sorted ( some_list ): for x, y in zip ( some_list [: - 1 ], some_list [ 1 :]): if x > y : return False return True class Sorter ( Process ): def __init__ ( self, array, output, counts, * args, ** kwargs ): super (). __init__ ( * args, ** kwargs ) self. array = array self. length = len ( array ) self. output = output self. count = 0 self. counts = counts def run ( self ): while True : if self. output. empty (): new_list = random. sample ( self. array, k = len ( self. array )) self. count += self. length # not just one, we have to check all items if is_sorted ( new_list ): self. counts. put ( self. count ) self. output. put ( new_list ) break else : self. counts. put ( self. count ) break if __name__ == '__main__' : sys. exit ( main ())
See also [ edit ]Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants hammered, bulldozed and ultimately blew up parts of the ancient Iraqi Assyrian city of Nimrud, destroying a site dating back to the 13th century BC, an online militant video purportedly shows.
The destruction at Nimrud, located near the militant-held city of Mosul, came amid other attacks on antiquities carried out by the group now holding a third of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. The attacks have horrified archaeologists and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who last month called the destruction at Nimrud "a war crime."
The seven-minute video, posted late Saturday, shows bearded militants using sledgehammers, jackhammers and saws to take down huge alabaster reliefs depicting Assyrian kings and deities. A bulldozer brings down walls, while militants fill barrels with explosives and later destroy three separate areas of the site in massive explosions.
"God has honoured us in the Islamic State to remove all of these idols and statues worshipped instead of Allah in the past days," one militant says in the video. Another militant vows that "whenever we seize a piece of land, we will remove signs of idolatry and spread monotheism."
The militants have been destroying ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violate their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, including the ancient Iraqi city of Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Authorities also believe they've sold others on the black market to fund their atrocities.
Some of the figures in the video released Saturday at Nimrud appeared to have rebar, ribbed bars of steels designed to reinforce concrete that are a technique of modern building. An Iraqi Antiquities Ministry official, speaking Sunday on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists, said all the items at Nimrud were authentic. In March, both Iraqi and United Nations officials warned the site had been looted and damaged.
The video conformed to other Associated Press reporting about the militants' attack.
Assyrians first rose around 2,500 BC
The Assyrians first rose around 2,500 BC and at one point ruled over a realm stretching from the Mediterranean coast to what is present-day Iran. They left dozens of palaces and temples decorated with huge reliefs mainly depicting their kings' military campaigns and conquests, hunting lions and making sacrifices to the gods. Their main hallmark was the colossal winged man-headed lions or bulls, protective deities put at the entrances of palaces and temples weighing about 10-30 tons each.
Located on the eastern side of the Tigris River, Nimrud, or Kalhu, was founded in the 13th century BC During the reign of King Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud served as the second capital for Assyrian Empire. Other Assyrian capitals were Ashur, Dur Sharrukin and Ninevah.
Excavations at Nimrud were first started by the British traveller and archaeologist Austen Henry Layard from 1845 to 1851, followed by other foreign and local excavation missions.
The city is surrounded by a four-side wall measuring eight kilometres long. Among the ruins are the grand palace of Ashurnasirpal II, as well as the temples of Nabu, the god of writing and the arts, and other temples.
Among the most significant discoveries at Nimrud were four tombs of royal women. There, a collection of 613 pieces of gold jewelry and precious stones were unearthed. They survived the looting of the Iraqi National Museum that followed the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 as they were kept in a vault at the Central Bank of Iraq building by Saddam Hussein's government.For a brief moment on Thursday, New York Islanders rookie Anders Lee caught up to Nashville’s Filip Forsberg for the rookie goal-scoring lead before Forsberg scored against the Jets.
It likely won’t be the last time Lee pushes himself to the top. Forsberg looked like he would run away with the rookie scoring title, but with two goals on Thursday, Lee sent notice that it won’t be easy -- especially if he keeps thriving on the top line next to John Tavares.
Lee now has five goals in February, his most productive month yet, and he’s only six games in. This could be the month he firmly plants himself into Calder Trophy consideration. In the process, he’s also driving up the price of his next contract.
This past summer, the Islanders wisely tried to sign Lee to a two-year contract. Lee just as wisely instead accepted the Islanders' qualifying offer that made him a restricted free agent this upcoming summer. Where the Isles might have had him signed next year for around $1 million, Lee’s bet on himself in accepting the qualifying offer will mean a more lucrative deal after this one expires.
How much more?A new study aimed at identifying areas of highest conservation priority in the world's oceans found six "hot spots of marine biodiversity" that are severely impacted by climate change and fishing pressures.
While human activities are known to drive environmental changes that may lead to ecosystem collapse, previous research has not examined the overlap between global species distribution in our oceans and marine areas most at risk from climate change.
Francisco Ramírez and colleagues compiled a database of 2,183 marine species and over three decades worth of information on sea surface temperatures, ocean currents and marine productivity. They also evaluated industrial fishing data from the last 60 years.
The environmental data showed an uneven distribution of changes to Earth's oceans, with the most striking shifts at the poles and the tropics.
The researchers identified six areas of high biodiversity, including marine areas in temperate and tropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. While environmental changes have affected ocean temperatures, nutrient availability and currents in these species-rich areas, industrial fishing has also reduced global fish stocks. The analysis of fisheries data showed that harvest pressure will continue and further exacerbate pressure on fish populations in these areas.
Climate and industrial fishing impacts should be considered concurrently for conservation, the authors say, and they call for the international community to conserve biodiversity through fishing policies, similar to the ways in which climate change is being addressed on a global scale.For other people named Donald Henderson, see Donald Henderson (disambiguation)
Donald Ainslie Henderson (September 7, 1928 – August 19, 2016) was an American medical doctor, educator, and epidemiologist who directed a 10-year international effort (1967–1977) that eradicated smallpox throughout the world and launched international childhood vaccination programs.[1] From 1977 to 1990, he was Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.[2] Later, he played a leading role in instigating national programs for public health preparedness and response following biological attacks and national disasters.[3] At the time of his death, he was Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Distinguished Scholar at the UPMC Center for Health Security.[4][5][6]
Early life and education [ edit ]
Henderson was born in Lakewood, Ohio on September 7, 1928, of Scots-Canadian immigrant parents.[7] His father, David Henderson, was an engineer; his mother, Eleanor McMillan, was a nurse. His interest in medicine was inspired by a Canadian uncle, William McMillan, who was a general practitioner and senior member of the Canadian House of Commons.[8]
Henderson (first man on left) as part of the CDC's smallpox eradication team in 1966.
Henderson graduated from Oberlin College in 1950 and received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1954. He was a resident physician in medicine at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York, and, later, a Public Health Service Officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Communicable Disease Center (now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—CDC). He earned an MPH degree in 1960 from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health (now the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).[8]
Research and career [ edit ]
Eradication of smallpox [ edit ]
Henderson served as Chief of the CDC virus disease surveillance programs from 1960 to 1965, working closely with the inspirational epidemiologist Dr. Alexander Langmuir. During this period, he and his unit developed a proposal for a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program to eliminate smallpox and control measles during a 5-year period in 18 contiguous countries in western and central Africa.[9] This project was funded by USAID, with field operations beginning in 1967.[8]
The USAID initiative provided an important impetus to a World Health Organization (WHO) program to eradicate smallpox throughout the world within a 10-year period. In 1966, Henderson moved to Geneva to become director of the campaign. At that time, smallpox was occurring widely throughout Brazil and in 30 countries in Africa and South Asia. More than 10 million cases and 2 million deaths were occurring annually. Vaccination brought some control, but the key strategy was "surveillance-containment". This technique entailed rapid reporting of cases from all health units and prompt vaccination of household members and close contacts of confirmed cases. WHO staff and advisors from some 73 countries worked closely with national staff. The last case occurred in Somalia on October 26, 1977, only 10 years after the program began.[8] Three years later, the World Health Assembly recommended that smallpox vaccination could cease. Smallpox is the first human disease ever to be eradicated.[10] This success gave impetus to WHO's global Expanded Program on Immunization, which targeted other vaccine-preventable diseases, including poliomyelitis, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough.[11] Now targeted for eradication are poliomyelitis and Guinea Worm disease; after 25 years, this objective is close to being achieved.[6][12]
Later work [ edit ]
From 1977 through August 1990, Henderson was Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 1991, he was appointed associate director for life sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President (1991–93) and, later, deputy assistant secretary and senior science advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).[8] In 1998, he became the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies, now the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.[4]
Following the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson asked Henderson to assume responsibility for the Office of Public Health Preparedness (later the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response).[13][14][15] For this purpose, $3 billion was appropriated by Congress.[8]
At the time of his death, he served as the Editor Emeritus of the academic journal Health Security (formerly Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science).[16]
Honors and awards [ edit ]
1975 – George McDonald Medal, London School of Tropical Medicine [17]
1978 – Public Welfare Medal, National Academy of Sciences [18]
1985 – Albert Schweitzer International Prize for Medicine [19]
1986 – National Medal of Science in Biology [20]
1988 – The Japan Prize, shared with Drs. Isao Arita and Frank Fenner [21]
1990 – Health for All Medal, World Health Organization [ citation needed ]
1994 – Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, Sabin Foundation [22]
1995 – John Stearns Medal, New York Academy of Medicine [23]
1996 – Edward Jenner Medal, Royal Society of Medicine [24]
2001 – Clan Henderson Society, Chiefs Order [25]
2002 – Presidential Medal of Freedom [26] [27]
2013 – Order of Brilliant Star, with Grand Cordon, Republic of China [28] [29]
2014 – Prince Mahidol Award, Thailand [30] [31]
2015 – Charles Merieux Award, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases[32]
Seventeen universities conferred honorary degrees on Henderson.[33]
Selected publications [ edit ]
Personal life [ edit ]
Henderson married Nana Irene Bragg in 1951.[7][19] The couple had a daughter and two sons.[19][33] He died at Gilchrist Hospice, Towson, Maryland, at the age of 87, after fracturing his hip.[7][33][34]This is a really dense subject, and I wanted to take the time to create a deep dive view of the Supergiant packing method and how it translates to savings for your infrastructure.
The Supergiant packing method is based on a Kubernetes concept of minimum versus maximum compute resource settings. This is a deep and very valuable feature of Kubernetes that a lot of users may not be aware exists.
The Kubernetes Compute Resource Model
Kubernetes has a concept of minimum and maximum resource allocation. This concept can be applied to many objects in the Kubernetes cluster such as pods (collections of containers), Namespaces (Collections of pods, services, and replication controllers), and Nodes (the physical servers in your Kubernetes cluster.). This min/max value was included in Kubernetes as a way for multiple users in an environment to be able to allocate a resource ratio to their applications without having noisy neighbor impacts on other users.
Example of Resource Values in Kubernetes
We will keep our example to cpu for now, but ram ratios apply in a similar way. Let’s say my application has a minimum CPU value of 4 cpus, and a maximum CPU value of 8 cpu. How would this application behave on a Kubernetes node with 8 physical processors?
How many of copies of my app could I fit on the node?
The answer is 2. An important thing to remember about Kubernetes is that it really does treat your resource pool as one giant pile of CPU and RAM. Add another 8 processor node, and your cluster will now be able to support 4 instances of your application. Kubernetes will allow scheduling of an application if its minimum resource request is within the capabilities of the cluster. If the cluster cannot support the minimum number of CPU you have requested, you will get an error that scheduling failed due to insufficient CPU.
So now you’re thinking… My max CPU is set to 8 cpu. What happens if my application starts to try using MORE processor capacity then my node has? Let’s consider this situation…
If your application starts to exceed its maximum CPU allocation, Kubernetes will attempt to move it to another node if possible.
This can happen incredibly quickly. For a stateless app running in a well written container, this can be as low as 1 second. This can take more like 30 seconds for a stateful app because the persistent storage needs time to detach from Node 1 and re-attach to node 2.
Supergiant Resource Model
So how does Supergiant augment this default Kubernetes resource behavior?
Well… Lets first look at autoscaling. The term “autoscaling” gets thrown around a lot, but there are multiple types of autoscaling. By default, Kubernetes supports “Horizontal Autoscaling.” This is the ability to scale your application based on factors like resource usage, network latency, etc.
Today this is an expected part of any container, cluster, or cloud compute system. But what about cost efficiency autoscaling? It is either overlooked or may not be in the interest of the provider to easily expose features like this to you for obvious reasons. This is where Supergiant shines.
Let’s refer to our example from above. This is a great setup right? My app starts to use a lot of resources, and Kubernetes moves things around to make sure the demands of the app are being met within its resource min/max values. But what about Node 2? You may feel like this particular situation is okay because now “App instance 2” has some headroom and can continue to run with heavy load.
But the node “App instance 2” is on now has a lot of unused CPU. You paid for this CPU, and now it is getting wasted! This really translates to constrictions of profit margin you would otherwise like to avoid.
The Supergiant method augments Kubernetes resource management by picking hardware settings for your nodes that most efficiently match your overall CPU and RAM needs. This is how that situation would look in Supergiant.
Node 2 would be automatically created/sized to best match the CPU/RAM requirements of your migrating app.
Our “cost” autoscaling method will slowly work to ensure your applications are “packed” on your hardware the most efficient way possible..
Now let’s add that Kubernetes minimum resource value back into the mix. Here is our ratio:
The minimum resource value translates to a maximum number of components that can fit on a node.
The maximum resource value translates to: When should this component be either throttled or moved to a node with more resource?
Let’s continue with our examples above. What would it look like if we had “App instance 1” (set with a min 2/ max 4 CPU ratio) and several other smaller apps (set with a min 1/max 2 CPU ratio)?
Whoah! Now we really get an idea of the cost savings here…
These apps are now able to occupy a server that only really has the processor resources for half of them… AND.. we do not run into noisy neighbor issues.
If any of these components start to really work hard, and if that work looks like it may start to impact the resources needed by the other components…
the app will quickly move over to a new/underutilized node.
You may be thinking “But my apps would move all the time — right?”
Not really.
The reality of shared computing is that most of the time compute resources are not really being used by most of the apps in the cluster. Your app will only move if its resource needs come in conflict with all the other apps on the node. Even after packing components onto a cluster with a minimum resource value of ½ max, most environments will see an average total CPU usage around 30-40% on the node, which means there is a fair bit of burstable head room for any one or two components that temporally go nuts.
This is where the minimum resource value sort of moves into a savings vs. statefulness type of ratio. You get stability and economy! The higher your minimum resource allocation as a percentage or max allocation, the more your application will tend to stay put on a node. If you were to lower your min value, to ⅓ of max, ⅛ of max, or even 0, you would see a corresponding likelihood that the app may move from node to node.
To illustrate, I will use a real-world example that we encounter at Qbox, where our business is managing clusters of Elasticsearch components.
Kibana, the open source visualization package from the same core team that built Elasticsearch is one of the most used integrations, so we make it easy to install. We provide Kibana as a supporting package in your ES component. We would like to minimize the movement of ES pods from node to node, so we typically would not set our minimum resource needs to less than ½ of our maximum value. Kibana however is much lighter weight from a resource perspective. We could set its resource ratio to a minimum of ¼ of max. If it moves around, it is unlikely anyone would notice or care.
This is a real view from a simple “Packing Visualizer” we use to monitor our packing efficiency. Each colored box is a component, being packed into a physical node.
Ultimately, we decided that this hand-rolled solution was way too cool to keep to ourselves.
We (qbox.io) struggled as a service provider to provide the best possible performance to our customers and still maintain a survivable profit margin. Other container management platforms were cool, but they didn’t really focus on our need to more efficiently manage our hardware spending. We thought that if we released our platform to the wild, others may find it useful in keeping their hardware costs down. We also added a pretty sexy UI to boot.
Supergiant is currently in a pre-1.0 release state.
We would love to get your feedback, contributions, and to have you try it out.
We also would like to hear about other infrastructure capacity issues you have experienced with other container/cluster management tools, so we can look at possibly providing solutions in future versions of Supergiant.
For more information, check out our documentation, our Github, join our slack channel, or read the blog.There you have it, folks. Ballgame over.
Virginia traveled to Louisville with their backs against the wall — needing a perfect 3-0 finish to gain bowl eligibility. The Cavaliers (3-7, 2-4 ACC) put up a noble fight against the Cardinals (6-4, 5-2 ACC), but in the end Virginia’s demons came back to haunt them in a 38-31 defeat.
Old habits and special teams gaffes resulted in the fourth consecutive losing season for the Cavaliers in coach Mike London’s five-plus year tenure.
The two teams were tied at 24 apiece when Louisville began a drive with 10:14 remaining in the fourth. The Cardinals moved the ball freely throughout the game, racking up 425 total yards, but Virginia’s defense forced a rare three-and-out. With coach Bobby Petrino’s team set to punt, the Cavaliers were in a position to score the go-ahead points.
The opportunity never came. Freshman Olamide Zaccheaus made a rare mistake by neglecting to call a fair catch in traffic and muffed the punt, while Louisville regained possession on Virginia’s two-yard line. Two plays later sophomore L.J. Scott punched it into the end zone for a 31-24 advantage.
The Cardinals quickly built upon that lead, marching 96 yards on eight plays for a touchdown after forcing a Cavalier punt. Down two touchdowns with 2:57 to go, the sun was quickly setting on Virginia’s season.
After a 16-yard touchdown pass and still needing another touchdown to force overtime, the Cavaliers lined up for the onside kick that would define their season. To recover it was to keep the campaign alive. To fail was to put the final nail in the coffin.
Senior Ian Frye struck the ball perfectly. The pigskin bounced into a heap of humanity, took a few deflections and ended up in the arms of a Virginia player. However, there was laundry on the field — a flag against the kicking team for illegal formation. One Cavalier failed to line up on the 30-yard line, so Virginia backed up five yards and retried the onside kick. This time Louisville came up with the ball.
Three kneels later, Virginia’s season came crashing to an end.
Defeat at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium ensured several things for the Cavaliers: a fourth consecutive losing season, another season without a winning ACC record and another year without a postseason bowl.
But did it ensure the much-maligned tenure of London would last for only two more games? Last season on the eve of Virginia’s annual clash with Virginia Tech, athletic director Craig Littlepage expressed his confidence in his head coach when he decided to bring back London for the 2015 season.
“It was important to see improvement in our football program this season,” Littlepage said in a release at the time. “I’ve seen signs of progress in many areas … we are better at teaching the game and in the overall development of the student-athletes.”
Can this faith in a coach with a career record at Virginia of 26-45, including a mark of 13-33 in the ACC, still be defended?
The 2015 season certainly has not been one of improvement. At best, the Cavaliers can finish the season at 5-7, which is how they finished in 2014. This year will be characterized as one of stagnation or regression.
If London and his coaching staff were indeed better at teaching the game last year, then they have taken a step back in that regard as well. The familiar symptoms of a sick football team remain: lack of discipline, inability to play a complete football game, failure to close out teams, etc.
The Cavaliers have become adept at defeating themselves. The issue Saturday was special teams gaffes. Last season it was a penalty for too many men on the field, which enabled North Carolina to ice the game. In 2013 it was blowing a 22-0 halftime advantage in a 35-22 loss to Duke. In 2012 it was an illegal substitution penalty, which handed the game to Louisiana Tech.
I could go on.
This adds up to four years of frustration for Virginia’s senior class, which entered on the heels of an 8-5 season and a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in the Cavaliers’ lone winning season in London’s tenure. However, promise quickly turned to pain, and London’s seniors become the first graduating class to miss a bowl since 1984, when Virginia made their first ever postseason appearance.
Virginia football reaches a crossroads at the end of this season. They will either part ways with their head coach or they will allow him to finish out his contract, which expires in 2016. But to retain London for 2016 is to invite another plague of pre-snap penalties, poor decisions and blown ballgames to call Scott Stadium home.
Matt Wurzburger is a Senior Associate Editor for the Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @wurzburgermLee Ju-sun, far left, dances with Psy in this photo captured from the singer's "Gentleman" music video. The creator of the "Gangnam Style" horse-riding dance said many choreographers in Korea are wrestling economic trouble.
Creator of Psy's ‘horse-riding' dance promotes copyright of choreographers
Lee Ju-sun
By Park Si-soo
K-pop juggernaut Psy might not have been able to reach the status he enjoys without Lee Ju-sun. Lee, a prominent choreographer, created the famous horse-riding dance of "Gangnam Style," which played a crucial role in throwing the chubby musician into the global spotlight in 2012.
Psy has raked in massive wealth estimated at 100 billion won ($92.46 million) with the song, and will earn more for several decades because he owns the song's copyright as songwriter.
In contrast, Lee was paid a "minuscule" percentage of the money in a lump sum by Psy when the former started teaching the latter the hilarious dance. And that's all he could claim.
The huge income gap between the two despite their similar level of contribution to the song's global success can be blamed on the absence of an organization protecting the copyrights of choreographers. The country's intellectual property law recognizes copyrights for choreographic works, as it does for music, literature and other forms of artistic products.
"Nevertheless, I'm happy because Psy paid me a hefty bonus following the song's smash hit," Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at a coffee shop in Gangnam, southern Seoul. "Psy told me that he would buy me a nice car. But I said I want a cash bonus." He didn't elaborate. Lee went on, "I would have made really big money if I was compensated properly for creating the horse-riding dance."
Lee Ju-sun, left, dances to "Gangnam Style" with Psy during intermission at the TIM Cup final match between AS Roma Vs. SS Lazio at Stadio Olimpico soccer arena in Rome, Italy, in this May 26, 2013 file photo.
Regulator in the making
This bittersweet experience motivated him to hold hands with six other veteran choreographers, including Park Sang-hyun, Kim Hee-jong and Go Yoon-young, to establish a state-licensed organization that tracks and charges those who make money with copyrighted dances and distributes collected fees to their creators, as the Korean Music Copyright Association does for songwriters.
Park initiated the move after winning a lawsuit he filed against a private dance academy in 2011 for teaching students his copyrighted dance. Park was paid 4 million won in compensation.
The seven reform-minded choreographers recently submitted a written application to establish a regulator, tentatively named the "Korean Choreography Copyright Association" with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. They are currently awaiting the ministry's endorsement.
"The project, if it goes smoothly, will help create a better working environment for choreographers and dancers, many of whom are suffering from chronic low income," he said. "If we get final endorsement (from the ministry), we will hold a press briefing to explain the organization's business plan in detail."
There were no statistics on the average income of choreographers, but Lee said a choreographer is normally paid 3-5 million won for creating dance moves for a song.
"There are roughly 200 choreographers in the market," he said. "They win only a couple of deals a year. It's really hard to live with the income… Many talented choreographers quit their jobs due to economic hardship. It's really sad."
State support needed
Kim Ji-hee, a culture ministry official familiar with the case, said the ministry is reviewing the application, adding the ministry also feels the need to protect the copyrights of dance creators.
"We are on the same page with the choreographers when it comes to copyright issues, which means we feel the need to change the existing system to get them compensated properly," Kim said. "It will take some time to complete the review. Actually we recently found some technical shortcomings with the application, so we asked them to address them."
The ministry's attention to the issue was highlighted by a meeting between Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong and 10 choreographers and break dancers, including Lee, on Jan. 21.
"K-pop has showed a rapid outward expansion in recent years. I think the time has come for us to look at whether major contributors to the rise are treated properly," Minister Yoo said. "I will try hard to improve the ecosystem of the pop culture industry so that artists are better protected and can compete against each other in a fair and sound manner."
Another culture ministry official Ahn Ji-yoon, who attended the off-the-record Q&A session between the minister and the choreographers, said the conversation was largely focused on copyright-related issues. At the end of the session, Ahn said, the minister pledged to come up with a breakthrough as early as possible.
‘I'm born to dance'
Lee turned 40 and lives alone ㅡ unmarried ㅡ at a small studio in Gangnam. He is aware that his body is not as quick and nimble as it was during his heyday in his 20s and early 30s. Lee recently hurt his left ankle while practicing. Despite the odds against him, Lee said he cannot stop dancing.
"Dance is my life," he said. "A long time ago, I once quit the job (due to financial trouble) and started my own business, which was a dress shop. The business went well, but I soon found my heart beating again while watching dancers on TV. So I returned."
Currently Lee spends most of his time designing another "game-changing" dance for Psy's new song, which is expected to be unveiled during the first half of the year.
"I feel really burdened by the work because people's expectation is so high," he said. "I created the horse-riding dance only in five minutes after I started brainstorming. I think it was a perfect match with Psy and ‘Gangnam Style.' I bet the dance wouldn't have made such a big hit if it was employed by another musician or another song."
Asked to point out a K-pop singer who excels in terms of dancing, he mentioned Rain, or Jung Ji-hoon, without hesitation. "Rain is proven to be a talented singer and dancer in many ways," he said.
The choreographer is a firm believer of the maxim, "Practice makes perfect."
"No matter how talented you are at dance, you cannot beat those who practice hard," he noted. "I think this can be applied to everything in life."Paleo Ice Cream with Avocado
It is not too often that I post a recipe, but after concocting such a simple paleo ice cream in the kitchen, I felt obligated to share it with the world! While I am not a big fan of people using the term “paleo dessert”, since I think absolute paleo does not really involve snacking or desserts, I will just consider this a SWYPO, taken from the Whole30 manifesto.
I have never been one of those girls that has to have chocolate in her life, nor have I been someone who needs sweets; I tend to crave more salty foods. However, when it’s 90′ outside, sometimes a refreshing, cool treat sounds perfect. My new-found obsession, Eat To Perform, even encourages ice cream or smoothies before bedtime, so I figured I would give it a try!
In scouring the web for some easy paleo smoothies, I ran across so many that had too many ingredients for my simplistic taste. I ended up creating my go-to smoothie which contains only full-fat coconut milk and frozen fruit. One day I ran out of coconut milk, but was looking forward to my nightly smoothie. Since water or almond milk would not provide the same consistency nor the high fat content that the coconut milk would, I looked around the kitchen to improvise.
And came up with this dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, sugar-free amazingness! It was going to be an instagram exclusive, but seriously, you all need to try this!
Avocado Paleo Ice Cream
Serves: 1
Prep time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
1 avocado (or if using an avocado scares you, use 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk)
1-1/2 cups frozen fruit
Directions:
Slice avocado and remove the pit; measure (or not) your fruit.
Scoop avocado from peel and add everything to the blender.
Blend* and enjoy! And be sure to thank me later!!
*With my blender, I often need to add a bit of water to get it to mix. Add water 1T at a time until desired consistency.
~After much controversy and complaints by environmentalists, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) announced today that they will no longer issue permits for the export of shark fins until they have developed a legal document that ensures that the procurement of the product does not seriously harm the species.
The National System of Area Conservation (SINAC), a subdivision of MINAE, will not process any more export permits for hammerhead shark fins, a species considered endangered and protected by the Costa Rica convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
This decision comes a few days after environmentalists pointed out that the government was violating CITES when two shipments of hammerhead fins were allowed to leave the country for Hong Kong.
SINAC is the governing body responsible for approving such permits. They claim that it was case of “bycatch” in which the sharks were captured through other fishing activities and took into account the socio-economic benefits for fishermen along the Pacific coast.
Although hammerheads are included in CITES, countries can approve the export of its fin, provided that a regulated government analysis determines that it has not affected the population of the species.
This document, called non-detriment findings, still needs to be developed in Costa Rica.
Some environmental groups have claimed that the shark fin export business generates about $45 million annually for Costa Rica.
However, in Costa Rica, the practice of “finning”, which consists of cutting the shark’s fins and throwing the rest of the animal’s body into the sea, is prohibited.
The fins are incredibly popular in Asian markets for their alleged aphrodisiac and healing qualities.SSC Napoli and MACRON announced the renewal for a further 3 years of technical sponsorship agreement that already tied the two companies since 2009.
The Neapolitan Club, more than ever in the running for a prestigious place in the next Champions League, so wanted to confirm its confidence in the Company of Bologna that in this way has rewarded the efforts made in recent years to increase in this market, linking its name to many representative clubs of Italian and European soccer.
The agreement, which foresees the provision not only of technical garments for all Napoli's lines up, but also products from the new fashion line for leisure, it borns even from close cooperation between Macron's technicians and Napoli's staff, that gave birth to extraordinary technical excellence and wearability products.
"We are highly satisfied with the cooperation in recent years has seen working side by side with the Macron" President Aurelio De Laurentiis said."With them we have found an ideal partner to share the progress towards those goals of success that deserves the city of Naples".
For its part, Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron, pointed out that: "… the decision to continue the partnership with a team like the SSC Napoli was immediate. Macron is today an international company established in Italian and European sports scenario and a leader in technical sports clothing, which in these past three seasons with Napoli has created a winning partnership.Research and study in design and in tissues of products made for the SSC
|
you need to have played them and registered them to your account on the same platform, so as a former Xbox 360 player, many songs are lost to me forever now that I only own a PS4.
One of the things about the soundtracks is at this point, they're only an issue for new players and cross-platform players. You may have hundreds or even thousands of songs, including rather stellar cuts from the first 3 games, Blitz, Green Day, or Lego Rock Band. This is only an issue for new adopters or people switching console platforms, but as someone in one of those groups, I think the soundtrack is atrocious and forgettable. A few good songs stand out, but most of the time the best I can hope for is "huh? Oh yeah, that song. That's okay, I guess."
This wouldn't be so bad, but the tour mode (and the Rivals "Rockudrama" expansion) still rely on random songs, primarily. In quickplay, for parties, etc, you can complete ignore it. If you want to complete the game or unlock instruments and outfits, however, you may have to play "The Wolf" 80 times. Or even "I Bet My Life," a song that bores me from a band I kind of enjoy.
Guitar freestyle solos are also quite fun, barring my hardware issues. There is structure to them, so it's not just "mash buttons" like the Big Rock Endings of prior games. Both high and low frets are used in a somewhat authentic way. The big problem I have is that the sound is the same no matter what song you're in. This sounds really bad in some songs, but your mileage may vary and you can turn them off if you prefer the classic solo style.
Still, if you can't play them, what's the point? I don't know if my guitar issues are widespread, but getting two with similar problems really leaves me thinking the worst. I'm torn between giving up altogether and just karaoke-ing it or trying the new rivals Jaguar controller in hopes that, like prior Rock Band games, the hardware revisions make all the difference. My favourite thing to do is to play guitar or bass while singing, which has been awesome in helping me sing and play real guitar at the same time, but it's so frustrating when you get dropped notes and extra strums and constant disconnects. I haven't even tried drums because I'm worried I'll run into similar issues.
Harmonix has found some ways to make old gameplay fresh, and if you have reliable hardware you might as well give it a shot. I'm just not sure about new adopters or transfers.
Game: 4/5
Guitar: 0/5An Indian-American woman, who admitted to killing her 68-year-old mother-in-law in 2012, has been released from Sutter County jail in California after a jury acquitted her of first-degree murder.
The not guilty verdict came after Baljinder Kaur's defence lawyer Mani Sidhu argued that she killed her mother-in-law Baljit Kaur in their Yuba City, California home on Oct 24, 2012, to save her unborn girl child from gender-based infanticide.
Sidhu, local Appeal-Democrat reported, argued that Baljinder Kaur, 39, was a battered woman, whose mother-in-law abused her and sought to force the end of Kaur's pregnancy because the baby was a female.
Kaur testified that her mother-in-law took her to get an abortion, which she avoided.
Sidhu said Kaur fought the woman to defend her unborn daughter from gender-based infanticide.
Otherwise, the child could have been another victim of the gender-based infanticide that has taken the lives of 100 million Indian girls, he said.
He said since her release, Kaur is maintaining privacy for her own safety. "She is safe and with her family."
Baljinder Kaur was released from jail on April 25. She had been in custody since Oct 26, 2012, and gave birth to her second daughter while an inmate, according to Appeal-Democrat.
"We believe she acted in self-defence of her child," juror Michelle Struhs, 47, of Yuba City was quoted as saying.
"We didn't feel that our conclusion was perfect," Struhs said. "We felt she was 'not guilty' rather than 'innocent.' We could not find her guilty based on the law."
The murder trial began April 15 and lasted just eight days. The jury deliberated for a day and a half.
"I think there wasn't a lot of dispute of the facts," said prosecutor Cameron King. "Why she did it was the question."
He said jurors just simply believed Kaur was an abused woman.
None of Kaur's family members attended hearings leading up to the trial, and the courtroom audience was sparse over the last two weeks, Appeal-Democrat said.
When the verdict was announced, Kaur - who has worn jeans, a sweater and a thick black braid down her back - dropped her face into her hands and sobbed, the news site said.I guess you can call it his home away from home: where a guy who likes to wear women's clothing and nose rings can just relax and be himself. Dennis Rodman's been to North Korea so often now (four trips) that he's giving other visitors directions.
"Egregious human rights violations? Take a left at the next street, and it's about two blocks down, next to Kentucky Fried Collie."
Rodman touched down today in Pyongyang -- The Fun Capital of the World -- for a three-day stay: including an exhibition basketball game to celebrate dictator Kim Jong Un's birthday.
Meanwhile, New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel is trying to ruin all the fun. Engel today condemned the trip, comparing Un to Adolf Hitler. And nothing puts a damper on a birthday party like comparisons to a murderous, anti-Semitic madman (believe me, I know). Time Magazine:
Engel joined a mother and daughter who escaped North Korea at a press conference in New York City Monday to urge Rodman and his team of former NBA stars to call off the game. “I don’t think we should ignore the real suffering in this gulag state,” said Engel, the minority leader of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs who has twice visited the communist state. “And Dennis Rodman wants to go there and play basketball. It would be like inviting Adolf Hitler to lunch.”
(Sitting at table, checking watch. Hitler is late again. "Well, the baked ziti is ruined! [throws down napkin] Hitler!...)
“North Korea is arguably the worst human rights violator in the world,” Suzanne Chelti, chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, said at the press conference Monday. “At this point for Dennis Rodman and these players to participate in a propaganda coup for the regime, is a terrible setback for the human rights movement. We’re calling upon these players not to participate in this charade.”
But this time Rodman has brought backup, presumably in an attempt to prove he's not a lone nutjob. Among the team he brought with him are former NBA players Kenny Anderson and Cliff Robinson, who will play in the exhibition game on Wednesday. Anderson, who retired in 2005, played for eight NBA teams and was an All-Star in 1994. He last played for Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania in '96.
He also played for Georgia Tech, so he's apparently a smart guy who should know better than to allow himself to be a pawn in North Korea's little propaganda production. Perhaps Anderson, who grew up poor and was raised by a single mother, should demand to be taken off of the approved publicity tour and check out how the real people are living in North Korea? Yeah right, that'll happen.
Photo: Getty Images.We're still an incredibly long way from the sci-fi promise of full, live head transplants but scientists have reportedly taken a step in that direction.
At a conference in Vienna earlier today, Italian Professor Sergio Canavero claimed that the world's first human head transplant had been carried out on a corpse in China in an 18-hour operation, performed by Dr Xiaoping Ren and his team at Harbin Medical University. Ren famously grafted a head onto the body of a monkey last year.
During the conference, Professor Canavero said the first human head transplant had been "realised" and said an operation on a live human is sert to take place "imminently". However, the claims have not been fully confirmed.
Canavero added: "The first human transplant on human cadavers has been done. A full head swap between brain dead organ donors is the next stage. This is the final step for the formal head transplant."
When lead doctor Canavero made his initial proposals in 2016, he said he planned to have the surgery completed before the end of 2017, and most likely in December.
Earlier this year, the proposed first patient for the surgery – Valery Spiridonov – pulled out, saying he would no longer be taking part in the experiment after Dr. Canavero admitted he couldn't promise the surgery would help Spiridonov walk again. Spiridonov has Werdnig-Hoffmann Disease, a genetic disease that breaks down muscles and kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Instead, Dr Canavero said he would be looking for a Chinese volunteer in April, after signing up Chinese surgeon Dr. Xiaoping Ren of Harbin Medical University to help him carry out the procedure, and this is said to have delayed things. The surgery is now not expected to take place until early 2018. These reports have not been confirmed, though, and Alphr has contacted Dr. Canavero's press team for clarification.
But just how feasible is a human head transplant? Is it the stuff of science fiction, or does it have a basis in current scientific thinking? Read on for everything you need to know about this most alarming scientific development.
What is the human head transplant?
A human head transplant is exactly what it sounds like – taking one living head and putting it onto a new body.
But actually, that’s a little misleading. In real terms, it’s a body transplant, as the head will be gaining a new body to control. However, as the term “whole body transplant” is already used to mean transferring the brain between bodies, calling it a “head transplant” makes it clear that the whole head is to be switched, brain included.
Until recently, a head transplant seemed totally implausible, but the Italian scientist Dr Sergio Canavero believes it’s possible and intends to conduct the first surgery in 2017.
How does Canavero’s human head transplant work?
Canavero outlines the procedure in detail here, but these are the basics of the process. Remember: don’t try this at home, kids.
The donor body and the head to be attached are first cooled down to 12-15˚C to ensure that the cells last longer than a few minutes without oxygen. The tissue around the neck is then cut, with the major blood vessels linked with tiny tubes. The spinal cord on each party is then severed cleanly with an extremely sharp blade.
"Post-coma, Canavero believes the patient would immediately be able to move, feel their face and even speak with the same voice."
At this point, the head is ready to be moved, and the two ends of the spinal cord are fused using a chemical called polyethylene glycol, encouraging the cells to mesh. This chemical has been shown to prompt the growth of spinal cord nerves in animals, although Canavero suggests that introducing stem cells or olfactory ensheathing cells into the spinal cord could also be tried.
After the muscles and blood supply are successfully connected, the patient is kept in a coma for a month to limit movement of the newly fused neck, while electrodes stimulate the spinal cord to strengthen its new connections.
Following the coma, Canavero anticipates that the patient would immediately be able to move, feel their face and even speak with the same voice. He believes physiotherapy would allow the patient to walk within a year.
He explains his suggested methods in the TED talk below.
Video of Head transplant surgery - Full TEDx by Dr. Sergio Canavero
What does the scientific community make of the human head transplant?
Sceptical would be a nice way of putting it. Horrified would, in most cases, be more accurate.
Dr Hunt Batjer has attracted headlines for being particularly blunt: “I would not wish this on anyone. I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death.”
Dr Jerry Silver witnessed the 1970s monkey head transplant experiment – more on which later – and describes the procedure as “bad science”, adding that “just to do the experiments is unethical”. This is a particular blow to Canavero, as he states that Silver’s own work in reconnecting rats’ spinal cords should give hope to the human head transplant. Silver dismisses this: “To sever a head and even contemplate the possibility of gluing axons back properly across the lesion to their neighbours is pure and utter fantasy in my opinion.”
Dr Chad Gordon, professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and neurological surgery at Johns Hopkins University, agrees that Canavero’s claims are scientifically implausible. He told BuzzFeed: “There’s no way he’s going to hook up somebody’s brain to someone’s spinal cord and have them be functional.”
“On the conservative side, we’re about 100 years away from being able to figure this out,” he continued. “If he’s saying two, and he’s promising a living, breathing, talking, moving human being? He’s lying.”
Dr Paul Myers, associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota at Morris, puts it even more explicitly: “This procedure will not work... Try it with monkeys first. But he can’t: the result would be, at best, a shambling horror, an animal driven mad with pain and terror, crippled and whimpering, and a poor advertisement for his experiment. And most likely what he’d have is a collection of corpses that suffered briefly before expiring.”
Others wonder whether Canavero might simply be enjoying the limelight with a PR stunt, including Dr Arthur Caplan, director of ethics at the NYU Langone Medical Centre. Describing the doctor as “nuts,” he explained to CNN: “Their bodies would end up being overwhelmed with different pathways and chemistry than they’re used to, and they’d go crazy.”
"We'll probably see a head on a robot before we see it on [another] body," he told Live Science.
Dr John Adler of Stanford University's school of medicine is slightly more optimistic... but not much more. "Conceptually, much of this could work, but the most favourable outcome will be little more than a Christopher Reeve level of function," he told Newsweek.
Canavero is aware of this criticism, claiming that “silently” he’s received a “lot of support” from the medical community. Of Dr Batjer’s comments that the surgery would be a fate “worse than death”, Canavero is scathing. “He’s a vascular surgeon. A vascular surgeon of the brain, yes, but he knows nothing,” he argued. “How can you say such a thing? It’s incredible.”
"The world is moving, the critics are dwindling. Of course, there will always be critics. Science teaches us that when you propose something groundbreaking, you must be confronted by criticism. If no critics really step forward, you are saying nothing special," he told Medical News Today.
Dr Canavero also believes that the operation could essentially be used to revive the dead, if brains were suitably frozen and stored. In an interview with German magazine Ooom, Canavero said: "We will try to bring the first of the company's patients back to life, not in 100 years. As soon as the first human head transplant has taken place, i.e. no later than 2018, we will be able to attempt to reawaken the first frozen head. We are currently planning the world's first brain transplant, and I consider it realistic that we will be ready in three years at the latest."
Has a head transplant been tried before?
No-one has ever attempted a human head transplant before, and attempts on animals have – to put it charitably – had limited success.
Image: from Motherboard, uploaded under fair use from a 1959 issue of Life
The photo above really does show a dog with two heads – and it’s not a fake. This was the work of Soviet scientist Vladimir Demikhov, and for four days the hybrid of two dogs lived as normally as such a scientific horror could be expected to. Then they died.
Demikhov tried the experiment more than 24 times but was unable to find a way of preventing the dogs from dying shortly after surgery. Although the results are horrifying to see, Demikhov’s research did pave the way for human organ transplants.
"For four days this hybrid of two dogs lived as normally as such a scientific horror could be expected to. Then they died."
But back to the topic of head transplants. The first time a straight swap was “successful”, was by Dr Robert White, in an experiment on a rhesus monkey in 1970. I feel the need to qualify the word “successful” with quotation marks, because although the monkey did live, he didn’t live very long. Eight days, to be exact, and as the spinal cord wasn’t attached to its new body, the monkey was paralysed for its remaining days. However, it could indeed see, hear, smell and taste before the body rejected the foreign head.
According to Canavero in his paper on human head transplants, “the monkey lived eight days and was, by all measures, normal, having suffered no complications.” However, Dr Jerry Silver – who worked in the same lab as Dr White – has more haunting memories. He told CBS: “I remember that the head would wake up, the facial expressions looked like terrible pain and confusion and anxiety in the animal. The head will stay alive, but not very long. It was just awful. I don’t think it should ever be done again.”
Video of A Monkey Head Transplant (Part 1/2)
More recently, Chinese doctor Xiaoping Ren claims to have conducted head transplants on more than 1,000 mice. The Wall Street Journal reports having witnessed a mouse with a new head moving, breathing, looking around and drinking. But, crucially, none of these mice have lived longer than a few minutes.
Still, Dr Ren’s studies continue, and the latest reports are said to be “promising”, offering a possible answer to the risk of severe blood loss (or brain ischemia) during transplantation. “The experimental method that we have described can allow for long-term survival, and thus assessment of transplant rejection and central nervous system recovery, bringing us one step closer to AHBR in man,” the researchers wrote.
Ren himself has not ruled out taking part in the first human head transplant operation, according to the Daily Mail. "A human head transplant will be a new frontier in science. Some people say it is the last frontier in medicine. It is a very sensitive and very controversial subject but if we can translate it to clinical practice, we can save a lot of lives," he said.
"Many people say a head transplant is not ethical. But what is the essence of a person? A person is the brain not the body. The body is just an organ," he added.
In January 2016, Canavero told New Scientist that a head transplant had been successfully completed on a monkey in China, although details were sparse. "The monkey fully survived the procedure without any neurological injury of whatever kind," he said, although the article notes that the monkey only kept alive for 20 hours after the surgery for "ethical reasons," limiting its use as a comparison somewhat.
In September 2016, Canavero revealed a further trial of the head transplant on dogs. New Scientist has seen video footage of a dog appearing to walk three weeks after its spinal cord was severed, with Canavero claiming that the outcome is the result of the same techniques he plans to use on Spiridonov next year.
However, speaking to a number of scientists for their view on the new evidence, New Scientist could find few sceptics converted. "These papers do not support moving forward in humans," said Jerry Silver a neuroscientist at Cape Western Reserve University in Ohio.
"The dog is a case report, and you can’t learn very much from a single animal without controls. They claim they cut the cervical cord 90 per cent but there’s no evidence of that in the paper, just some crude pictures," added Silver.
In May 2017, Canavero claimed success with another animal model: rats. Canavero and his team of Chinese surgeons claimed they were able to transplant the head of a donor rat onto the back of a larger one, creating a two-headed animal. The creature's donor head was allegedly able to blink and respond after the operation, although it only lived for 36 hours, which may not inspire confidence – even with rodents' reduced lifespans.
Elsewhere, news comes from the journal CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics, where Xiaping Ren from the Harbin Medical University claims to have successfully repaired severed spinal cords in rats using the same principals that Dr Canavero wants to use on humans before the year is out.
Nine rats were treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Eight were still alive a month after the operation, and by day 28 they had regained the ability to walk – two were described as being "basically normal".
Canavero told Newsweek that this showed his critics were wrong: "Critics said the transected spinal cord is unrecoverable and thus a human head transplant is impossible...The scans show the reconstructed cord. No pain syndrome emerged over the duration of the study, again rebutting a critic’s ‘worse than death’ remark."
Time will tell – the team plans to move onto dogs next. It should be noted, however, that even if this is right and even if it is applicable to humans, this relates to repairing severed spinal cords – not attaching a new head. If the research is accurate, it is indeed a point for Canavero and his proposed methods – but we're a long way from it being anything close to the finished article.
So a successful human head transplant would be quite the medical breakthrough then?
You could say so, though Canavero doesn't see it quite like that. In fact, controversially he sees it more as a failure of other types of medicine, telling Medical News Today, "It will be about curing incurable neurological disorders for which other treatments have failed big time, so gene therapy, stem cells - they all just came to nothing. We have failed despite billions of dollars being poured into this sort of research."
"So actually, head transplant or body transplant, whatever your angle is, is actually a failure of medicine. It is not a brilliant success, a brilliant advancement to medical science. When you just haven't tackled biology, you don't know how to treat genes, you don't really understand, and you really need to resort to a body transplant, it means that you've failed. So this must not be construed as a success of medical research," he added.Lost ancient island found in the Aegean
İZMİR – Doğan News Agency
DHA Photos
A lost island where the ancient city of Kane was located has been found by geo-archaeologists in the Aegean province of İzmir’s Dikili district. The island was mentioned in ancient sources.During surface surveys carried out near Dikili’s Bademli village, geo-archaeologists examined samples from the underground layers and learned one of the peninsulas there was in fact an island in the ancient era, and its distance from the mainland was filled with alluviums over time.With a comprehensive research project carried out by geo-archaeologists from Cologne University and led by the German Archaeology Institute, the relation of harbors on Dikili’s Karadağ peninsula was examined.Archaeologists from universities in İzmir, Karlsruhe, Manisa, Munich, Kiel, Cologne, Rostock and Southampton, prehistorians, geographers, topographers and geophysics experts worked on the research project. Following the works, the quality of the harbors in the ancient city of Kane was revealed. Also, the location of the third island, which was lost, has been identified.Archaeologist Prof. Felix Pirson said, considering the architectural remnants and ceramics in the village, they had discovered the location of Kane on the peninsula in Bademli village.“It had been a matter of discussion if the islands here were the Arginus Islands or not until our research began. But then we revealed that the ancient Kane was located on an island in the past. The strait between this island and the land was filled with alluviums and created this peninsula. We will get more evident info after examining the geological samples.”Within the scope of this project, Celal Bayar University Archaeology Department member Güler Ateş said they had discovered the location of the third island mentioned in ancient sources.He also said they had also revealed the quality of harbors in the ancient city of Kane, adding, “It is understood that this place was like a way station among important routes such as Lesbos and Adramytteion [today Edremit] in the north and Elaia [Zeytindağ], the main harbor of the ancient city of Pergamon, in the south.”The ancient city of Kane, which gave its name to the peninsula, was known as a harbor, chosen by the Romans during the war against Antiochas III in 191-190 B.C.The famous battle of Arginusae took place in 406 B.C. in the southwest of the ancient city between the Athenians and Spartans. In the war, even though the Athenians won a victory against the Spartans, their commander was tried when they returned to the country and executed because they did not help the wounded soldiers and did not bury the dead.So you put together an awesome application and got yourself a job interview. You’ve prepared for any possible questions. You’re ready. But have you considered your body language? Or, more specifically, the job interview body language mistakes you might be making without realising.
If you haven’t, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. A recent survey of hiring managers and employers revealed that these are the 10 biggest body language mistakes that people commonly make in job interviews:
1. Failing to make eye contact (67%)
If you’re not making eye contact, you can come across as untrustworthy – definitely not a good thing in a job interview. A simple way to make sure you make eye contact without falling into that trap of creepy staring is to imagine a triangle made up of the person’s eyes and nose. If you let your eyes cycle through those three points, you’ll maintain the eye contact you need in order to appear engaged without getting into an uncomfortable staring contest.
2. Failing to smile (39%)
In a job interview, it’s absolutely key to build a rapport, and smiling is one of the best ways to do this. Be careful of forcing it, though. An obviously fake smile won’t give a good impression either. Practice in front of the mirror when you get up in the morning. It will feel a little strange at first but you’ll soon be smiling for real. In the interview itself, think of something that makes you happy in order to stimulate a smile.
As a bonus, smiling can actually have the effect of making you happier.
3. Playing with something on the table (33%)
Fiddling with objects is a nervous habit for many people but it’s also easy to circumvent. Discreetly put your hand under the table and tap your leg instead. This will give you an outlet but without displaying your nervousness for everyone to see.
4. Having bad posture (30%)
The way you sit in your chair gives off a lot of signals for the interviewer. If you slouch and lean back in your chair it can suggest that you are bored or uninterested – hardly qualities that are likely to get you hired. Surprisingly, leaning forward can give an equally negative impression. Not only might you seem a little too eager, it can also end up with you being slightly too close to the interview, making them uncomfortable. Instead, steer the middle course. Sit up straight. Imagine a string is tied from the top of your head to the ceiling.
5. Fidgeting too much in their seats (30%)
Of course you are nervous, but try to sit still. If this is a common problem for you, skip the coffee on the morning of the interview. It will only make you more amped up and exacerbate the problem. To help you avoid fidgeting, plant your feet firmly on the ground and keep them there.
6. Crossing their arms over their chests (29%)
Crossing your arms makes you seem closed off and defensive, whereas in a job interview you want to seem open and receptive. Rather than crossing your arms, let them hang loosely by your side when standing, and, when sitting, rest your hands on the table or on your legs.
7. Playing with their hair or touching their faces (27%)
Habits like these are often unconscious. So, the first thing is to be aware that you do it. Try to find something else to do with your hands (without fiddling, as in number 3). In an interview situation, holding a pen is ideal – it’s also handy for taking notes.
8. Having a weak handshake (21%)
If you think you might have a weak handshake, ask some friends to shake hands with you and see what they think. Practice your handshake with the same friends to get your grip right. When you shake hands with someone new, it’s a good idea to take their lead on how firm to be.
Here’s the good news if you do have a weak handshake, University of Chicago and Harvard researchers found that any kind of handshake is better than none at all. Their studies showed that a handshake (even a weak one) creates a better impression and makes people feel more open to cooperation.
9. Using too many hand gestures (11%)
The area between your chest and your waist is generally considered a good boundary for acceptable hand gestures. If you find your hands wandering outside that area, it might be a bit too much.
You should also avoid chopping gestures and pointing, as these can be perceived as being somewhat aggressive.
10. Having a handshake that was too strong (7%)
Looking on the bright side, you definitely won’t make all of the mistakes on this list, as 8 and 10 are mutually exclusive.
If you squeeze the interviewer’s hand in some kind of death grip, it’s not going to make them like you. Excessively strong handshakes are often seen as an attempt to dominate, rather than the friendly gesture a handshake is supposed to be.
If the skin of the other person’s hand starts to wrinkle, your grip is too tight. To avoid this, stiffen your hand in the handshake position rather than actively squeezing. Imagine you are opening a door handle and use about the same level of grip in your handshake.
Take these body language tips on board and you can stop worrying about these common mistakes and start focusing on what’s important, showing how great you would be at the job.
Like this article? Get more delivered directly into your inbox! Sign up for our newsletter here:Titan are your Dreamhack Stockholm 2014 champions
After two days of intense games and many upsets, DH Stockholm has finally come to an end. In the finals two French teams were battling out for the title and $10,000 prize money, where Titan has came up on top by taking the series 2-0.
Schedule for Day 2:
13.15 CEST- Team LDLC vs 3DMAX - BO3 - Semi Finals
16.30 CEST- Fnatic vs Titan - BO3 - Semi Finals
20.00 CEST- Team LDLC vs Fnatic - BO3 - Grand Finals
Team LDLC vs Titan
Map One - de_mirage
The first map of the finals started at 20.00 CEST and finished almost 3 hours later. Titan stomped their way into this map on T side by rushing down A site and winning the pistol round and four more rounds which followed making it 5-0. The technical issues occurred and there was a long pause after which Team LDLC managed to win their first round and make it 5-1. However, they couldnt extend this to a streak so the first half went into Titan's favor with 12-3. At the start of second half new tech issues occurred which caused another pause after which Team LDLC managed to win only one more round before they lost this map with 16-4.
Map Two - de_cache
The second map of this series brought everything worth of one grand final duel. Team LDLC didnt fall down after losing the first map with a big score difference, on contrary they striked back making 5-0 at the T side of de_cache. Titan broke this streak with 1 round, however LDLC made it to 7-1. Titan made a bit of consolidation and took next 4 rounds in a row, but shox clutched 1vs3 situation to make it 8-5. The half time score was 9-6. The second half have seen totally diferent Titan. They won a pistol round and made a result even. After being 10-10 the score went into Titan's favor to 11-15. Team LDLC showed once again why they ended up in the grand finals making to overtime. However, overtime was completly dominated by Titan with 4-0 which was enough to win this series and championship.
Fnatic vs Titan
Map One - de_inferno
The first map of this duel started in the great fashion. Titan went on a full B site rush, and Fnatic prepared the defense with 3 players. Both teams exchanged 2 kills, but in the end Titan came on the top and won this round. The Swedes were ecoing the next two rounds, but Titan barely managed to win those with heavily loses. The first gun round for Fnatic also went into the French favor making it 0-4 and soon after 0-5. KennyS was putting an awesome show with the awp leading his team to the great lead of 1-7. Fnatic managed to break this streak for a moment by winning an eco round, however Titan was looking so strong which in the end capitalized into 9-3. It's also worth of mentioning that pronax made a nice triple kill in a next eco round with five-seven, securing that round for his team and making it 11-4 for Titan. The second half saw a totally different Fnatic. JW started hitting the shots and winning the awp battles against kennyS. 21th round saw JW making such a great ace with awp, where the last kill was no scope through the box. Titan was slowly winning the rounds where in the end they had five match points. Krimz with some sick plays with awp, hitting a few hits with no scope denied the first one, but in the end French team got away with 1-0 lead in this series.
Map Two - de_dust2
The second map was a real surprise. Titan showing the top performance, while Fnatic was not even in that game. kennyS and KQLY were playing double awp strategy on CT side and it worked out bringing 14-1 for Titan at the half time. In the end it turned out that Fnatic stopped at that one round at this map. JW made again some awesome shots with awp making ace and securing that round for Fnatic, but that was the only thing they could do. The end score was 16-1, so Titan will be fighting Team LDLC for the title.
Team LDLC vs 3DMAX
Map One - de_cache
The first map was de_cache where 3DMAX kicked off on the CT side after winning the knife round. Team LDLC led by shoxie won a pistol round and quickly made it 2-0 into their favor, however the Finish team played it perfectly in the second eco round and managed to take 3 guns off the French team so they ended up with the buy in the round three making it 2-1. The next round saw a nice play by kioshima were he pationatly saved the bomb plant and won a round after which Team LDLC just snowballed up to 8-2. 3DMAX gathered up and made a nice comeback making it 8-7 at the end of the first half. However, in the second half they moved on the less favored side of de_cache so the French team just made a pure execution finishing this map with the 16-8.
Map Two - de_dust2
3DMAX won a pistol round on T side, however Team LDLC managed to clutch eco round and to make it 2-1. Both teams were trading the rounds making the score even up to 5-5, when the French team started building their advantage which in the end transformed into 9-6 at the end of the first half. The second half saw the Finish team winning a pistol round once again, but same as in the first one they couldnt win an anti-eco round and Team LDLC just picked up on pace making it 15-7. 3DMAX showed once again that they got what it takes to be at the top of CS:GO scene, performing a nice comeback which got hyped up by a great KHRN's play where he managed to ninja defuse bomb through the smoke while the two opponent players were still alive, in the end it costed him his own life but the round went into his team's favor. The farest they could go was 12 rounds when it all fall to kioshima and natu to fight 1 on 1 at the A bomb site. The French player had bomb planted and was playing position on the A site, while natu had to run through the long. Kioshima came on the top of this duel which brought a spot in the Grand Finals for his team.
DH Stockholm Coverage Hub Click here for results, VODs and all the other informationHappy 83rd Birthday to the Black Knight, Mr. Gary Player…
By Claudia Mazzucco – On this day, November 1, 1935, Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the third of three children to Harry and Muriel Player. His father was a captain in a gold mine who spent most of his working life 12,000 feet underground. His mother was a well-educated women who died of cancer when Gary was eight. “My brother went to war at 17 to fight with the British and Americans in WWII, while my sister went to boarding school,” he said. “I’d come all the way home from school each night, by bus and tram, to a dark house,
|
criminal charges relating to the #GuptaLeaks, the latest relating to the controversial wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia in 2013.
AmaBhungane and Scorpio on Friday revealed how R30m that was supposed to go to a dairy project in Vrede in the Free State was diverted through a web of Gupta-related companies to pay for the wedding, while Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane was still an MEC in the Free State.
The wedding initially gained infamy when the Guptas' guests were allowed to use the Waterkloof Air Force base as a port of entry.
DA MP and spokesperson on finance David Maynier spent most of the weekend with legal advisors to draft an affidavit, which he presented to the police when he laid charges at the Cape Town Central Police Station in Buitenkant Street, Cape Town on Monday morning.
SPECIAL REPORT: #GuptaLeaks
The charges are against Zwane, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and their business associates Ronica Ragavan and Kamal Vasram.
The charges include racketeering, money laundering, assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of unlawful activities, and acquiring, possessing or using the proceeds of unlawful activities in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (No 121 of 1998); and submitting false, or untrue, tax returns in terms of the Tax Administration Act (No 28 of 2011).
"It is grotesque that public funds that are meant to assist the poor were allegedly use to pay for the Guptas' lavish wedding at Sun City in 2013," said Maynier outside the police station after he laid the charges.
Maynier has also written to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to ask that they investigate tax evasion relating to allegations that the wedding expenses were irregularly deducted as business expenses.
#GuptaLeaks: The Dubai Laundromat – How millions milked from Free State government paid for Sun City wedding
More DA targets
Maynier also opened a case in March last year against Ajay and Atul Gupta and President Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane, after former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas said they have offered him the position of finance minister before Nhlanhla Nene was fired from that post in December 2015.
"That case is ongoing and it is investigated by the Hawks," said Maynier.
The case Maynier opened on Monday is the latest in a slew of cases following in the wake of the #GuptaLeaks.
In May, DA leader Mmusi Maimane laid charges against Jacob Zuma and 11 others in terms of the Prevention of Criminal Activities Act for allegedly receiving benefits, as well as for racketeering and treason.
Thereafter the DA MP and spokesperson on transport Manny De Freitas laid charges of corruption against Sfiso Buthelezi, Deputy Minister of Finance, for allegedly having benefited from tenders awarded to Prasa. He was previously Prasa's board chairperson.
The DA also laid charges against three ministers, Faith Muthambi, Lynne Brown and Des van Rooyen, and two officials, Dan Mantsha and Bruce Koloane relating to further revelations.
The DA also laid a charge with Parliament's ethics committee, relating to a Gupta-sponsored trip to Dubai for Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo.
Dlodlo admitted that she went on the trip and that she did not declare it.
The DA also laid a charge at the ethics committee and public protector against Zwane for not declaring a Gupta-sponsored trip to Dubai.
The Economic Freedom Fighters laid a charge against Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, Jacob Zuma and the Guptas, relating to alleged corruption at Transnet.Tlohtzin Espinosa and Owen Spence
Tlohtzin Espinosa and Owen Spence
Tlohtzin Espinosa and Owen Spence
The original symphonic treatment for the game Destiny was long thought lost, thanks to it being shelved after a major staffing shake-up at developer Bungie. But Destiny fans received quite the Christmas miracle—albeit a legally dubious one—when fans discovered and posted an apparent rip of the album in question, titled Destiny: Music of the Spheres.
The 8-track, 48-minute album leak, which is live as of press time at more than a few mirrors, was quickly confirmed as legitimate by two major contributors to the project: former Bungie composer Marty O'Donnell and former Bungie Creative Director Joe Staten. O'Donnell offered a "I think this is it" on Monday via Twitter, followed by an emphatic post of "Finally! #NeverForgotMotS." Staten followed up with acknowledgement that Sir Paul McCartney himself sang a lyric Staten had suggested, then added, "Glad #MOTS is finally out for all to hear."
Music of the Spheres began life as a pre-release symphonic-album concept helmed by O'Donnell and his composing partner Michael Salvatori, and its creation and production eventually figured into the messy lawsuit that floated above O'Donnell's "termination" from Bungie. Before the lawsuit, the album had received buzz—not surprising, given that it featured a freaking Beatle as a singer and songwriter. After O'Donnell and Bungie parted ways, however, the album sat in Bungie's vaults, even though O'Donnell had publicly given Bungie his blessing to put the album out as an official, complete release.
Instead of Bungie officially releasing the album, however, a pair of Destiny music fans did the honors on Christmas day. Tlohtzin Espinosa and Owen Spence had spent more than a year working on their own MotS-recreation project, which was made up of existing Destiny song snippets edited together based on sleuthing about the album. (Eurogamer's report on this fan-album project is exhaustive and highly recommended to read.) The duo told Kotaku that they'd received a tip about a copy of the album, then pulled the trigger on posting the full album as a free Soundcloud stream. They posted additional links and comments in a lengthy Reddit post in which they pointed out the potential legal issues surrounding their decision: "I do not intend to piss off Bungie, and I apologize if this is morally wrong," Spence wrote. "I just want you guys to hear what was intended by the composers of Destiny."
After getting advance notice about the album's impending release, Kotaku tracked down O'Donnell for comment. He described feeling "quite relieved and happy," then pointed out that while his father was alive to see the album's public release (and happy about it), his mother had passed two years earlier. "Although she loved listening and shared it with some of her friends (she was a musician), she never understood why it wasn’t released," he said to Kotaku.
As Espinosa and Spence had already deduced, Music of the Spheres includes more than a few melodies and movements already included in the 2014 Destiny game and other Destiny-related videos. But hearing these pieces chained together in order is another experience altogether. MotS impresses with its ability to tell musical stories that are equal measure bold and curious—a quality that O'Donnell always infused into his Halo game scores. McCartney's album-closing song, meanwhile, sounds more like an over-earnest, end-of-game credits song than a pop-charts smash, but it's about as good of a game-credits song as you're likely to hear.
O'Donnell's latest album came out earlier this year. Echoes of the First Dreamer serves as a "musical prequel" to the VR game Golem currently being produced by his new Seattle company Highwire Games.
Listing image by Tlohtzin Espinosa and Owen SpenceWe're launching a pair of minimalist sneakers made in Portugal with Italian premium materials. Inspired by scandinavian fashion, stitches are hidden to the maximum and the same monochromatic color is used for leather & sole. Last but not least, by offering them via pre-orders we're able to cut logistic costs and retailer margins to offer it at a third of its retail price!
We were inspired by Scandinavian fashion that we see as elegant & minimalist. Following this universe, we removed all unnecessary stitches on the surface and use one monochromatic color per pair. We spent months discussing with the factory trying to hide most stitches while keeping the same quality, finding the right colors of leather & sole that would match, picking the right sole model, the right leather, etc. It's important to note that internal linings are made with 'cowhide' to respect certain traditions.
Our leather is an Italian calfskin full grain leather, ‘full grain’ being the most premium part of leathers and calfskin an excellent type of leather. We used the best leather we could think of : according to us, it’s the best out there. Its flexibility will create the comfort you’re looking for in such a pair of shoes, and its strength will make it last years, not just months.
The sole is an Italian jewel. Based in Italy for decades, the Margom brand is known for being the go-to sole of European luxury fashion houses. It has been studied over time to fit the shape of your foot nicely and resist daily usage. The sole thickness may seem strong at first view, but it quickly adapts to your foot and walking habits. The sole is not only glued, it’s also sewed to make sure it won’t fall out over time.
Because we truly believe in our products, we provide a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
We sell directly to you via pre-orders to cut retailers margins and optimize logistics. As such, we're able to mark it for $120 (vs. $350 full retail price). Plus, shipping is free, worldwide!
Based in Paris, Lenger was born with one focus : design essential objects with a minimalist approach using high-end materials at a fair price. We personally felt the need for these type of products. But how could we make luxury basics less expensive?
Months ago, the idea of crowdfunding products started to pop up, and made lots of sense. First, by having people pledge to support a product, we could test it and see if it would be a good fit. And because we would sell all an entire production at once, we wouldn’t have stocks, unsold inventory, expensive individual shipping rates. That would cut a big part of logistic costs for a traditional brand. On the retail side, we wouldn’t have any middle man between you and us since we speak directly to you. That’s a huge chunk of prices: at least -35% for online marketplaces or -50% for brick-and-mortar shops.
The shoe is for both men & women since we’re using a unisex sole. The width is of regular size. Here are the sizes we offer:SINGAPORE — Justice Francis Jardeleza proclaimed a slam dunk theory to end “Project Tokhang” house visits during the second Supreme Court “tokhang” hearing last Nov. 28.
On deck were Free Legal Assistance Group led by Dean Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, and CenterLaw’s young lawyers led by Inquirer columnist Joel Butuyan. CenterLaw’s Gil Anthony Aquino and Cristina Antonio joined the bar in 2016 and 2015, almost 30 years after Diokno.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the first hearing, Diokno attacked Command Memorandum Circular (CMC) 16-2016, claiming its terms “negate” and “neutralize” mean “kill.”
But his case collapsed within Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s first nine minutes of questions, including a standard freshman exam question on the right against unreasonable search that was answered wrong.
Only Jardeleza bolstered Diokno’s “top level” attack on CMC 16-2016’s wording, contrasted with Butuyan’s “ground level” attack on its implementation specifically in San Andres Bukid, Manila.
Jardeleza asked Diokno to recast his case per his suggestions. Innocuously, he asked Butuyan to argue the same, even if he did not formally attack CMC 16-2016. His clients were too scared to authorize this.
In the second hearing, Jardeleza repeated Butuyan’s argument that “house visitations of suspected drug personalities” violate the right against unreasonable search. Any consent to enter cannot be valid because it is made under threat of “immediate case buildup and negation” under CMC 16-2016 if entry is refused.
Solicitor General Jose Calida likened “tokhang” to “bayanihan,” where barangay officials join police. He refuted that police do not enter homes, make arrests or seize evidence; they merely talk with no coercion intended.
But Jardeleza countered this then triggers the right against self-incrimination and custodial investigation rights under Republic Act No. 7438, including the right to a lawyer and other “Miranda rights.”
These are not ordinary conversations because the person visited is already listed as a suspect, though there is no evidence to apply for a search or arrest warrant.
Calida parried that custodial investigation involves actually being brought into custody, not speaking with police at one’s own door.
ADVERTISEMENT
Jardeleza cited Sec. 2(f) of RA 7438: “‘custodial investigation’ shall include the practice of issuing an ‘invitation’ to a person who is investigated.”
If police cannot invite one to the police station unless there is cause for arrest, he paralleled, neither should they be able to invite themselves to one’s home. “Tokhang” creates a coercive atmosphere such that the police station is practically transported to one’s home when several policemen knock on one’s door.
Jardeleza thus pronounced a “prima facie case” for stopping further “tokhang” house visits. This is a powerful argument because custodial rights are one area where the Constitution always favors the suspect, given the sheer imbalance relative to police.
Calida eventually asked to answer Jardeleza in a memorandum, a polite way of calling a time out.
Completing Jardeleza’s masterstroke, no one noticed how he transplanted Butuyan’s arguments to salvage Diokno’s case, when he curiously asked Butuyan to argue Diokno’s case in the previous hearing.
It was Butuyan who prominently cited custodial rights in his opening speech, and RA 7438 is raised in page 49 of Butuyan’s written petition but not cited in Diokno’s.
Justice Marvic Leonen spoke for one out of the second hearing’s three hours, injecting drama by asking Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa if he ever issued a kill order.
Before Calida spoke, Butuyan was grilled at length by Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo. The latter tried to trap him by arguing there is no penalty for police who conduct unauthorized searches.
Butuyan won the skirmish, correctly citing “violation of domicile,” Art. 128 of our Revised Penal Code. The trap was
odd, though, as a circular’s invalidity is not the same issue as implementing policemen’s liability.
React: [email protected], Twitter @oscarfbtan, facebook.com/OscarFranklinTan.
Read Next
LATEST STORIES
MOST READProfessional tape delay units are great fun, but often expensive. You’d think that with so many derelict cassette decks filling the world’s dumpsters someone must have figured out a way to make a cheap tape delay… not only in the interest of saving money (sometimes quality is worth paying for) but also in the interest of re-using otherwise wasted resources.
Forosdeelectronica forum user [Dano] has made just such a device from used cassette decks and miscellaneous parts (translated). First he investigated the operation of the playback, erase, and record mechanisms and broke out the tape heads. The playback head is on a plastic rail so that the delay time can be changed, while the record head is fixed. [Dano] encountered some difficulties in ensuring good quality for the recording and erasure, which is an important consideration when working with magnetic tape.
Another fun aspect of this project is the modded drive speed, which would allow for some wacky time/pitch stretching.
You can listen to the audio example of the working system here.
We don’t know about you, but we have several old tape cassettes sitting in our “to-hack” box and they’re not exactly hard to find elsewhere–many of them end up on the curb on garbage day. It would be fun to combine this with other audio projects like Rich Decibel’s Kequencer–think of matching the delay length to the sequenced pattern length! For a more finicky addition you could play around with the drive mechanism using some custom gearing–think multiple loops and reversals.
The images in this post are taken for illustrative purposes from Forosdeelectronica.com. If you want to see them in [Dano]’s post you must register on their forums.U.S. intelligence officials are examining the relationship between Carter Page, an informal foreign policy advisor for the Donald Trump campaign, and Russian officials close to Vladimir Putin — including a Kremlin official believed to be involved in Russian attempts to influence U.S. elections, Michael Isikoff reported Friday for Yahoo News.
The report is based intelligence and congressional sources, who had knowledge of the intelligence officials’ briefings with lawmakers. An unnamed U.S. intelligence source did not dispute the assertion that Page’s communications with the Russian figures were being investigated when asked about it by Yahoo News.
“It’s on our radar screen,” the official told Yahoo News. “It’s being looked at.”
Intelligence officials are looking into whether Page has engaged in private communications with top Kremlin figures, the Yahoo News report said, which could be seen as an attempt to undermine the U.S.’s official posture towards Russia. Page is known for advocating for the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Russia, which years ago attracted attention from officials in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Yahoo News said.
Among the Russian figures thought to be linked to Page is Igor Diveykin, who Yahoo News describes as being “believed by U.S. officials to have responsibility for intelligence collected by Russian agencies about the U.S. election.” Intelligence officials are looking into reports that Page met with Diveykin — a former Russian security official and now the deputy chief for internal policy — during a trip to Moscow in July two weeks before the GOP convention. Officials are also investigating a potential meeting during that trip between Page and Igor Sechin, a Putin-ally and executive chairman of a Russian oil company who is on a U.S. Treasury Department sanctions list for “illegitimate and unlawful actions in the Ukraine,” Yahoo News said.
Trump said Page was one of his foreign policy advisers in March interview with the Washington Post editorial board, while the campaign has downplayed his involvement. Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks described as Page as an “informal advisor” who did not speak for the campaign last month, while spokesman Jason Miller said he had “no role” in the campaign in response to a Yahoo News inquiry this week.Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
One of the most agonizing spots in medicine is the “transplant list.” When I’ve referred patients for organ transplant — heart, liver, kidney — it is the start of an anguished wait. The clock ticks for my patient as we watch her clinical status decline, all the while harboring that excruciating hope that someone will die soon enough to make an organ available. In the case of kidney donation, which can come from a live donor, it is the desperate hope that someone will decide to make this enormous personal sacrifice.
Some of my patients have died waiting, which is, sadly, not an unusual outcome. It is estimated that 18 patients on the waiting list in America die every day. In the United States, as in many countries, we rely on a simple system of altruism, or what might be called the opt-in approach. We hope that people will sign organ donor cards because they think it is the right thing to do, or that families will consent to donation after a loved one has had brain death because it will help someone else. But these mechanisms do not result in nearly enough organs for all the patients who need them.
Other countries, like Spain and Austria, have tried an opt-out approach, called presumed consent. Every patient who dies is assumed to have consented to organ donation, unless they have specifically declined. However, this hasn’t necessarily increased the number of organ donations, in part because doctors find it extremely difficult to go against family wishes if surviving family members are strongly opposed to donation.
A third way to increase donations is being pioneered in Israel. Until now, Israel ranked at the bottom of Western countries on organ donation. Jewish law proscribes desecration of the dead, which has been interpreted by many to mean that Judaism prohibits organ donation. Additionally, there were rabbinic issues surrounding the concept of brain death, the state in which organs are typically harvested. As a result, many patients died waiting for organs.
So Israel has decided to try a new system that would give transplant priority to patients who have agreed to donate their organs. In doing so, it has become the first country in the world to incorporate “nonmedical” criteria into the priority system, though medical necessity would still be the first priority.
The Israeli program was initiated by Dr. Jacob Lavee, a cardiothoracic surgeon who heads the heart transplant program of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. In 2005, he had two ultra-Orthodox, Haredi Jewish patients on his ward who were awaiting heart transplants. The patients confided in him that they would never consider donating organs, in accordance with Haredi Jewish beliefs, but that they had absolutely no qualms about accepting organs from others.
That Haredi Jews would not donate organs was a well-known fact in Israel. But this was the first time anyone had openly admitted the paradox to Dr. Lavee.
The unfairness of a segment of society unwilling to donate organs, but happy to accept them, nagged at Dr. Lavee. After he operated on both patients, giving each a new lease on life, he put together a proposal that would give priority to those patients willing to donate their organs.
Working with rabbis, ethicists, lawyers, academics and members of the public, he and other medical experts worked to create a new law in 2010, which will take full effect this year: if two patients have identical medical needs for an organ transplant, priority will be given to the patient who has signed a donor card, or whose family member has donated an organ in the past.
A critical component of the law’s success was engaging the country’s highly influential religious leadership, which had long been resistant to organ donation. Even among the half of the country that is devoutly secular, when faced with death and whether to donate organs. “Suddenly the families become very religious,” said Dr. Yael Haviv, the medical director of the organ donation program at Sheba. “Suddenly they ask the rabbis.”
But in the Talmud, saving a life supersedes most everything, and many commandments may be transgressed if the goal is to save a life. Based on this, the argument could be made that organ donation fulfilled one of the highest religious virtues. The lawmakers also agreed on a definition of brain death that was acceptable to the vast majority of rabbis (though not the ultra-Orthodox Haredi), as well as local imams, making organ donation kosher to a large segment of the population.
This was accompanied by a huge public awareness campaign about organ donation, with radio, TV, billboard and newspaper ads promoting the new priority system and countering the perception that Jewish law forbids donation. Shopping centers and coffee houses were blanketed with organ donation information. The response was overwhelming, as people registered in droves as potential donors.
“We were swamped,” says Tamar Ashkenazi, the director of the National Transplant Center of Israel. The machine that prints the organ donation cards usually handles 3,000 a month — 5,000 if two workers are dedicated full-time to operating it. During the 10 weeks of the publicity campaign, 70,000 Israelis registered for organ donation cards.
The consent rate from families has already increased, and the number of organs available for patients has increased in parallel. Transplants have so far increased by more than 60 percent over all this year.
Other aspects of the new law provide “fair compensation” for living donors that covers 40 days of lost wages, plus expenses related to the donation. “This serves to remove the disincentives to donation,” Dr. Lavee says. Kidney transplants from live donors — nearly always from family members of patients — increased dramatically.
The new system, though, is not without its critics. Many say that any “nonmedical” factors in organ allocation are inherently unethical. Some say that the law enshrines religious discrimination, since Haredi patients decline to donate based on their religious beliefs.
But many feel that the new law adds a measure of fairness to the process, and now there are more organs available for everyone. It will be interesting to see how things play out when the priority system goes into effect on April 1.
Danielle Ofri is the author of three books, including “Medicine in Translation: Journeys With My Patients.” She is an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine and editor in chief of the Bellevue Literary Review.Starbucks has apologized to a Louisiana teacher who says a Baton Rouge barista drew satanic symbols in her coffee foam.
Megan K. Pinion first posted the complaint on Starbucks‘ Facebook page with a picture of the two coffees — one with what looks like a pentagram and the other with the numbers “666.”
“I just purchased two coffees at your Mall of Louisiana location,” she wrote Sunday. “This is how my coffee was served to me. … I am a teacher in the public school system and if I were to present a child of atheist or pagan believers with a Christian art project I could be sued in a heartbeat. I am of Catholic faith and would love to share in my beliefs daily. Fortunately I have enough common sense to present myself with professionalism and follow an ethics code. Perhaps that could be suggested to that particular location.”
The post went viral, gaining 700 shares and more than 1,500 likes, with many Starbucks customers rallying behind Miss Pinion.
Starbucks told The Daily Advertiser that Miss Pinion was contacted personally with an apology and that the company is trying to get to the bottom of the satanic images.
“We reached out to her through social media and apologized,” spokesman Tom Kuhn told the newspaper. “We’re taking the complaint seriously. We’re not sure who served her or what kind of beverage it was. It looks kind of caramel-ish in the photos.”
Asked if the incident could force the company to reexamine its policies on foam art, Mr. Kuhn replied, “I don’t know. I guess it could.”
He later apologized again in a formal statement, saying the incident “obviously is not the type of experience we want to provide any of our customers, and is not representative of the customer service our partners provide to millions of customers every day.”
As for Miss Minion, it seems she’s satisfied with the way Starbucks handled the situation.
“Starbucks was very kind and appreciated my customer feedback,” she said Monday. “If at anytime they wish to have this photo removed they are more than welcome to do it or ask me to, as the matter has been handled. Thank you Starbucks for taking note of the incident and making customers feel as though their satisfaction with their service and products is of importance to them.”
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Image copyright Reuters
A British Airways flight from San Francisco to London was diverted to Vancouver after members of the crew became ill, the airline says.
Twenty-five crew members went to local hospitals as a precaution but were later discharged, said BA spokeswoman Michele Kropf.
The crew were not treated for smoke inhalation as reported, she said.
The airline did not say what the cause of the problem was or what their symptoms were.
There has been no confirmation over how many people the Airbus A380 carried.
Images showed emergency vehicles surrounding the plane on the tarmac.
The flight BA286 departed at 19:13 on Monday (02:13 GMT) and landed in the Canadian city several hours later.
BA said passengers had been put up in hotels and would be rebooked on other flights.
Image copyright FlightAware Image caption Map shows path of the plane
Gavin Wilson, public affairs director for Vancouver Coastal Health, said all 25 crew members have been released as of 5am local time (12:00 GMT)
"They were brought into hospital as a precaution and they were subsequently discharged early this morning," he told the BBC.
Various crew members were sent to three separate Vancouver-area medical centres: Vancouver General Hospital, Delta Hospital and Richmond Hospital.
At the moment there are no further details on the reason for their hospitalisation.
"I can't tell you at this point what they were assessed for," Mr Wilson said.Chilean singer Víctor Jara, in an undated photo provided by the Jara Foundation.
Santiago de Chile.— With his hands ruined from beatings, Víctor Jara wrote his last verses in a notebook which he gave to one of his comrades and is today preserved by the Jara Foundation: “Song, how imperfect you are / when I most need to sing, I cannot / I cannot because I am still alive / I cannot because I am dying.”
It was in the Chile Stadium - one of the most sinister symbols of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship - on September 16, 1973, five days after the coup which overthrew Socialist President Salvador Allende, where the singer spent the last hours of his life.
Those who were there that fateful day later noted that his torturers never managed to completely wipe away his smile, not even after brutal and repeated beatings, before he was riddled with bullets. More than 40 bullets were found in his body.
After his executioners had finished playing a vicious game of Russian roulette with him, he was killed by a shot to the neck taken at almost pointblank range.
The Chile Stadium, today the Víctor Jara Stadium, continues to be the silent witness to incalculable horrors committed at the outset of the Pinochet regime (1973-1990).
Forensic tests carried out in 2009 after his remains were exhumed, proved that he had been tortured. His body was found on the outskirts of the Metropolitan Cemetery, where a Memorial in his honor was inaugurated last year.
A visit to the Museum of Memory in the capital leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth. Among the objects displayed is the last poem written by the author of “Te recuerdo Amanda”and numerous other love and political songs.
Four decades later, Víctor Jara’s family, who have never ceased in their search for justice, were able to smile again. A Florida judge ordered that the man identified as Jara’s killer, Pedro Pablo Barrientos, appear in court on charges of torture and extrajudicial murder.Twenty-nine top U.S. nuclear scientists - including five Nobel laureates - sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Saturday praising the nuclear deal reached between world powers and Iran in July.
According to the New York Times, the letter used the terms "innovative" and "stringent" more than half-a-dozen times, saying the deal can serve "as a guidepost for future nonproliferation agreements."
According to the letter, Iran was "only a few weeks" away from producing enough fuel for nuclear weapons before curbing its nuclear programs during the negotiations with world powers.
The New York Times noted that many of the letter's signatories have previously advised Washington on nuclear arms and arms control, and that most of them have held an equivalent of the military's top secret security clearance with regards to the design of nuclear weapons. Among them were physicist and arms control expert Richard L. Garwin, who helped design the first hydrogen bomb and Siegfried S. Hecker, a former director of the Los Alamos facility in New Mexico.
The scientists also praised the section of the deal which states that inspectors must be allowed to enter any suspect facility in Iran within at most 24 days, calling it "unprecedented."
The letter also noted that the deal bans research on nuclear weapons "rather than only their manufacture," adding that contrary to criticism that Iran will be allowed to pursue nuclear arms without constraint after 10 years, the deal "includes important long-term verification procedures that last until 2040, and others that last indefinitely.”
The five Noble laureates who signed the letter were Leon N. Cooper of Brown University; Sheldon L. Glashow of Boston University; David Gross of the University of California, Santa Barbara; Burton Richter of Stanford; and Frank Wilczek of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter Email * Please enter a valid email address Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close
Other notable signatories were Freeman Dyson of Princeton, Sidney Drell of Stanford and Rush D. Holt, a physicist and former member of Congress.
The U.S. Congress has until September 17 to vote on a resolution of disapproval of the Iran deal, which would eliminate Obama's ability to waive all sanctions on Iran imposed by the U.S. Congress, a key component of the agreement.
Obama has promised a veto if it is passed by the House and Senate.
On Thursday, Obama's cause suffered a blow when Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a senior Democrat, announced in a statement that he opposes the Iran deal, saying that to him, "the very real risk that Iran will not moderate and will, instead, use the agreement to pursue its nefarious goals is too great."The representation of racially diverse and authentic playable characters in video games will result in more powerful experiences for players, according to game designers Mattie Brice and Toiya Kristen Finley.
Speaking at the IGDA Summit in San Francisco at a panel organized by Gavin Greene, the two developers explained that the current trend of representing racial minorities as stereotypes is not only problematic from a social justice standpoint, it also limits the kinds of experiences players can have through games.
Listing examples like the "magical minorities" who give the protagonist wisdom from their culture, the brown terrorist and the gangster, Finley said that while these representations are usually well-intentioned, they present minorities as two-dimensional characters with no clearly-defined motives or agency. They exist to service the protagonist in some way, not to share their own stories. The designers argued that rather than represent minorities as stereotypes, developers — and in turn players — can benefit from a more realistic depiction.
"A lot of people think that to represent a queer relationship in a game you just take a straight relationship and switch out the people involved..."
According to Brice, when developers create nuanced characters, it allows players to see the game world through their eyes — to understand the character's experiences, their motivations, their actions and their agency. When developers apply this same nuance to minorities, it allows players to see the game world through a whole new lens. This then opens up new experiences for players and the opportunity to tell stories that haven't been explored in many mainstream games.
"When we're going through our lives, our actions and the things we do aren't determined by the fact that we're Asian or Latino or gay — we're just living our lives, and sometimes our identity informs our thoughts," Brice told Polygon. "So instead of having black people be gangsters or poor, a better way to approach it is by asking questions like how does a minority experience violence in their life? This character never has to say, 'I was born in the hood.' Through the way they interact with others, they can show they have an awareness of danger. That's so much more believable. It's so much more realistic.
"Or we could look at queer romance. A lot of people think that to represent a queer relationship in a game you just take a straight relationship and switch out the people involved, but that doesn't work," Brice said. "For example, in high school, a queer couple may not have been able to go to prom. They may have a completely different history and set of experiences to a straight couple, and that's going to inform how they handle relationships now."
Both designers said the goal isn't to force minorities into games or to focus solely on what makes them different. This isn't about introducing a radical change. Rather, it's about ensuring that characters are three-dimensional and thoughtfully developed, giving players more believable characters.
Finley gave an example of the character Lee from Telltale's The Walking Dead series, who she notes many players referred to as "My Lee" [e.g. "My Lee did this..."] when they talked about their experience with the game. In this particular case, Lee was a character whose race and place in the world informed his thoughts and motives. This was communicated to players in subtle ways, without the need to resort to stereotypes, which would have made him cartoonish and difficult to relate to. The result was many players felt a deeper connection to the character and a better understanding of the politics and social issues that informed his agency. The Walking Dead was no longer just about surviving a zombie apocalypse.
Both Finley and Brice said the more believable characters are, the more interesting stories will be, which will open up gaming to an even broader audience as well as offer richer experiences for existing audiences.
"Having these believable characters is going to get people to say, 'That looks interesting,'" Brice said. "I can see people of all demographics enjoying believable characters."Atlantic Caviar & Sturgeon, just outside of Lenoir, NC, is the first and only aquaculture farm in the United States to sell Ossetra caviar, which comes from the Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, or Russian sturgeon, and is second only to the exquisite Beluga in terms of quality and price.
In the Caspian Sea — the longtime supplier of the majority of the world’s sturgeon stock — overfishing, pollution and sewage entry have had disastrous effects on the populations of fish that produce the black gold. In fact, the sturgeon population in the lower Volga river region is all but gone, less than 1 percent of what it was 15 years ago. This has lead to worldwide bans on fishing wild sturgeon and embargoes on Russian caviar. Still, the global demand for caviar hasn’t waned, and aquaculture farms have started to pop up around the world to supplement the thinning stock of caviar from wild sturgeon. As a result, caviar
|
awfulsome moment survey- I liked this one because it so reminded me of what I experience and just the description of it was exactly- anyway I'm going to read it- filled out by a guy who calls himself Leaky Computers: Two years ago I recovered from what could be called a quiet mental break. This break was targeted largely by finances. Although it was just a raw nerve for about two years prior to this point, I had managed to keep all my mail. I had plenty of unopened bills, plenty of needs immediate actions and a few of tax information. To prove that I was over my mental break I did my taxes for the past two years. I hadn't however gone to a therapist at this point. I sat down in front of my tax accountant with a stack of coffee stained, crumpled to hell tax forms. The two of us are sorting through all of this information and the tax accountant gets a little frustrated and asks me “why didn't you just do last year's taxes?” the question caught me off guard and so I answered honestly. I told her about how I'd cry on the floor with my arms wrapped around my knees when I saw a credit union commercial and how I nearly vomited every time I hear the mail lady come to my door. I told her about taking the batteries out of my house phone and my cell phone. I told her about the time I was too afraid to leave my room for two and a half days. After that her motto became “it's fine.” Did you collect social security in 2009- I don't know- It's fine.- Do you remember how many months you worked at company XYZ? I don't remember. It's fine. Looking back I have no idea how I've never been audited- oh my god I know there's a lot of people- I had almost a year of unopened mail on my dining room table until about six months ago and I- I'd take the big pieces the credit card bills and anything like that, but anything you know that didn't have a red light glaring on it, I just couldn't bring myself to open it. That one made me chuckle.
I'm going to read two more things. This is- and the darkness is over, for the most part- this is a being hospitalized survey and this was filled out by a woman who is bisexual, in her 20s, calls herself TVC15 and Why were you hospitalized? This past december, I had a spectacular manic episode and was eventually escorted by the police to the hospital. Describe your experience. I was kept in a cell, complete with a two way mirror for a couple of days. By this point I had lost touch with reality and I began believing I was living in a solipsistic world. I thought my brain was creating everything I experienced. I still can't be sure if this is the case. How can we know? I spent the days of mania leading up to the hospital trip tweeting bizarre poetry, listening to all of Bowie's album on a loop, singing and dancing down a sidewalk and through park trails, taking pictures of everything because everything was so beautiful. Most of what I was writing concerned Bowie. His mental illness, how he saw the world, his gender bending genius, how he was a prophet, how we are the dead. In my psych emergency cell I did not understand what was happening and still believed I was creating this whole situation. Then I heard a familiar voice. David Bowie came to visit me. He opened the door. I was curled in a corner and couldn't see and asked -insert name- I answered “not right now thanks” meaning, no I would not like to meet David Bowie right now. He proceeded to talk with his friends, I guess outside my door, about me. I started making hand gestures when I agreed or disagreed with what he was saying. He was charming and very funny. He told me not to be scared and that I wasn't alone. This hallucination convinced me that I really was creating my whole world. That lead to the thought, for some reason, that I was dead and in some transitory afterlife situation. The newspapers in my cell and everything I could hear in the hallway outside seemed to confirm this, so I decided, since I had realized this, I was ready to “move on” I kept trying to leave my cell and the police officers outside kept bringing me back in saying “it's not time yet.” I started banging on the door until the nurse came to sedate me, she asked “would you like it orally or by injection?” I thought she was asking me how I would like to die, before they came in with the medication I kneeled down and exposed my ass. I was trying to be funny I guess, but I did feel ready to die. Needless to say they told me to lie down on the bed before they would enter the room. Before they injected me, they asked me why I wanted an injection and I answered “No reason.” I thought these would be my last words. When I woke up in the psychological intensive care unit there was another patient there named David. I thought it might be Bowie in disguise. He kept asking me to marry him. I kept giving him the finger. At one point he made a move. I guess he molested me for a few seconds. I was confused. I was so confused. I spent a week on a proper psych ward delusional the whole time, trying to figure out what had happened, what was real. I'm a very rational, soft spoken, agreeable and friendly person. I kept my delusions to myself and the doctors soon released me. It's taken me the last few weeks to finally return to reality. What happened to me was of course very disturbing, but it was also very comforting. Conversing with “Bowie” made me survive in that awful room. Contemplating reality on the psych ward was a profound and life changing experience. I'm glad I went through all that. I have the perverse desire to have another wild manic episode, even though I know it's selfish and stupid. I see the world differently now. Sometimes life still feels unreal and things too beautiful and that's terrifying but at the same time it makes me feel less afraid. I was ready to die in that emergency cell. I was okay with it. I don't think I'm afraid of anything anymore. I don't care what people think of me, the expectations of others, trying to fit into this messed up and delusional society. I don't believe I'm creating everything anymore, but I understand now how everything we've built up, as a civilization, is mostly a constructive way of making sense of the chaos. I'm okay with the chaos now. It's freeing and funny in a weird way to just accept that. To just go with the flow. -and I think I should end on that one cause that's just, you know I think that's an awesomeful moment. It's a hospital survey, but it's a awesomeful funny, fucked up, awefulsome moment. Thank you for filling that out and thank you guys for helping build this community with me. Felt really nice to talk about what I've been going through on the mic tonight. I was kind of nervous before I started recording cause I didn't know what I was going to talk about but I had this feeling inside me that I knew that I needed to talk about cause I need that connection. And its so hard sometimes cause it's just a feeling inside you that you can't put words to and I love that I can be myself on this podcast and I know it's not everybody's cup of tea when I have those moments, but I think most of you like it and I like that feeling of acceptance. I really like that and I hope you guys find our own support group. Your own support network cause it'll save your life, man. Make life worth living. I hope that if you're listening tonight you feel a little less stuck and I hope you know you're not alone and thanks for listening.Lenders are driving mortgage rates lower, despite Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's warnings of the impact that low rates could have on consumer debt levels and the housing market.
Manulife Bank has just begun promoting a new five-year fixed mortgage rate of 2.89 per cent, down from 3.09 per cent, about two weeks after Bank of Montreal drew public comment from Finance Minister Jim Flaherty by lowering its advertised five-year rate to 2.99 per cent from 3.09 per cent.
Now, Manulife's move risks again drawing the ire of Ottawa. BMO's rate cut earlier this month prompted Mr. Flaherty to warn the nation's lenders against the dangers of engaging in a mortgage price war, and to take the highly unusual step of praising other banks for not matching BMO's rate.
Story continues below advertisement
A spokeswoman for Manulife Financial Corp. said the rate was effective as of Monday for personal Manulife One and Manulife Bank Select mortgages.
"We understand some of our competitors offer lower rates," spokeswoman Laurie Lupton said in an e-mail.
"Manulife Bank agrees with the government that Canadians shouldn't take on more debt than they can handle. However, part of the value proposition we offer to clients is to offer competitive rates," the spokeswoman added.
Banks routinely allow customers and brokers to haggle for prices below their posted or advertised rates, and lower prices than these are available in the market. A number of lenders had been selling five-year fixed mortgages at or below 2.99 per cent when BMO dropped its posted rate. Even posted rates aren't always comparable because the details or fine print on mortgages can differ materially, such as prepayment penalties or the required length of the mortgage or down payment. But, as Mr. Flaherty told reporters earlier this month, "it's also symbolic."
A spokeswoman for the Finance Minister said Monday that his recent comments still stand, and he hopes that banks will "engage in prudent lending."
Mr. Flaherty has long been concerned about overvalued house prices and rising consumer debt levels, worries that caused him to take steps last summer to make it slightly more difficult for borrowers to obtain mortgages. Home sales have dropped significantly since then, but Mr. Flaherty said this month that he continues to be concerned about the residential real estate market. And, while the growth in consumer debt levels appears to be softening, the amount of debt that the average household owes remains at a record high when compared to their after-tax disposable income. In this environment, there are fears that lenders could spur too much borrowing and cause the housing market to rebound too quickly by promoting ultra-low mortgage rates.
Drew Donaldson, a vice-president at mortgage brokerage Safebridge Financial, said he's been able to get his clients 2.89 per cent on a five-year fixed mortgage for about a month, and the same rate from Toronto-Dominion Bank for about two weeks. "They just don't like to over-advertise it because the government kind of slaps their hand," he said.
Story continues below advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
The price cutting isn't limited to mortgages. Royal Bank of Canada has started advertising home equity lines of credit for 3.5 per cent, which is 0.5 percentage points below other banks.
Mr. Flaherty has said he spoke to Bank of Montreal after its rate reduction. The bank would not comment on that conversation or mortgage rates on Monday. BMO has been trying to boost its mortgage sales ever since it stopped using mortgage brokers about four years ago, but continues to lag major banking rivals.
Similarly, Manulife Bank has been fighting the large banks for business. In 2002, it had assets of just $1.6-billion; at the end of 2012 its assets topped $21-billion.
The decision by Manulife Bank to promote a lower rate comes less than one year after Manulife Financial Corp. CEO Don Guloien said the institution was looking at tightening its lending in response to Mr. Flaherty's concerns about the impact that consumer indebtedness could have on the economy. Manulife Bank is known largely for its Manulife One product that allows consumers to run all of their banking – such as savings, mortgages and other loans – through one account. "We'll take a look at the strategic plan for the bank and probably slow down the growth of it a little bit," Mr. Guloien told The Globe and Mail in an interview in May 2012, reacting to concerns in Ottawa about overextended borrowers.
"Is your mortgage renewing? Are you planning to buy a new home this Spring?" Manulife now asks on its website. "Do you already have a Manulife One account and want to lock in some of your debt? Now's the time to get this great rate of 2.89 per cent."Under CC license, this photo may be displayed on other websites as long as:
1. Attribution (credit) is given to Helene Le Heron AND kim-e-sens. deviantart. com
2. A link is placed on the website linking back to the original photo
3. All other conditions under the CC license are met (photo may not be altered in any way)
4. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Paternity - No Commercial use - No Modification 2.0 France License Licenses for commercial and derivative use of this image are available for purchase. Please contact me if interested.Spring comes out, & in my gardener grows this attractive little white flower, which will give this summer a sweet strawberry...This was on the first menu at Huxtable. The mousse recipe is inspired by one from the Australian cooking legend Stephanie Alexander. I love the rich, dense fudgy texture mixed with the slight acidity of the raspberry sauce and the nutty crunch of the almonds.
Ingredients
400g dark chocolate
8 eggs, separated
200g butter, diced and softened
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
20g freeze-dried raspberry powder, (see Note below)
120g chopped salted marcona almonds, (see Note below)
Raspberry sauce
250g frozen raspberries, thawed
125g sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Method
1. For the mousse
Spray a 28 cm, 1.5 litre terrine mould with cooking oil spray and line with baking paper.
2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Gently melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the butter and beat until glossy and smooth.
3. Whip the egg whites in a large clean bowl until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the caster sugar over and continue to whip until the egg whites are satiny.
4. For the raspberry sauce
Place the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until well mixed and the sugar has dissolved. Strain through a fine strainer, into a container. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.
5. To serve
Remove the terrine mould from the fridge, then tip it upside down on a chopping board to remove the mousse. You may need to slightly warm the outside of the mould with a kitchen blowtorch or hot damp cloth — just make sure you don’t melt the mousse!
6. Pour a small pool of raspberry sauce onto each plate. Using a hot knife, cut into slices around 2 cm thick. Place one slice on each plate, along one edge of the raspberry sauce. Sprinkle the raspberry powder over the mousse. Arrange a line of chopped almonds across each plate and serve.
Note
• Marcona almonds are from a specific region in Spain. They are flatter and rounder than normal almonds, and slightly sweeter. If you can’t find them, use regular salted, roasted almonds.
• Freeze-dried raspberry powder can be found at specialty pastry stores. It should be stored in the fridge. Handle with dry fingers, or you’ll end up with red, sticky hands!
This recipe appears courtesy of Cooked.com.au.
Recipe from Huxtabook: Recipes from Sea, Land and Earth by Daniel Wilson.We all start somewhere. We all begin as a beginner, a novice. New gear also demands we catch up. An experienced backpacker in the early ‘90s might not know all the tricks of the trade in this new decade. I like to think I worked out my beginner kinks during my thru-hike but I am still learning new hiking hacks (check out Appalachian Trial’s article on backpacking hacks). Whenever I hike now, I notice many people committing the same beginner mistakes I did and as many others tend to do.
The Appalachian Trail community promotes hike your own hike, as do I. If you choose to do the things below with knowledge that there is an easier way, then I applaud you for hiking your own hike. If you do these actions out of lack of knowledge, then this is here to help. Not all beginners make these mistakes. These seem the most common and the most easily fixable.
1. Not Eating & Drinking Enough
You know the type. The hiker rolls into the shelter near dusk, exhausted. Too tired to cook or even retrieve water for the night, he or she erects their tent and go to bed. Eating after a long day of hiking is important as well as snacking throughout the day. Monitor food and water intake always. Without proper nutrients, your amazing camping trip will simply be an exhausting endeavor.
2. Bringing Too Much
This is the most notorious mistake of a beginner backpacker. No matter if it’s too much food, clothes, or gear, try to evaluate the contents of your pack before setting out for the backcountry. On my recent thru-hike of the GR 20, I noticed multiple hikers carrying two pairs of shoes to hike in, a minimalist shoe and a boot. Consider one shoe suitable for all terrains. Evaluating your gear beforehand will lighten your load and make packing easier. Start with handling every single item you want to carry and acknowledge the weight. Give yourself a shakedown.
3. Not Considering the Weather
While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I witnessed a couple on a day hike soaking up the persistent downpour of rain. If you plan to do a smaller hiker (not a thru-hike), then plan around the weather. Always check the forecast. Some mountains may require early morning summits for notorious rains in the afternoon. Having a rough time hiking in the rain or lightening can be avoided with just a bit of research ahead of time.
4. Bringing Cans of Food
My first camping trip was in Big Bend National Park in Texas. I carried cans of food I had sitting in my pantry. Being a broke college student, I didn’t see a problem with it. Now being an experienced backpacker, I hate to admit that I did that. Cans of food are heavy. Compare a can of food with a packet of ramen. I think I rest my case. If you happen to be on a trail in which provides not much selection in a resupply but cans, I recommend transferring the contents of the cans into plastic bags (double bag) and pack them in a safe place.
5. Not Properly Using Trekking Poles
When I finally learned to use my trekking poles properly, I experienced an increase in speed and efficiency. USE THE STRAPS. While hiking in France, I noticed a woman ascending a steep and snowy mountain by just holding her poles below the hand grips. I was nervous for her. By using the straps, you have more stability. There are different ways to use your poles depending on the hike (downhill, ascent, flat). Check out this resource to understanding your poles and how to use them.
6. Wearing Cotton
Wearing cotton is perfectly fine if you plan to do a day hike. However, for a multiday trek or long distance hike, cotton is not the best choice. The fabric tends to absorb odors (I know, I know we will all stink at some point) and retain moisture. Polyester dries faster, which comes in handy during a cold downpour. Wool socks versus cotton socks is highly recommended. Leave the blue jeans at home.
7. Forgetting Something Important
After my first resupply on my AT thru-hike out of Hiawassee, Georgia, I realized I forgot something important. I forgot toilet paper for the week. Sure, I remembered two boxes of snack cakes but not toilet paper. Now, I know some people hike without toilet paper and go for the leaf approach. But, I’m not that hiker. Always check to see if you have your necessities. You best believe I will never EVER forget toilet paper ever again.
8. Not Knowing Your Pack
My first pack was from REI. The pack hurt me, literally. I would come out of a three day camping trip with huge bruises on my hips. I didn’t know the pack was not my size. For my thru-hike, I purchased a smaller sized pack (which size had to be ordered online instead of purchased in a store) and haven’t looked back. Knowing your pack inside and out will make you more efficient in packing up and hiking. Know how your pack should adjust to your body with any weight in it. Know how to pack your pack for short and long distances. Your pack is an extension of your body; know it well and your body will be happy.
9. Not Following Leave No Trace
We have all seen trashed campsites or even human waste littering the trail. I know not all those who litter the trail are beginners but ‘leave no trace’ is a big rule for camping that must be implanted in the beginner before the first step. Always bring something to throw away your trash in such as a plastic bag. Always bury your human waste AWAY from the trail and campsites. View these LNT policies recommended by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
10. Not Considering Time and Pace
As a beginner, your pace might not be the quickest. Therefore, you must evaluate an attainable time table of when you will reach your destination. Evaluate your day’s hike by difficulty and weather. Then, approximate how many hours this will take. If you are unsure of how many miles per hour you can do, just evaluate for one mile per hour at first. You do not want to summit a mountain late in the day to find that your slower pace leaves you still miles away from your desired campsite when the sunsets.
11. Not Hiking Your Own Hike
Hiking your own hike (HYOH) can be related to the thru-hike or any hike. If you are hiking a thru-hike, hike when you want and how you want. Do not allow others to negatively influence your hike. Now, hike your own hike can be taken into account for any hike. During my recent hike of the GR 20, I noticed huge groups of people hiking together. You might not think HYOH applies with group camping trips but it does. Being a petite female, my chosen route in a scrambled rock ascent might not be the same as my six foot tall boyfriend. I notice many beginner hikers trying to attempt the same scramble route as someone with either more experience or different body strengths. ALWAYS evaluate a route for your body’s dimensions and strengths. Groups seem to follow the leader but the leader’s steps might not be the best route for you. Check out your surroundings, determine your own route (when applicable), and hike your own hike for your body type.Home Daily News 'Goldfinger' Raid Conducted on Law Firm in…
Celebrities
'Goldfinger' Raid Conducted on Law Firm in Possible Tax Case Against James Bond Star Sean Connery
Authorities have conducted a raid, under the code name Goldfinger, on a Spanish law firm as part of an ongoing tax probe of Sean Connery and his wife.
The famous James Bond star is being investigated in two apparently unrelated real estate matters, reports Agence France-Presse.
The Goldfinger raid addresses money-laundering allegations concerning a seaside villa near Malaga the 79-year-old actor sold in 1999 for $9 million. It has since been developed into a 72-unit luxury apartment complex.
Meanwhile, also under investigation is whether a property firm failed to make some $2 million in required tax payments after the sale of development rights for other real estate in MalagaLithography Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
# of Cores Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
Processor Base Frequency Processor Base Frequency describes the rate at which the processor's transistors open and close. The processor base frequency is the operating point where TDP is defined. Frequency is measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.
Cache CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.
Bus Speed A bus is a subsystem that transfers data between computer components or between computers. Types include front-side bus (FSB), which carries data between the CPU and memory controller hub; direct media interface (DMI), which is a point-to-point interconnection between an Intel integrated memory controller and an Intel I/O controller hub on the computer’s motherboard; and Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), which is a point-to-point interconnect between the CPU and the integrated memory controller.
FSB Parity FSB parity provides error checking on data sent on the FSB (Front Side Bus).
TDP Thermal Design Power (TDP) represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload. Refer to Datasheet for thermal solution requirements.
VID Voltage Range VID Voltage Range is an indicator of the minimum and maximum voltage values at which the processor is designed to operate. The processor communicates VID to the VRM (Voltage Regulator Module), which in turn delivers that correct voltage to the processor.
Embedded Options Available Embedded Options Available indicates products that offer extended purchase availability for intelligent systems and embedded solutions. Product certification and use condition applications can be found in the Production Release Qualification (PRQ) report. See your Intel representative for details.
Sockets Supported The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
T CASE Case Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS).
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology ‡ Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology ‡ Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) ‡ Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) ‡ Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.
Intel® 64 ‡ Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.
Instruction Set An instruction set refers to the basic set of commands and instructions that a microprocessor understands and can carry out. The value shown represents which Intel’s instruction set this processor is compatible with.
Idle States Idle States (C-states) are used to save power when the processor is idle. C0 is the operational state, meaning that the CPU is doing useful work. C1 is the first idle state, C2 the second, and so on, where more power saving actions are taken for numerically higher C-states.
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.
Intel® Demand Based Switching Intel® Demand Based Switching is a power-management technology in which the applied voltage and clock speed of a microprocessor are kept at the minimum necessary levels until more processing power is required. This technology was introduced as Intel SpeedStep® Technology in the server marketplace.
Thermal Monitoring Technologies Thermal Monitoring Technologies protect the processor package and the system from thermal failure through several thermal management features. An on-die Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) detects the core's temperature, and the thermal management features reduce package power consumption and thereby temperature when required in order to remain within normal operating limits.
Intel® AES New Instructions Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.
Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡ Intel® Trusted Execution Technology for safer computing is a versatile set of hardware extensions to Intel® processors and chipsets that enhance the digital office platform with security capabilities such as measured launch and protected execution. It enables an environment where applications can run within their own space, protected from all other software on the system.The Final Call | National News
Economic Blueprint offers Black America the way to progress
By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Nov 5, 2013 - 8:55:28 AM
What's your opinion on this article?
‘Since our being brought in chains to the shores of America, our brain power, labor, skills, talent and wealth have been taken, given and spent toward building and adding to the civilization of another people.’
From ‘Message to the Blackman in America’ by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad
Pooling resources to achieve a common goal is a universal concept that makes a lot of sense. The concept has been espoused by many, practiced by some, and makes Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint critical for survival today. Why? Analysts say the wealthy elites and politically powerful have forgotten about Black America, and the poor in the United States.
“I think that it is time for people to realize that the people that run the country have really abandoned us and unless we start to taking matters into our own hands—and I’m not talking about taking up arms—unless we start taking matters into our own hands and start to do for ourselves collectively, then I think we’re going to be lost,” said Michael Yates, an economist, labor educator, and associate editor of the Monthly Review magazine.
Mr. Yates was one of several economic professionals representing various schools of thought and ethnic backgrounds, who met with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in Phoenix, Arizona in the early part of 2013 to discuss Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint. The Blueprint calls on 16 million Black wage earners to give 35 cents a week to a national treasury. In one year the fund would amass $291 million to be invested first in farmland and then in other industries and projects. (Visit economicblueprint.org for more information.)
Black America suffers poverty and want
Many factors contribute to the dire conditions existing in Black households that already experience disproportionate levels of poverty and food insecurity when compared to Whites.
Statistics don’t tell the full story, however, they can’t be ignored.
The most recent U.S. Census found median Black household income to be $33,321, much lower than White median household income which stands at $57,009. Over one-fourth of Blacks, (27.2 percent) live in poverty compared to 9.7 percent of Whites. Of that group of Blacks in poverty, 12.7 percent live in a condition referred to as deep poverty, defined as earning less than 50 percent of the federal poverty threshold.
According to the most recent data available from the United States Department of Agriculture, 15 percent of the American population or 47.8 million people, are participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP), each receiving an average of $133 per month.
Although that number seems large, according to Feeding America, a nationwide advocacy group working for food security and fighting hunger for all Americans, many who participate in SNAP are still forced to turn to food banks to fill their nutritional needs since what they receive amounts to less than a $1.50 per person, per meal.In several states, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee, the percentage of the population using SNAP is over 20 percent. The average gross monthly income for households participating in SNAP is $731with the average net income being $336.
Thirty-seven percent of those participating in SNAP are White, 22 percent Black, 10 percent Latino, 4 percent Native American and 2 percent Asian. A remaining 19 percent of SNAP participants are of unknown race or ethnicity.
While statistics show there are many of all races and ethnicities in need of crisis level intervention and assistance, the Black condition is especially dreadful.
“Anyone who receives a wage or allowance of some kind, or who simply looks down on the street and finds coins is capable of giving 5 cents a day and 35 cents a week. It is perhaps the most beautiful aspect of what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is asking us to do.”
—Economist and political analyst Cedric Muhammad
How legacy of slavery haunts Black economics
Economist and political analyst Cedric Muhammad believes slavery did something to Blacks that was not done to any other people as it relates to the prevention of the establishment of a savings tradition, which subsequently resulted in the lack of generational wealth.
“Slavery robbed us of a cultural savings tradition which we could practice on a mass level. You will find the ‘gae’ executed among the Koreans; ‘susu’ among West Africans; ‘partners’ among Jamaicans; ‘ekoub’ among Ethiopians and Eritreans; ‘hui’ among the Chinese and ‘kenjinkai’ in Japanese culture—all of which channel pools of savings into essential economic activities like investment and charity,” said Mr. Muhammad. “Though we had mutual aid societies, fraternal orders and churches during and after slavery which provided assistance to widows and children and even led to the creation of banks, Black Americans have never had an informal cultural tradition to build upon like these, which reinforced the importance of savings and investment and which connected wage earners, entire families, whole neighborhoods and business networks.”
Minister Farrakhan has also repeatedly spoken about the evils of the sharecropping system which kept Blacks who worked in the field during slavery in a state of perpetual debt.
Cedric Muhammad said it was fitting that the Economic Blueprint was launched in Tuskegee, Alabama, the town made famous by Booker T. Washington who through his establishment of the National Negro Business League and his work at Tuskegee Institute (later to become Tuskegee University) identified and implemented effective ways to merge the entrepreneurial class with the agrarian class in moving towards economic progress. Land as a central focus of the Economic Blueprint is key, he noted.
“The focus of the strategy on physical capital has been land ownership and through policy and culture, to disconnect us from farming and agriculture. That dealt two fatal blows because without land you cannot have an economic system and without farming you cannot control the quality of what is designed to nourish you. No people can survive or prosper who do not own what is under their feet or control what goes into their mouths. So despite our progress in politics our employment, wealth and health disparities remain,” said Mr. Muhammad.
Mr. Yates agrees with the Nation of Islam’s heavy emphasis on land acquisition as the logical first step in the strategy after pooling economic resources.
“I think that’s an important issue, the German playwright Bertolt Brecht said ‘first feed the people.’ Before anything don’t talk to me about high-minded notions until people get fed, and how are you going to feed people in a society like this? First of all a lot of people don’t know how to access the food of any quality. A lot of people are too poor to feed their families even in this richest country in the world. And then a lot of the food that we get is contaminated in one way or another,” said Mr. Yates. “I think land to produce food first and there’s other things you can do with land of course, but I think food production would really be critical,” he added.
Another reason the economic resources of the Black community—though substantial—appear to lack the same power as the dollars that flow within other communities has been the various strategies to generate income and wealth, which are not sustainable.
Doing for self: The way to success
Charles Bowlds, 63, is the founder and director of The African American Connection, a support system and network for Black retail merchants, along with other businesses. The AAC member merchants are aided with resources dealing with management, financial record and tax management, strategic business planning as well as other operational and marketing tips. The AAC has been in existence since 1995.
Mr. Bowlds grew up as a member of the Nation of Islam in the 60s, implementing the “Do for Self” principles made famous by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
The economic principle of supply and demand and survival are universal principles, said Mr. Bowlds, however, for too long, the Black community has used only the temporary fix of having a job and only poor strategies and techniques to generate income.
“A job does not have any transferrable wealth,” Mr. Bowlds continued, “If I get fired, terminated or laid off, that’s it!”
Since Blacks are typically the “last hired and first fired,” being tied to a job provides only a temporary economic remedy. As an example of a poor model to generate income, Mr. Bowlds mentioned multilevel marketing, which he describes as “nothing but a scourge” in Black communities.
“We have to create a system that accommodates the process of meeting our economic disparities. You’re not going to find that in Harvard Business School,” said Mr. Bowlds. “Their teachings are designed to empower them and to perpetuate their interests,” he added.
Black entrepreneurs and others working to shift the Black community’s business paradigm and generate wealth must learn from the mistakes of the past, which means connecting the entrepreneurial spirit to the consumer needs and demands of the Black community, said Mr. Bowlds.
“We build things and then we invite others in that don
|
5.1 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop and in terms of connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/ A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, 4G, and Micro-USB.
Both the phones to come with feature similar to Apple’s Night Shift that helps in filtering out blue color from the screen to reduce eye fatigue. For snapping a nice selfie Vivo has added Moonlight feature that adds up soft light automatically when the camera senses lack of enough natural light around. More to all these, double touch on the home screen will wake up the device. The feature is dubbed as ID Wake.
The Vivo X7 is a dual-SIM phone with screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and to sport 64GB of onboard storage. Its rear camera sports PDAF (phase detection auto focus) feature too. The phone measures 147.3 x 71.8 x 7.2 mm and weighs 151 grams. It is priced tagged at CNY 2,498 (approximately $376 USD) in China.
Not much is revealed about the Vivo X7 Plus including the price tag, but it is learned to be offering screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and to come with 128 GB inbuilt storage. It measures 58.8×77.9×7.4 mm and weighs 183 grams.
The launching of both the phones comes just few months after the unveiling of Vivo X6S and Vivo X6S Plus.
The Vivo X7 is to hit the Chinese stores on July 7 and X7 Plus version on July 15. The company is learned to be announcing price of X7 Plus during the local release. Earlier rumors tagged it at $438 USD. Both the devices to come in Gold and Rose Gold color options.
Share your views with us and fellow readers if you have used the Vivo phones in the past and also comparatively how better the new X7 and X7 Plus would be. Use the below given comment box and contribute some more related information.THERE is a difference between being broke and broken. Dick Johnson knows it. He’s lived it.
Queensland’s motorsport legend has been broke three times, turned inside out and upside down emotionally, financially and physically.
But broken? Old Dick? Never.
On Sunday at Queensland Raceway, the Johnson racing team’s main man Scott McLaughlin finished second to Chaz Mostert but still has a 129-point lead in the Supercar championship.
Should McLaughlin take the title, the Johnson team would complete one of the great comeback stories of Queensland sport.
If the State of Origin side are Queensland’s benchmark for sporting toughness then surely the silver medal goes to the man with the silver hair.
Just four years ago Johnson had debts of $9.1 million and had lost his house, factory and health with his very dignity hanging by a withering thread.
But enter American billionaire Roger Penske, who at 80 is seven years Johnson’s senior, who bought 51 per cent of Johnson’s team and is so enjoying the ride that wherever he is in the world he tunes in to the races.
media_camera Dick Johnson with Scott McLaughlin at Ipswich on Sunday.
Penske’s buy-in and the ensuing success has enhanced Johnson’s financial position to the point where it is believed he could retire if he wanted to but the only “r’’ word that interests him is racing.
“I sort of could retire but I keep going because I want to do something,’’ Johnson said in pit lane, watching like the old pro who was there if they needed him but didn’t want to butt in.
“And what the hell else am I going to do? I don’t know anything else.
“I suppose the tough times just show you what sort of family you have when it counts. Without the support of my family I would have been screwed many times and would have chucked the towel in.’’
Johnson at a motor racing venue is a bit like Father Christmas in a shopping centre. Fans just quietly gravitate.
Asked what is the strangest autograph request he has had, he smiles and shakes his head.
“When I come up here I still get asked to sign tits,’’ he said.
“The difference was in the old days they used to be up here (chest high) now they are down here (knee high). I guess that’s longevity for you.’’
Many men his age loathe digital media but he is enjoys it.
media_camera Mobil Holden Dealer Team’s John Harvey (left) with racing drivers Peter Brock (centre) and Dick Johnson before the final race of the deciding round of 1981 Australian Touring championship at Lakeside.
“What has given me the longest lease of life was You Tube,’’ he said.
“I like it because the young kids can see what life was. There is good and bad but from my point of view it’s good.’’
Johnson has been around so long he remembers the days when teammates like John French used to carry a cut lunch hidden in their console during Bathurst.
“He used to have these vegemite sandwiches but we would forget they were there until a few weeks after the race when you would pick up the smell.’’
'There's always work to do' 2:40 Supercars: Chaz Mostert has claimed the victory in Ipswich today but states there is still work for him and his team to do. 'There's always work to do'
Johnson’s life is an interesting amalgam of the past, present and future.
Occasionally he drops grandchildren Jett and Lacey to school but last week in Noosa the sepia-tainted memories flared when he took his famous True Blue Ford for an exhibition spin.
“It felt every bit as good as it used to 35 years ago but the difference was my arse used to be small enough to easily fit in.’’
No matter what the result yesterday Johnson was planning to finish the day with his favourite drop — Jim Beam and diet coke.
“I never used to drink — even when I did two years in national service — but then I got involved in motor tracing …’’A pre-K student brought money and crack-cocaine to class today, prompting a drug sweep and many questions. NBC10's Deanna Durante has the story from Mifflin Elementary in Philadelphia. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013)
4 Year Old Comes to Class With Drugs and Money
Philadelphia police conducted a drug sweep at an elementary school after finding what they believe to be crack cocaine and large sums of cash in a 4-year-old's pockets.
Another preschooler at Mifflin Elementary noticed that a classmate had money, which turned out to be $173, in his pockets and alerted a teacher.
Chief Inspector Cynthia Dorsey, with the district's school safety unit, confirmed that they also found drugs in the boy's pockets.
"He knew he had something that was on his person," said Dorsey. "They told the teacher and then, you know, the child reached into his pocket and pulled out this quantity of narcotics."
School's Chief Safety Inspector: We Are Looking for His Parents
The chief safety inspector for Philly schools talks about the discovery today of drugs and money in the pockets of a pre-schooler. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013)
The student handed his teacher eight zip lock bags that contained an "off-white chunky substance, alleged crack-cocaine," police said in a statement.
At that point, school administrators called police.
Inside the school, everyone in the pre-K class was moved out of their room and into the auditorium around 10:30 a.m. so they could bring in the police K-9 unit, according to Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the school district.
Outside the school in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood, parents and grandparents who live nearby heard news helicopters overhead. Some made their way back to Mifflin to discover a number of police cars parked outside, the drug-sniffing dog, narcotics detectives and school security.
"Oh wow," said Rhonda Smith as she learned what was going on. Her 10-year-old grandson attends Mifflin, along with an estimated 300 students that attend classes from pre-K to the 8th grade.
"Actually, this is a secure school. I don't know what to say... I'm just sad that that happened here."
School Leaders Respond to Crack in Pre-K Class
School leaders say most of all, they are grateful no one was hurt after discovering crack and money in the pockets of a pre-schooler. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013)
Harry Carr contemplated whether to take his grandchild out of class, but wanted to learn more about the circumstances.
"You know, it seems like it's a sign of the times," Carr said. "It's sad though."
Jennifer Gallagher did pull her pre-K daughter out for the day, after seeing the news on Facebook.
"It's kind of disturbing. I called my husband and said, 'I'm going to go get her."
Temple University Psychologist Dr. Sue Cornbluth says parents should take the opportunity to sit down tonight and have a conversation with their children about drugs, even the 4-year-olds.
"Parents should have the conversation about the dangers of drugs at an early age. They should be told it is wrong to use drugs. It hurts your body and your brain. What happened at school today was scary. That little boy should not of had drugs or money with him today but we don't know why that happened. If someone ever asked you to sell drugs or carry money you say no and tell someone immediately. Parents should also tell their children that the 4 year old is not to be blamed for this."
The boy was taken to the hospital, as a precaution, to be checked out and reunited with his mother.
Police are interviewing the child's mother and say they also want to talk with a male friend of the family. Investigators plan to test the substance found in the boy's pockets. The school district plans to offer counseling to the boy.
"The child will be back. The child is a victim of the situation, wherever that situation is occurring." Gallard said.
Dr. Cornbluth said the incident was likely traumatic for the preschooler.
"The 4-year old is innocent in all of this. He does not cognitively know what he is doing. With that being said, he may be teased and that is where a teacher, principal or school counselor has to intervene," said Cornbluth.(AP Photo/Pool, Win McNamee) President Barack Obama answers a question as Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney listens during the third presidential debate at Lynn University, Monday, October 22, 2012, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Most of the snap polls taken after last night's foreign policy debate, the last before the November 6 election, gave the win the President Obama—if not an outright knockout then at least a TKO on points. But beyond the candidates themselves, the debate did have one clear loser: neoconservatives.
During the many years Mitt Romney has been running for president, he's taken a number of fluid positions on foreign policy. In addition to reflecting Romney's character as an eager-to-please shape-shifter, the changing positions also represent a genuine—and growing—policy tension among foreign policy factions within the GOP establishment.
Even though old school realists like Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft retain some influence, and more isolationist voices like Senator Rand Paul represent a rising challenge, the neoconservatives remain the most dominant. But even though Romney had worked diligently since 2009 to build ties to the GOP's neoconservative wing, and relies heavily on a number of them as his key advisers, the foreign policy vision he articulated last night indicates that he understands that American voters (at least the ones he needs to eke out an Electoral College victory) just aren't that into the expensive, world-transformative schemes that neocons are still busy dreaming up.
Romney’s new foreign policy tack was evident on the very first question of the night, in which moderator Bob Schieffer served the issue of the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks to him on a plate. Romney chose not to re-boot his fumbled criticism of the Obama administration from the last debate, something his hawkish surrogates and the GOP's Fox News annex have been pushing hard for over the last week. Rather, Romney chose to draw back to a broader view of a region in chaos. His Obama-esque declaration that "We can't kill our way out of this mess," while surely appealing to voters tired of war in the Middle East, was sure to disappoint the neocons, for whom there are few problems in the world that can't be solved through the application of American ordnance.
It wouldn't be the last time Romney echoed the president last night. With regard to the prospect of U.S. military interventions, Romney insisted that "We don’t want another Iraq," even though neocons still proclaim the Iraq war a success (a commanding majority of Americans disagrees). On Iraq itself, though he criticized the failure to achieve a new status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, Romney recoiled from President Obama's suggestion that he didn't support withdrawing American troops. On Syria and Afghanistan, Romney took positions 180 degree opposite what his neoconservative supporters have been advocating, assuring viewers that "I don't want to have our military involved" in the former, and agreeing with President Obama's withdrawal timetable for the latter.
One moment where Romney did let his inner neocon out to play was in his claim that President Obama's efforts to engage the Iranians in diplomatic talks were taken by Iran as a sign of weakness. "I think from the very beginning, one of the challenges we’ve had with Iran is that they have looked at this administration and—and felt that the administration was not as strong as it needed to be," Romney said. "I think they saw weakness where they had expected to find American strength."
First, when one considers how Iran's hardliners profited—both domestically and in regional influence—from the Bush administration's reckless show of "strength" in the Middle East, this claim falls apart. But it also seriously misunderstands the manner in which U.S. diplomatic outreach to Iran has discombobulated an Iranian regime that much prefers to deal with an openly hostile U.S. government.
As Israeli analyst Meir Javedanfar noted, President Obama "called this regime’s bluff by recognizing it. This is the worst thing you can do to your enemy, to unmask them." Exploring this dynamic in a 2010 column, David Ignatius wrote, “White House officials argue that their strategy of engagement has been a form of pressure, and the evidence supports them.”
Perhaps the most brutal moment of the night was President Obama's takedown of Romney's claim that the president had gone on an "apology tour" after taking office, a treasured conservative myth despite its pantaloons being rendered aflame by virtually every fact-checking organization in existence. True to form, the Romney campaign blasted out a new "Apology Tour" ad this morning, which notably doesn't include any footage of President Obama apologizing.
It tells us a lot about Romney’s lack of a clear foreign policy agenda that this was the moment his campaign thought most-worthy of highlighting from last night—a cheap attack based not on any substantive policy difference, but a stylistic difference founded on a complete falsehood, the idea that President Obama hasn't proclaimed or exerted American power boldly enough.
Which is why, despite Romney's momentary embrace of President Obama's policies, we should still be concerned with the role that neoconservatives would play in a Romney administration. It's important to keep in mind that, as a candidate, Governor George W. Bush made a lot of moderate, reasonable-sounding noises about foreign policy too. But when faced with a crisis on 9/11, the inexperienced president with unformed foreign policy ideas fell back on the comforting but naive idea that America's greatness could be proclaimed, and its deterrence re-established, through the massive exercise of military force. The next president will likely face a similar crisis, even if not likely on the scale of 9/11. It very much matters who has his ear.You know those viral videos of paint being evenly spread on a tile, leaving you feeling oh so satisfied? That’s how it feels when a leftist narrative is destroyed. By leftists themselves (see CANNIBALISM: Leftists Attack Liberal Darling Chloe Moretz for ‘Fat Shaming’ and CANNIBALISM: Leftist Protesters Turn on DNC Chair. He Responds Hilariously…).
HuffPo tried to tell the world that women need better abortions by releasing an unfortunate and damning study showing abortions are extremely unsafe.
More than 55 million abortions take place worldwide every year, and nearly half of those ― a whopping 25.5 million abortions annually ― are unsafe, according to a new study released Wednesday.
The research offers evidence that women around the world continue to have abortions even when they live in areas where trained providers are scant and where the procedure is illegal.
“Making abortion safe is incredibly simple,” study author Dr. Bela Ganatra, a researcher with the World Health Organization (WHO), told HuffPost. “It can be integrated into basic health care. It’s not a high-resource intervention … it’s not rocket science.”
I suppose this is the part where the researcher suggests that socialism is the answer to everything. Forcing the world’s citizens to pay for murder. Great stuff. But the researchers never actually say socialism is great. The implication is everything.
Indeed, complications from in-clinic and medication abortions (when done following the correct procedures and under the guidance of a trained individual) are extremely rare.
Rare = Common. Many clinics have dirty and dangerous conditions. Which conveniently match the souls of the abortion doctors.
Ganatra said that she hopes researchers will do a better job studying how women actually have abortions around the world, which is difficult because it tends to be stigmatized and because so many abortions happen outside of health systems.
Maybe there’s a stigma around the issue because humans were born with an innate desire NOT to kill their offspring. These are just guesses, of course. What with the unborn child being an unborn child.
But if you’re here and you’ve read this far, you already knew an unborn child is an unborn child. But what you didn’t think possible was the left admitting the “legal, safe and rare” meme was a sack of lies rivaling some of Obama’s greatest hits. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor comes to mind.
No, murder isn’t safe. Let’s pretend that every single abortion from now until whenever, is performed in lint-free, spotless room guarded by the CDC. And Amy Schumer telling jokes. For good measure. The procedure still involves dismembering a child and extracting it from her mother’s womb. It’s murder. Always and forever. Abortion has a 50% mortality rate (at least) every single time. Two people go into the room, and only one walks out.
Good luck making it “safer.”
NOT SUBSCRIBED TO THE PODCAST? FIX THAT! IT’S COMPLETELY FREE ON BOTH ITUNES HERE AND SOUNDCLOUD HERE.What a difference a few years can make, as it wasn’t that long ago that entering OTAs and eventually training camp the biggest question for the Pittsburgh Steelers was going to be how the offensive line was going to hold up – and whether or not this might be the year Ben Roethlisberger took enough shots to put him out for an extended period.
Well entering the 2015 season, the Steelers have their franchise quarterback locked up for the rest of his football career, and the offensive line could not only be one of the best units on the team – as well one of the best lines in the entire league.
Yeah, you read that right.
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line Primed For Big Year
After years of investing high draft picks to repair the too-often criticized line, the Steelers finally have the line with the potential to be one of the best in the league – if you didn’t already consider them so.
Continuing to take the proper steps forward, the Steelers finished in the middle of the pack in sacks allowed last season with 33. Not an overly flashy number nor impressive ranking, but considering it is the lowest total that they have allowed in the previous ten years, it’s saying something about the strides they have made.
The key to the resurgence? The easy answer would be to point at the addition of Hall of Famer Mike Munchak as the team’s offensive line coach. Having him take charge has led to each of the starters to take a big advancement in their progression.
But even more so, it was the fact that the group that they invested so much in was actually able to stay on the field together that could have led to their strong play.
Experience will play another factor in what they will be able offer next season, as each of the team’s projected starting offensive lineman have all started in at least 33 games throughout their career – led by Ramon Foster’s 71.
In fact, the average amount of starts the line have combined for is 49, just tad more than three years per player. So with a perfect combination of youthful experience, having seen and done most of what you can expect in a NFL season – they also have enough room to grow to set these lofty expectations.
Ever since the Steelers drafted Maurkice Pouncey in 2010, he has been the guy calling all the shots for the line, and emerged again as one of the best centers in the game after missing all but a few snaps in 2013.
It was a rough start to David DeCastro’s career. After suffering a broken knee cap injury his rookie year, things hit an awkward turn for the worse in 2013, as DeCastro played a key part in one of the more unfortunate freak accidents you will see.
In the season opener, DeCastro attempted to make a cut block on a Tennessee Titan’s defensive lineman, only to whiff on the block and take out Pouncey’s knee – causing him to miss the rest of the season.
But in 2014 the Stanford alumni didn’t let that deter him, as he gradually raised his game to where he was rated by Pro Football Focus as the 18th ranked guard (out of 78 qualifying players) in the entire league last year.
Watch any highlight reel of Le’Veon Bell on youtube, and chances are DeCastro threw a block that helped spring his running back.
While the right side of the line was heavily invested in, the maybe more crucial blind side has maybe been put together by luck than anything. Despite being the smallest left tackle in the league, Kelvin Beachum – a seventh round pick – was rated among the best in the game. Pro Football Focus rated the former SMU Mustang as the fifth ranked tackle in the entire game. His pass protection rated as ‘elite’ helped the Steelers put up the lowest sack allowed total in ten years.
So what is the collective upside of the offensive line? Such a short time ago this was looked at as one of the team’s biggest weakness, but the strides they took last year along with their collective youth has to make you believe that the sky could be the limit for the Steelers’ offensive line.
Main Photo:In the run-up to this week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., a group of tech trade associations, advocacy groups and lawmakers called on the GOP to include language in their party platform that commits to protecting Internet freedom. A coalition of trade associations that represent major technology companies urged both Republicans and Democrats to adopt text in their party platforms that would discourage a United Nations agency from asserting more control over the Internet.
The trade associations warned that foreign governments are expected to submit a proposal at a conference in Dubai this December that attempts to give the United Nation's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) more authority over the Internet. China, India and Russia are among the countries that reportedly back such a plan.
The GOP platform makes clear that Republicans would reject any proposal that gives the United Nations "unprecedented control" over the Internet, stating that "international regulatory control over the open and free Internet would have disastrous consequences for the United States and the world."
The Republicans also plan to combat domestic regulations that would threaten new innovation and protect the survival of outdated technologies.
"The Internet offers a communications system uniquely free from government intervention. We will remove regulatory barriers that protect outdated technologies and business plans from innovation and competition, while preventing legacy regulation from interfering with new and disruptive technologies such as mobile delivery of voice video data as they become crucial components of the Internet ecosystem," the platform says.
It also commits to protecting people's privacy online and personal data.
"We will ensure that personal data receives full constitutional protection from government overreach and that individuals retain the right to control the use of their data by third parties; the only way to safeguard or improve these systems is through the private sector," according the platform.
Following a wave of online protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act earlier this year, lawmakers have been eager to tout their support of Internet freedom so they don't stoke the ire of Internet activists a second time.
Democrats are also considering Internet freedom language in their party platform for the party's upcoming convention next month.
Both parties are quick to voice their support for Internet freedom, but don't always see eye to eye on its definition. For instance, Republicans are staunchly opposed to net-neutrality rules, while Democrats argue that they are necessary to protect the openness of the Internet.
This post was updated at 8:57 p.m.There haven’t been any major Duke basketball recruiting announcements, but we’ve still got quite a few stories to get to in this week’s recruiting roundup.
The Blue Devils extended another offer to a guard in the class of 2018, we still await a decision from Marques Bolden, and ESPN released its final player rankings for the class of 2016.
Each week, our recruiting roundup highlights some of the biggest stories and news related to Duke basketball commitments and targets.
Here are the things you need to know from the past week.
The Curious Case of Marques Bolden
Our own Chris Summerville took a deeper look at what could be some of the motivating factors as to why Marques Bolden still hasn’t decided where he’ll be playing his college basketball. The top ranked center in the class of 2016 is reportedly having a difficult time deciding between Duke and Kentucky, but it appears that both schools are willing to be patient to land him because he could be the final piece to a championship next season.
Duke Offers 2018 SG Cameron Reddish
Cameron Reddish, a 5-star guard in the class of 2018, is the latest elite prospect to receive a scholarship offer from the Blue Devils. Reddish tweeted that received an offer earlier this week and Chad Lykins has a post up on 247Sports with a more detailed breakdown of how he’s been performing on the Nike EYBL circuit. Reddish joins Romeo Langford as the second shooting guard in the 2018 class to receive an offer from Duke in the past few weeks.
Will Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba, and Gary Trent Jr. Play Together in College?
This article from the Lexington Herald Leader looks at the chances of Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba, and Gary Trent Jr., three of the top ranked players in the class of 2017, teaming up together in college. Carter and Trent have talked previously about the idea of joining together at the college level, and Bamba has a relationship with both, but it seems like it’s still somewhat uncertain. However, Duke is one of the only schools being strongly considered by all three players.
ESPN Releases Final Player Rankings for 2016 Class
If ESPN’s player rankings for the class of 2016 are any indicator of future success, Duke fans should be very excited. The Blue Devils have the top ranked player in the class in Harry Giles, who held on to the top spot on the list despite missing his entire senior season due to a knee injury. Giles is joined in the Top 10 by Jayson Tatum at No. 3 and Frank Jackson at No. 10. 4-star power forward Javin DeLaurier also made the list at No. 44, and Duke target Marques Bolden is ranked 16th.
New Blog Post from Jayson Tatum
In his latest blog post on USA Today, Duke commit Jayson Tatum shares about his excitement of getting to immerse himself in the Duke basketball family and spend time with the team. He also says that he’s confident the Blue Devils will be able to add Marques Bolden to its incoming recruiting class and that he’s spent a lot of time communicating with the 5-star center from Texas. Be sure to check out Tatum’s full blog post to read more about what it meant to him to finally win the state championship that had eluded him for the past three years.
—
Thanks for checking out this week’s recruiting roundup. If you have questions, let me know on Twitter at @davidmaldridge.An inmate in Denver’s Downtown Detention Center was killed Monday morning during a fight with another inmate, the Denver Police Department said.
No deputies were involved in the fight, sources told The Denver Post.
The names of inmates involved, cause of death or circumstances surrounding the altercation have not been released by the Denver Police Department, which is investigating the death.
“The incident that occurred at the Downtown Detention Center this morning remains under investigation, and there are limited details that can be shared at this time,” Sheriff Patrick Firman said in an emailed statement. “However, we can confirm that the facility was appropriately staffed and the housing unit where the incident occurred was below capacity. Employees and the inmates who witnessed the incident have been offered wellness assistance, and we will continue to support their well-being.”
The death comes at a time when the Denver Sheriff Department has been criticized by its deputies’ union for increasing violence inside the city’s two jails.
Last year, the sheriff’s department reported 513 inmate-on-inmate assaults, six times the number of assaults reported four years ago, according to a Denver Post report in April. Assaults on deputies also have been on the rise.
While Firman has acknowledged the increasing violence, he has said a reason for increasing violence is unknown. Some observers attribute the violence to crowded jails, more inmates with mental illnesses and to deputies who have become more vigilant in filling out reports.
Meanwhile, the deputies’ union has warned the City Council that deputies and inmates are in danger because of the violence. At a rally in February, one veteran deputy called the Downtown Detention Center “a dangerous powder keg that is ripe for another tragedy.”
Between 2011 and 2015, 20 people died in Denver’s jails, a Denver Post investigation found this year. That was the highest number of deaths among the state’s 56 county jail systems; Denver’s is the largest jail in the state.
The last in-custody death in a Denver jail occurred Jan. 17, when an inmate died from a medical complication, said Daelene Mix, a spokeswoman for the Denver Department of Safety.
The latest inmate fatality falls on the seventh anniversary of the death of inmate Marvin Booker, who died at the hands of Denver Sheriff Department deputies on July 10, 2010. His family held a rally Monday evening at the downtown jail to urge the district attorney to reopen a criminal investigation into his death, and prayers were offered for the inmate who died Monday.
Inmate-on-inmate violence also has been costly in Denver.
In 2011, inmate Jamal Hunter was attacked by other inmates, who beat him, attempted to suffocate him and poured scalding water on his genitals. The city paid Hunter a $3.25 million settlement after he and his attorneys said a jail deputy turned out lights and looked away as Hunter was given a beatdown after being called a snitch by the deputy.
After Monday morning’s death, community activists who follow law enforcement called for a thorough investigation and vowed to continue to be watchdogs over the city’s jails. They, too, have attended rallies and spoken to a City Council committee about conditions inside the jail.
“While not all of the facts are out, we fully expect a transparent investigation, not only of the direct actors involved but also an up-the chain inquiry,” the Colorado Latino Forum said in a news release. “Ultimately, the buck stops with leadership at the top, and they too must be held accountable.”*UPDATED* According to this statement, Research In Motion said on Thursday that it does not install or authorize its carrier partners to install the Carrier IQ software on its BlackBerry smartphones.
Recently some big news broke out regarding Android phones as they were discovered to be secretly tracking literally everything you would do on them. The culprit was a spying software called Carrier IQ, which is installed by the manufacturers on the phone’s deepest level. The Carrier IQ spyware sits between the user and the applications in the phone. No matter how secure and private your apps are, the spyware intercepts anything you do.
The spying software by Carrier IQ is also on your BlackBerry. It likely functions in the same way it does on Android. Carrier IQ denies some of the allegations and states their spyware is “the only embedded analytics company to support millions of devices simultaneously, we give Wireless Carriers and Handset Manufacturers unprecedented insight into their customers’ mobile experience.”
The only real problem with Carrier IQ’s spyware is it does not just collect anonymous data, it collects everything. It can track the addresses you visited through the browser, the content of text messages, and much, much more. Unfortunately, there is no way to get this spyware off of your BlackBerry. It doesn’t matter how secure of a connection you can put your BlackBerry through, the data is still collected by the spyware and sent to RIM and/or carrier. Carrier IQ’s spyware on your BlackBerry certainly raises privacy concerns since you’re never notified of its existence or given the option to consent on its use.
Check out the video below of the Carrier IQ spyware on an Android:
httpvh://youtu.be/T17XQI_AYNo
On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile YouTube video
via GizmodoUPDATE: Looks like Falcon actor Anthony Mackie has been backtracking on his previous cast list for Captain America: Civil War and its inclusion of Hulk/Banner actor Mark Ruffalo. Appearing on Seth Meyer's The Tonight Show he claimed he was just trying to pay respect to all the actors:
"I was giving respect to my fellow actors. I was saying Marvel movies are so great because they have great actors: the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. And people take that to mean that I’m saying this is what the movie’s about and this is what’s in the movie."
The original quote below does sound a lot like he's specifically talking about Civil War if I'm honest.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW
Despite Hulk apparently being cut from Captain America: Civil War Falcon actor Anthony Mackie seems to know otherwise. Having said he's seen the movie in this Radio 1 interview he then list actors, casually dropping in a mention of Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk's good side.
In a BBC Radio 1 interview Mackie said the following:
"It's more of an acting movie than an action movie. I feel like the story is very concise and interesting. And you get to see Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evens, Scarlett Johannsson and Mark Ruffalo, and everybody, just do really good acting."
Watch the interview below...
Calling all Marvel fans!The Falcon himself, Anthony Mackie, has some pretty big words to say about the upcoming Captain America: Civil WarHear the interview in full right here: http://bbc.in/1Ww8gmK
Posted by BBC Radio 1 on Friday, 19 February 2016
Now, there are three options here. Firstly, Ruffalo and Hulk are in the movie in fully green effect and its meant to be a surprise (oops). Secondly, Ruffalo could just be popping up in a Banner-shaped cameo. And, finally, Mackie just messed up and listed all the actors he could think of without really registering he was making major casting decisions on Marvel's behalf.
Whatever the outcome he's reasonably confident that Civil War will be good in his unbiased opinion, repeatedly praising its quality, ranking it as the best Marvel movie to date, and even throwing in an Oscar reference, saying "I think it might be the first superhero movie up for best picture."
Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, and Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Civil War opens in UK cinemas on April 29, 2016 and May 6, 2016 in the US.
Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!
Images: MarvelGrand Theft Auto 5 publisher Take-Two Interactive tallied $800 million in sales on the game's first day of release, the company estimates.
That's the highest launch-day total for any GTA game and any game in Take-Two history, according to internal estimates. Grand Theft Auto 5 launched yesterday, Sept. 17, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 worldwide, except in Japan and Brazil, where it will be released soon.
Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 currently holds the record as the entertainment release that was the quickest to reach the $1 billion mark — last November, Black Ops 2 grossed $1 billion within 15 days of launch, one day faster than 2011's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and two days faster than the 2009 film Avatar. Black Ops 2 pulled in more than $500 million on its launch day.
"All of us at Take-Two are thrilled with the initial response to Grand Theft Auto 5. Once again, the team at Rockstar Games have outdone themselves, setting the entertainment industry's new standard for creativity, innovation and excellence," said Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, in a press release today. According to Take-Two, more than 8,300 stores in North America held midnight openings for Grand Theft Auto 5.
The game is available in a $59.99 standard edition, a $79.99 Special Edition and a GameStop-exclusive Collector's Edition for $149.99. Take-Two did not release a figure for the total number of Grand Theft Auto 5 copies that have been sold so far.
You can read and watch our review of Grand Theft Auto 5 here, and take a spoiler-free tour through the game's first six hours in our Today I Played video. For a more in-depth look at the open-world title, read our interviews with creative director Dan Houser about metaphysics and the game's three protagonists and whether the Grand Theft Auto franchise is still relevant.Image copyright other Image caption Two out of five areas of Scotland saw rents fall during 2014
The average rent in Scotland fell last month contributing to slower annual growth, according to a new report.
Lettings agents, Your Move, said rents fell by 0.4% taking the average cost of renting to £536 per month.
The pace of annual rent growth in Scotland dropped by two-thirds over the course of 2014 with average monthly rents now 1.2% (£
|
8 features is obviously not problematic when the plugin is used in older versions of the browser, which is likely the target use case anyway.
The plugin made it possible for us to run Google Wave in Internet Explorer. Wave doesn't run natively in regular IE due to the poor performance of the browser's JavaScript engine and lack of support for modern standards. It works well when it is viewed in Chrome Frame, thanks to WebKit.
Google says that several major websites, including WordPress and Meebo, have already adopted the technology and use the markup that enables Chrome Frame. This allows them to provide a better experience for users who have the plugin installed.
Controversy
Although the plugin is useful as a tool for bringing much-needed standards-compliance to older versions of Internet Explorer, the manner in which it displaces the entire IE renderer on pages where it is enabled has generated some controversy. Mozilla, for example, fears that it could eventually be used by Google as a vehicle for promoting Google's own nonstandard Web technologies in addition to emerging standards.
The friction caused by this issue recently was highlighted by the recent launch of Apple's HTML5 showcase, a site that critics have accused of intellectual dishonesty because it attempts to blur the boundaries between broadly accepted standards and Apple's own experimental browser-specific technologies. There is some concern that major companies are trying to distort the HTML5 label in order to increase their own control over the standard for competitive purposes.
We asked Google engineer Alex Russel for his perspective on this matter. Although he acknowledges that Google has an interest in supporting its own nonstandard technologies such as the Native Client framework, he says that Google's agenda with Chrome Frame is to accelerate adoption of HTML5, which will help move the Web forward in an open and participatory way. Google remains hopeful that future versions of Internet Explorer will be able to natively access Wave and support other modern Web features.
Despite the concerns of Mozilla and other critics, the plugin offers tangible value to the Web development community. It provides a means of supporting legacy versions of Internet Explorer and their users, who might otherwise be left out in the cold as the Web moves forward. Microsoft appears to be making impressive progress in both performance and standards-compliance with Internet Explorer 9, but Chrome Frame will still be a useful tool because older versions of the browser will still be in active use for years. IE6, for example, isn't scheduled for retirement until 2014. Chrome Frame could be a useful stop-gap measure until then.So you think you’ve got Facebook’s privacy and security features figured out? Think again. The social network has filed a patent detailing work it’s doing on image fingerprinting that could identify you based not on any physical characteristics, but by the characteristics of your camera. Facebook thinks it could use this system to identify which photos are yours, even if they are uploaded to another account. It’s only a patent, but it’s a pretty crazy one.
According to the patent application, Facebook’s platform would use factors like lens scratches, faulty pixels, color bleed, and image artifacts to create a fingerprint for a camera. It could then identify all images taken by that particular piece of hardware, and thus by you. It might not be as unique as a real fingerprint, but it could be more than good enough to make a match when combined with signals like location data, file naming conventions, and facial recognition.
Facebook suggests in the patent that this system could be used to track down fraudulent accounts or multiple accounts owned by a single user (which isn’t allowed). Being a social network, Facebook also wants to use this system to reinforce connections between users. Camera fingerprinting might be used to offer potential connections or events to a user.
This all sounds like very cool technology, but could come off as supremely creepy in practice. If Facebook knows you took a picture, but it shows up in someone else’s account, it immediately knows you have a connection to that person. Facebook might even be able to crawl the web and find more photos you’ve taken. Is this creepy enough that Facebook will hold off? We did get used to facial recognition, so maybe we’d get used to this too.(Reuters) - U.S. officials should be respectful of the Mexican 2018 presidential election, Mexico’s foreign minister said on Thursday, after a top U.S. security official suggested a win by a leftist candidate would be bad for both nations.
Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray stands during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department in Washington, U.S., April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Speaking with senators on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly agreed with Republican Senator John McCain’s view that “if the election were tomorrow in Mexico, you would probably get a left-wing, anti-American president of Mexico. That can’t be good for America.”
Kelly, who was speaking at a Senate committee on homeland security and governmental affairs hearing, echoed that viewpoint.
“It would not be good for America or for Mexico,” he said.
Though Kelly and McCain stopped short of naming anyone in particular, their comments were seen in Mexico as a clear swipe at leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist who many see as the frontrunning candidate in the 2018 presidential election.
Speaking at a news conference in Washington on Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said he broached the issue with Kelly.
“I told him in a respectful but clear manner that the electoral decisions... correspond to Mexicans alone and that what we expect from the United States is respect toward the Mexican electoral process,” Videgaray said.
For his part, Lopez Obrador rejected the accusation that he was “anti-American.”
“Our relationship with the United States will be one of friendship and cooperation, but not one of submission. We are a free and sovereign nation,” he said according to a press release.
Regarding the looming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Videgary said Mexico would prefer to conclude the talks this year rather than in 2018, when the Mexico’s election takes place.
Some view Videgaray, a former finance minister now leading complex trade, security and migration negotiations with the Trump administration, as a possible presidential candidate in 2018 for the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party.Just in time for the holidays, it’s a new release of elementary OS! Freya 0.3.2 is a minor release, mostly focused around solving some issues folks have had with UEFI & SecureBoot, but we’ve also managed to sneak in some internationalization updates and a couple new features.
EFI & SecureBoot
With the help of incredibly useful tips, advice, and code snippets from Antoni Norman (aka Pinguy), Cody has almost completely rewritten our.iso build system since 0.3.1. We’ve tested these new builds on 64-bit (U)EFI, and BIOS machines, with and without internet, with SecureBoot and legacy boot, and everything in between. No more infamous GRUB boot error!
Internationalization & Translations
We’ve recently been working much more closely with Leonardo Lemos and Maxim Taranov (aka PNG) on improving support for internationalization in elementary OS. We’ve uncovered some parts of the OS that weren’t being made available for translation and solved some tricky cases involving pluralization. Also, we’ve had reports of the installer not playing nice with languages other than English and Spanish. We’ve decided to include the language packs for 22 additional, prominent languages, slightly increasing the size of the download but addressing this major issue. In short, this and future releases of elementary OS are getting better at speaking your language!
New Features
Of course, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to sneak in a few refinements and new features. The applications menu now lists settings separately from apps in search results and will also return results for actions from apps’ quicklists, like “Compose Message” from Geary and “New Document” from Scratch. Also, we’ve decided to tuck away some utilities like the archive manager and font viewer; they’re still available from Files and search, but we don’t clutter up your applications menu with them any more. We’ve also fixed some minor visual issues with dark apps and refined shadows on windows, the panel, and a number of other places.
Over 5 Million Downloads
Last but not least, we’ve reached an exciting milestone: since moving away from Sourceforge in June, we’ve served up over 1.2 million downloads on our very own CDN. That’s over a petabyte of data! Major shoutout to Digital Ocean for helping us find an affordable hosting solution. This brings us to an estimated 5.3 million downloads of elementary OS total!
How to Update
If you’re successfully running elementary OS Freya, there’s not much to do. We’ve already pushed these updates; just run the Software Updater app. If you’re not yet running elementary OS, grab a copy of elementary OS Freya 0.3.2 from our website!
Thanks!
We’d like to thank our supporters on Bountysource, Patreon, and elsewhere for directly funding this work! If you’d like to get involved with funding elementary OS development, check out this page on our website. And if you’d like to get paid to fix bugs or write new features, be sure to check out our open bounties!E-books are one of the online products that are likely to get more expensive from October after a tax change.
The "Netflix tax" is hurtling towards October implementation after clearing another hurdle.
Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee has endorsed a law change that will force larger foreign firms such as Netflix, Apple and games-maker Valve to collect GST on digital products and services they sell to New Zealanders.
Deloitte tax partner Allan Bullot said the committee had recommended only minor technical amendments to the legislation.
He expected the law change would get royal assent in mid-April.
READ MORE:
* GST to go on digital goods from October
* Retailers ask Government to finish the job on GST 'loophole'
* Retailers need to persuade consumers they are offering value
"This is pretty quick for tax legislation. The Government is obviously very keen to bring this law in from October," he said.
"There is a lot of discussion about how things are taxed in the 'brave new world' and one of the things New Zealanders need to realise is that from October 1 there will be a difference in how New Zealanders are taxed on things they download."
PwC tax partner Eugen Trombitas expected Inland Revenue would release more information next month on how it would monitor and ensure compliance by foreign sellers.
Retail NZ spokesman Greg Harford said it was disappointed the select committee had not recommended expanding the bill to also encompass physical items that Kiwis bought from overseas online.
It had been hopeful of a change after making its case to the commission last month.
But the collection of GST on physical imports will instead remain subject to a separate Customs review.
The Netflix tax was good for the likes of Spark but would not do much for local shops which still faced a tax disadvantage competing against overseas online businesses, Harford said.I feel bad for those few people out there who get motion sickness when they're playing video games. Very bad indeed. What a shame, I think, that for some this fantastic hobby is ruined by nausea. I count myself lucky that it never happens to me, but then I remember that there's an exception to that rule: the Thief games. Both Thief 1 and 2 used to make me feel very, very ill after extended periods of play, and I didn't help myself by extending those periods almost to the point of being physically sick.
I'm serious. I couldn't tear myself away from them, from pushing my way through that thick, inky darkness, edging down corridors and squeezing my way into corners, even as my stomach seemed to swirl and twist inside me. I don't know why my body rebelled so. It wasn't the fear and it wasn't the tension. Maybe it was something about that dense, heavy blackness that coated these games, that bled into every texture, that made them so grim and so dour.
Or maybe it was simply the game world itself, often harsh, cruel and deeply unpleasant. The picture painted by the first Thief was of a cold and unsympathetic city and its sequel built upon those ideas, drawing out the finer details of the heartless, unfeeling religion that sat at its core. In Thief 2, that already severe religion would experience a terrifying extremism as, of course, would you, the player.
That's way too many guards. This is not a safe place to be.
This wasn't a sequel about pushing technical boundaries or taking the series in a different direction, as it was functionally and recognisably the same as Thief. Instead, it represented a tightening of focus and, much as it added greater detail to its game world, it also placed a greater emphasis on everything that Thief was really supposed to be about: hiding, sneaking, a sense of terror, a feeling of being almost powerless. Thief 2 brought players a meaner world and a harder game.
First, a little about that meaner world: the stoic and unfeeling religion at the core of Thief was the technocratic Hammerites. Immutable and almost emotionless, their chilly cathedrals were constructed in tribute to the Master Builder, whose example as a creator and inventor they strove to follow through a prohibitive and punishing codex. Joining their ranks in this sequel was the mechanist Father Karras, an inventor so enamoured with technology that he eventually broke with the all-too-human order to begin building his own collection of biomechanical, steampunk followers with which he would eliminate all of the city's organic, imperfect life.
This gave Looking Glass the chance to introduce a multitude of mechanical monsters, creatures that you couldn't deal with as you would have Thief's guards and militia. Great bulbous robots, their sensors all too capable of picking up the sound of your footsteps, couldn't be blackjacked and dragged into linen cupboards, while all-seeing sentries launched bombs your way. Your enemies were tougher because, as was always the case, the point was to avoid them, not to face them, while many of the levels were trickier, tighter and gave you much greater opportunities to embarrass yourself by being seen or heard. You might've got by swinging your sword a few times in the first game, but now you really had to think like a thief.
Looking Glass also added much more colour to the world that they had sketched out in their previous game, providing larger and more urban levels set in banks, temples, police stations and even out in the streets of the city, as well as sending players into a haunted library or tasking them to board a steampunk submarine. Once again, all these were littered with letters that helped bring both the levels and the world to life, often through a series of gentle, subtle hints rather than any direct exposition.
And, of course, there were more of those absolutely gorgeous cutscenes. The Thief series still boasts the very best cutscenes in all of gaming, a beautiful mix of live-action actors and hand-drawn animation quite unlike anything ever seen since. Those are almost my favourite things about the Thief games. Or perhaps they're my favourite things on odd-numbered days of the week, because there was something else that the series did a frankly astonishing job with, something that Thief 2 also took the opportunity to build upon, and that was glorious, glorious sound. Not only were the Thief games busy caring about the amount of noise that you made, they also kept themselves occupied making a plethora of peculiar noises of their own, more than a few of which were downright scary. Perhaps it was these that caused me to feel unwell.
On top of the original's babbling Apparitions and cackling Haunts, the sequel's clockwork constructs muttered and mumbled to themselves as they stomped their way about the levels. Machinery thunked, lights hummed and footsteps clacked upon metal. Karras himself was a disturbing character to hear, perched on the precipice of madness, and it's almost incredible to believe that he was voiced by the same gravelly-voiced actor who also played the titular thief, Garrett. Karras' best moment is undoubtedly spread across half a dozen recorded messages that he leaves for his dinner guests to listen to in his stead, across which he desperately tries to mask his almost childlike excitement at what he has planned.
Even now, the Thief games still stand out for their sound design, one of the series' greatest strengths. While their graphics may seem borderline prehistoric now, our ears don't make the same demands that our eyes do and Thief 2 is still able to make use of that direct line straight into our brains, remaining an auditory treat twelve years after release.
Still, as you may be aware, recent and rather unexpected patches were released for both Thief 2 and System Shock 2, over on the Through The Looking Glass forums, which will give both games something of a lick of paint.
I have to admit, I haven't tried it yet myself. I know that's because, should I step back into that darkness once again, I'll once again be swimming my way through it to the point of illness, using every ounce of my will to tell myself that I can play for just five more minutes, regardless of all the time it's already stolen.THE WIZARD: More than 40 years as a living work of art.
The Wizard of New Zealand turned 80 this month. He looks back on his long, magical association with Christchurch.
This piece was inspired by the publication in The Press recently of a lengthy letter from Professor Mike Grimshaw from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Canterbury (November 29).
It is also the occasion of my 80th birthday and a good opportunity for me to look back and try to assess my 38-year contribution to the culture of Christchurch as a non-fictional, non-commercial, wizard.
The professor comments on the huge amount of hype surrounding the filming of The Hobbit, which like many other mass entertainment phenomena provides a "temporary escape from our mundane lives" while enriching people singularly lacking in good magic.
He refers to the writings of the great sociologist, Max Weber, whose century-old thesis on the growing puritanical disenchantment of the world should be known by all informed people.
I find Weber's ideas more relevant than the grim reductionist theories of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. Weber's thesis impacted on me very strongly.
So much so, that I have spent the past 40 years of my life in a largely solo attempt to re-enchant the world, making use of my training as an academic sociologist and psychologist.
I would be overjoyed to be given a chance to explain myself in a dialogue with an academic who seems to have similar training to my own.
Marx pointed out that "our consciousness is determined by our socio-economic relationships".
By this argument, the roles of any priestly intellectual employed by the church or any secular humanist intellectual employed by the state render them unsuitable for the task of understanding, let alone stopping, the process of disenchantment, even if they wanted to.
Moreover, anyone who undertakes the task must be adequately equipped for it, both intellectually and emotionally.
I believed that, in 1967, I just happened to be the right man, at the right time, and at the right place, to attempt the process of systematically re-enchanting the world. An exciting but rather frightening situation.
That year, as a qualified sociologist of religion and psychologist specialising in "revitalisation movements", I started lecturing at the University of New South Wales at the new School of Sociology, the first established in Australasia.
Suddenly the arts faculties in many universities, particularly in America, Europe and Australia, exploded in a unique series of what are best described as modern cultural revitalisation movements.
That year I started a revitalisation movement of my own which I named ALF - Action for Love and Freedom.
This was my attempt to reconcile the opposite tendencies of the emerging hippies, whose ideology centred on love (which included radical environmentalism, Oriental spirituality and sexual experimentation) with the political activists' desire for freedom, particularly from religious and big-business intrusions into the community of scholars.
Aiming to stay clear of puritanical fundamentalism in both its religious and political forms and inspired by Johann Huizinga's Homo Ludens, I also called this movement the "Fun Revolution". Some of what happened is recorded in the official history of University of New South Wales by Patrick O'Farrell.
Unfortunately, like the fun-hating, political activists who ran many of the other revolutionary student movements, the professorial board regarded my activities as a sign of insanity, or subversion of the serious mission of the university, and without any explanation I was eased out of my job by the Marxist political scientist who was my head of department.
I decided not to follow the staff association's advice to take the university to court.
I found myself being consoled by the vice-chancellor, who was already angered at the unprofessional behaviour of many of the arts academics and who had openly admired my speaking skills, political acumen and concern for the university as a community.
I had outsmarted those who wanted to incite violence to radicalise the campus to advance their own dull political careers while, at the same time, keeping the interest of those who were tempted to drop out into a self-destructive escapist fantasy of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll.
He wanted me to stay on the campus, but in what capacity? Realising that this was a unique opportunity to "revitalise" myself, and then to "re-enchant the world", I proposed a way I could stay on campus and continue to re- enchant the university.
I would have to occupy an entirely original and informal role. Moreover, to make it viable and to stop accusations of wicked and impure intentions from the already suspicious puritanical radicals and religious fundamentalists, the university and student administrations would have to agree to jointly appoint me as the official Wizard of the University of New South Wales, with a modest honorarium.
Once over the shock, they both agreed enthusiastically. An experienced and now legitimately qualified revitaliser and re-enchanter had been appointed as the official Wizard of a major modern university.
Universities had become the home base of the intellectuals who, for hundreds of years, had been employed to disenchant the world. The appointment itself was a perfect example of the reversal of the process. The ultimate act of my culturally necessary legitimation came in 1990 when the prime minister of New Zealand appointed me Official Wizard of New Zealand.
A huge elephant had appeared in the room!
So far I have avoided being diagnosed as insane, or arrested as a criminal for cleverly avoiding the Census authorities' desperate attempts to destroy my new identity and turn me back into a "real" person.
For 40 years, however, I have been punished for my "thought crimes", my foolish lack of moral earnestness, and my avoidance of commercial compromise by being starved of funds and largely invisible instead of becoming a rich "celebrity".
Fortunately I have an intelligent and good-hearted fiancee who has supported me financially since 1971.
It is not surprising that there are so few outstanding examples of even reasonably successful re-enchantment activists.
It is an extremely difficult mission.
So far as I can see only Dubcek in Prague in the 1960s and Mockus in Bogota during the 1990s have attempted to carry it off at least partially, and they are not properly recognised for their achievements.
For at least 500 years the biggest haters of magic are those who love useful, mechanistic science and economic development more than a sociable tolerant religion and virtuous behaviour. They have usually come from a background of religious fundamentalism, both Catholic and Protestant.
I first appeared in Christchurch in the costume of a prophet of the Anglican Church, the "hammer of the heretics", to exorcise the recently opened Cathedral Square from the swarms of religious fundamentalists who were accosting anyone who tried to cross it.
By 1976 I was being featured in most guide books about New Zealand and won the Newman Award for tourism in 1989.
Beginning at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1972, the process of becoming a pure self-created being, a "Living Work of Art" was completed in 1982 by a joint declaration by the New Zealand Art Gallery Directors Guild.
Since 1974 I have cast spells for the local rugby team, successfully fought a war with Telecom over the colour of their phone boxes, defied Census authorities, and broken several droughts by highly publicised rain dances here and in Australia, without any failures.
However my best known and most important function was to speak daily in Cathedral Square as a "conflation" of the roles of religious prophet, natural philosopher, political soap-box orator and street performance artist.
Though I have become known all over the world since the mid 1970s, for the past 20 years the Canterbury tourist authorities have chosen not to publicise the provocative presence of a government-appointed wizard in the heart of their city.
Instead, for years now, they have been wholeheartedly promoting the now-empty locations of a series of commercial films about a fictional wizard.
Meanwhile, books and films about purely escapist fictional wizards like Harry Potter have made a lot of money for their backers.
The enormously expensive Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film series centring on a wizard were bankrolled by Hollywood venture capitalists.
These admittedly well-made local versions of a major work of fiction are lauded to the skies and the Government gives American billionaires millions of taxpayer dollars to subsidise the costly venture.
The only wizards our "disenchanted" academic, religious and political leaders really believe in are financial wizards, whose greed and stupidity is destroying both our belief in our own personal magic and our social and natural environments. This is Disenchantment with a capital D.
The "elephant in the room" is beginning to get restless.Wax Times HQ just relocated and though the collection didn’t have to be transported that far, about 2 miles, planning and executing the move went over without incident. How’d we do it? Planning to move a record collection isn’t terribly difficult to figure out but knowing what you have, considering how long the move will take, choosing the right supplies and enlisting any help needed makes the all the difference
Make a catalogue
A collection deserves to be catalogued for a number of reasons but mostly for the ease of tracking your albums and insuring your collection. No matter what tool you use — discogs ftw — start early and keep up-to-date as you buy/add new albums to your shelves. The catalogue becomes even more important when moving if you plan to make sure that everything you box up winds up in your new home. A memory can keep track of only so many things before it beings to fail but a spreadsheet or database is the best piece of mind you can have.
Plan the move
Phoenix collectors know all too well that our desert can warp a record faster than a needle drop so when it came down to considering transporting this collection just as temperatures were rising, timing was very important. An early morning timeframe was chosen as temperatures peak in late afternoon and though the sun rises very early, the urban heat island of Downtown Phoenix is still somewhat reasonable temperate from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
In this case, renting a truck with an air conditioned cab was not necessary considering the proximity of the new home for the collection, but most moves are not down the street. Whether it be a professional moving service or doing it DIY with a U-haul truck, check local forecasts and select an optimal date and time of day to transport your collection to eliminate as many severe weather factors as possible.
Prepping records for transport
It sounds deceptively simple but the fact is most people do it wrong. Damaged albums happen mostly because of improper prepping before they even make it into a box and onto a truck so take a couple of precautions to ensure everything stays minty.
Stock up on outer sleeves if you aren’t using them already. These keep albums from rubbing against each other resulting in wear to the jackets which is usually something that can’t be fixed. Now is also a perfect time to upgrade all inner sleeves to a poly sleeve as removing the discs from the covers is the next step. Place each disc behind the jacket to avoid ring wear and the dreaded seam split.
Buying boxes and tape
U-haul boxes have been a favorite of collectors and stores because they’re cheap, sturdy and U-haul will buy back any unused boxes back at full cost. The small box fits records perfectly with enough room for some padding on each end. Depending on how each box is packed, they comfortably fit between 60-80 albums, though some people do claim upwards of a 100/box but that’s not recommended.
A metafilter article mentions using a box with a much higher price point but the benefits may outweigh the increased cost for those long hauls. With double wall construction and a focus on durability, the 12” Record Storage boxes from Bags Unlimited stood up to one users move but at about $28 for just two boxes and no buy back offer, not many budgets can warrant the expenditure.
When it comes to tape, make no mistake, U-haul’s Packaging Paper Tape held together 30 boxes so well that post move-in, breaking down the boxes could not be done by hand. The paper tape is very durable, meant to accommodate heavier packages and won’t yellow or become brittle like some of the clear adhesive tapes that are more common. Record distributors even rely on this or similar tapes and based on the orders received in the mail over the years, this stuff works.
The last provision needed is bubble wrap, or an alternative cushioning material for the ends of each box just to help keep them from jostling around too much.
Box everything up
An important consideration here is how far the boxed records will need to be carried. Short distances with no stairs? Heavier boxes may be alright but if you have a long distance to travel with each box in hand, deliberately under-packing them will save your back. Hand trucks or assistive devices will make even more of a difference, so rent one if possible.
Hopefully the collection is in order so maintain that when packing by working backwards genre by genre. Label everything, take pictures if needed or assign it a bin/shelf number so that when the collection is delivered, the destination of the albums in each box are predetermined.
Stacking boxes of records is a-okay but done unevenly or in a sloppy fashion will probably result in a delivery of toppled boxes in some state of disarray. Records are heavy, the weight of each box is concentrated in the middle similar to a shelf of books; stack too high and the boxes on the bottom may get squished.
Final thoughts
The Tetris-like process will test any collector’s resolve to the format. The process is all about fitting squares and rectangles into the most efficiently organized and packaged fleet of albums ready to move. Just as the breaking point approaches, where not a single record will fit into another box or the number of boxes have exceeded expectations, relax and if possible spin a favorite just to remind yourself of why you have records and what it means to be a collector.7
8616 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48210
(313) 846-6870
Unfortunately, this stalwart of Michigan Avenue is closing soon. After 57 years in business, the owners are retiring and the last day will be November 23. If you are at all on the fence, give it a try because you won't have very many opportunities left. Aside from nostalgia, this place is genuinely great with the best sausage west of the Atlantic. Its a little pricey, as Maria said, about $20 for a link. This is fine because: 1) its delicious 2) its enormous, big enough to serve at least 4 people 3) supporting a mom-and-pop (or should I say grandma and grandpa?) shop is always best. They also have sauerkraut and excellent pierogi at a competitive price ($8 per dozen).
Was an AMAZING place, with wonderful people. I just called their number, which is, alas, disconnected. The good news is, if you're craving wonderful home made kielbasa, try Joyview Market, on Joy Rd. just east of Telegraph in Redford. AMAZING kielbasa as well, and very friendly folks.
When my favorite smokehouse closed I was pretty upset. So upset I jumped on yelp.com and wrote a review memorializing the place. As a result of that review, one kind yelper forwarded me on Markowycz's information and boy was I glad. Markowycz is the real deal. Smoking all the ham and kabossa fresh, nothing from Chicago, nothing from chemicals. It's just good old fashioned polish goods and if you are looking for something to bring home to your family that will be memorable, this is it.
Coming from a partly Eastern European household, Markowycz's has been our go to place for kovbasa - that's'sausage' for all you non-Slavic speaking folks : ) Although we have some of Hamtramck's finest (Srodek's & Polish Market) just down the street, when you want the Creme de la Creme of sausage you go to Markowycz. It's a family run business located in SW Detroit, and their homemade kovbasa with its wafting smokey flavor hits you immediately upon entering. Sure you'll pay about $20 for a link & maybe it's out of the way for some of you, but it's THE best around!!! Pro tip: get the chunky blend sausage, not the ground.
My family has been going here for decades. They have, arguably, the best fresh kielbasa anywhere in town. I used to go to Kopytko in Hamtramck for awhile and then it closed. We realized that Markowycz's has the most consistent quality anywhere in town. They also have an assortment of other Polish goods too.
Thanks to Natasha for the Yelp on European Sausage. Went today to get a few things to try out. $50 later and 2 full grocery bags stuffed with all the good HOMEMADE meats. Some headcheese, salami, bologna, kielbasa, kishka. Oh my oh my. Please go here while places like Markowyczs are still around, once their gone you'll be stuck with the likes of Eckrich. It's the last smokehouse in Detroit and the quality shows, when i entered they were in the back peeling the garlic for the sausage..how much fresher do you want it?? Lovely owners who even though it was my first time there they made me feel like one of the family, "here try this, how do you like it" I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!Nose Art Themes
War Bond Aircraft
Initially $275,000 would enable to community group to have a heavy bomber named (a B17 or B24), lesser funds could "purchase" a twin engined B25 (approximately $110,000) or a pursuit fighter or even a tiny liaison plane converted for medivac duties. In the early months of conflict, the aircraft was flown to a local airfield and naming ceremony was carried out with full publicity but as the pressures of the war increased this became impossible so the aircraft was painted up as it left the factory or modification facility and a photograph was sent to the community representatives or local newspapers. Many of these aircraft seem to have disappeared from history and little is known of what became of many of them in the war effort. Some remained in the USA as training ships and some flew combat missions bearing this original name but others were promptly re-named by combat crews overseas with a sexier or more relevant title or artwork.
According to research carried out by John Fredrickson, some war bond aircraft never actually existed at all. He wrote "At North American of Kansas, the ruse was carried out in the photographic department. A master photo of a generic B-25 was prepared.... (with) no serial number or other identifying marks. A calligrapher then inked the name of the contributing group onto paper. The image was photographed so the small cursive was then overlaid onto the generic negative. The resulting 8x10 photo implied that there was an actual B-25 with white paint decorating the nose in celebration of their monetary contribution. Every group received a photo of the same airplane and nobody at the factory bothered to dab a brush into paint. Many people have attempted to research the combat fate of "their" bomber, only to be frustrated when told that no such airplane ever existed." It is quite possible that a similar situation arose regarding other aircraft types and other manufacturers. Any evidence or photos of any such aircraft would always be most welcome.
If you have any knowledge of the history of any of these War Bond or donated planes or can add new or better photos or further examples please share with me so that they can be recorded and put back into the history books. Photos of the named planes and of any naming ceremonies are of particular interest.In "Twidiots", we collect the choicest thoughts on a particular topic from Twitter's millions of users.
No, guys. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the government shutdown does NOT mean that laws are also shut down. That would be... truly insane. But by all means. Don't let the LAW stop you now.
hell yeah government shut down!!!! it is now legal to smoke weed in class -- cassidy (@cassidymbarnett) October 1, 2013
Word is, weed is legal today. Get it all you little stoners lol -- Nick (@Bridnn) October 1, 2013
Government shutdown.....lets smoke weed in front da Ulm police station -- Blade (@BladeBrownY0) October 1, 2013
Lol da shutdown crazy i know some shit of weed ready come in nobody monitorin imports -- Chris (@Nautica_Nike13) October 1, 2013
So the government shut down? Marijuana must be legal now. -- Sober Stephen (@stephen_hix) October 1, 2013
so since the government shut down i can smoke a blunt on my way to class right -- Tori Morrison (@ToriAnnYo) October 1, 2013
The federal government is claiming a shut down. Marijiuana is a federally illegal drug......weed is now legal in my eyes. -- justin (@GrangeJ724) October 1, 2013
so if i get caught driving with weed tmrw i won't get arrested, right? cuz the government shutdown, so the cops shouldn't be working anyway! -- anjunablaze (@anjunablaze) October 1, 2013
Since the government is shutdown im smoking weed in public. Idc idc idc -- Prince Charming (@Slyy__Foxx) October 1, 2013Garageband is the best music application that lets the users create the best music based on your talent. You can implement some of your unique ideas to create great music using this app. It’s an advanced music, recording application that transforms your device into a recording studio so you can make your
|
detail back in January 2014.
Teatro’s suggestion that the state “wait to see what happens in Alabama and Tennessee, conveniently ignores the fact that neither the Alabama nor the Texas refugee resettlement lawsuits are making the same Tenth Amendment argument as Tennessee will.
TIRRC calls itself “a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state.”
As the TIRRC website says of Teatro’s background:
She also lived and worked in Northeast Thailand as a program facilitator with the Council for International Educational Exchange. Prior to moving to Nashville, Stephanie was a union organizer with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. She has been working with TIRRC since 2012. Prior to becoming the Co-Executive Director, Stephanie was our Director of Advocacy where she led our programs to build the capacity of grassroots immigrant leaders to speak for themselves, to engage fully in the civic process, and to advocate for policies that make it easier for everyone to fully participate in public life. Stephanie is a steering committee member of Nashville For All Of Us, a member of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s New Americans Advisory Council, an executive committee member of the national Fair Immigration Reform Movement and a board member of the National Partnership for New Americans.
TIRCC was founded in 2001 by David Lubell, who subsequently founded a non-profit immigration advocacy group called Welcoming America, which “received its first funding in 2007 from the George Soros-financed Four Freedoms Foundation.”
As Breitbart News reported previously, Lubell’s group is currently leading “an aggressive PR Campaign” on behalf of “[t]he nine contractors receiving huge payments from the White House’s $1 billion U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program” whose purpose is “ to crush what they call ‘pockets of resistance’ to the Muslim migration into the United States.”
TIRCC has been funded by a number of far left “social justice” foundations and organizations, including the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and Unbound Philosophy, among others.
It has also been funded by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, the VOLAG [Voluntary Agency] selected by the federal government to operate the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program in Tennessee after the state withdrew from the program in 2008.
Tennessee is one of 12 states that have withdrawn from the U.S. Refugee Resettlement program, but where the program is being operated by the federal government through subcontracted VOLAGs as part of what is referred to as “Wilson-Fish alternative programs.”
The constitutional argument against the continued operation of such programs is that the “Wilson-Fish” amendment passed by the Congress in 1984 subsequent to the enabling statute–the US Refugee Act of 1980–provided no statutory authority authorizing the federal government to operate the refugee resettlement program in states that have withdrawn from the program.
The resolution to authorize the state of Tennessee to sue the federal government over its operation of the refugee resettlement program appears to be on a path to pass the Tennessee House prior to the end of the current session.
But 2016 is a political year in which anything can happen, and the resolution’s opponents may yet have a few political tricks to play.Riverside, California
On February 19, 1994 at approximately 8:15 PM, On February 19, 1994 at approximately 8:15 PM, Gloria Ramirez was admitted to the emergency room of Riverside General Hospital due to her suffering from the effects of advanced cervical cancer. She was having extreme difficulty breathing and her blood pressure was dropping to dangerous levels.
While it wasn't uncommon for the staff at Riverside to see elderly patients with these types of symptoms, Ramirez was only 31. She was also awake and aware of the hospital staff around her, but only able to respond to questions with quick, nonsensical mutterings.
The staff attempted to inject Ramirez when a variety of drugs to help control her breathing and heartbeat, but to no avail. They then decided to defibrillate her heart, which required the the removal her shirt. At this point, the hospital staff noticed a few very odd things about their patient
1. Ms. Ramirez's skin had an oily sheen that covered her entire body.
2. When nurse Susan Kane drew blood from Ms. Ramirez, she noticed an ammonia-like smell coming from the vacutainer blood collection tube.
3. Ms. Ramirez's breath had an intense garlic odor to it.
"...so the attending physician can now kindly shut up about the pasta I had for lunch."
Julie Gorchynski, a medical resident, looked at the tube and noticed that the blood had small, manila colored particles floating in it. She took a whiff of the tube, also noticed a strong ammonia-like smell... and then blacked out and went into convulsions. Sarah Kane, the nurse who had originally drawn the blood, felt nauseated, swayed slightly, and collapsed to the floor. A third woman in the room, respiratory therapist Maureen Welch, also passed out.
The ER ordered the entire area to be evacuated while a skeleton crew stayed behind to stabilize Ramirez. Unfortunately, they were unable to save her. Gloria Ramirez was pronounced dead 8:50 PM that evening due to kidney failure related to her cancer.
it was all in their heads. After a thorough investigation by scientists from California's Department of Health and Human Service's was completed, they claimed that the cause of so many people getting sick at once was simply due to mass hysteria. In other words,
We have already covered the lame excuse for unexplained illnesses that is mass hysteria (and before anyone gets mad, yes I know it's real, but it also often +gets used as a convenient excuse when no answer is to be found). But this one must have been a particularly nasty case of psychological illness. It sent Julie Gorchynski (the one who went into convulsions) to the hospital for two weeks with pancreatitus. She also developed a severe case of avascular necrosis of the knee; in other words, her knee bones have been completely destroyed, leaving her unable to stand for more than a few minutes
Finally, Gorchynski and the others that had developed physical symptoms due to their "hysteria" were able to get an independent investigation done by Livermore National Lab. Their theory was that Ramirez had been self medicating with Dimethly sulfoxide (or DMSO), a slightly controversial remedy for chronic pain that reportedly also gives users a case of extreme garlic breath. Due to a urinary blockage found in Ms. Ramirez, the DMSO would have built up a huge deposit in her system. Combined with the oxygen administered at the hospital, this would have created DMSO2, which can crystallize at room temperature (hence the particles in the blood).
Afterwards, the electrical shock from the defibrillators could have changed the DMSO2 into DMSO4, an extremely poisonous gas that would have caused many of the symptoms experienced by the hospital staff that night.
So just slap one of these babies on any of the millions of people
that have used or been prescribed DMSO and let's call it a day!
So case closed, right? Not exactly.
For starters, it is still considered very unlikely that DMSO4 could be created within the human body. Many chemists have said that it is outright impossible. Also, many of the symptoms caused by DMSO4 (like tearing up/crying) were not observed in any of the affected staff at all.
There's also the pesky fact that according to her family, Ramirez (who was studying to be a nurse) never used DMSO. And even if she did, the highly suspect and unlikely chain of events that could cause DMSO4 to develop in the human body has never been seen again since the incident with Ramirez
We may never know what exactly happened on that evening in 1994. It may have been a one time freak occurrence, an unexplained phenomenon, or the DMSO theory may in face be correct. But there is one thing we can be sure of:
Don't get too hysterical about anything, or you may destroy your skeletal bone density.At IIT Mumbai, there were 900 offers while IIT Delhi got about 750 offers and IIT Kanpur had around 700 offers. Reuters
IIT Kharagpur has set a record among all IITs with more than a thousand of its students securing cushy jobs in the first phase of campus placements, officials said today.
Around 1,010 students of the IIT Kharagpur campus accepted job offers in the first round of placements which ended in December.
At IIT Mumbai, there were 900 offers while IIT Delhi got about 750 offers and IIT Kanpur had around 700 offers.
IIT officials said, Kharagpur has achieved a new record with the maximum number of students getting jobs in the IIT system in one phase.
In addition to big names like Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Shell, Deutsche Bank, ITC, Schlumberger, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Abbott and EXL, start-ups like Flipkart and Housing.com were the ones who made multiple offers in dual figures.
The highest package offered was from a US-based company which has signed an IITian for an annual salary of USD 1.25 lakh (around Rs 77 lakh).
The highest domestic package was of Rs 37 lakh.
Two new dual degree programs - Financial Engineering and Engineering Entrepreneurship - proved to be a big hit with 85 per cent students from those courses being placed.
"The programs not only demonstrated acceptability by the industries, but projected the vision of IIT-Kgp for launching novel initiatives," said Prof Sudhir Kumar Barai, in-charge of training and placement, of the institute.
The number of companies offering placements have also increased this year with 195 organisations coming this time.
Barai said another 79 engineering students have accepted pre-placement offers from other companies.A pair of journalists arrested during protests in Washington DC against Donald Trump's Presidential inauguration are facing up to 10-years behind bars.
Evan Engel of the technology news website Vocativ and Alex Rubinstein of Russia Today (RT) America have been charged under rioting law.
Both have protested their innocence and they have the full backing of their employers.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
The pair were covering the unrest in the US capital which erupted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as 45th US president.
Police said more than $5,000 (£4,011) in damage was caused when people, wearing black clothing and balaclavas, smashed shop windows and burned police vehicles in an apparent anti-Capitalist demonstration.
More than 200 people were arrested including Mr Engel and Mr Rubinstein. The pair were released after brief court appearances.
They are accused of "Charge #1: Riot Act - Felony Charge" according to the court records, seen by The Independent.
As a result they face a maximum jail term of 10-years and financial penalties of up to $25,000 (£20,061).
The police did not name the pair on the day but a statement referred to groups of rioters.
“The group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars [and hammers]," it said. “Preliminary information indicates the group collectively engaged in these criminal acts.”
It added that pepper spray was used and that two uniformed officers suffered minor injuries from “coordinated attacks”.
RT confirmed Mr Rubinstein had been arrested and that he was released the following day.
“I was hit in the face with a flash grenade, it blinded me for a moment and my ears were ringing for a while,” said Mr Rubinstein, who claimed he showed his media credentials to police.
A Vocativ spokesman called the charges against their reporter "an affront to the First Amendment and journalistic freedom."
They added that they would "vigorously contest this unfounded and outrageous charge.”
Mr Engel is due back at the District of Columbia courts on 15 February when Mr Rubinstein will also appear.
An RT statement reads: “The arrest and subsequent felony rioting charge against our reporter, Alexander Rubinstein, simply for doing his job – covering inauguration protests in Washington DC – is an absolute outrage.
"Such acts represent an egregious violation of journalistic freedom, and are particularly disheartening to witness in the country that positions itself as the global champion of free press.
"RT will apply the full weight of its legal team in support of our journalist and we are confident that a thorough review by the US Attorney’s office will confirm that Alexander, who wore his press credentials at all times, was wrongfully arrested.”
The Independent has contacted the two men and their attorneys for further comment.
William Miller, a spokesman for the US attorney's office said: “Generally speaking, we are continuing to evaluate evidence and continuing to investigate the events of Jan 20, 2017 and are always open to receiving additional information."
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe nowHere is Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron’s statement on the election of Chris Rennard to the Lib Dem Federal Executive (FE) by the party’s peers:
The party needs unity and must move on accepting the recommendations of Helena Morrissey’s reports into the culture and processes within the party, although it will take more time to do this.
A Special Conference is not in our best interest. It will divert considerable time, energy and resource away from Oldham and the growing fightback we are mounting across the UK.
I am, though, entitled to an opinion on the decisions taken by our party and whether I believe they are in our best interests.
In considering this, I think it’s also important to remember that our Conference this year showed very clearly how the party feels about the Leader being able to intervene in decision-making. The idea for a Leader’s veto on the manifesto was kicked out without even being discussed. It is right I should not be allowed to reverse outcomes just because I or others don’t like them.
However, I also believe that the call for a Special Conference shows we still have some way to go to convince our members that the party’s culture has changed.
For example, we have ensured that for instances of alleged discrimination, bullying, harassment or intimidation, we now operate to the standards you would expect in most modern workplaces.
Helena Morrissey’s review threw the spotlight on our party’s culture and working practices. We have made major changes to the constitution and to the rules we use to apply its values.
Chris was entitled to stand for election and the Lords were entitled to elect him. That does not mean his decision to put himself forward was in the best interests of the party.
I have decided it is time to make clear publicly that I do not believe it is in the interests of the party for Chris to take up his position on the FE.
I have not spoken out until now as I have been giving Chris time to reflect on the party’s reaction to his election.
UPDATE: Chris Rennard has now stood down from the Federal Executive. He issued this statement earlier today:
A week ago, I was elected by the votes of the Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords to be their representative on the party’s Federal Executive. Any Lib Dem peer could have stood, all of them could vote, and I was elected by 44 votes to 25. Since then a number of party members have objected to that outcome and sought to effectively overturn it by removing the right of the Lib Dem peers to have a representative on it.
I was disappointed that in a party called the Liberal Democrats there should be such a challenge to the result of a democratic election. I recognise, however, that there has been much controversy in the party and this has continued partly because it has been very poor in communicating to its members the outcomes of all the various processes investigating allegations made against me. In particular, many members have remained unaware of the key conclusion concerning me in the final report of the independent businesswoman, Helena Morrissey, who reviewed these processes.
Last December, her conclusion was that:
“At this point, December 2014, every investigation has concluded with no further action to be taken against Lord Rennard. The process over the past nearly two years – conducted according to the prevailing rules – has run its course and although the outcome is a source of great frustration to some, I believe that the Party can only move on if that outcome is accepted. At this stage, given that the Party applied its own processes, there is no justification for it remaining ambivalent towards Lord Rennard – he should be just as welcome a participant or guest at Party events as any other.”
I believe that the party should have done more to promote mediation before the police and party investigations began, and also to communicate fairly and properly the “No Further Action” outcomes of all the various investigations concerning the allegations made against me. This made it more difficult to heal the divisions in the party. But the party cannot be criticised for any failure to take the allegations seriously. At least six emails sent to party members by the party’s HQ sought information about any complaints, and any evidence. The party co-operated fully with the police, as did I.
The thorough and professional investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service concluded that there would be no charges, and the Police did not send a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration. The party’s independent investigator, Alistair Webster QC, then reviewed carefully all evidence submitted to him, and twice concluded that it was insufficient to hold a disciplinary hearing to investigate any further. He informed me personally of the “no further action” decision, and he made no requests of me, when doing so.
In the current political circumstances, holding a special conference to consider whether or not the Lib Dem peers should have a representative on the Federal Executive would make the party look absurd, cost a great deal of money that is needed for campaigning, and do nothing to heal the divisions. More time is required for the party to implement fully Helena Morrissey’s final report concerning the party processes and culture.
Liberal Democrats do not believe in trial by media or social media. Nor do we believe that any individual should be treated as being in a halfway house between innocent and guilty after allegations have been made, have been investigated and none of the complaints upheld. The absence of clear information in the party about the outcome of all the processes to which I was subject has also contributed to the way in which I have suffered a great deal of “cyber bullying” of the kind that we criticise other parties’ political activists for.
In the interests of party unity, and on the basis that the party will over time implement in full all of the proposals in Helena Morrissey’s final report, I have agreed to withdraw from the Federal Executive. It is with sadness that I do so, because I enjoy the support of my parliamentary colleagues, and very many party members at all levels. Many of them value my relevant experience in a party to which I have belonged since my teens, and for which I ran many of our most successful election campaigns under the leaderships of Paddy Ashdown, Charles Kennedy and Ming Campbell (taking us up to 63 MPs by 2006 and therefore able to enter government in 2010).
Helena Morrissey’s conclusions from December 2014 should all be made properly known to the party, and it should then move on. I accept that implementation of all of them will take significantly more time and that I should continue to concentrate on my role as a Lib Dem peer where we in the House of Lords have an obligation to resist unfair and antidemocratic measures to the limits of the Parliament Acts, and to help the party as a member in other ways, and without being on the Federal Executive.
The Liberal Democrats, led by Tim Farron, are capable of providing the compassionate and caring, but non-socialist alternative to the Conservatives that I believe every part of Great Britain needs. I believe that over the next five years many more people will realise what they have lost without having greater influence on government from the Liberal Democrats. In current times, it is also Liberal Democrat values of internationalism, democracy, justice, environmentalism and respect for others that is most needed in the world.
I do not intend to add further to this statement.By Adam Taylor
With the core written, we want to be able to test it, initially using a C simulation to prove that it does what we desire and then again using co-simulation against the synthesised HDL to verify that the HDL functions as required. We can use the same test bench for both the C and HDL testing using the HLS environment. Within the test bench, we need to perform the following steps:
Open the image we wish to work with into a cv::mat
Convert the image from RGB to YUV
Convert the cv::mat to IplImage
Convert the IplImage into an AXI Stream
Call the synthesizable function
Convert the AXI Stream to an IplImage
Convert the YUV image to RGB
Write the image to file
This approach allows us to take in an image file, apply a Gaussian filter to it, and then save it to a file for later examination. The reason we do the conversion from RGB to YUV is because it is common to process images in this color space and the example we will eventually build from this preparatory work using the EVK employs this color space, so the input image must also be in this color space.
The color space we will be using is YUV 4:2:2, which means that the pixel value can be represented in 2 bytes. If we were to use the OpenCV cvt_color function, it would return a YUV 4:4:4 image. Therefore we need a specific routine to subsample the image, converting it from 4:4:4 to 4:2:2.
Once we have generated both the function and the test bench file, the next step is to use C simulation to ensure that the function performs as desired. If it does not, we can quickly and easily modify the test bench or the source code and re simulate until we obtain the desired results.
Once assured that we’ve properly defined the desired function at the C level, we then synthesise the function using Vivado HLS to produce HDL. As part of the synthesis process, Vivado HLS estimates the resource utilization. For this example, where we are targeting the Zynq Z-7020 SoC, the estimate showed that the following resources would be required:
Resource Estimation
We now wish to perform co-simulation with the synthesized output. This step allows us to use the C test bench to stimulate the generated HDL using an HDL simulation tool. The images below show the original input image and the resultant output image.
Original Image
Co-Simulation Gaussian Blur 3x3
Once the co-simulation is complete, we can examine the resultant output image and, if we wish, the simulation waveforms. There is also a status report on the co-simulation, which not only reports the pass/fail status but also the function latency. We can compare this latency from co-simulation against the synthesis report, which also contains the expected latency. However, the expected latency shown in the synthesis report is based on handling the maximum row and column sizes while the latency estimation in the simulation results are based on the actual image size passed to it.
Once we are happy with the co-simulation and know that the function works as intended, the final step is to export the module into our Vivado IP library and insert the new IP module into our image-processing chain. This we can achieve very easily by using the Export RTL option and completing the configuration options as you desire as shown below:
This will package the IP. You will find the packaged IP core and a Zip file of the IP core within your project’s solutions directory.
We can then open our Vivado design and import the IP Core we just created from the IP Catalog. However, to do this we first need to create an IP Repository within our project using the projects settings dialog on the IP tab:
Creation of the IP repository with this example highlighted
After we create the IP Repository, it will not contain any IP Cores. We need to add cores to it using the IP Catalog. Within the IP Catalog, you should see the Repository that we just created. Right-click on the Repository and then select Add IP to Repository option.
This will open a dialog box so that we can select the IP Core we wish to add to the repository. We can select either the component.xml or the zipped archive. When this is complete, you will see the IP core located within the Repository, ready for use in a block diagram.
Having now shown how we can quickly and easily get image processing functions up and running, I will now start to look at how we can get image data into and out of our system in the next blog post.
Incidentally I am attending the Embedded System Conference in Minneapolis next week and giving several talks including one on High Level Synthesis. If you are attending, please come by and say hello.
Code is available on Github as always.
If you want E book or hardback versions of previous MicroZed chronicle blogs, you can get them below.
First Year E Book here
First Year Hardback here
Second Year E Book here
Second Year Hardback here
All of Adam Taylor’s MicroZed Chronicles are cataloged here.Both the United States government and Nazi German government used IBM punched card technology for some parts of their camps operation and record keeping.
By country [ edit ]
Germany [ edit ]
In Germany, during World War II, IBM engaged in business practices which have been the source of controversy. Much attention focuses on the role of IBM's German subsidiary, known as Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschaft, or Dehomag. Topics in this regard include
documenting operations by Dehomag which allowed the Nazis to better organize their war effort, and in particular the Holocaust and use of Nazi concentration camps;
comparing these efforts to operations by other IBM subsidiaries which aided other nations' war efforts;
and ultimately, assessing the degree to which IBM should be held culpable for atrocities which were made possible by its actions.
the selection methods as developed and used had the purpose to select and kill civil people.
United States [ edit ]
In the United States IBM was, at the request of the government, the subcontractor for the Japanese internment camps' punched card project:
His grand design for 1943 was a locator file in which would appear a Hollerith alphabetic punch card for each evacuee. These cards were to include standard demographic information about age, sex, education, occupation, family size, medical history, criminal record, and RC location. However, additional data categories about links to Japan were also maintained, such as years of residence in Japan and the extent of education received there... The punch card project was so extensive and immediate that the War Relocation Authority subcontracted the function to IBM.[1]
IBM equipment was used for cryptography by US Army and Navy organisations, Arlington Hall and OP-20-G and similar Allied organisations using Hollerith punched cards (Central Bureau and the Far East Combined Bureau).
Critics of IBM's actions during World War II [ edit ]
A 2001 book by Edwin Black, entitled IBM and the Holocaust, reached the conclusion that IBM's commercial activities in Germany during World War II make it morally complicit in the Holocaust.[2][3] An updated 2002 paperback edition of the book included new evidence of the connection between IBM's United States headquarters, which controlled a Polish subsidiary, and the Nazis.[2] Oliver Burkeman wrote for The Guardian, "The paperback provides the first evidence that the company's dealings with the Nazis were controlled from its New York headquarters throughout the second world war."[2]
In February 2001, an Alien Tort Claims Act claim was filed in U.S. federal court on behalf of concentration camp survivors against IBM. The suit accused IBM of allegedly providing the punched card technology that facilitated the Holocaust, and for covering up German IBM subsidiary Dehomag's activities.[4][5] In April 2001, the lawsuit was dropped after lawyers feared the suit would slow down payments from a German Holocaust fund for Holocaust survivors who had suffered under Nazi persecution.[4] IBM's German division had paid $3 million into the fund, while making it clear they were not admitting liability.[4]
In 2004, the human rights organization Gypsy International Recognition and Compensation Action (GIRCA) filed suit against IBM in Switzerland.[4] The case was dismissed in 2006, as the statute of limitations had expired.[6]
Responses to critics [ edit ]
In an "IBM Statement on Nazi-era Book and Lawsuit", IBM responded in February 2001 that:
It has been known for decades that the Nazis used Hollerith equipment and that IBM's German subsidiary during the 1930s – Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen GmbH (Dehomag) – supplied Hollerith equipment. As with hundreds of foreign-owned companies that did business in Germany at that time, Dehomag came under the control of Nazi authorities prior to and during World War II. It is also widely known that Thomas J. Watson, Sr., received and subsequently repudiated and returned a medal presented to him by the German government for his role in global economic relations. These well-known facts appear to be the primary underpinning for these recent allegations.[7]
Richard Bernstein, writing for The New York Times Book Review in 2001, pointed out that "many American companies did what I.B.M. did.... What then makes I.B.M. different?" He states that Black's case in his book IBM and the Holocaust "is long and heavily documented, and yet he does not demonstrate that I.B.M. bears some unique or decisive responsibility for the evil that was done."[8] IBM quoted this claim in a March 2002 "Addendum to IBM Statement on Nazi-era Book and Lawsuit," after the publication of Black's revised paperback edition:
Mr. Black is asserting that IBM is withholding materials regarding this era in its archives. There is no basis for such assertions and we deplore the use of such claims to sell books.[9]
See also [ edit ](Image: NASA/STScI/Magellan/U.Arizona/D.Clowe et al.)
Hundreds of clusters of galaxies are streaming en masse towards a region at the edge of the visible universe. The discovery has taken astronomers completely by surprise because the movement is independent of the universe’s expansion.
A team led by Alexander Kashlinsky of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, stumbled upon the flow while studying how galaxy clusters affect the photons of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the radiation left over from the big bang.
Kashlinsky has dubbed the stream “dark flow” to align it with the other as yet-unexplained characteristics of the universe, dark matter and dark energy.
Advertisement
The discovery arose because the movement of the clusters changed the frequency of CMB photons, creating a Doppler effect, the characteristic signature of movement. “To our great surprise, we found a very weak but identifiable [Doppler] signal, significantly above the noise,” Kashlinsky told New Scientist.
According to the observations, the clusters are all moving towards a patch of sky that lies between the constellations Vela and Centaurus. Some are speeding away at about 1000 kilometres per second, and it seems likely the flow continues to the edge of the visible universe.
“This motion extends all the way to at least a billion light years, and perhaps longer,” says Kashlinsky. “If it already goes so far, it would be very puzzling if it just stopped.”
Mystery mass
No one knows what might be causing the flow. The best guess so far is the gravitational pull of something with a very large mass that lies outside our observable universe. “I don’t know if I would call it matter. It could be some gigantic singularity,” Kashlinsky says.
If there is something so massive beyond the edge of the visible universe, it could provide support for inflation theory, which suggests that our universe underwent a period of exponential expansion just after it began. Inflation suggests that massive structures, though not visible to us, could exist beyond our horizon.
Dark flow is not the first CMB anomaly to hint at large-scale structures that cannot be explained. Hans Kristian Eriksen of the University of Oslo in Norway, who has done similar work, says the new study “is very interesting”.
“It suggests that there are structures on larger scales than people have believed so far,” he says.
Journal reference: Astrophysical Journal Letters
Cosmology – Keep up with the latest ideas in our special report.Which party controls Congress? Which, the White House? The answer reveals the “balance of power” in the two branches of government that have elected officials (Congress and the White House). [Jump to chart]
Americans seem to prefer that the checks-and-balances envisioned by the founders be facilitated by having different parties control Congress and the White House.
Contrary to popular belief, most of the time (in modern political history, post 1945) Congress and the President are at odds ; that is, most of the time the same political party does not control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
; that is, most of the time the same political party does not control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Congress has usually been controlled by the same party (post WWII) with the “odd man out” being, literally, the President. Only 16 times (32 years) since 1945 have both branches of Congress and the Presidency been controlled by the same party; the Democrats have held this advantage more often than Republicans (11 to 4). However, it has happened four times (8 years) since 2003, making this seem more common that it has been, historically (Republicans, three times). Prior to WWII, having House, Senate and White House controlled by the same party was the norm.
Only 16 times (32 years) since 1945 have both branches of Congress and the Presidency been controlled by the same party; the Democrats have held this advantage more often than Republicans (11 to 4). However, it has happened four times (8 years) since 2003, making this seem more common that it has been, historically (Republicans, three times). Prior to WWII, having House, Senate and White House controlled by the same party was the norm. Since 1945, the House and Senate have been controlled by different parties only six times (12 years). The first three (in succession) were under Reagan (1981-1986). The other three have been since the 2000 elections, which makes this “seem” more normal to us than it is, historically. From 1901-1945, this happened only twice.
And there have been only two complete turn-overs of Congress since 1949: one in 1995 and the other in 2007.
Demographics
When the 115th Congress convened January 3, 2017, it had 21 women in the Senate and 83 women in the House. Four of the new female Democrats are minorities:
These four members join Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), who became the first Asian-American woman to gain a seat in the chamber in 2012, and will bring the total number of minority women in the Senate to four.
Women account for 50.8% of the US population but only 21% of the US Senate and 19% of the House. We rank 99th out of 193 countries in terms of women’s parliamentary representation.
Demographics: age
The average age of members of the 114th Congress was slightly younger than in recent history:
114th Congress (2015-2016): 57.0 years for Representatives and 61.0 years for Senators
111th Congress (2009-2010): 57.2 years for Representatives and 63.1 years for Senators
U.S. Representatives must be at least 25 years old when they assume office (January following the November even-year election). Senators must be at least 30 years old. (CRS report)In this June 26, 2014, file photo, Boulder County clerk Hillary Hall congratulates longtime couple Jennifer Knight, left, and Felice Cohen, after Hall granted them a marriage license, inside the offices of the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder, in Boulder, Colo. Colorado state Attorney General John Suthers says the licenses aren't valid, and has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court seeking an order for Hall to stop issuing the licenses. (Photo11: Brennan Linsley, AP)
DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court has ordered the Boulder County Clerk to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples while it considers whether the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional.
A federal judge has already struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, but stayed his decision's impact until the U.S. Supreme Court could rule on it. Boulder County Clerk Hillary Hall began issuing licenses to same-sex couples in June after a different federal court struck down Utah's similar ban. Hall had refused to stop issuing licenses despite earlier requests because Utah's ban is similar to Colorado's.
STORY: Colo. AG wants to halt clerk's gay marriage licenses
STORY: U.S. judge strikes down Colorado gay marriage ban
Hall argues that withholding marriage licences from same-sex couples violates their civil rights. In a statement issued Tuesday, Hall said she would abide by the state court's decision.
"Given the avalanche of recent cases determining that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, I am hopeful the stay will be short-lived and that we will be able to resume issuing licenses soon," Hall said.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers says the U.S. Supreme Court needs to rule on the state's gay-marriage ban to ensure consistency. Hall continued issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite Suthers' repeated requests that she temporarily stop.
Because Hall refused to stop issuing licenses, Suthers filed an unusual protest with the Colorado Supreme Court on Sunday. In his filing, Suthers said Hall was creating chaos because state law doesn't have a provision for stopping a clerk from issuing licenses illegally. Because the elected clerk issued the licenses, the state has to accept them even if they are illegal, he argued.
"Today, the Colorado Supreme Court restored order to the state's legal process by making it clear that all clerk and recorders should comply with existing state law," Suthers said in a statement. "We are pleased that the focus may now return to the important constitutional issues posed by the same-sex marriage cases pending in Colorado and around the country."
Since June, Hall has issued 202 licenses to same-sex couples before halting Tuesday afternoon.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1rNwFIW
|
you landmark, developers hate it – bottom line,” Costa says. Because much of New York’s residential zones are already built on, developers look for small buildings they can tear down – which is difficult if a neighbourhood has landmark status, and nearly impossible if a specific building does.
Could it work in Crown Heights? There are 33 landmarked or “historical” districts in Brooklyn, including three in north Crown Heights, which protect 1,752 buildings and sites. Any new construction or alterations are subject to review by the Landmarks Commission. These are often approved, but must be aesthetically compatible with the neighbourhood – a fact that has often been used to limit the height of new buildings or kill projects entirely.
But the process takes time. And gentrification can transform a neighbourhood more quickly than many people can react.
Has Vancouver found the solution to a super-heated housing market? Read more
Ayanna Prescod is watching it happen. She was born in Crown Heights, as was her mother and her mother’s parents too: Prescod’s grandfather bought his house as a wedding gift in the 1950s for $15,000. The house next door recently sold for $1.8m.
Sitting in Lula Bagel, a pricey coffee shop whose proprietors started with an espresso bar in Williamsburg, she explains over blaring reggae music that her grandmother gets daily inquiries about selling up. “We get a lot of cards. Some people are very bold and ring the doorbell, saying: ‘We’ll take your house for cash.’ But, like, there’s people living here.”
Prescod, a young entrepreneur who founded the local news blog OurBKsocial, says she considers educating her neighbours to be part of her community duty. “Brooklyn is now the most expensive place to live in America, which is ridiculous. Making sure people know about that – that’s what I can do.
“Williamsburg and Bushwick, to me, are gone – forget it,” Prescod says. “The neighbourhood is totally gone. At least with Crown Heights, we still have the neighborhood feel. I hope it doesn’t go away.”
Are you experiencing or resisting gentrification in your city? Share your stories in the comments below, through our dedicated callout, or on Twitter using #GlobalGentrificationPlease enable Javascript to watch this video
DENVER -- A Denver real estate broker, who police say admitted to taking video up women’s skirts, will not face criminal charges after the district attorney's office was forced to dismiss the case on a technicality.
Patrick Finney is believed to have used open houses to take video up women’s skirts, according to an affidavit and application for arrest warrant filed with the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
He is still in business, selling homes in the Denver area without worrying about a criminal investigation.
A complaint against Finney, the owner of FINN Real Estate in Denver, and investigated by the Denver Police Department led to a search warrant and a confession, according to the affidavit.
The investigation found Finney, 45, shot inappropriate video of women.
The case led to misdemeanor complaints of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification. Prosecutors have been forced to throw out the complaints, citing a statute of limitations.
Finney’s now ex-girlfriend told police she found up-skirt videos on Finney’s email account in August 2015. She told police she believes Finney shot the videos during open houses.
It’s unclear when the videos were recorded. What is clear is the ex-girlfriend did not report the videos to police until February.
The delay in reporting means criminal complaints in the case are not able be served within an 18-month window as mandated by a statute of limitations.
The statute means that even though police say Finney confessed, state law requires the case to be thrown out.
"I am grateful to put this matter behind me and focus on my growing family," Finney said in a statement. "I am working every day to be a better person for my family and my community."David Scharf/Science Faction/Corbis
A decade ago, hot on the heels of whole-genome sequencing, the idea of three-dimensional genome mapping was developed1. Now, the highest-resolution 3D map of the fruitfly genome has been produced2, an important step towards understanding whether, and how, the structure of the genome affects its function.
Chromosomes and their genes are arranged in a specific way throughout the nucleus, and because the nucleotide sequence of a genome alone cannot explain the functions of its genes, researchers have started investigating how the spatial organization of genes might affect how they work.
“Conceptually, we’re entering a new era,” says study author Giacomo Cavalli, of the Institute of Human Genetics in Montpellier, France. “Forty years ago we looked at single genes, now we know we need to look at them in context — that’s the 3D folding of chromosomes.”
Such 3D organization could allow control of gene regulation in ways that are otherwise impossible, explains Job Dekker, whose laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester developed a key method3 for determining these structures, but who was not involved in the study. “The 3D folding of chromosomes adds an additional layer of genome control, allowing different loci far apart to associate in 3D space and regulate each other.”
The 3D map, published today in Cell, shows that the fly genome is divided into distinct physical domains. Actively expressed genes were found within the same physical domains, and genes that were repressed as a result of epigenetic marks (chemical groups added to the DNA and its associated proteins that don't change its coding sequence) were found in other distinct physical regions.
The team identified specific proteins associated with the domain boundaries, and hypothesized that they might stop interactions outside these domains. Although this seems true to an extent, Cavalli explains that it is “still not quite right”.
In fact, active and inactive domains tended to cluster together. But while active domains ‘reach out’ and interact with distant loci, even on different chromosomes, repressed domains were more likely to be confined to their own chromosomal regions.
Dekker describes this latest fly map as “exciting and important” because of the relatively small size of the genome, which allowed a high-resolution map to be generated. As Cavalli notes, the resolutions achieved in previous whole-genome 3D maps were limited by sequencing power because they looked at organisms with such large genomes. "Even in a genome with only 1,000 genes, you have potentially 1,000 connections, and so need 1 million sequences. In order to do statistical analysis you need even more — maybe tens of millions." In maps of human genomes, for example, it wasn't possible to sequence enough gene pairs to get to a decent resolution. Flies, with 13,600 genes, have around 9,000 fewer genes than humans, but Cavalli’s team still had to sequence 360 million DNA pairs for their study.
Bright future
Applications for 3D mapping abound — from the analysis of different developmental stages in embryos to understanding the genetic changes that occur in disease. Cancerous cells, for example, are known to behave very differently from normal cells, experiencing changes in gene location as well as differences in gene expression.
Karen Meaburn, a cancer geneticist at the US National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland, says that these 3D maps “are just what we need — good, strong foundations for us to start answering all these other questions”.
But cell biologist Tom Misteli at the NCI cautions that the ability to map genomes in 3D is still new. “There will be a flurry of 3D genome mapping papers, but there won’t be one map that will apply to all cells in a population; different cells will have variations of a common map.”
As more maps are produced, researchers hope they will identify some general principles of genome organization, and help to answer what Tom Sexton, another author on the Cell paper, describes as “the million-dollar question“: whether or not genome structure does indeed influence gene function.A New Jersey Democratic strategist and former mayoral candidate has created a “#HuntRepublicanCongressmen” hashtag campaign in response to the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) on Wednesday.
In a post on Facebook, James Devine said he had “little sympathy” for Scalise because he opposed President Obama’s gun control efforts:
Devine then posted, both on Facebook and Twitter, the “#HuntRepublicanCongressmen” hashtag, claiming, “We are in a war with selfish, foolish & narcissistic rich people.” In another tweet, he added that he can “only stand so much hand writing on Fox News”:
To support his lack of sympathy for Scalise, Devine claimed Scalise once spoke at a conference by a group called the European-American Unity & Rights Organization, which was started by David Duke. Scalise has since apologized for the talk, but other reports claim he was never actually at the talk.
Devine also shared a facetious tweet about how a way to celebrate Flag Day is to shoot members of Congress:
Devine accused detractors of being “snowflakes” and said Republicans have not engaged in civil discourse, citing the debunked story that Sarah Palin led to the shooting of Gabby Giffords.
Devine defended his tweets in a statement to the Asbury Park Press.
Devine said, “I think it speaks for itself.”
"Yesterday's events are the result of escalating rhetoric and vitriol that has been evident in our political system culminating with the election of our president and the chickens came home to roost, you know?" he asked.
“I think some people will be shocked and offended," he added, “and other people might be woken up to the fact that this is nothing that wasn't invited by things like Sarah Palin's crosshairs on Gabby Giffords before she was shot.”
Devine told MyCentralJersey.com that the government is currently tyrannical and that the shooter on Wednesday was simply exercising his Second Amendment rights.
After referencing a tweet by Republican Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Devine said, "Well, now that we have a tyrannical government, to use another Republican's words, James Hodgkinson is a citizen availing himself of his Second Amendment remedies."
Kevin O'Brien, the chairman of the Rahway Democratic Committee, said, “The only response I would have is that I abhor all violence and there is no place for violence in American democracy.”
According to a previous report by NJ.com, Devine was once found guilty of shoplifting while running for mayor of Rahway. Devine has reportedly been involved in Democratic politics for 35 years.
Like the shooter on Wednesday, Devine was also a vocal supporter of 2016 Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!Missed out on all the Battlefield 3 PS3 patch details? No problem! You can catch up on all the latest news right here. As many PlayStation 3 users may have already noticed, a number of features made it into the patch that weren’t officially announced in the recent patch notes provided by DICE. Thanks to a number of good folks, we’ve been able to compile a list of these “hidden” features in one convenient place.
We’d like to thank Reddit user “2wheels” and all who commented on his thread. Of course, we’d also like to thank all of our Twitter and Facebook followers who really helped us out big time today. Big thank you to all of our readers and commenters who’ve helped us compile this list!
Again, these notes will not include what was already mentioned in the official patch notes. Without further adieu and in no particular order:
Updates:
Current map and Next Map is revealed in Server Information screen as a “Play” icon and “Fast Forward”
RPK now has extended mags
The QBB-95 gets an extra heavy barrel unlock at 300 kills
The Extended mag was removed from the MG-36, but replaced with a free heavy barrel
Items like the 12x scope for the Famas or the suppressor for the MK3A1 Jackhammer are removed
CITV station now gives off a red beam much like the soflam beam
Graphical Tweaks:
No blind colour mode, but all the icons seem to be much easier to see
Possible slight camera and animation changes: Heli’s and jets seem to explode and break up a lot more smoothly
More saturation
Less blue tint
Easier to see icons
Audio Tweaks:
Can hear footsteps, reloading as well as voiceovers much more clearly
User Interface Tweaks:
Minimap has more focus on team function icons (heal, repair, flags)
Icons for vehicles on spawn screen
Easier to see what spawn point is selected on map when selecting spawn
Other squad leader objectives are marked on flags
Movement Tweaks:
Much better responsiveness (Even better with AA turned off)
Noticeably faster repositioning from prone to standing or crouching position
No more “supercrawl” or “superworm”
Vehicle Tweaks:
Moved AA on Kharg (US on carrier, Russian at air strip)
Faster vehicle spawn (Mainly air vehicles)
Attack helicopter on non-B2K maps respawn in 30 seconds instead of 80 seconds
You can fly through poles from half way and up
Can spawn into AA guns
Jets guided missiles can take out a tank and nearby infantry in 2-3 hits
Below Radar has been buffed
Stinger takes about 2 or less seconds to lock onto and fire, missiles seem to move slightly faster, 1 hit disable
Havoc is noticeably easier to control
All air vehicles now start with flares as a minimum
Scout heli on Sharqi Rush added for attackers
Jeep horns have been added
Ground vehicles can be locked onto even when no person was or is in it
Jets have reduced bullet damage
Multiple players spawning into same jet/heli seems better
Air radar is reduced in effectivity, only jets and helicopters are visible and if one uses ECM jammer or below radar, they’ll be invisible on the air radar
CITV station now gives off a red beam much like the soflam beam
Equipment and Attachment Tweaks:
Laser marker or maybe guided missile range seems to have been increased
Red laser designator can be seen from tanks and heli’s as well as SOFLAM’s now
Tactical light nerf
Greater recoil when suppressed
RPK now has extended mags
The QBB-95 gets an extra heavy barrel unlock at 300 kills
The Extended mag was removed from the MG-36, but replaced with a free heavy barrel
Items like the 12x scope for the Famas or the suppressor for the MK3A1 Jackhammer are removed
Squad Tweaks:
Can change squad without leaving the current squad.
Visible squads now only at 3: Can create new squads
There is a much longer period in which you can be revived
Ribbons and Medal Tweaks:
Nemesis medal reduced to 30 ribbons
Suppression reduced from 7 to 4
MCOM Attacker reduced from 3 to 2
MCOM Defender reduced from 4 to 2
Anti-Explosive increased from 2 to 3
Air Warfare reduced from 6 to 5
Match and Map Tweaks:
Can now quit between rounds
Shorter game start countdown
No minimum player count: Players can move around right away, points begin to count after 8 players join
Match Making option in multi player, seems to be for esport/organized scrims on custom servers
Current map and Next Map is revealed in Server Information screen as a “Play” icon and “Fast Forward”
Separate customizations for US and RU
5-flag Wake Island: Conquest Assault
Added ladder to Sharqi TV tower
On Grand Bazaar Rush, the attackers get a tank after the first set of objectives, instead of the second
Changed the out-of-bounds: Noshar Canals
Server Tweaks:
Custom Servers, read here for server prices, more servers to come during the week
Over 1000 ticket custom servers on console
Conquest Assault browser filter added
Other Tweaks:
Additional Dogtags have been added (A-91 and M26 dog tags. As well as a tag for the game ‘Syndicate’)
US Assault/Medic’s arms are now darker-skinned to reflect character model
Shortcut bundles added (read here for more details)
Of course, feel free to add, correct, confirm or deny any of these unannounced PS3 patch notes in the comments below! We will update accordingly.
Sources: Comments, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit[[wysiwyg_imageupload:13603:]]
Not coming as all that surprising, but today at an investor's meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that Captain America 2 will set up The Avengers 2.
Iger is quoted by The Wrap as saying that Captain America 2 will "set critical events in motion" that will lead directly into next year's The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.
In addition, Iger also said that parts of Captain America 2 will be be in part reflected in the Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series.
If this all sounds familiar, that is because it is as news of the Captain America 2 post-credit scene stated similar details as well as mention of a big surprise.
Apparently no mention was made of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which hits in August.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier has an April 4th release, with The Avengers: Age Of Ultron getting released May 6, 2015.
Watch The Avengers: Age of Ultron reveal from Comic-Con:Around the end of World War II and German surrender in 1945, a pair of peace conferences in Potsdam and Yalta split the defeated land into four territories controlled by the Allied powers. The Soviets took the East (known as the German Democratic Republic, or GDR), and the United States, Britain, and France each got a piece of the West. Berlin, the longtime capital, was also divided into East and West, even though it was located entirely within Soviet borders.
The barrier that was eventually erected on the city's East/West border stood for nearly three decades. On November 9, 1989, East and West Germans converged on the Berlin Wall, successfully breaking through die Mauer. Below, a few things you might not know about the structure.
1. THE WALL WAS BUILT TO KEEP PEOPLE IN.
Between 1949 and 1961, almost 3 million people defected from East Germany to the West, and almost all went through Berlin. Each day thousands of Berliners on both sides crossed the border in order to work and shop, and though the city sat some 100 miles from the actual West/East border, defectors from the East were able to escape into the West due to this “loophole.” In the two and a half months prior to the wall going up, more than 67,000 people defected to the West, many of them doctors, teachers, students, and engineers. Roughly half were younger than 25.
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev lamented this “brain drain,” and on August 13, 1961, the GDR closed the border between the two sides. Thus, unlike ancient walls built in China and northern England, die Mauer was not constructed to repel invaders; it was thrown together and manned to stop the incessant flow of Germans escaping to live and work in the West.
2. THE EAST GERMANS TORE UP CITY STREETS TO CONSTRUCT THE WALL.
GDR chairman Walter Ulbricht gathered government officials at a lake house on August 12, and by midnight, operational head Erich Honecker was given orders to seal the borders. He amassed more than 3000 troops, along with armored vehicles, in the city center. Another 4000 formed a security perimeter to prevent people from breaking through.
The next morning, GDR troops ripped apart the surface of Friedrich-Ebert Strasse and piled the loose chunks into a makeshift barrier, while armed guards stood in front ready to shoot any East Germans who tried to defect. Barbed-wire and posts were hastily added to lengthen and secure the makeshift structure, which eventually wound irregularly though the city and surrounding countryside and measured approximately 96 miles long.
3. THE WALL GREW OVER TIME.
Although initially built with wayward parts, concrete slabs, and housing materials, over time—as people found a way to escape—the wall became more elaborate. In 1963, a border area was added behind the wall, which was reinforcedwith individual barriers and additional fencing. The wall topped out at 12 feet in places, with a pipe placed on top that made climbing over nearly impossible. Apartment buildings that straddled the border were either abandoned or torn down, and in the '70s, an inner wall was built to eliminate access to the main fence.
4. THE WALL WAS LOADED WITH SECURITY MEASURES.
In addition to the concrete and barbed wire, the 96.3-mile wall came with 302 observation towers, 259 dog runs, 20 bunkers manned by more than 11,000 soldiers, and more than 79 miles of electrified fencing.
5. THE "DEATH STRIP" WAS AS SCARY AS IT SOUNDS.
For any East German attempting to escape, a 30-150 meter stretch called the “Death Strip” was put in place to halt defectors and stop any potential attacks. Along with the floodlights was a line of antitank barricades, a signal fence that activated an alarm, beds of nails called “Stalin’s lawn,” buried mines, and electrified fencing. A row of freshly raked sand was added to show footprints, and armed guards in towers had orders to shoot any would-be defector if the other measures were ineffective.
6. "CHECKPOINT CHARLIE" WAS THE MOST WELL-KNOWN CROSSING.
A handful of border crossings allowed those with official documentation to move between the West and the East, and the Checkpoint C crossing at Friedrichstrasse was the only one used by foreigners and Allied forces. In October 1961, it was the site of a tank standoff between Soviet and U.S. forces. U.S. diplomat Edwin Allan Lightner was traveling to East Germany and was stopped at the border. But he refused to show his papers to the East German border guards, insisting that U.S. policy stated he was to only show them to the Soviets. After several days of escalating arguments about border access, the Allies sent 10 tanks to Checkpoint Charlie, and the Soviets followed suit. For 16 hours the tanks squared off before cooler heads prevailed and both sides backed down.
7. THE WALL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN 130 DEATHS.
After being cut off from her sister, who lived just blocks away on the western side of the wall, Ida Siekmann, 58, jumped from the third-story window of her apartment building and died on August 22, 1961. The first shooting victim was Günter Litfin, who lived and worked in the West, but had returned to the East side prior to the wall going up. He tried to run across the railroad tracks, but was shot in the head by police on August 24.
Some estimates put the number of people who died attempting to cross to the West at more than 200, but a German research group confirmed 138 deaths [PDF].
8. ABOUT HALF OF ALL EAST GERMAN DEFECTORS MADE IT.
Stories abound of East Germans flying balloons, ramming cars through the Wall, jumping out of windows, and shimmying down a wire to escape. About 5,000 people were able to make it of an estimated 10,000 who tried. Most, however, used bribes and forged documents to leave.
9. THE EAST GERMANS DYNAMITED AN ADJACENT CHURCH.
A chapel called the Church of Reconciliation, which was mainly used by West German worshippers, unfortunately sat in the Death Strip and was abandoned after the wall went up. On January 22, 1985, the East Germans blew up the crumbling, 19th century Protestant church.
10. TWO U.S. PRESIDENTS GAVE ICONIC SPEECHES THERE.
John F. Kennedy supposedly told White House aides that “a Wall is a hell of a lot better than a war,” and deflected suggestions that he deal with the Wall aggressively. But on June 26, 1963, just a few months before he was killed, he spoke in front of nearly half a million Germans on the steps of Berlin’s city hall, Rathaus Schöneberg, declaring “Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)” in order to offer support to West Germany and offer a contrast between the two sides.
In June 1987, Ronald Reagan visited on Berlin’s 750th Anniversary, stood at the Brandenburg Gate, and demanded of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
11. THE BOSS ROCKED IT.
Springsteen and the E-Street band performed a concert for over 300,000 in East Berlin in July 1988, and the show was also broadcast across the world. Speaking in German, Springsteen told the crowd, “I want to tell you that I’m not here for or against any government, I have come to play rock 'n roll for the East Berliners, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down.”
12. WHEN IT FELL, IT FELL "IMMEDIATELY."
Hungary loosened its physical borders in the summer of 1989 and more than 13,000 East German tourists streamed into Austria. Some restrictions were placed on citizens to prevent such a massive exodus, but the writing was on the wall. By the fall, longtime GDR leader Hoenecker was forced out of office, 500,000 people demonstrated in Berlin, and GDR spokesman Günter Schabowski declared in a press conference that citizens would be able to freely travel to the West “immediately.” The government tried to call for a slower, more orderly migration, but the order was taken literally and thousands of people stormed the wall, tearing it apart on both the East and West sides.
13. THE WALL CAN BE YOURS!
It took nearly a year for East and West Germany to become officially reunified. Meanwhile “mauerspechtes,” or wall peckers, chipped away at the concrete fortification and took pieces away for souvenirs and memorials. You can even buy a piece on eBay.One of the great pleasures in Australian sport is watching skipper Steve Smith bat.
He defies traditional batting techniques – he does it the Steve Smith way, which is highly effective, as the best bowlers in the world have found out.
There’s no elegance in his strokeplay, but who gives a continental when bat meets ball with every part of Smith’s superb hand-eye co-ordination and body movement in perfect sync.
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share
Yesterday and last night at the Gabba was another Steve Smith special to post his first Test ton against Pakistan.
It took 192 deliveries of sheer patience with his strokeplay netting 16 boundaries.
By normal Smith standards that was slow, but the situation demanded he stuck around while still accumulating runs.
As a result he shared a 76-run third wicket partnership with Matt Renshaw (71), and an unbroken 137 fourth wicket stand with Peter Handscomb (64*) for Australia to end day one well in control at 3-288.
Two new boys on the Test block being led by their skipper – a huge bonus for Australian cricket.
That was Smith’s 16th Test ton in his 88th dig, only Bradman (48), Herbert Sutcliffe (69), Matt Hayden (77), and Sunil Gavaskar (85) have been faster to the milestone.
Advertisement
Advertisement
But when it comes to Test tons compared to dismissals among Australian skippers, Steve Smith is second only to The Don.
And when it’s acknowledged Don Bradman was a batting genius in cricket history, Steve Smith is the best of the mere mortals.
Bradman scored 27 Test tons among his 70 dismissals – that gave him three figures every 2.59 visits to the crease – a staggering stat.
But Smith’s stats are brilliant as well.
2.59 – Don Bradman with 27 Test tons from 70 dismissals.
4.37 – Steve Smith – 16 from 70.
5.50 – Greg Chappell – 24 from 132.
6.05 – Neil Harvey – 21 from 127.
6.29 – Ricky Ponting – 41 from 258.
6.29 – Michael Clarke – 28 from 176.
6.33 – Arthur Morris -m12 from 76.
6.60 – Lindsay Hassett – 10 from 66.
6.69 – Steve Waugh – 32 from 214.
6.88 – Adam Gilchrist – 17 from 117.
7.14 – Bill Woodfull – 7 from 50.
7.50 – Herbie Collins – 4 from 30.
8.11 – Allan Border – 27 from 219.
8.40 – Brian Booth – 5 from 42.
8.38 – Graham Yallop – 8 from 67.
8.54 – Bill Lawry – 13 from 111.
9.00 – Ian Chappell – 14 from 126.
9.00 – Jack Ryder – 3 from 27.
9.11 – Mark Taylor – 19 from 173.
10.40 – Bobby Simpson – 10 from 104.
10.16 – Warren Bardsley – 6 from 61.
12.33 – Warwick Armstrong – 6 from 74.
12.43 – Clem Hill – 7 from 87.
13.11 – Kim Hughes – 9 from 118.
Long may this rich vein of Steve Smith’s batting continue.Shadow chancellor says economists arguing for end to 50p tax band are 'not living in the real world'
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, has accused economists arguing for the abolition of the 50p tax rate of "not living in the real world".
Balls insisted the tax cut priority to should be a temporary reduction in VAT to boost consumer confidence, rather than a break for top earners, which he said would be "unfair" in the current climate.
The shadow chancellor made his comments a day after a group of leading economists used an article in the Financial Times to urge the chancellor, George Osborne, to scrap the 50p tax rate at the earliest opportunity.
The group said the UK needed to return to an "internationally competitive tax regime" to stimulate the stuttering economy.
The economists claimed the 50p rate "is clearly a self-defeating way for the Treasury to raise the money and a reduction in tax avoidance would be more effective".
But Balls said cutting the tax for the highest earners, which "raises billions of pounds", should not be "the first priority".
"Do you really think, when we need to get the economy moving, do you really think the first priority is not to cut VAT for families or find other ways to help families on middle incomes but to only cut to taxes for people on incomes over £150,000?" asked Balls.
"I think people watching these economists yesterday making these arguments must think these people are not in the real world."
He said while taxes should be fair "and as low as possible", the deficit had to be kept under control and this meant "everybody" had to make a contribution.
He added: "George Osborne, if he wants a plan B should listen to wiser advice than that."
But his arguments were countered by Kitty Ussher, Labour's former Treasury minister, who used an article in the Wall Street Journal to argue that Labour should be "brave enough" to commit itself to ditching the top rate of tax in the future to avoid looking "all 1970s-ideological", and focus on some other "truly progressive measures" to address the deficit instead.
She argues that the revenue from the top rate of tax will have "no meaningful impact on the size of the government deficit, simply because of the magnitude of the sums involved" and that its importance lies in its "totemic nature".
Ussher claimed one of the reasons Labour introduced it in the 2009 budget was "because there were some Labour politicians that liked putting up income taxes on top earners as a point of principle, regardless of the economic cycle".
Ussher wrote in WSJ: "Were the Labour party to say now that it intends to abolish the tax in the future, it would be hugely to opposition leader Ed Miliband's advantage. It would project him beyond the populist into the realm of the serious. And it would stop him from looking all 1970s-ideological if the chancellor's own official review subsequently showed that the tax didn't raise any money."
Cameron will try to defuse the row over withdrawing the 50p tax rate on those earning £150,000 or more by waiting for the outcome of a review commissioned by the chancellor into whether the tax is bringing in the expected revenue. The review is unlikely to amass sufficient data in time for the spring 2012 budget.
Downing Street confirmed that the priority set out in the coalition agreement was to increase personal allowances for the lowest-paid over the parliament – a key Liberal Democrat commitment.
But in a sign of tensions between the coalition partners over tax policy, the Tory communities secretary, Eric Pickles, broke ranks by saying he thought the 50p rate was probably doing more harm than good.
Pickles told the BBC: "I think there is a strong and reasonable case to say, 'Come on, this is not actually contributing very much.' On balance, it's probably doing more damage than it's doing good."
He said the top rate should be "got rid of" but stressed the timing was up to Osborne.
It emerged on Thursday that the government may bring forward a proposed increase in personal allowances to help boost the economy.
A Downing Street aide told the Daily Express there was "a serious case for accelerating" the introduction of the policy, which the newspaper said would be worth up to £400 a year for low- and middle-income earners.
Responding to the reports, Balls told BBC Breakfast: "If you really want to get spending and purchasing power into the economy quickly, rather than doing it through personal allowances, which tends to be a bit diffuse, better to have a temporary cut in VAT because a cut in VAT puts money into people's pockets straight away. It will have more of an impact upon the economy."
The shadow chancellor also used the round of interviews to urge Osborne to lead the way on a "global plan B" for tackling the fragile economies in America, the eurozone and Britain, rather than "ploughing on regardless".
Osborne insisted on Tuesday that the government would stick to its austerity plans, despite admitting the long-term damage caused to the economy by the credit crunch was forcing him to revise down estimates for growth that were already weak.
Balls told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Osborne and Cameron were "uniquely placed" to make the argument on the international stage, citing the lack of political consensus both in the eurozone and America on the way ahead.
"The irony is that the one country which has the political strength to change course is Britain and to make their argument in the world," Balls said.
"The problem is it's almost the opposite problem: our coalition has decided the cornerstone is sticking to a deficit reduction plan which isn't working, has flatlined our economy.
"Our problem is we can't argue for sanity in the eurozone and America if we are sticking to a failing policy in Britain. That's why George Osborne having a plan B in Britain is necessary for him to make the global argument. We desperately need leadership in these times."A PKR parliamentarian has panned the National Security Council Bill that has just been tabled in Parliament, which he believes will only give excessive powers to the prime minister and endanger civil liberties.
Padang Serai MP N Surendran said the Bill, due to be debated in Parliament, “is definitely a matter of grave concern” to all Malaysians.
“It gives arbitrary, extensive and dangerous new powers to the prime minister personally, and to the new eight-person National Security Council proposed under this Bill,” Surendran said in a statement today.
Citing clause 18(1) of the Bill, he said it would allow the prime minister to declare any area in the country as a “security area”.
Security forces, which include the armed forces, will be given wide powers within the security area.
Further highlighting the seriousness of the matter, Surendran ( photo ) said there will be no limit placed on the size of the area that can be declared a security area.
“A large part or even the whole of Malaysia can be declared a security area,” he pointed out.
“Further, the prime minister on his own can indefinitely extend the initial six-month duration of the declaration of a security area.”
What is more unusual, he said, is how the prime minister is given the enormous power to declare security areas when public order comes under the home minister.
“There appears no precedent for this in our legislative history.
“The Bill thus leads to an excessive concentration of powers in the hands of the prime minister. It is unacceptable under our democratic system that the prime minister is given such powers.”
The government tabled the Bill yesterday, to give the National Security Council (NSC) extensive powers to deal with national security issues.
This includes declaring any area as a security area if the authorities are convinced that there is the likelihood of harm to people, territories, key infrastructure and the economy.
It will also make NSC the government's central authority for considering matters concerning national security.
Meanwhile, describing the role of the director of operations appointed by the NSC, Surendran said he or she would be given powers that include evacuating people from their homes and resettling them; imposing curfews; and wide powers of arrest, search and seizure, including entering and searching homes.
Under Clause 30, the operations director or anyone authorised by the director would have the power to take temporary possession of land and buildings, which includes homes, if necessary by force, said Surendran.
Why stop inquests in security areas?
“This infringes upon the sacrosanct right to property, and may be in breach of Article 13 of the Federal Constitution as well.”
Clause 35, on the other hand, provides that magistrates may dispense with inquests where persons have been killed as a result of operations by security forces.
However, the PKR lawmaker for Padang Seri argued that an inquest was essential in any case of suspicious death.
“What reason can there be to stop inquests in security areas? Not holding in
|
and other countries. U.S. research on marijuana is limited by federal constraints, but more studies are coming.
Colorado will spend more than $8 million researching marijuana’s medical potential, awarding grants for studies on treating epilepsy, brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of the studies still need federal approval.
The Illinois advisory board is well aware of the limits on research, said Dr. Temple, the board chair.
“Where science is lacking we must factor in our compassion more heavily,” Dr. Temple said.
• Online: Medical Cannabis Pilot Program website: https://mcpp.illinois.gov
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC.Toronto - Staff who run blood donor clinics and transport blood and blood products across southern Ontario have given their bargaining team a strike mandate.
In balloting Thursday, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) support workers voted 89 per cent in favour of strike action if it becomes necessary to move negotiations forward. CBS and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) return to the bargaining table December 12.
The strike vote comes after OPSEU members rejected a tentative agreement negotiated in August. Under that agreement, the union had agreed to settle future contract disputes at CBS through interest arbitration.
“The ballots have been counted and the members have spoken,” said Jennifer Johnson, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team. “Listening to what members had to say about the tentative agreement, it is clear that we still have issues to iron out.
“Members feel very strongly that they are not being treated with respect by CBS management, and that is something we hope to address the next time we meet. Our goal is to come out of bargaining with an agreement that our members will be proud to support.”
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas called on CBS to come back to bargaining with an open mind and a willingness to listen.
“There is no question that the blood system is critical to the health and well-being of all Ontarians,” he said. “When workers don’t feel recognized and supported by management in the workplace, the whole system is undermined, and that’s just not acceptable.”
OPSEU represents more than 850 CBS Support workers, including phlebotomists, donor care assistants, donor services representatives, drivers, laboratory assistants, and clerks.
For more information: Andrew Ruszczak, OPSEU negotiator, 416-795-2072This past weekend the controversial reboot of Ghostbusters finally brought in more money than it cost to make, topping $158 million in total worldwide box office receipts, putting to rest any notions that it would be a flop by not making back its $144 million budget.
“But wait,” a whole lot of dudes who got way too personally invested in seeing the gender-swapped action comedy fail said, “The director said the film would have to make $500 million to make money. It’s never going to do that! (P.S. I’m not sexist).”
American movies do cost a ridiculous amount to market, often more than the film’s production budget. The idea that half a billion dollars is wrapped up in the experiment that is Ghostbusters is perfectly conceivable, and the idea that that money will not all be recouped in ticket sales isn’t far-fetched. However, making that your only measure of success is looking at things in a very narrow way.Image copyright Getty Images
The Commons expenses watchdog has published a list of MPs who it says have failed to repay expenses debt - but several have contested its claims.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority initially released 26 names, including ministers Tobias Ellwood, Edward Timpson and Caroline Dinenage.
It later said some MPs had provided clarifying information or repaid the sums, which totalled £2,105.43.
No 10 said David Cameron expected ministers to clear any debts.
A spokesman for Mr Timpson said he would repay the outstanding amount, while Mr Ellwood's office said the claim of £26.50 for parking, train fares, food and drink had been settled.
Ipsa said Ms Dinenage had provided further information about a claim of £13.50 it said had been written off, and there was no amount needing to be repaid by the MP.
Meanwhile the watchdog said the overall bill for MPs' expenses and costs rose to almost £106m in 2014-15.
This was an increase of £1.7m on the previous financial year.
It includes money claimed for staffing and office costs, travel and accommodation - but not MPs' salaries.
Not cost-effective
The total amount written off by the expenses watchdog over the 12-month period was £2,105.43.
MPs' amounts ranged from £7.50 to £309. The reasons they were not paid by Ipsa included because they were outside the allowances scheme or that they were duplicate claims.
Much of the spending was on official credit cards that are automatically paid off by Ipsa before checks on whether they are allowable.
Ipsa said the amounts had been written off because it was not cost-effective to continue to pursue them.
It said MPs were contacted "four times at least" before being named for failing to pay the amounts.
Image copyright Conservative Party Image caption Tobias Ellwood's office said the claim had now been settled
A spokesman for Mr Timpson, minister for children and families and Crewe and Nantwich MP, said he would be repaying £127.70 wrongly claimed for travel expenses "today".
However, Ipsa later said that an error in its system meant Mr Timpson's name had been wrongly included on the list, and it apologised for the mistake.
Ms Dinenage, Junior Minster for Women, Equalities and Family Justice, said she did not owe any money and Ipsa had made a mistake. Ipsa said: "Ms Dinenage has provided Ipsa with further information earlier today. The £13.50 charge that was identified as a debt is no longer owed."
The office of Chris Skidmore, parliamentary private secretary to Chancellor George Osborne, said he was happy to repay the outstanding £125 for a London hotel and had already done so.
Labour MP for Gateshead, Ian Mearns, told the BBC he had paid back the £10 expenses debt to Ipsa.
Daniel Poulter, Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, said he was unaware £229.62 was outstanding in his name or that it had been written off. He said it concerned an invoice from BT that had not been received by Ipsa, so a second copy was now being sent to the watchdog to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, Ipsa said Conservative MP for Warrington South David Mowat had provided additional information about his outstanding expenses and therefore the amount was no longer owed.
The watchdog revised down an initial figure it said Guy Opperman, Conservative MP for Hexham, had failed to pay - from £161.09 to £32.60, which it said had now been repaid. Mr Opperman said he was "extremely disappointed" at Ipsa.
Travel costs
Ipsa has also published information on whom MPs employ, with the figures showing that 169 gave work to their partners, family members or business associates in 2014-15.
Under the rules, MPs are allowed to employ one connected party within the salary scales set by the expenses watchdog.
Details of MPs' property and office landlords has also been made available.
Of the total amount spent by MPs during 2014-15, £82.7m went on staffing - which was up £2.2m compared with the previous year. Travel and subsistence costs rose slightly, too - from almost £4.8m to £4.9m.
Office costs stood at £10.7m, which was lower than the £11.2m spent in 2013-14. Meanwhile, spending on accommodation fell from almost £7m to £6.7m.
Ipsa chief executive Marcial Boo said: "Our regular publications include every single penny claimed by MPs, so that taxpayers and voters can see for themselves how their money is spent and gain assurance that Ipsa is scrutinising MPs' expenditure on their behalf."
The regulatory body was set up to restore public confidence following the MPs pay and expenses scandal in 2009, which led to the jailing of a number of politicians.
The original list published by Ipsa:
Barry Gardiner (Labour, Brent North) - £77.30
Caroline Dinenage (Conservative, Gosport) - £13.50
Charles Hendry (Conservative, Wealden - until May 2015) - £87.60
Chris Skidmore (Conservative, Kingswood) - £125.00
Clive Efford (Labour, Eltham) - £79.20
Daniel Poulter (Conservative, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) - £229.62
Edward Timpson (Conservative, Crewe and Nantwich) - £127.70
Frank Dobson (Labour, Holborn and St Pancras - until May 2015) - £7.50
Frank Roy (Labour, Motherwell and Wishaw - until May 2015) - £63.37
Guy Opperman (Conservative, Hexham) - £161.09
Ian Mearns (Labour, Gateshead) - £10.00
Joe Benton (Labour, Bootle - until May 2015) - £309.15
Julie Hilling (Labour, Bolton West - until May 2015) - £75.30
Khalid Mahmood (Labour, Birmingham Perry Barr) - £36.00
David Mowat (Conservative, Warrington South) - £35.00
Laurence Robertson (Conservative, Tewkesbury) - £27.00
Michael Meacher (Labour, Oldham West and Royton) - £27.00
Paul Farrelly (Labour, Newcastle-under-Lyme) - £28.00
Peter Bone (Conservative, Wellingborough) - £40.17
Sian James (Labour, Swansea East - until May 2015) - £193.00
Stephen Barclay (Conservative, North East Cambridgeshire) - £62.75
Stephen McCabe (Labour, Birmingham Selly Oak) - £27.00
Stephen Williams (Liberal Democrat, Bristol West - until May 2015) - £209.18
Stewart Jackson (Conservative, Peterborough) - £7.50
Tim Yeo (Conservative, South Suffolk - until May 2015) £10.00
Tobias Ellwood (Conservative, Bournemouth East) - £26.50
Update 11 September 2015: This report has been amended to include Ipsa's later acknowledgement that Edward Timpson's name had been on the list because of an error in its system.Jayne (centre) with two friends on holiday Photo: Solent News An ice-skating star's baby has been born two days after she collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage, a hospital has confirmed. Doctors at Oxford's John Radcliffe hospital kept Jayne Soliman's heart beating until they had delivered her baby daughter Aya Jayne on Friday. Baby Aya was born prematurely at 25 weeks by Caesarean section weighing just over 2lb. She is now being cared for by doctors at Reading's Royal Berkshire Hospital. The baby's father Mahmoud Soliman, 29, is reported to have said: "It was Jayne's one true wish to be a mum. She would have been a great mum. In the space of 48 hours I have experienced joy at the birth of my child and endured torment over losing my wonderful wife." Although exceedingly rare, this is not the first time a baby has been kept alive in the womb of a dead mother. In 1999, a boy was born at Cabuenes hospital in Gijon, northern Spain, on New Year's Eve to a mother who had been clinically dead since mid-November. Tragic loss Ms Soliman, 41 and a former member of the Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club in Southampton, Hants, competed in numerous international galas before taking up free skating professionally. In 1989 she was both British champion and number seven in the world for professional free skating. Ms Soliman had been healthy throughout her pregnancy and continued working as a coach at Bracknell Skating Club. She went on the ice last Wednesday before she collapsed at home after complaining of a headache. She was flown by air ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital, but hours later was declared brain dead. Doctors believe the skater had suffered from a haemorrhage caused by an aggressive tumour which had struck a major blood vessel. Ms Soliman was given large doses of steroids to help her baby's lungs develop, and within 48 hours she gave birth to Aya, whose name is a word from the Koran meaning "miracle". The National Ice Skating Association website pays tribute to Jayne saying she was a long standing and very popular member of the Southampton Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club. Fellow skater Abbie Baldwin, who was coached by Jayne, said: "It's absolutely devastating. She was the happiest person you could ever wish to meet. "None of us can wait long enough to tell Aya exactly what her mum was like."
Bookmark with: Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionWells Fargo is in trouble yet again.
Federal regulators slapped Wells Fargo with sanctions on Tuesday after the bank failed to come up with an adequate plan to dismantle itself in an orderly way in a bankruptcy.
Wells Fargo (WFC) is the first bank to be penalized over the "living wills," which are required as part of the post-crisis regulatory overhaul known as Dodd-Frank.
It's the latest legal trouble for Wells Fargo, which has been embroiled in a scandal for the past three months over the creation of millions of fake accounts and its treatment of workers.
Regulatory officials said the action has nothing to do with the sales practice problems that Wells Fargo has gone through.
The Federal Reserve and FDIC ruled that Wells Fargo "did not adequately remedy all of its deficiencies" that were raised by regulators back in April for the 2015 living will plan.
Regulators are punishing Wells Fargo by prohibiting the bank from establishing international bank entities or acquiring any non-bank businesses.
If Wells Fargo fails to address the questions raised by regulators by the end of March, more harsh penalties may be imposed. First, regulators said they would limit Wells Fargo's non-bank and broker-dealer assets at the levels they were at on September 30, 2016.
Regulators warned that if Wells Fargo fails to fix its living will within two years, they could require the bank to sell certain assets or operations "to facilitate an orderly resolution of the firm in bankruptcy."
Related: Wells Fargo scandal spreads to Prudential insurance
By comparison, Bank of America (BAC), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and the other two financial institutions that didn't had shorfalls in their living will in April all passed the test on their second try.
In a statement, Wells Fargo said it's "disappointed" with the result, but is "dedicated to sound resolution planning and preparedness." The bank said it believes it will be able to "address the concerns" by the March deadline.
So far, investors seem mostly unfazed by the penalties. Wells Fargo shares dipped less than 1% in after-hours trading on Tuesday.
Specifically, regulators faulted Wells Fargo for failing to come up with a less complex legal structure that would make it easier to wind down the bank if it ever had to file for bankruptcy. That was one of the problems that made the 2008 Lehman Brothers collapse so troublesome.
The Fed and FDIC also said Wells Fargo didn't make enough progress toward identifying shared services and establishing contingency arrangements in case of a bankruptcy.
Related: Wells Fargo wants less regulation
"Regulators are looking at every nook and cranny to see what they can find on Wells Fargo," said Mike Mayo, a veteran bank analyst at CSLA.
Mayo said the Wells Fargo living will decision shows how the more subjective aspects of bank regulation have become "murkier and murkier." He complained that the letter regulators wrote to Wells Fargo over the living will problems is "like a language unto itself."
Wells Fargo has found itself in a legal penalty box since the September fake account settlement.
Last month, a Wells Fargo regulator placed new restrictions on the bank that allow the government to reject the hiring of senior executives and more closely review branch openings and closures. Wells Fargo also faces investigations from the Department of Justice, SEC, Congress and state authorities.Looking for news you can trust?
Subscribe to our free newsletters.
As long as we’re on the subject of annual trustees reports, the 2015 Medicare report was released today too. And if the Social Security report was slightly good news, the Medicare report is, once again, spectacularly good news. Here’s the 75-year spending projection from ten years ago vs. today:
Ten years ago, Medicare was a runaway freight train. Spending was projected to increase indefinitely, rising to 13 percent of GDP by 2080. This year, spending is projected to slow down around 2040, and reaches only 6 percent of GDP by 2090.
Six percent! That’s half what we thought a mere decade ago. If that isn’t spectacular, I don’t know what is.
The 2005 projection was based on past performance, which showed costs rising ceaselessly every year. That turned out to be wrong. This year’s projection is also based on past performance, which shows that costs have flattened substantially since 2008. Will it turn out to be wrong too? Come back in 2025 and I’ll tell you.
In any case, this illustrates the big difference between cost projections for Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is basically just arithmetic. We know how many people are going to retire, we know how long they’re going to live, and we know how much we’re going to pay them. Do the math and you know how much the program will cost us. It can change a bit over time, as projections of things like GDP growth or immigration rates change, but that happens at the speed of molasses. There are very few surprises with Social Security.
Medicare has all that, but it also has one more thing: the actual cost of medical care. And that’s little more than an educated guess when you start projecting more than a decade ahead. Will costs skyrocket as expensive new therapies multiply? Or will costs plummet after someone invents self-sustaining nanobots that get injected at birth and keep us healthy forever at virtually no cost? I don’t know. No one knows.
Beyond that, it’s always foolish to assume that costs will rise forever just because they have in the past. Medicare is a political program, and at some point the public will decide that it’s not willing to fund it at higher levels. It’s not as if it’s on autopilot, after all. We live in a democracy, and after lots of yelling and fighting, we’ll eventually do something about rising medical costs if we simply don’t think the additional spending is worth it.
Still, the news for now is pretty good. I happen to think the slowdown in medical costs is real, and will continue for some time (though not at the extremely low rates of the past few years). For more on this, see here, here, and here. Others think it’s a temporary blip due to the recession, and big increases will return in a few years. We’ll see.Trump's tease: 'You'll find out' about 'the storm' that may be coming
CLOSE President Donald Trump was coy Friday when asked what he meant by his 'calm before the storm' comment with military officials Thursday. Trump was asked the question in the Oval Office while signing a National Manufacturing Day proclamation. (Oct. 6) AP
WASHINGTON — We still don't know what the storm is.
When reporters asked President Trump on Friday about his cryptic comment during the previous night's dinner with military leaders — "maybe it’s the calm before the storm" — Trump again demurred.
"You'll find out," he said.
He has not explained whether his comment refers to his pending decision on the Iran nuclear deal, a possible confrontation with nuclear-armed North Korea, or simply nothing at all.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders was no more forthcoming at a press briefing Friday afternoon.
"We're never going to say in advance what the president is going to do," Sanders said.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2ktEszpAn Alarming Sign
In a recent column, I referred to the “Prussianization of American political culture.” That means, in other words, the growing tendency of ordinary civilians to defer to people in uniform as persons superior in status or authority, rather than as simply functionaries who get paid to perform a task.
For example, I mentioned the evolution of professional law enforcement officers from being a sort of permanent civic militamen or town watch, salaried officers who got paid to exercise full-time the same posse comitatus rights possessed by ordinary citizens, to possessing an order of authority entirely different from that of the ordinary citizen (hence the popularity in the press of the gag-inducing term “the authorities”).
This is a reversal of the progressive development celebrated by Henry Sumner Maine in “Ancient Law,” the evolution from societies governed by status to societies based on contract. The Prussianized deference to anyone in uniform is a regression to society based on status, with titled nobilities whose aura of authority ultimately derived from conquest by the sword. When those in uniform possess status as a caste, and not as individuals, it’s a sign we’re returning to a society of stations or estates, rather than of free and equal individuals whose obligations derive entirely from voluntary agreement.
Lest anyone think this is hyperbole, Keith Taylor (a PhD student in community economic development at the University of Illinois) has this interesting anecdote from his trip back from a cooperative conference in Washington:
There were two soldiers on the plane. When we landed and “parked,” this dude behind me says in a loud voice “I was hoping that the cockpit crew would ask everyone to remain seated so you gentlemen could get off the plane first and reconnect with your families right away.” Myself and others acted like we didn’t hear his pandering. He then utters audibly “I guess no one is going to respect these guys.”
Then, as if he can’t handle it, he shouts out “would y’all please stand aside out of respect to the returning soldiers to let them get to their families as soon as they get off the plane?”
At least the guy wasn’t snatching food off the trays in-flight to feed “our hungry heroes.” Classic example of showing one’s belly to ingratiate oneself to the alpha male. “I, for one, welcome our new uniformed overlords.”
I cringe when I hear the words “thank you for your service.” I’m sure that many people in military uniform joined out of a sincere, albeit misguided, belief that that the wars they were fighting were in some sense to defend American lives and freedom. But it’s utterly nonsensical.
Every time I hear someone say the troops in Iraq are “fighting for your right” to do this or that, or “fighting for our freedom,” I have to restrain myself from going ballistic.
Gary Trudeau even (even?) got into the act. In a recent Doonesbury strip, the wounded Iraq vet kid with the stutter told one of the open-carry people at Starbucks “I spent two years behind an M-60 defending your right to be a moron about guns.” No kidding? How exactly would those guys’ rights to pack heat at Starbucks have been threatened if Bush hadn’t invaded Iraq?
I think “freedom,” among the “100% Americans” set, is about like “Freiheit” in Nazi propaganda: devoid of content. “Freedom” is just whatever the government’s “protecting” by its wars, by definition.
As Bush said after 9-11, every time we go shopping we’re proving that we’re still a free society. Excuse me? I must have missed the place in Rise and Fall of the Third Reich where Hitler tried to discourage good Germans from going shopping. Real freedom isn’t about doing the kind of stuff government wants us to do. Real freedom is about doing stuff the government doesn’t like, without being wiretapped or herded into a “free speech zone.”
I guess all foreign wars are about the “defense of our freedoms” in one sense: by definition, there aren’t as many troops still at home to threaten our freedoms (unless the government hires some folks from Blackwater or Pinkerton to do it instead).Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) gets past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the second quarter of game 5 of their series in the first round of NBA playoffs on Monday, April 25, 2016 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News)
Wesley Matthews had moments this season. But he said he’s really looking forward to next season to show Maverick fans what he’s all about.
“Obviously I didn’t shoot the ball as well as fans are probably accustomed to seeing me shoot the ball,” he said. “I mean, the hand I was dealt, different players, different system, coming back from an Achilles tear, everything was brand new.
“I’m not asking for anybody to give me the benefit of the doubt, but I’m excited because everybody says the year after an Achilles tear is when you feel like a brand-new person.
“So that sounds like a scary-ass person, to me.”A Vancouver senior was seriously injured when he was struck by a cyclist on a pedestrian-only path on the south side of False Creek.
Mike West was leaving his home on Spruce Harbour Marina, walking on a pedestrian-only bridge linking the marina to Ironwork Passage, when he was hit by a cyclist who continued on their way.
“A blatant hit and run. And we have big signs, at each end of our bridge, telling people not to ride the bikes on here,” fumed his friend, Mike Scott.
“Some people just don’t give a damn. They ride right over people.”
West, who walks with a cane, is in hospital with a broken hip with his wife at his bedside.
It’s the latest high profile conflict between a bike and pedestrian in Vancouver. Two years ago, Virginia tourist Charmaine Mitchell was nearly killed by a speeding cyclist on the Stanley Park Seawall. She is now suing the City of Vancouver.
As the number of cyclists in Vancouver increases, there have been periodic pushes to have them insured and licensed.
But Erin O’Melinn, Executive Director of HUB Cycling, cautions against such a move.
“Most of the jurisdictions around the world do not have it because it’s costly and it’s ineffective,” she said.
Vancouver police are investigating the hit and run, but their options are limited, because there is no surveillance camera footage and West didn’t see the cyclist before he was struck.
Still, Scott hopes the person responsible will come forward – the City will do a better job enforcing the rules.
“Coming down there on a bicycle is stupid. People just don’t care,” he says.
“What can you do? We try and police it, but we can’t.”
– With files from Jordan ArmstrongEpisode Info:
Rhonda Patrick, PhD, (@foundmyfitness) is an American biochemist and scientist. She first appeared on this podcast back in episode twelve, and whether you want to extend life, inexpensively buy a stem cell "insurance policy," or guard against cancer, Rhonda has valuable insights and recommendations. In this episode, Rhonda tackles some of your most requested topics, including: Best practices for fasting (and who struggles most with time-restricted feedings) What blood tests are most important to analyze for overall health The "minimum effective dose" for the benefits of sauna Heat vs. cold exposure, and how they should be used effectively Most effective smart drugs The latest fat loss research And much, much more Rhonda is known for her studies of the mechanistic link between vitamin D and serotonin production, research that may have important implications for the understanding of autism and other disorders, and for her popular podcast, Found My Fitness. Dr. Patrick also conducts clinical trials, performed aging research at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and did graduate research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where she focused on cancer, mitochondrial metabolism, and apoptosis. Enjoy! This podcast is sponsored by Alibaba and Gateway17. If you're an entrepreneur or business owner in the US, the stars don't always align -- but this might get close. Alibaba (if you're not familiar with it, imagine Amazon and Google having a baby in China) is hosting Gateway17, a conference designed to help US businesses tap into the five hundred million consumers of China's growing middle class. Gateway17 takes place June 20-21 in Detroit, Michigan, and it puts you in direct contact with experts who want to help you grow your business into the booming Chinese marketplace. Speakers include Alibaba founder Jack Ma (in his only speaking engagement of the year), UPS CEO David Abney, and master interviewer Charlie Rose. As a Tim Ferriss Show listener, Alibaba is offering you a ticket for $125 (they're usually $500) if you sign up at gateway17.com by May 25 and use the code Tim at checkout. This podcast is also brought to you by WordPress, my go-to platform for 24/7-supported, zero downtime blogging, writing online, creating websites, and basically everything online. I love it to bits, and the lead developer, Matt Mullenweg, has appeared on this podcast many times. Whether for personal use or business, you're in good company with WordPress being used by The New Yorker, Jay Z, FiveThirtyEight, TechCrunch, TED, CNN, and Time, just to name a few. A source at Google told me that WordPress offers "the best out-of-the-box SEO imaginable," which is probably why it runs nearly 30 percent of the Internet. Go to WordPress.com/Tim to get 15% off your website today! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.FPGA development has advanced dramatically in the last year, and this is entirely due to an open-source toolchain for Lattice’s iCE40 FPGA. Last spring, the bitstream for this FPGA was reverse engineered and a toolchain made available for anything that can run Linux, including a Raspberry Pi. [Dave] from Xess thought it was high time for a Raspberry Pi FPGA board. With the help of this open-source toolchain, he can program this FPGA board right on the Raspberry Pi.
The inspiration for [Dave]’s board came from the XuLA and StickIt! boards that give the Raspberry Pi an FPGA hat. These boards had a problem; the Xilinx bitstreams had to be compiled on a ‘real’ PC and brought over to the Raspberry Pi world. The new project – the CAT Board – brings an entire FPGA dev kit over to the Raspberry Pi.
The hardware for the CAT Board is a Lattice iCE-HX8K, 32 MBytes of SDRAM, a serial configuration flash, LEDs, buttons, DIP switches, grove connectors, and SATA connectors (although [Dave] is just using these for differential signals; he doesn’t know if he can get SATA hard drives to work with this board).
Despite some problems with his board house, [Dave] eventually got his FPGA working, or at least the bitstream configuration part, and he can blink a pair of LEDs with a Raspberry Pi and programmable logic. The Hello World for this project is done, and now the only limit is how many gates are on this FPGA.I’ve seen the liberal lying MSM pondering how WE could allow the riots, looting, burning and lawlessness to happen, as if it is our collective fault. Obama stands before his teleprompter and pontificates about the need for us to end the poverty that supposedly led to Purge Night in Charm City. That term cracks me up. The city has so much charm, its football team once snuck out of town overnight and headed to Indianapolis. It has so much charm its baseball team was forced to play a game with no fans in the stands.
I think most people can agree that Freddie Gray, a petty drug dealer, was killed in police custody for the crime of looking suspicious. The policemen who killed him deserve to go to jail for murder. As usual, the powers that be circled the wagons and intended to exonerate the hero first responders. The people of Baltimore had a right to be pissed. They had a right to protest. They didn’t have a right to burn businesses and cars. They didn’t have the right to riot, loot, and injure others.
It is the police department created and controlled for decades by Democratic progressive politicians that has committed the atrocities against the people who have been electing these progressives year after year. Baltimore has a corrupt, reckless, out of control police department enabled by a crooked and incompetent Baltimore politicians. The rap sheet for Baltimore’s finest is long:
Police commissioner Ed Norris was sent to prison on corruption charges (2004)
Two detectives were sentenced to 454 years in prison for dealing drugs (2005)
An officer was dismissed after being videotaped verbally abusing a 14-year-old and then failing to file a report on his use of force against the same teenager (2011)
An officer was been fired for sexually abusing a minor (2014)
The city paid a quarter-million-dollar settlement to a man police illegally arrested for the non-crime of recording them at work with his mobile phone.
The cries of racism and white oppression ring hollow. It’s a tired storyline. Facts are always inconvenient to race baiters with an agenda to extract more money from whites with a guilty conscience and the inability or unwillingness to speak the truth. Let’s examine some facts about good old Charm City, USA.
The fine citizens of this metropolis have not elected a Republican as mayor since 1963, before the War on Poverty began. That mayor’s 4 year term is the only interruption in Democrat rule since 1947. They have had Democrat control for 64 of the last 68 years, and sole control for the last 48 years straight.
Their mayor is black. Their previous mayor, Sheila Dixon, was black. She was convicted of embezzlement in 2010 and couldn’t finish her term. They had a white mayor (current Democratic Presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley) for eight years. The mayor before him was black.
Their City Council consists of 15 members. All fifteen are Democrats. The Council President is black. Democrats have had control of legislation in Baltimore for the last 50 years. Every program, policy, initiative, or school curriculum that exists in Baltimore was enacted by liberal Democrats.
The Police Commissioner is black. Approximately 50% of the police force is black.
The School Superintendent is black, along with the School Board. The district has an annual budget of $1.32 billion to teach 84,000 kids. The Baltimore school system ranks second among the nation’s 100 largest school districts in how much it spent per pupil at $15,700 per student. Only NYC spends more. Only two thirds of students graduate high school, despite this high level of spending.
The average SAT scores of Baltimore City public school students are: 379 in Reading; 376 in Math; 381 in Writing. These are the scores of the best of the best in Baltimore schools who actually think they should get into college. The average scores in the country, which still suck, are around 500. Students with these scores have about a 15% chance of graduating college. This is the ROI you get after spending $188,000 per student over their 12 year academic career.
The population of Baltimore is 623,000 and 63% are black. Median household income is $41,000, with 24% living below the poverty line. The home ownership rate is 48%. The percentage of college graduates is 27%.
The population was 950,000 in 1950, so it has fallen by 35% in the last 65 years. The population was 24% black in 1950. Decades of liberal Democrat policies drove most of the white population out of the city.
Baltimore’s violent crime rate is 370% higher than the U.S. rate. They have over 200 murders, 300 rapes, 3,600 robberies, 4,600 assaults, 7,800 burglaries, and 22,000 thefts per year. These are all 2 to 4 times the U.S. averages per 100,000 people.
Over 35% of all Baltimore residents get food stamps. Over 85% of the kids get free breakfasts and lunches at school. More than 60% of Baltimore residents are receiving some form of government assistance.
Baltimore’s welfare paradise is paid for by outrageously high taxes. It’s income tax rate of 3.2% is on top of the state rate of 4.75%. It’s property tax rate is more than double the other counties in Maryland. The sales tax rate is 6%. Corporations pay an income tax rate of 8.25%.
The percentage of out of wedlock births to black women in Baltimore exceeds 72%. Baltimore and Detroit are the two cities with populations over 600,000 with the highest percentage of single parent households – 59% to 61%.
The reported unemployment rate for Baltimore is 8.2%, one of the highest in the country. In reality, 42% of the working age population is not working. Young black men between the ages of 20 and 24 have a reported unemployment rate of 37%. But in reality, it is north of 60%. The number of employees in 1990 totaled 475,000. Today they total 365,000, down 23%.
It doesn’t take a village to raze, burn, and loot a village. It just takes 50 years of liberal economic and social policies. Of course the liberal media, liberal politicians, and liberal voters don’t think anyone should be blamed for the disaster that Baltimore and every other Democrat controlled urban shithole (Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta, Cleveland) have become over the last 50 years. Community organizer Adam Jackson, living up to the standards of Organizer in Chief Obama, declared that in Baltimore “the Democrats and the Republicans have both failed.” At least progressive community organizers have a sense of humor. How can Republicans have failed if the mayors and City Council have been 100% Democrat since the mid 1960s? I wonder how many Republicans were among the youths burning, looting, and destroying the city this week.
No Republican, and definitely no conservative, is responsible for the poverty, crime, educational failure, and disintegration of this lesson in Democratic rule. Baltimore’s police department is the product of the
|
In Adelanto, the debate is destroying friendships, sowing suspicion and attracting powerful outside interests to this town on the edge of the Mojave Desert.
Parents trying to pull the trigger are backed by Parent Revolution, a Los Angeles organization funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.
In recent weeks, a group of parents opposed to the trigger has formed, with help from the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union.
“We all agree we’d like to see some improvements, but would you rather blow everything up, start from scratch and hope for better?” asked Lori Yuan, who has two children at Desert Trails and is fighting the trigger. “That doesn’t sound very good to me.”
In a plotline worthy of a soap opera, each group has accused the other of intimidation, harassment and hidden agendas. The district attorney has been asked to investigate charges of fraud, and lawyers are lining up.
“This has never been done before, and it’s very confusing,” said Carlos Mendoza, the president of the Adelanto School District Board of Trustees, who is also a high school teacher and a union member. “If we can get all these outsiders out, we can work out something.”
The school board is set to decide Tuesday night whether the trigger moves forward.
Support from left and right
The politics underlying parent trigger laws are complex, with support from an unlikely mix of progressives and conservatives.
“The left, particularly minority groups, see it as a way to shake up the school system,” said Jack Jennings, founder of the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. “They’re frustrated that their kids are getting such a poor education and not much is being done about it. On the right, it’s just another way for conservative forces to trim back the power of the teacher unions.”
Last year, similar trigger laws were enacted in Mississippi and Texas, and a milder version was approved in Connecticut. A Maryland lawmaker proposed legislation but withdrew it, saying he needed to build political support. This week, the Florida Legislature is voting on a parent trigger, and at least a dozen other states are weighing similar measures this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The federal No Child Left Behind law requires failing schools to gradually face escalating penalties, including closure. Trigger laws put that process on steroids and let parents decide the schools’ fate.
In Adelanto, the 666 children who attend Desert Trails are mostly black and Latino, and nearly all meet the federal definition of poor. The school lacks a full-time nurse, a guidance counselor and a psychologist. About one in four students was suspended last year, nearly twice the district average. Desert Trails has had three principals in the past five years.
One is Larry Lewis, who helped launch the trigger effort out of frustration with teachers who, he said, resisted his efforts to improve classroom instruction.
“Adelanto is known as the armpit of the high desert,” said Lewis, who resigned in October for health reasons. “And Desert Trails is the armpit of Adelanto.”
Teachers, who filed a dozen grievances against Lewis, have a different view. “We have a great school district, serve great kids that live in a great community,” said LaNita M. Dominique, president of the Adelanto teachers union.
Unions and others say putting parents in charge doesn’t guarantee better schools.
“I have my college education, but I still wouldn’t feel comfortable if someone said, ‘Here’s a school — run it,’ ” said Yuan, one of the parents opposed to the trigger.
‘I started to feel scared’
Adelanto,a working-class community of 31,700, sits 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It boasts one shopping center, a federal prison and acres of empty brown desert interrupted only by hulking steel lattice towers tethered together by high-voltage electric lines.
When she moved from Los Angeles County three years ago, Cynthia Ramirez didn’t think twice about the schools. “We just assumed everything is fine,” said Ramirez, who has a 3-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. “But here, there are no after-school activities. They’re only teaching math and reading. There is no science. I started to feel scared for my daughter.”
Ramirez joined Doreen Diaz and others, who sought help from Parent Revolution. The group, founded by a charter school entrepreneur, sent professional organizers to Adelanto to give the parents a crash course in the law, signature gathering, educational policy and even media handling.
Parent Revolution rented a house near the elementary school and converted it into a nerve center for the pro-trigger parents, who spend afternoons there stamping envelopes, making phone calls and plotting strategy.
The parents want preschool classes, a longer school day, a computer lab, every teacher to have a master’s degree, a full-time librarian and clean, working restrooms, among other things.
The district can’t afford those demands, said Superintendent Darin Brawley, adding that state education funding is down 20 percent this year. “There’s no way we could do all those things at Desert Trails without making cuts elsewhere, from other students in the district,” he said.
Brawley says the school is no worse than scores of others in San Bernardino County.
Pro-trigger parents say they want Desert Trails to remain part of the Adelanto school district but to be given autonomy, so the principal hasfull control over hiring, firing, curriculum and spending.
Friendships dissolve
The political fight has quickly turned personal.
Last year, Ramirez and Chrissy Alvarado were best friends. With their daughters in the same class at Desert Trails and their homes within walking distance, the women bonded over coffee and errands.
Ramirez became a leader of the trigger group, believing it is the best way to improve her daughter’s education. Alvarado is opposed and calls it a hijacking of the public school by outside interests.
Their daughters stopped having sleepovers; the women no longer chatted.
Then Alvarado sent a series of text messages to Ramirez announcing that their friendship was over. “This is going to get big quick,” Alvarado wrote about the coming divide in the community. “I never thought you would become one of them.”
Alvarado’s suspicions stem from Parent Revolution’s first, unsuccessful attempt to use the trigger law last year. It paid canvassers to collect signatures on a petition demanding that a Compton elementary school be shut down and reopened as a charter school run by a company selected by Parent Revolution.
That effort collapsed under a legal challenge.
Parent Revolution learned from Compton, said Ben Austin, the organization’s executive director and a Democratic operative who worked in the Clinton White House. “We were the ones who picked the charter school, the transformation model, collected the signatures,” he said, adding that those decisions should be made by parents. “We are learning in real time.”
Austin was working for the Green Dot charter network, based in Los Angeles, when he developed the idea of a parent trigger. It squeaked through the California Legislature by one vote in each chamber, part of a reform effort to compete for federal Race to the Top funding. California didn’t win the grant, but the parent trigger was law. Since then, Parent Revolution has been helping trigger efforts in other states.
At Desert Trails, Principal David Mobley is trying to focus on children and keep controversy out of the classroom. It’s not easy.
“You’ve got all these outside entities with bigger political agendas,” said Mobley, who became principal in October, unaware of the tempest that was brewing. “Parents here are sincere. But I worry that they’re pawns in somebody’s big chess game.”Ys VIII for PS4 goes gold
No delay expected in Japan.
The PlayStation 4 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana has gone gold, Falcom announced. That means development is complete and the game is ready to meet its release date.
“The final master version [of Ys VIII for PS4] has arrived!” Falcom said in a tweet. “We just started playing it. Everyone, please rest assured. With this, there is almost no possibility that the release date will be delayed. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4 version) will launch on May 25, 2017 (Thursday).”
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is due out for PlayStation 4 in Japan on May 25, and for PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC in North America and Europe this fall. The PS Vita version is already available in Japan.The White House this morning announced it is waiving part of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (commonly referred to as the Jones Act) to make it easier and cheaper for Puerto Rico to import goods to recover from Hurricane Maria. From CNN:
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said the waiver will be in effect for 10 days and will cover all products being shipped to Puerto Rico, according to a release from the department. The waiver will guarantee the needed equipment to repair infrastructure damaged by the storm and restore emergency services, Duke said in a news release.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosello said he had formally asked for a waiver, but yesterday President Donald Trump was unwilling to do so, he said, because people in the shipping industry didn't want him to.
That's because the Jones Act shields them from competition from foreign shippers so they can make more money. It therefore drives up the cost of shipping goods to isolated and faraway places like Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
The Jones Act requires any ship traveling from port to port in the United States and its territories be built, owned, and crewed by Americans. Foreign ships can dock once in a U.S. port and cannot bounce from port to port delivering (or picking up) goods.
Studies show that the Jones Act is partly to blame for the significant increases in costs to ship goods to Puerto Rico and Hawaii, doubling them in some cases.
Waiving the Jones Act will for the next 10 days allow Puerto Rico to more readily accept assistance or goods delivered on foreign-owned ships. While the waiver is wonderful, that's just the tip of a logistical iceberg and may be of limited assistance so early in the crisis response. The extensive damage to Puerto Rico's infrastructure has made it difficult to distribute the cargo they've been receiving in their ports to react to the crisis.
The financial impacts of the Jones Act will be much more painful moving forward, when distribution gets figured out. It's going to take much, much longer than 10 days for the island to import everything it needs to restore itself from the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. After those 10 days, the Jones Act will kick back in and the island will again have to be paying much more for imports of goods than it should.
But the Trump Administration's ability to waive the Jones Act is limited to times of crisis. It cannot simply wave its hands and decide the law does not apply for as long as the administration chooses. So it's up to Congress to act and remove the part of the law that cartelizes the American shipping industry and shields it from market pressures that lower prices.
Read more about the awfulness of the law here. Or watch this ReasonTV video about its impacts on Hawaii:by |
The Claypool Lennon Delirium is the new project of Sean Lennon (solo artist and progeny of John and Yoko) and Les Claypool (Primus frontman & bass guitar freak of nature). The band will release a full-length album titled Monolith of Phobos on June 3rd. Lennon claims that the album will deliver a “bundle of devilish tunes about monkeys, outer space and sexual deviancy.”
The title Monolith of Phobos refers to an actual space oddity that is the source of some fun conspiracy theories – the type that do seem like they’d be great fodder for psychedelic prog rock inspiration. Strap on your tin foil hat – here we go!
Phobos is a small moon/lumpy space pebble that revolves around Mars. In 1998, a U.S. satellite called the Mars Global Surveyor took a photograph of the surface of Phobos (see below), revealing the structural feature now known as the Phobos monolith. The object appears almost rectangular in shape and its shadow gives the impression that the structure may be very tall. According to a technology company that proposed an unmanned trip to Phobos in conjunction with the Canadian Space Agency, the monolith is a “building-sized object that appears to be a boulder exposed relatively recently in an otherwise desolate area of the asteroid-like moon.”
So it’s a tall zit on a lumpy space rock. Who cares? Wacky Internet conspiracy theorists writing on websites of dubious veracity, that’s who!
Phobos Conspiracy Theories
As I wasted my precious time Googling this subject, I visited some depressing corners of the Internet and become mildly irritated. However, I learned some fun theories about the Phobos monolith that I will share with you now!
Some people think that Phobos itself is “artificial” or hollow and is actually a defunct alien craft. Isaac Asimov apparently once wrote a story where he imagined that Phobos was a spaceship. Joseph Shklovskii (Carl Sagan’s Intelligent Life in the Universe co-author) apparently deduced that Phobos might be hollow due to its density or something. This has led some readers to jump to the batshit conclusion that Phobos is a “hollowed-out space station of huge proportions.” Also, a Russian satellite once got lost in space – but not before beaming down some blurry photos that surely portray an alien mothership. Oh, also: in Greek mythology, Phobos was the personification of horror, so that is trivia of grave portent.
What does astronaut Buzz Aldrin have to say about all this, you ask?
During a television interview (see below), King Buzzo made some insanely cryptic remarks about the monolith.“We should visit the moon of Mars, there’s a monolith there, a very unusual structure on this little potato shaped object that revolves around Mars once every seven hours. When people find out about that they are going to say, ‘Who put that there? Who put that there?’ Well the universe put it there, or if you choose, God put it there.’”
What are you getting at, Buzz? If you know that the Phobos monolith is a 7-Eleven for Martians, just say so!
In a separate radio interview, Aldrin called the monolith “very, very curious.” It’s the kind of cryptic remark that any armchair alien aficianado worth his salt understands to mean, without a doubt, that the Phobos monolith is definitely a Duane Reade for spacemen.
Learn more about the Claypool Lennon Delirium, including tour dates, at the band’s website.Officials for the Italian second tier announced at the beginning of the season that the player shown the most cards for fair play will receive an award
History was made in Italy this week as Vicenza attacker Cristian Galano received Serie B's first-ever green card, which was awarded for fair play.
Officials speaking for the Italian second tier announced the scheme at the beginning of the season and said that the player with the most green cards at the end of the season will receive a reward.
Tuesday marked the first instance of the new policy in action, when Galano admitted that no Virtus Entella defenders had touched the ball when referee Marco Mainardi had incorrectly called for a corner kick.
“We think that football needs positive messages,” a Serie B spokesman added.
“This sport is too often embroiled in controversy that drives people away from the stadiums.”The Hsi Lai Buddhist Retreat provides a formal background in Buddhist education while allowing young adults to experience the daily life of a monastic. During the retreat, students will learn how to incorporate Buddhism into daily life through a mix of lectures and hands-on classes from all aspects of Buddhism. In the past, we have had a diverse group of participants, ranging from individuals who are new to Buddhism to those who are preparing for ordination as a monk or nun. With daily meditation and classes, participants will come out of this retreat with a deeper understanding of mindfulness, and return to the outside world with a new perspective on life. The retreat uses monastic discipline and a strict schedule to provide the ideal atmosphere for spiritual growth. Come and experience life at a monastery for one full month this summer. Join us to settle down and start anew.Holy cow, guys. I’m a major slacker! I did this manicure like 3 days ago and forgot to post it! I hope you’ll forgive me 🙂 I’m super proud of this though and wanted to do it justice with a good post. First I want to show off the final mani 🙂
Wow, I am really impressed with myself with this one! This week’s theme is LGBT pride but I was at a loss for anything other than more rainbow designs but a friend suggested paying homage to each letter in LGBT with their flags! There’s a lot more than just “LGBT” in the non-heteronormative spectrum but I only have 5 fingers so I stuck with the biggies. From my index finger: Transgender, bisexual, rainbow (gay), and pink triangle (lesbian) flags/symbols. I should have done my pinky with the colors inverted so it was a black triangle on pink, and the triangle should have been pointing down instead of up…oops! That’s what I get for being in a hurry. Last night I took off the polish from my pinky and did a pink background with a black downward-facing triangle, I like it much more. You can learn more about each flag here.
It’s been bright and sunny here in SoCal lately so I was dying to break out my holographics! I figured that there was no better set of colors to use for this mani, especially for my ring finger’s rainbow flag–it’s a rainbow within a rainbow! And oh how they sparkle ❤
I also finished mixing my rainbow glitter, Pride, so I used my thumb to symbolize the LGBT ally flag. This is two coats of Pride over black and white stripes, I’m so happy with how it turned out 🙂 It’s been marinating for a few days now and there doesn’t seem to be any warping, bending, or bleeding either!
This entire mani was freehand!! I got some more much-needed practice, I think I’m really improving 🙂
Remember, there’s still over 2 weeks left to enter my LGBT nail art contest! There’s also 2 weeks left to order the Legend of Zelda collection, if you order the full collection you get a free full-size Pride!
Milani HD
Milani Digital
Milani 3D
Milani Hi-Tech
Milani Cyberspace
Milani Hi-Res
Sally Hansen White On
Milani Black Sketch
Kyoti’s Nails Pride
AdvertisementsArian Foster case on hold until alleged mistress gives birth
See more notable moments from Foster's career... less A Wednesday hearing before the 308th State District Court involving Houston Texans running back Arian Foster and Brittany Norwood, a local woman who has filed a paternity and damages lawsuit in state district court against Foster, has been postponed until after the child that Norwood is carrying is born. A Wednesday hearing before the 308th State District Court involving Houston Texans running back Arian Foster and Brittany Norwood, a local woman who has filed a paternity and damages lawsuit in state district... more Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Arian Foster case on hold until alleged mistress gives birth 1 / 30 Back to Gallery
All hearings related to a paternity and damages lawsuit filed by a local woman against Texans running back Arian Foster are on hold until after the birth of Brittany Norwood's child.
Norwood alleges in court documents that Foster and members of his family have pressured her to abort her pregnancy, which she claims resulted from an affair the two carried on over the summer and fall of 2013.
"All the hearings have been postponed and we are currently in settlement negotiations," said attorney Douglas Ray York, who is representing Norwood.
York said he hopes for an amicable settlement between Foster and Norwood, and reiterated that there should be a respect for the privacy of all involved.
Judge forbids contact
The attorney wouldn't specify any dollar amounts being considered in the negotiations. York said that if negotiations break down, his client may speak more to the media about her pregnancy.
Foster, who was married in 2011 and has two children with his wife, has filed a general denial to the suit.
On Tuesday, Harris County Family Court Judge James Lombardino ordered Foster and Norwood to cease contact with each other until the disposition of the legal proceedings is settled.
'Extreme' conduct cited
Norwood's lawsuit asks for actual damages to compensate her for lost past and future wages and medical expenses, and for exemplary damages because of "conduct evidencing actual malice." The lawsuit accuses Foster of "extreme and outrageous" conduct after Norwood informed him of the pregnancy.
"(Foster) made numerous attempts to get petitioner to abort, and even made her go on Medicaid for prenatal care despite (his) vast financial resources," her suit claims.
The former All-Pro and NFL rushing leader was limited to eight games and 542 rushing yards this past season because of injuries. Foster's season ended with back surgery in November.
In the previous three seasons, Foster had averaged close to 2,000 combined rushing/receiving yards.
Reporter Mike Tolson contributed to this story.Take a bow-wow-wow: Nova the Great Dane is recognised as world's tallest female dog
'Super' Nova munches on 30lb of food a week
This Great Dane is a real canine super star after officially being recognised as the world's tallest female dog - standing 5ft 11in on her hind legs.
Weighing more than 11 stone 'Super' Nova, who lives with owner Ann Suplee in Addison, Illinois, was only recently given the title by the Guinness Book of Records.
Taking her place in the record books after the previous record holder died, Nova still sleeps in Mrs Suplee's queen-sized bed like a young puppy.
Keep your paws off! Nova, with owner Ann Suplee, became a world record breaker after the previous holder died
Four inches taller than her father and eight inches taller than her mother, Nova eats up to 30lbs of food a week.
Mrs Suplee said: 'It took a lot of paperwork and a lot of footwork to secure the record, but it was all totally worth it and great fun.
'I wanted to get Nova this recognition, because she's such a good dog and she deserves it.
'Now when people comment on her height, I get to reply, "Yes, you're right, she's the world's tallest female dog!'
Stop hounding me: Nova, who weighs more than 11 stone, climbs into the back of her owner's car in Addison, Illinois
Why the long face? Nova perches on the edge of the breakfast bar at home. The giant mutt eats her way through 30lbs of food a week
Inspired to go for the record after the number of comments the dog received in the park from fellow pet owners, she said she was proud of her prized pooch.
'I call her Super-Nova and I even dressed her up in a Superman cape during the last pet parade in Addison.
'Nova knows her own size, but with a simple "excuse me" she will move out of the way, and is very careful around my three-year-old grandson who's now at eye-level with her tail.'
Mrs Suplee feeds her dog watermelon as a treat. The gentle giant often gets scared by smaller dogs barking at her in fright.
'We don't know whether it was the good food we fed Nova when she was a puppy, or some throwback genes, but I think it's all the love and affection we've given her through the years that made her so big.'
Give us a piggyback: Ann goes for a walk with Nova, who has been officially recognised as the world's tallest female dog at 5ft 11in on her hind legsPunjabi movie Toofan Singh was banned by the CBFC when Pahlaj Nihalani was the chairman of the board.
A few reports on Wednesday suggested that the Prasoon Joshi led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has banned Punjabi film Toofan Singh.
Advertising
However, when we got in touch with veteran actor Raza Murad, who portrays the role of home minister in the film, he said that the film was banned during the tenure of former CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani, and not by the present Censor Board.
“Toofan Singh is a Punjabi film based on a terrorist. The Pahlaj led CBFC banned the film because according to them the film glorifies terrorism, and that might give a wrong message to today’s youth. However, the film has been released in many countries, and has been received warmly. Unfortunately, it never saw the light of day in India. Hopefully, it will someday,” said Raza Murad.
In fact, the actor is hopeful that with the new chairman and the board, the makers of the film might try for certification again. Raza Murad also added that even though he is a part of Toofan Singh, he hasn’t watched it.
Toofan Singh, which was earlier set to release on August 4, is the story of Jugraj Singh who fought against the malice of society and corruption with violence. He was then famously known as Toofan Singh, because people compared him to a hurricane.
Advertising
According to Raza Murad, veteran television actor Avtar Gill is also a part of the film. Directed by Baghal Singh, the film stars Ranjit Bawa and Shefali Sharma in the lead.When Donald Trump swears at the inauguration that he will “faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States”, he will be committing a violation of constitutional magnitude.
The electoral college: why it exists, how it works and can it stop Trump? Read more
The US constitution flatly prohibits any “Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States]” from accepting “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State”.
Known as the emoluments clause, this provision was designed on the theory that a federal officeholder who receives something of value from a foreign power can be tempted to compromise what the constitution insists be his exclusive loyalty: the best interest of the United States. The clause applies to the president and covers even ordinary, fair market value transactions with foreign states and their agents that result in any profit or benefit. That a hostile government has gotten its money’s worth from our president is obviously no defense to a charge that he has abused his office.
Trump’s continued interest in the Trump Organization and his steady stream of monetary and other benefits from foreign powers put him on a collision course with the emoluments clause. Disentangling every improper influence resulting from special treatment of Trump’s business holdings by foreign states would be impossible. The American people would be condemned to uncertainty, leaving our political discourse rife with accusations of corruption. These problems are exacerbated by the fact that Trump has regularly declined to make his business dealings or tax returns transparent.
Thus a specter of skewed incentives will haunt a Donald Trump presidency.
While much has changed since the constitution was written, certain premises of politics and human nature have held steady. Among them is that private financial interests can subtly sway even the most virtuous leaders. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 22: “One of the weak sides of republics, among their numerous advantages, is that they afford too easy an inlet to foreign corruption.” The framers sought to avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings, writing a broad ban on potentially corrupting foreign influence into article I of our nation’s charter.
By imposing clear limitations, the clause avoids situations in which the American people must search for hints of improperly motivated presidential favoritism toward selected foreign powers, or of foreign attempts to seduce the American president into compromising our national interest for his private profit.
With Trump, this search has already begun. His global business empire creates ideal conditions for ongoing violations of the emoluments clause. Mere weeks before Trump spoke by phone with the president of Taiwan – a dramatic departure from America’s “one China” policy – a businesswoman associated with his conglomerate reportedly arrived in Taiwan to inquire about major new investments in luxury hotels. Trump’s businesses owe hundreds of millions to Deutsche Bank, which is currently negotiating a multibillion-dollar settlement with the US Department of Justice – a settlement that will now be overseen by an attorney general selected by and serving at the pleasure of Trump.
In his last public press conference, Trump called on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton and release her personal emails. Recently, both the FBI and CIA determined that the highest levels of Russia’s government in fact ran a covert operation aimed at helping Trump’s campaign, making his victory in the electoral college more likely.
The bottom line is simple: Trump stands to benefit personally, in innumerable and largely hidden ways, from decisions made daily by foreign governments and their agents. History teaches that leaders with divided interests cannot be counted on to faithfully serve those who elected them.
The framers understood this lesson. The emoluments clause was forged of their hard-won wisdom. No relic of a bygone era, it is a profound expression of insight into the nature of the human condition and the preconditions of sovereign self-government.
Electoral college rebels speak out on a last-ditch hope to stop Trump Read more
Trump’s shifting proposals for addressing his multifarious conflicts of interests are simply inadequate. If he retains an ownership interest in his empire, his personal bottom line is necessarily affected by everything his business does, whether or not he is at the helm.
Nor is a supposedly “blind trust” involving control of Trump’s assets by his adult children remotely sufficient. It is inconceivable that he could avoid discussing with them at least some matters relating to his policies and their business ventures, or that he could avoid noticing and caring about their interactions with foreign nations.
So even full divestment of his personal ownership and control of the Trump Organization is no remedy for his emoluments clause violation: it is often to the prince and not the king that special favors are done.
Because Trump would take office in blatant violation of the constitution, the electoral college would be fully justified in concluding that he is unsuited to the presidency. As Justice Robert Jackson wrote 64 years ago, electors must be considered free to vote their conscience.
If Trump deliberately declines to cure his continuing violation of the emoluments clause upon entering office, Congress has both power and responsibility to enforce the constitution. It would be well within its rights to impeach and remove him for engaging in “high crimes and misdemeanors”.
Short of that awesome step, Congress might set lasting, bipartisan precedent by requiring all presidents to divest assets that risk conflicts of interest and to place the proceeds in a truly blind trust, and by creating a private cause of action explicitly allowing competitors disadvantaged by the president’s acceptance of unlawful benefits to file emoluments clause suits against the president in his personal capacity.
The looming constitutional shadow cast by a Trump presidency poses a frightening risk to our national security and gravely disserves the people of the United States.The FIA World Rally Championship is back as Rallye Monte-Carlo kicked off the 2016 season with two night stages and ended with Kris Meeke topping the time sheets overnight with impressive pace.
Stage 1 saw, what some might say, a victory by the defending champion Sébastien Ogier as he took his Volkswagen Polo R WRC through the 21.25 km test in 12:21.9, and while it was looking like it would be another VW dominattion Meeke popped up in second place, just 4.1 seconds behind Ogier.
Following the stage Ogier would say that he took a cautious approach, “The conditions are not too bad but still some places are slippery. I could go faster but I prefer to go like this.”, Meeke however was pushing hard and believes that he could have taken a stage victory if it wasn’t for a spin, “The car feels great but I spun at a hairpin near the start. I had to turn the car around 360 degrees. That cost me maybe 7sec.” said the Northern Irishman.
The second stage saw Meeke push on, setting a stunning time of 13:06.1, this would be good enough to take stage victory over Ogier by 11 seconds, and in doing so took the overall lead by 6.9 seconds to head the times overnight.
After finishing the first stage in fourth place, Jari-Matti Latvala lost time on the second stage after hitting a rock, finishing tenth, dropping him to seventh place overall. “We hit something on the first proper icy place,” said Latvala. “Suddenly we started to slide and we hit a stone or something. I thought we had damaged the suspension so I backed off. We’ll get back to service. It’s okay.” he added.
Andreas Mikkelsen had no issues with a change in co-driver over the winter as he secured third place on both stages to end the first day in third place, just 20 seconds down on leader Meeke. The Norwegian was fairly happy with the evening’s work but felt he could have pushed a little harder, “Okay but maybe too cautious on the descent. I must thank my ice crew – I can really trust my notes. Patches of ice and snow approaching the end.” he said at the end of the stage.
Thierry Neuville lead the Hyundai charge in the new generation i20 WRC, finishing the evening in fourth place overall; The Belgian driver complained of visibility problems after the first stage, “Okay, but I have a lot of dirt on the windscreen and it wasn’t easy to see. There’s a lot of loose stuff on the road now and it’s very slippery. For the first stage with the new car through it was okay.”
It would be the older i20 WRC driven by Hayden Paddon that would be next up in the overall standings after a disappointed Dani Sordo ended the day in tenth place, “Very slippery. I didn’t attack too much. I didn’t feel I drove too well. Everything is different.” said the Spaniard.
Mads Østberg found the start to the new season tougher that expected as he took the M-Sport Ford Fiesta RS WRC to fifth place at the end of the day. “The conditions were quite tricky. My gravel notes were perfect but I struggled a bit. Now in stage mode I struggle a bit to understand my pace notes. It’s going to take some time to get used to that.” said Østberg. His M-Sport compatriots found things a little harder, new boy Eric Camilli ended the day in twelfth place, just ahead of Bryan Bouffier.
Robert Kubica ended the day as the highest private entry in eighth place but felt like he was struggling with mechanical problems, “Generally the feeling is okay but since shakedown I have had some doubts about the power of our car. I was driving well and I don’t know where I’m losing the time.” said the Pole.
In WRC2 Elfyn Evans dominated the pace, finishing an impressive 26.7 seconds up on Quentin Gilbert on SS2, unfortunately the Welshman had lost time in SS1 with a puncture. “I don’t know what happened. There were no cuts but it went down straightaway and I’ve driven 15km on it.” The M-Sport driver was also left frustrated on SS2 as he caught, but couldn’t pass Quentin Giordano.
Julien Maurin set the pace on SS1 in his Škoda Fabia R5 but after a slower time on the seconds stage, dropped to second place overall. Quentin Gilbert heads in to the second day with a 9.8 second advantage over Maurin.
Fabio Andolfi leads the WRC3 class by 23.4 seconds in his Peugeot 208 VTi R2 while Ole Christian Veiby showed promise to finish the day in second place; Peugeot Driver Academy’s Jordan Berfa in third.
Elsewhere in the field 1994 Rallye Monte-Carlo winner Francois Delecour took his S2000 spec Peuegot 207 to eighteenth place overall, an impressive task against the more modern machinery, after the first stage he commented, “No problem but we are starting very far down the order and that’s a big disadvantage in the dirty conditions. We caught the car ahead so we lost more and more time.”
Irishman Eamonn Boland took his privately entered Subaru Impreza STi to 37th overall.Lawmakers in Europe have voted to ban menthol cigarettes, but have rejected a proposal to heavily regulate "E-cigarettes." This development further cements the vast gulf between the cool, dangerous, retro smoking choices of the past, and today's ridiculous techno-vaping nerd trend.
Menthols have been under attack on both sides of the Atlantic for some time now. They are the polar opposite of E-cigarettes, which contain no tobacco, and which are now, with the blessing of Europe, more or less health food. It seems that the "They can help smokers quit!" view of E-cigarettes is set to carry the day. OUT: Badass biker wearing shades smoking an unfiltered Camel. IN: Software developer wearing Google Glass and smoking nicotine-infused water vapor out of a battery-powered plastic tube. Says the New York Times:
The use of e-cigarettes, primarily by smokers looking for a way to kick their tobacco habit, has skyrocketed in Europe and the United States, with sales growing so fast that some Wall Street analysts predict the battery-powered devices could surpass cigarettes within a decade... The market for electronic cigarettes and related paraphernalia, which barely existed a few years ago, is now estimated to be worth more than $650 million a year in Europe, although no precise figures are available. E-cigarette sales in the United States have also exploded to create what Wall Street analysts predict will be a $1.7 billion market this year.
Even as they grown in popularity, e-cigarettes remain uncool.
[Photo: Flickr]Jump to Section Materials and Methods Ethical Statement Animals, Inoculations, and Treatment Histopathologic Analysis and Microscopic Grading Detection of B. burgdorferi by Indirect IFA RNAscope ISH Procedure Results Nervous System Heart Skeletal Muscle Synovium Additional Tissues Discussion Supplemental Data References
An identical set of tissues as previously described in Histopathologic Analysis and Microscopic GradingHistopathologic Analysis and Microscopic Grading were also collected at necropsy (in addition to peripheral nerves from IP67), placed in PolyCon containers that contained OCT medium, frozen immediately in a dry ice/methanol bath, and then stored at −80°C. Only sections with inflammation confirmed through histopathologic analysis were
|
closures. Wildstein resigned from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey late last year.
Wildstein offered no details, and over the weekend, Christie’s office launched a counter-attack challenging his credibility.
“Bottom line — David Wildstein will do and say anything to save David Wildstein,” Christie’s office said in an email to supporters.
Wildstein’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As Sunday’s Super Bowl put New Jersey in the national spotlight, the Democratic National Committee launched an online video ad comparing Christie to a struggling football player.
“They say he’s unstoppable... unless he chokes,” the ad intoned, juxtaposing football images with video clips of news coverage of Christie, before and after the scandal broke. “It’s just the first quarter. It’s going to be a long game.”
Christie’s approval rating among New Jersey voters, at 65 percent just before his re-election last year, has slid to 46 percent, a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released last month showed.We’re very excited to introduce Feral Dampf — our collaboration with Local Option in Chicago, Illinois! Feral Dampf is a play on a beer made by Local Option called Dampf Loc, which is inspired by the centuries-old, Bavarian tradition of Dampfbier. Literally meaning “steam beer”, Dampfbier was known for producing lots of foam or krausen during fermentation, which made it appear as though the beer were boiling or steaming.
For Feral Dampf, we sought to explore the period of brewing history when Dampfbier most certainly must have been a “wild ale”. Centuries ago, there was no pure culture fermentation. All beer was a product of mixed culture fermentation with different kinds of yeast and bacteria. In order to inoculate Feral Dampf with a host of native microorganisms from around our brewery, we allowed the wort to cool overnight exposed to the night air in our coolship. We also inoculated the wort with our mixed culture the next morning once the wort had cooled.
Feral Dampf also pivots upon a set of axes that we’re very familiar with and fond of here at Jester King. Early on in our history, we latched on to what Yvan de Baets of Brasserie de la Senne wrote about saison in Phil Markowski’s Farmhouse Ales. Yvan wrote about saison either being “sour or very bitter”. Based on Yvan’s writings, we constantly strive to balance the acidity or sourness in our beer through time, temperature, and hops. Beers we brew with copious amounts of hops and ferment for mere months tend to present “cleaner” and more bitter, whereas beer we brew with less hops and ferment for extended periods of time tend to become more sour. For Feral Dampf, we inoculated the wort with airborne yeast and bacteria in our coolship, but gave the beer a fairly large dose of hops and fermented it for a relatively short period of time in a stainless steel tank. As a result, the beer presents more toward the bitter side of the pendulum described by Yvan.
Feral Dampf was brewed on January 26th, 2016 with well water, malted barley, oats, and hops, and fermented with native microorganisms from the air around our brewery, as well as our mixed culture of brewers yeast and native yeast and bacteria. It was packaged on March 16th, 2016, and was naturally refermented in bottles, kegs, and casks. At the time of packaging, it had a gravity of 1.003 (0.75 degrees Plato), and was 5.7% alcohol by volume, 42 IBU, and had a pH of 4.5.
We’re excited to announce that Feral Dampf will be released on Zwanze Day, which is April 14th of this month!We’re pleased to be joined for the release by Tony Russomanno and Alexi Front of Local Option, who are traveling from Chicago to be here! It will be available by the glass, as well as to go in 750ml bottles ($12). About 2,400 bottles are available. We’re also excited to have Feral Dampf t-shirts, glassware, prints, and stickers!
On a personal note, it was a real joy to work with Tony and Alexi on this beer. They are two of the nicest, most down to earth, humble brewers we’ve encountered, and they share our philosophy when it comes to simplicity, subtlety, and restraint. They’re a lot of fun too! Good times were had during the making of Feral Dampf shooting guns and listening to doom metal!I thank God I am still alive today. The immeasurable love and support of my wife, family and friends, two excellent doctors and countless nurses got me through a very dark time. Three weeks after resigning the leadership and attempting suicide I resigned from Parliament. Despite the extraordinary wave of empathy, sympathy and support I knew I couldn't get well in the public eye. I just couldn't go back. It took me over six months to recover. To get out of bed. To get dressed. To leave the house. To look people in the eye. This is very hard to think about and even harder to write. But what happened to me happens to tens of thousands of Australians every year. The shame and hopelessness becomes overwhelming. Some think seriously about suicide. Others try. And over 2500 each year die. Seven a day. In the 10 years since I tried to take my own life at least 23,500 Australians committed suicide. Worse, the number of people suiciding in Australia is increasing. In 10 years the number has increased by 20 per cent.
More people die from suicide than on our roads. Over the same period the number of motor vehicle deaths has reduced by 25 per cent to 1200. What other cause of death would we allow to increase by 20 per cent over the last 10 years without serious action? Suicide is the largest single cause of death in Australia for men and women under 44. Whilst we have come a very long way in destigmatising and talking openly about depression and other 'common' mental illnesses, we still struggle to know how to deal with suicide. Our suicide rates are similar to other Western developed nations such as the USA, UK and New Zealand. However, our Indigenous People's suicide rates are amongst the highest in the world. Scotland is an example of a western country that has seen a decline in suicides after setting a target in 2002 to reduce suicide by 20 per cent within 10 years.They achieved an 18 per cent reduction. Australia has failed to implement and fund a national suicide strategy.
So my call today is for suicide to be declared a national emergency. For it to be news every day that seven Australians took their own lives. For us to publish the suicide toll the way we publish the road toll. If we don't talk about suicide we can't stem the tide and reduce it. It is time to get angry and stay angry until we see suicides drop. The commonwealth, state and territory governments must agree, implement and fund a national suicide strategy as a matter of urgency. This year Lifeline will receive an extraordinary one million calls from Australians in crisis and at risk of suicide. Five years ago we received less than half that. Every day 120 callers are at high risk of suicide. Twenty times a day we assess the risk as so high we keep the caller on the line and have emergency services trace the call and go to the scene. Our 52 year history of saving lives proves a compassionate ear from a stranger to a stranger saves lives. Not everyone gets another chance in life. I have recovered from my suicide attempt and live a full and contributing life. I still have depression for which I am medicated and, like any other illness, I work with it every day. Today I live by a credo from an unscripted speech delivered by Richard Nixon as he resigned in shame and controversy in 1974. It explains my journey.
"The greatness comes not when things go always good for you. The greatness comes when you're really tested. When you take some knocks, some disappointments. When sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain." John Brogden was the NSW Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and is the chairman of Lifeline Australia. Lifeline, 13 11 14 MensLine 1300 789 978 beyondblue 1300 224 636
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.In recent days, new details have emerged in a bizarre alleged cannibalism case in Germany. The murder, which recalls a notorious killing perpetrated by Armin Meiwes in 2001, was allegedly committed by a 55-year-old police officer working as a handwriting analyst in the Dresden office of the State Criminal Police. The man has admitted to killing a 59-year-old Polish-born businessman from Hanover, whom he allegedly met on a cannibalism fantasy forum and whose body he allegedly dismembered and buried on a property belonging to him in the Ore Mountains, near the Czech border. The police officer -- thus far only known by his first name and last initial, Detlef G. -- disputes consuming any part of his victim.
According to an unconfirmed report in German daily Bild, Detlef G. was immersed in the online cannibal fetish community, and the police have yet to discover several parts of the victim, raising the question of whether they had been eaten.
'Long Pigs' and 'Chefs'
According to German daily Welt, the victim, known as Wojciech S., took a bus and a train to Saxony on Nov. 4, in order to meet with the alleged murderer. They met in Dresden, and drove to the police officer's Reichenau home, which doubled as a bed and breakfast. Shortly thereafter, Detlef G. allegedly stabbed his new acquaintance in the neck in the basement of the building, cut his body into small pieces and buried it in the garden of his home. The police officers investigating the case have said that the killing "had been desired by the victim."
The two men are alleged to have met on an online forum which describes itself as the "Number 1 site for exotic meat" and is visited by men with a fetish related to the consumption of human flesh. As of Friday, it had 3,000 users. The cannibal fetish community is a small, but not insignificant subgroup in Germany. Armin Meiwes, who was found guilty of killing and eating parts of 43-year-old Berlin engineer Bernd Jürgen in 2001, claimed after his conviction that there were approximately 800 "cannibals" living in the country.
In the online cannibal fetish world, men who want to be eaten are referred to as "long pigs," a term which comes from 19th-century explorers who encountered cannibals on their voyages. Men who fantasize about eating other men, meanwhile, are referred to as "chefs." The vast majority of forum-users, criminologist Petra Klages told Die Welt, are only interested in safely playing out a fantasy. Somewhat ominously, however, users for the forum are able to check a box marked "I'm interested in more than just role play."
Another Near-Victim
The alleged murderer, it seems, was part of the latter group. Yesterday, Bild published an interview with another man, a 31-year-old sewage mechanic from Baden Württemberg, who had also met with the police officer just a few weeks ago. The man, who went by "Junjie" online, had posted that he "wanted to be grilled alive." He wrote, "whether on the grill or on a spit, I don't care."
He told Bild he chatted online with the accused murderer, and the two made an appointment for him to be eaten because he says he had had a fight with his parents and wanted to disappear without a trace. In October he spent several weeks in the police officer's bed and breakfast, where the latter cooked Asian food and former East-German dishes for them, but finally decided that the 31-year-old was too young to be consumed. The younger man, who now lives with a boyfriend, was not shocked by the murder allegations because, he told Bild, "after all, I went there to be eaten."
Bed and Breakfast 'Ideal for Grilling'
The rustic bed and breakfast, called Pension Gimmlitztal, offered lodging for as little as 13 a night, including breakfast. Its website, which has been taken down, but is still cached online, advertised "a generous outside area, surrounded by woods, which is ideal for an evening of grilling." The suspect ran the business with his husband, who apparently knew nothing of his partner's criminal interests and has since gone into hiding.
Neighbors told Bild that Detlef and his husband would invite them over in the summer for parties in their garden, where the police officer would prepare "potato salad, sausages and steaks on the grill" and acted as the "perfect host." According to Bild, authorities will begin searching the interior of the house in the next few days.What happens if you mix Texas with Hawaii?
You'd probably get a remote island paradise that looks a lot like Guam: an island with a rich culture, a contentious and diverse colonial history and absolutely stunning vistas.
In many ways, Guam seems like a wonderfully unique contradiction. It's a remote island and an international melting pot; it's an American territory, and the gateway to Asia; it's home to an intensely local culture, but it's filled with outsiders. And to top it all off, it's just beautiful.
Below, the 11 reasons Guam just might be America's most interesting and exotic destination.
1. The diving:
The water is crystal clear and, unlike much of the world, Guam's coral reefs are actually thriving. Piti Bomb Hole features such lushly perfect coral craters that it looks like they were sculpted by bombs. Between Apra Harbor, where WWI and WWII ships sunk on top of each other, to Gun Beach, where stingrays go for breakfast, divers and snorkelers are never, ever bored.
Apra Harbor
2. Chamorro food:
With clear influences from Spanish and Mexican cuisine, Chamorro food features tortillas, tamales, atole and chilaquiles. Locals especially crave Finadene (a soy sauce-based condiment) and Chicken Kelaguen, which features lemon, chile peppers and coconut shavings.
3. History:
The U.S. territory enjoys the culture of the Chamorro people (the indigenous Pacific islanders), but with heavy Spanish, Japanese, and American influences. It was first colonized by Spain in the seventeenth century, was occupied by Japan for two years during World War II, and is home today to a relatively large U.S. military presence.
Fort Soledad.
4. The culture:
Are you ready for this? Many equate the culture in Guam to that of Texas. Seriously. Between an obsession with high-school football and little league to the people themselves, apparently the Lone-Star state and the lone island have a lot in common. Guam locals have big hearts and even bigger parties (called village fiestas), and a frontier mentality means that communities are tight-knit and take care of one another.
5.The hiking:
To get you drooling, just try Instagram searching the following: Pagat Caves, Cetti Bay, Sigua Falls, Ague Cove, Talofofo Falls and Marbo Cave. Yes, please!
Talofofo Falls
6. The beaches:
A pretty beach is a pretty beach, right? Apparently not. Guam enjoys near perfect weather year round (temperatures range from the low 70s to mid 80s) and the water, according to one local, is warm and uniquely delightful, as if "Mother Nature herself drew you a warm bath."
7. Sunsets:
This is the kind of majesty you have to see for yourself.
Agana Bay and Alupai Island at sunset.
But seriously, the sunsets are incredible:
Tamuning beach
8. The music:
Reggae and ukelele lovers rejoice. With such a laid-back lifestyle, it's easy to stumble upon great live music at the beach, the bars or the ubiquitous barbecues.
9. Exoticism:
Admit it: vacationing in Hawaii is so last century (ahem, "Mad Men"). Guam, on the other hand, is the new exotic destination for America.
10. A head start:
Guam is "where America's Day begins" -- quite literally. With it's own timezone (Chamorro Standard Time), Guam wakes up 14 or 15 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, depending on Daylight Saving Time. The island celebrates New Year's first in America and movies often premiere ahead of the rest of America.
11. Romance:
Perhaps the island's most famous landmark is Two Lovers' Point, a dramatic and steep cliffside overlooking the Philippine Sea. According to Chamorro legend, two star-crossed lovers, forbidden from being together in life, leaped from the cliff so that they could be together in the afterlife. Not surprisingly, weddings are held there regularly.The 30 million Hausa of northern Nigeria have a history going back more than a 1,000 years. Theirs is a rich and vibrant culture, but also a patriarchal one. And in recent years, the region has been terrorized by the brutality of jihadist militant group Boko Haram. It is not, in short, a place you’d expect a literary movement of Muslim women to flourish, especially one that sells pulpy novels in the very marketplaces targeted by jihadists.
These women write sultry romances, scandalous family dramas and other stories. Some are universal—the classic Cinderella tale of a poor woman marrying a rich man—but others are more socially risqué, like the story of a divorced woman romantically involved with a virgin man. Whatever the plot, these stories frequently denounce child marriage, sex trafficking, and slavery in all its forms. They are often handwritten, transcribed onto a computer, self-published and sold in markets throughout the Sahel region of Africa. The women who write them brave censorship and become leaders of their community, working within the bounds of society even as they shape it.
They are not what I thought feminism looked like, but then I had to change my idea of what feminism looked like. Glenna Gordon
"I didn’t expect to meet such powerful women in a place where everything I had heard about was men and the patriarchy," says photographer Glenna Gordon. Her photos, compiled in the book Diagram of the Heart, spotlight the women writing these littattafan soyayya ("books of love") and other stories in the Hausa language. Meeting them was, she says, life-changing. "[They are] not what I thought feminism looked like, but then I had to change my idea of what feminism looked like," she says.
The genre, often called Kano market literature, emerged in the late 1980s in Kano, northern Nigeria’s commercial center. One of its earliest breakout writers was Balaraba Ramat Yakubu, whose traumatic early love life inspired her writing. Yakubu was married and divorced twice by the time she was 15, and turned to writing. Her first book, 1987's Young at Heart, is a searing critique of polygamy told through the moral depravity of a man who cycles through one unhappy wife after another. Her most famous book, Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home, published in 1990, tells the story of a woman whose adulterous husband takes a prostitute as his second wife. It was made into a film in 1998 and in 2012 it became the first Hausa novel by a woman to be translated to English.
The most popular stories are written by women, but men write Kano market literature as well. Such stories resonate because they explore life from the perspective of ordinary Hausa, says Carmen McCain, a Hausa scholar who translated the excerpts of various stories that appear in Gordon’s book. "[Yakubu] was part of a revolutionary movement of young people writing stories about issues and concerns they saw daily, and often about things that had happened in their own lives,” she says. “They were popular because they spoke to the daily lives of their audiences and often became seen as people who could advise others.”
Diagram of the Heart, Red Hook Editions, 2016.
The women fearlessly raise pressing societal issues while promoting literacy among women, says Abdalla Uba Adama, a Kano literature scholar at Bayero University in Kano. "[They] empower Hausa women and girls to read in a language they can understand and connect with,” he says.
At first, writers like Yakubu wrote their stories longhand, then paid typists to transcribe them. That changed as Internet cafes and business centers provided easy access to computers. The writers live throughout the cities and villages of northern Nigeria, but the books typically find their way to printers in Kano. The authors often hire local artists to design the cover, and pay the printer to produce a few thousand stapled copies. Sometimes they sell the rights to the printer, who decorates the books with colorful covers showing Bollywood or Kannywood actresses Photoshopped into traditional Hausa clothing. Shopkeepers sell them in Kano's Sabon Gari market for about a dollar a piece alongside everything from tomatoes to tires.
The books are popular, but that doesn't make writing them any easier. In the 1990s, many viewed the authors with disdain because they often presented love outside of arranged marriages, which could encourage premarital sex. That led to the creation, in 2001, of a censorship board to ensure the stories did not break taboos. In 2007, the government burned many littattafan soyayya, and the censorship board grew more onerous. Noted author Sa'adatu Baba Ahmed says censors insisted she remove a scene in which a husband wipes away his wife’s tears. "How can this be?" she says. “The husband’s responsibility is to console his wife, to sympathize with her. How can your own husband allow you to scream and shout in front of him and he has no right to console her?”
Despite the government's best efforts, the popularity of *littattafan soyayya *only grew. These days, the government generally leaves writers alone. The books provide the authors with a decent living—the most popular making between $600 and $1,200 per novel—raising their stature at home and within the community. Local universities often invite authors to speak, and their work is the subject of dissertations. "Wherever I go, people respect me, they show their love to me," Ahmed says.
Glenna Gordon
Gordon has spent a decade documenting Africa and discovered Kano market literature in late 2012. She was traveling to photograph a mass wedding in northern Nigeria for her project Nigeria Ever After when her friend and Hausa scholar McCain recommended she read Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home. "I was instantly interested and wanted to learn more," she says.
She visited Kano in early 2013. McCain provided phone numbers for a few women, and one contact led to another. The project started with portraits made with a medium format Bronica, but Gordon eventually decided to capture the women more candidly with a 35mm camera or an iPhone. She made six trips to Kano and elsewhere in just two years, photographing the world these women inhabit. “I tried to use the novels as a guide," she says. “I wanted to seek out some of the scenes they described, to make images that echoed their aesthetics, and to focus on the spaces where women live their lives.”
She formed close relationships with women like Kano novelist Rabi Talle, who she photographed throughout the project. They would spend hours together in Talle’s house chatting and sipping juice. In one image Talle chats on one of several phone lines she keeps to talk with suitors, family members, and readers seeking love advice. Another catches Talle smiling at the man who would become her husband as he stops by with fruit from the market. Another shows her cupping her pregnant belly, her face illuminated by the cool light of a window. "Sometimes [Rabi] would get tired of [the camera] and sigh deeply, and I knew that was my cue to put [it] down," Gordon says. “But for the most part, she liked having her picture taken and was very open.”
They call me a feminist. They call me a womanist. I do not know which one I am. All I want is that any woman get her rights. Balaraba Ramat Yakubu
The photographs depict a world as textured and complex as that within the littattafan soyayya. Some illuminate cultural traditions and scenes foreign to many westerners—a dowry exchange at a wedding, men surrounded by multiple wives, the morality police settling a family dispute. Others capture the rich inner lives of the writers. In one photo, Hadiza Sani Garba bends over a small notebook composing a novel by hand, a red floral bedspread laid out beneath her like a carpet. The intimacy of the moment is wonderfully moving.
But the portraits of the authors are equally compelling—particularly of Yakubu. She stands beneath an archway in a baby blue hijab speckled with orange and yellow leaves. Her eyes are bright and her smile resplendent, her face flanked by images of herself at a younger age hanging behind her. It's tempting to call her a feminist, but Yakubu chuckles at that term. "They call me a feminist. They call me a womanist. I do not know which one I am,” she says. "All I want is that any woman get her rights."
Women like Yakubu challenged Gordon’s idea of what it meant to be a Muslim woman in northern Nigeria. They may not have all the same freedoms and opportunities of women in the west, but still hold a measure of power. They fall in love, build friendships, and raise families. They are influencing their culture, and speaking out against inequality and injustice. "I loved how wrong I was about northern Nigeria," Gordon says. "There was this big blank spot in my knowledge before I went, and the vague outlines I had were filled in in a way that was totally different than anything I expected."
Glenna Gordon’s photo book Diagram of the Heart is currently available through Red Hook Editions and on her website.Extreme weather, made worse by climate change, along with the health impacts of burning fossil fuels, has cost the U.S. economy at least $240 billion a year over the past ten years, a new report has found.
And yet this does not include this past month's three major hurricanes or 76 wildfires in nine Western states. Those economic losses alone are estimated to top $300 billion, the report notes. Putting it in perspective, $300 billion is enough money to provide free tuition for the 13.5 million U.S. students enrolled in public colleges and universities for four years.
In the coming decade, economic losses from extreme weather combined with the health costs of air pollution spiral upward to at least $360 billion annually, potentially crippling U.S. economic growth, according to this new report, The Economic Case for Climate Action in the United States, published online Thursday by the Universal Ecological Fund.
“Burning fossil fuels comes at a giant price tag which the U.S. economy cannot afford and not sustain," said Sir Robert Watson, coauthor and director at the U.K's Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research.
Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye
“We want to paint a picture for Americans to illustrate the fact that the costs of not acting on climate change are very significant,” Watson, the former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told National Geographic.
Watson is quick to point out that extreme weather events, including heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, are not caused by climate change. However, there is no question their intensity and frequency in many cases has been made worse by the fact the entire planet is now 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) hotter, he said in an interview.
While a 1.8 degree F (1 degree C) increase may seem small, it’s having a major economic impact on the U.S. According to data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the number of extreme weather events causing at least $1 billion in economic losses has increased more than 400 percent since the 1980s. Some of that increase is due to increased amounts of housing and commercial infrastructure along coastlines. “However that doesn’t account for big increases in the last decade,” Watson said.
And much more global warming is coming—3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) temperature by 2050 and even greater warming beyond that—unless bigger cuts in fossil-fuel emissions are made than those promised in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, said Watson. “The impacts of climate change are certainly going to get more than twice as bad,” he said. (Learn more about why this hurricane season has been so catastrophic.)
BILLION-DOLLAR WEATHER A chart of the most costly U.S weather disasters shows billion-dollar events have been increasing in recent years. The main reason: more people are living on higher-value properties in vulnerable places, such as coasts. But as the atmosphere warms, scientists expect destructive weather itself to become more common. TYPE OF DISASTER COST OF DISASTER $50 billion Drought/heat wave Hurricane $20 Wildfire Tornado/hailstorm/thunderstorm $1 Flood Blizzard/ice storm/freeze Hurricane Harvey is expected to become the second most costly disaster in U.S. history. $64-92 bil. estimated Hurricane Irma $86-108 bil. estimated Hurricane Harvey 2017 JULY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 2016 had the most $1 billion disasters so far (15) $10 billion Hurricane Matthew 2015 $70 billion Hurricane Sandy 2010 $35 billion Hurricane Ike $160 billion Hurricane Katrina $24 billion Hurricane Rita Hurricane Katrina was the costliests natural disaster in U.S. history, damaging nine states $23 billion Hurricane Wilma 2005 $21 billion Hurricane Charley $27 billion Hurricane Ivan 2000 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 1995 $36 billion Midwest flooding $48 billion Hurricane Andrew 1990 1993’s “storm of the century” hit the eastern seaboard with heavy snows, causing $8.5 billion, more than any other blizzard $18 billion Hurricane Hugo $42 billion Drought/heat wave Droughts combined with heat waves in 1980 and 1988 in the central and eastern U.S. devastated agriculture and related industries. 1985 $32 billion Drought/heat wave 1980 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC *Estimated by Moody’s Analytics. Estimates from NOAA are not yet available. All figures above adjusted for 2017 inflation. John Tomanio AND RILEY D. CHAMPINE, NG Staff. Sources: Adam Smith, National Climatic Data Center; Jeff Masters, Weather Underground; National Climatic Data Center BILLION-DOLLAR HURRICANES A chart of the most costly U.S hurricanes shows billion-dollar disasters have been increasing in recent years. The main reason: more people are living on higher-value proper- ties in vulnerable places, such as coasts. As the oceans warm, scientists expect destruc- tive storms to become more common. COST OF Hurricanes causing at least one billion dollars in damage in U.S. $50 billion $20 $1 JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV Hurricane Harvey is expected to become the second most costly disaster in U.S. history. $86-108 billion* Hurricane Harvey $86-108 billion* Hurricane Irma 2017 $10 billion Hurricane Matthew 2015 $70 billion Hurricane Sandy $15 billion Hurricane Irene Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, damaging nine states 2010 $35 billion Hurricane Ike $160 billion Hurricane Katrina $24 billion Hurricane Rita $23 billion Hurricane Wilma 2005 $27 billion Hurricane Ivan $21 billion Hurricane Charley $7.4 billion Hurricane Isabel 2000 JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV $9.7 billion Hurricane Floyd $9.1 billion Hurricane Georges $8.0 billion Hurricane Fran $7.6 billion Hurricane Opal 1995 $48 billion Hurricane Andrew $2.7 billion Hurricane Bob 1990 $18 billion Hurricane Hugo $3.5 billion Hurricane Juan 1985 $7.5 billion Hurricane Alicia $1.9 billion Hurricane Allen 1980 JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV Estimated by Moody’s Analytics. Estimates from NOAA are not yet available. * All figures above adjusted for 2017 inflation. John Tomanio AND RILEY D. CHAMPINE, NG Staff. Sources: Adam Smith, NatioNal Climatic Data Center; Jeff Masters, Weather Underground; National Climatic Data Center
Seeking Solutions
The report also looks at low-carbon solutions that can cut emissions and air pollution and benefit the U.S. economy. For instance, doubling the current share of renewable energy could create 500,000 new jobs while substantially cutting the amount of electricity currently generated using coal—improving air quality and reducing health costs.
Renewable energy, even when subsidized, will save America billions of dollars, according to the first national study of the future costs and benefits of renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Twenty-nine states have RPS—regulations requiring increased production of energy from renewable energy sources.
If existing RPS programs continue unchanged from now until 2050 they’d generate about 40 percent of U.S. electricity and save $97 billion in air pollution health costs and $161 billion in climate damage reductions, the Assessing the Costs and Benefits of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards study found. But if all states meet their Clean Power Plan obligations solely with renewables they’d generate 35 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030 and 49 percent by 2050.
The health benefit savings and climate impact cost reductions in this scenario would be over $1.1 trillion. However, the Trump Administration signed an Executive Order calling for a review of the Clean Power Plan last March and the new head of the EPA has told states they no longer have to comply.
RPS policies do increase electric system costs and may increase rates in some states but the overall costs are far less than the health benefits and cost reductions, said lead author Ryan Wiser, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
“RPS programs provide a big social benefit to all Americans,” Wiser said in an interview. However, RPS policies are not the most efficient way to reduce fossil fuel use, he added.
“Pretty well every economist will tell you that a carbon tax or cap and trade are better.”
In the 1980s acid rain air pollution was curbed through a cap and trade program championed by George H.W. Bush. It was the first such program in the world and worked quite well, said Wiser.
Renewable Energy 101
Additional Benefits to Tackling Emissions
Switching to renewables will also save enormous amounts of freshwater. Electricity generation is the nation’s biggest water user because coal and gas boil large amounts of water to make electricity. If 35 percent of this generation was renewable it would reduce water use enough to meet the needs of 1.9 million homes, according to Wiser’s study. However, the cost benefits of this water savings is not included in the report, nor are other environmental costs and health benefits.
The Economic Case for Climate Action report also doesn’t include a number of climate-related losses such as reduced crop yields from drought. Those amounted to $56 billion since 2012. Nor does it include economic losses from health impacts of heat waves or impacts on ecosystems and water resources.
“Our report is an under estimate of the real costs of continued use of fossil fuels,” Watson said.
“Anything we estimate now is an underestimate,” said Amir Jina of the University of Chicago and co-author of yet another new study looking at impacts of climate change on the U.S. “Climate change is not isolated to small increases in global temperature, but to local impacts to our health and well-being that could be enormous.”
South and Midwest to Be Hardest Hit
Estimating Economic Damage from Climate Change in the United States is a state-of-the-art analysis that projects future costs and benefits county by county based on current and past data. It found counties in states in the South and lower Midwest would be the hardest hit economically without strong action to curb climate change.
“The Gulf Coast will take a massive hit. Its exposure to sea-level rise—made worse by potentially stronger hurricanes—poses a major risk to its communities. Increasingly extreme heat will drive up violent crime, slow down workers, amp up air conditioning costs,” said co-author Robert Kopp, director of the Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Rutgers University.
Programs like federal flood insurance insulate coastal communities from some of these risks but it means citizens a long way from the coast bear the financial costs. The same applies to disaster relief.
Billions of local, state and federal taxpayer dollars will rightly go towards the recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. However, those monies could have gone elsewhere to grow our economy and that affects every American, said Jina. "What would we have done with this rebuilding money if we didn't have to use it to rebuild?"
The study shows that these big storms lower the long-run growth of the U.S. economy and that their economic and human impacts ripple through the country for up to two decades. New Orleans hasn’t fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many small businesses never bounced back. Ten years after the storm the unemployment rate was still higher than pre-Katrina levels. Research shows that after most hurricanes more people tend to rely heavily on unemployment insurance and Medicaid, increasing the strain on those publicly funded programs, Jina said.Recent news reports indicate North Korea may have succeeded in building a nuclear warhead that can fit atop of one of the regime's intercontinental missiles. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib examines what that means for the U.S., where President Donald Trump Tuesday threatened Pyongyang with "fire and fury." Photo: AP
President Donald Trump bluntly warned North Korea against making any more threats to the U.S., saying the country “will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
Within hours of Mr. Trump’s comments, North Korea made its most specific threat against the U.S. yet. Through its official media, North Korea said it was considering firing missiles at Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, and making the U.S. “the first to experience the might of the strategic weapons of the DPRK”—the Democratic People’s Republic...Sports fees
|
rey Bogart, Johnny Carson, and other extremely dead and/or wholly fictional white guys? A single-malt whiskey is a malt whiskey made from a single distillery — not unlike traditional Scottish single-malts (think Macallan). But this ain't Scotland. It's Garland. So you won't find it on, say, The Old Monk's 75-pound Odyssey of a Scotch menu. To be called a Scotch, a whiskey has to be made in uh... Scotland.
There's also this thing with the barrels. Over there in Europe, whiskey can be aged in oak barrels old or new, or a combination thereof. Alas, here in America, we have rules. Our oak barrels used for whiskey aging have to be new. No matter; plenty of American craft whiskey distillers are making Scotch-esque single malts from new oak barrels, including the exalted (and embattled) Balcones distillery in Waco, Texas — and, closer to home, Herman Marshall.
The resulting elixir is a completely unique spirit that Dallas should champion. Herman Marshall's single-malt is sweeter, and more woody, than, for example, the Balcones single-malt —but not as sweet as, say, the Balvenie, a traditional-style single malt from Scotland. (Which, at times, tastes like a mouthful of freshly mowed lawn recently watered with dry vermouth — though that's not necessarily a bad thing.)
Herman Marshall's single-malt is as if you're drinking bourbon — it's the color of bourbon, the viscosity of bourbon — except that peaty hint of malted barley lingers on the finish. It's delightfully different, and it's made right here in your own backyard.
Herman Marshall's forays into the bourbon, rye, and single-malt marketplace have proven that craft whiskey can be done locally and successfully. While whiskey enthusiasts may not have the kind of dizzyingly large selection to choose from that craft beer drinkers enjoy (yet), Dallas-made whiskey is available, and it's damn good. So try a few fingers; if you're gonna drink local, you might as well commit all the way.LAST week, two young girls had their citizenship applications rejected by the Swiss government.
The girls, aged 12 and 14, were denied a Swiss passport because they refused to participate in school swimming lessons and camps, saying the proximity to men in these contexts was forbidden by their religion. Swimming lessons are compulsory in the Swiss city of Basel, where the incident took place. Stefan Wehrle, president of the naturalisation committee, said that young people who wish to become citizens need to prove they’re meeting the requirements of the country’s education system. “Whoever doesn’t fulfil these conditions violates the law and therefore cannot be naturalised,” he told the Swiss TV station SRF. It’s the first in a string of cases where individuals and families have seen their citizenship requests denied on the basis of not properly integrating into the country’s society and culture. WHAT IS ‘NATURALISATION’? To become an Australian citizen, you basically need to be a permanent resident, have a clean record, pass a general knowledge test and intend on staying in Australia. In Switzerland, however, the rules are more stringent. Foreigners with no direct blood ties to Switzerland must live in the country for at least 12 years before they can apply for citizenship (although years spent in the country between ages 10 and 20 count for double). Unlike in Australia or the United States, general knowledge of the country is considered less important than provenly integrating into society. Authorities can and will do regular check-ups to determine whether or not a migrant is making genuine attempts to assimilate into their local neighbourhood, and adopting the national customs and traditions. According to the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung, one of the country’s largest newspapers, it is very rare for a naturalisation application to be denied. But a string of recent cases suggest otherwise. In an incident last month, a Bosnian Muslim father was fined for refusing to allow his daughters to take swimming lessons at school. He also forbade them from going to camps and other school events, claiming such activities ran counter to his religious beliefs, the AFP reported. He was ordered to pay 4000 Swiss francs (almost $A5500), and the prosecutor additionally requested he serve four months in jail, saying he had been living in Switzerland since 1990 and had made no attempts to integrate. The Swiss government is not shy about threatening fines over a lack of integration. A case of this a few months ago sparked national outrage after two Muslim schoolboys refused to shake their female teacher’s hand, saying any physical contact with a non-related female was prohibited by Islam. Shaking hands in Switzerland is a common display of cultural etiquette, taught from a very young age as a sign of respect. The incident largely sparked fury after the school agreed that the boys would no longer have to shake their female teachers’ hands, with the country’s Justice Minister insisting “shaking hands is part of our culture”. The decision was later overturned, and replaced by a rule that stated a parent or guardian could be fined up to 5000 francs ($A6805) if their child refused to shake hands. In 2015, a 76-year-old American immigrant abandoned his quest to become a Swiss citizen after living there for 43 years. Local officials refused his naturalisation application, claiming the man — who lived there with his three children and German wife — had not sufficiently integrated. They justified this by claiming, based on tests they conducted, that he wasn’t familiar with the local area and didn’t have any local friends. In a comparatively stricter ruling, a family from Kosovo was denied citizenship because they wore tracksuit pants around town. Initially, the family’s application process seemed solid: they knew the customs and geography of their region, and they could all speak German (there is a rule that citizens must speak one of the three national languages fluently — German, French or Italian). But some panel members said the fact that they didn’t wear jeans was a hindrance, as was the fact that they didn’t greet people they passed in the street.If you follow AOSP code drops long enough, you're eventually going to hear about JBQ (as well as a ton more acronyms). Jean-Baptiste Queru, Technical Lead of the Android Open-Source Project took to Google+ today to talk about Android update rollouts, as well as to praise one of the manufacturers that he sees as leading the pack in aiding the AOSP: Sony.
It took Sony only about 5 months to ship this [Android 4.0 for the Sony Tablet S] after I released the code in the Android Open Source Project at the very end of last year. This is actually a very reasonable time, since under the hood Ice Cream Sandwich is quite different from Honeycomb (and upgrades from Gingerbread are likely to take longer as those differences are huge). Since Sony has been contributing a lot to the Android Open Source Project, they have fewer changes that they need to maintain on their own: those changes of theirs are already there when the source code is first released. That's probably one of the reasons why they could get done faster: the work they did preparing those contributions gave them a head start. I don't think that any other manufacturer has been contributing nearly as much as Sony did, so everyone else is now going to have to play catch-up.
This sheds some new light on how manufacturers carry out their updates and a little bit of why these updates take so long to begin with. It's obvious to anyone who doesn't own a Galaxy Nexus that the 4.0 rollout is taking longer than many updates in the past, but JBQ does let on that the changes are significant, so that may explain part of the hold up.
However, as he points out, Sony has been contributing to the AOSP in ways that help it provide faster updates to consumers. This has something Sony itself has pointed out in the past. As the company points out in a blog post on the subject back in December of last year:
In the Bring up phase, another task is to integrate a number of patches, to improve and adapt the Android legacy code according to our needs. These are customised patches important to the phone, such as improved error handling. To avoid fragmentation, many of these customised patches are actually contributed back to the Android Open Source Project, so that they are included in the default Android source code for the next software release. This work has made Sony Ericsson one of the main contributors to Android.
Sony has also, historically, been very involved with the open source community, specifically by partnering with the CM team to bring custom ROMs to Sony devices. From the official CyanogenMod blog back in September 2011:
We would like to stress that work on the 2011 lineup would not have been possible without the strong involvement of Sony Ericsson with the developer community. In addition to providing unlockable bootloaders to all new devices, they provided us both with devices and technical expertise that proved invaluable in making all this happen.
Sony may get the short end of the publicity stick, sometimes, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that Sony is approaching the Android community the right way: by engaging and helping the community, by unlocking the bootloaders on its devices and, most importantly, contributing code back to the project. The result is that Sony is getting updates to devices faster than any other manufacturer.
There are still other obstacles, of course. JBQ lamented that even on Google-engineered devices, updates can be affected by "delays introduced by operator approvals." As he sees it, though, the Galaxy Nexus being sold via the Play Store, is a step back in the right direction. We couldn't agree more.
And as for the other manufacturers: Samsung, HTC, Motorola? You guys should consider following in Sony's footsteps on this one. The community is your greatest asset, not your enemy.
Source: Google+Wow, have we got a lot of great nominations this year!! Thanks to all who spent the time to review the works of the past year and nominate the best!!
I have gathered up all of the nominations and worked out the (more-or-less) final categories — with remarks for you on possible final changes. Note: if you are an author, and you have more than one nomination in a single category, you may request to have only your favorite of your pieces go on to the voting phase (to avoid competing against yourself). Or if one of your nominated pieces could potentially fit in a different category and you would like it moved, please say so.
Year-long awards for people and websites:
Best New Blog
Best Discussion Forum
This category has only one nomination, probably because it is highly unlikely that any other forum stands a chance of beating the Exmormon Reddit. If there are no objections, I’ll drop this category this year.
Best Humor/Satire Site or Blog
Best LDS-Interest Audio/Video Channel
Best LDS Church Watch/Analysis Blog or Website
This is a new category for 2014 — there was a real explosion of new sites analyzing and reporting on the CoJCoL-dS. If you have any recommendations for a better title for this category, please say so in the comments.
Best Scripture Study Blog/Podcast
Best faithful-perspective Mormon Blog
This category needs more nominations
Awards for Individual Works:
Best LDS-Interest Book (Fiction)
Best LDS-Interest Book (Non-fiction)
Best LDS-Interest Comic or Image
Best Mormon-Themed Meme
Best Musical Work
This category needs two more nominations or will be dropped.
Most fantastic r/mormon AMA
Best Post Title
Funniest Humor Piece
Most Poignant Personal Story
Best LDS-Interest Feature story or special-interest series
I’m not sure if this is the besta way to categorize these… Either there will be more nominations that fit here, or I’ll fold these nominations into another category…
Best Exit Story
This category needs some more nominations…
Best Moving On from Mormonism Piece
Best Original Research Regarding Mormonism
Best LDS Church Watch Piece
Best Podcast Series or Episode
Best Response to Apologetics
Most Interesting Interfaith Interaction
Best Religion-and-Race Discussion
Best Religion-and-Gender Discussion
Best Religion-and-Orientation Post
Best Erotic or Sexual Piece
This category needs one more nomination or will be dropped.
Best History Piece
Most Insightful Commentary on the CoJCoL-dS
Best Philosophical/Theological Discussion
This category could potentially be renamed
Best Parody/Metaphor/Analogy
I thought of this category at the last minute because it seemed like I saw a lot of these… Please submit your own, and I will probably add a few more or move some into this category.
Best Poem
This category needs one more nomination or will be dropped.
Best Review
Best Recipe
This category needs two more nominations or will be dropped.
Unfortunately, I will not have time to prepare the polls until Wednesday or Thursday of next week, so you have one more week to get in your final nominations. Thanks to all for participating!!Story highlights Op-ed from respected political observers says the core problem with government is GOP
It says GOP is extreme, won't compromise, is irresponsible, ignores evidence
David Frum: GOP's radicalization is the result of changes in politics and economy
Frum: Rich GOP voters could lose the most, others fear change in their lives
Last month, two political scientists published one of those rare op-eds that gets the political community talking.
The thesis of the piece was contained in the title: "Let's just say it: The Republicans are the problem."
In case that was not clear enough, the authors elaborated: "We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional.
"In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.
David Frum
"The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.
"When one party moves this far from the mainstream, it makes it nearly impossible for the political system to deal constructively with the country's challenges."
The piece drew its authority from the authors' identity: Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, two of Washington's most veteran watchers of Congress. Both men have hard-earned reputations for nonideological independence of mind despite their institutional affiliations: Mann works at the liberal Brookings Institution, Ornstein at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. (Ornstein is a friend of mine, and was a colleague until I was given the heave-ho from AEI in March 2010.)
Now they have backed their provocative op-ed with a new book, "It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism."
The book backs the arresting op-ed with a battery of depressing research, substantiating their charge that congressional Republicans now act in a uniquely irresponsible way.
The debt showdown last summer was the ultimate case: congressional Republicans nearly forcing a default on the obligations of the United States to get their way on a budget agreement.
But the pattern manifests itself in almost all the business of government, down to the most mundane.
For example: Because Senate rules often require unanimous consent to move to the next order of business, a determined minority can force delay on almost any action it opposes.
Since 2009, Republicans have used this power of delay hyper-aggressively. Compare and contrast the treatment of executive-branch nominees.
Sixteen months into the George W. Bush administration, Memorial Day 2002, only 13 executive-branch nominations awaited confirmation by the Senate. At the corresponding moment in the Obama administration, Memorial Day 2010, 108 nominees were awaiting action by the Senate.
This comparison is supported by another academic study. The confirmation process got gradually slower between the 1960s and the 1990s. Then, suddenly, in the second Clinton administration, the confirmation process seized up.
Under the elder Bush, a Republican president facing a Democratic Senate, 92% of nominees were confirmed within an average of 57 days. In the second Clinton administration, facing a Republican Senate, only 74% of nominees were confirmed, taking an average of 110 days.
Ornstein and Mann offer a convincing array of explanations for the trend toward radicalism within the GOP, including changes in campaign finance and in the electorate itself. They offer too a range of proposals to work around GOP radicalism and restore the effective functioning of Congress. If those proposals have a faint wistful air to them, blame the inherent difficulty of the problem, not Mann and Ornstein.
But one thing is missing from their powerful and important book, and it's a thought I'd like to enter here into the record: The radicalization of the GOP is a function of changes, not only in U.S. politics, but also in the U.S. economy.
Americans are living through an era of disappointment. It's becoming obvious that the U.S. government cannot meet all the expectations that built up in better times.
The tax status quo, the Medicare status quo, the social safety net status quo, the defense status quo -- they can't all be sustained. Something must give, and almost everybody senses it.
In good times, we debate whether government should expand programs or cut taxes -- new benefits in either case.
In these times, we are debating whether government should impose large reductions in programs or impose big increases in taxes -- taking from people benefits that they now enjoy.
Human beings will typically fight much more ferociously to keep what they possess than to gain something new. And the constituencies that vote Republican happen to possess the most and thus to be exposed to the worst risks of loss.
The Republican voting base includes not only the wealthy with the most to fear from tax increases, but also the elderly and the rural, the two constituencies that benefit the most from federal spending and thus have the most to lose from spending cuts.
All those constituencies together fear that almost any conceivable change will be change for the worse from their point of view: higher taxes, less Medicare, or possibly both. Any attempt to do more for other constituencies -- the unemployed, the young -- represents an extra, urgent threat to them.
That sense of threat radicalizes voters and donors -- and has built a huge reservoir of votes and money for politicians and activists who speak as radically as the donors and voters feel.
Which means the solution to the problems so astutely diagnosed by Mann and Ornstein must ultimately be found outside the American political system -- and will not be solved until America's rich and America's elderly become either less fearful or more generous.Artists began flocking to the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles decades ago, at a time when it was a veritable ghost town of abandoned warehouses and factories. With that, came an abundance of cheap studio space where artists could thrive.
In recent years, the neighborhood has gone through a radical change, transforming from a refuge for artists into a hot spot for real estate developers. Today, the industrial buildings are lynchpins of ambitious adaptive reuse projects, adult arcades, and breweries.
Good luck living in the Arts District on an artist’s salary today.
At this point, calling it the Arts District the Arts District seems almost dishonest. Maybe Live/Work Loft District or the Chief Brand Officer District. But not the Arts District.
It’s time for a new name.
New York City has tried and true method of naming neighborhoods that LA could borrow, a mash-up of geographic traits or street names into a new and annoying portmanteau. Think SoHo (South of Houston Street) or Tribeca (Triangle Below Canal Street). Let’s see how that would look for the Arts District:
Santa Teo (The intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and Mateo Street)
Ala3da (Alameda and 3rd)
Quadbesefi (Quadrilateral Between Seventh and First)
Woof. Those are terrible. Let New York keep that method.
Alliteration can be a good tool for neighborhood naming. It worked for Thai Town and Valley Village, so why not the Arts District?
Manbun Mile
Vape Village
Honda Fit Heights
Entitlement Enclave
Slow Drip Strip
Those are cute, but we’re not quite there yet.
Perhaps the best way to go about this renaming business is to use the neighborhood’s youthful demographics as a jumping off point:
90s Kid Row
Historic Millennialtown
Those still aren’t quite right. I think I might have it with this last one. It's a bit of a stretch, but stick with me. We elect the latter half of 1960s folk group Simon and Garfunkel to a permanent position on the Los Angeles City Council. Art’s District?
What would you rename the Arts District? Tell us in the comments.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption McDonald's is suing the city of Florence, Italy
McDonald's is suing Florence for €18m after it was blocked from opening a restaurant on one of the Italian city's most historic plazas.
The fast-food giant had its plans for an outlet on the Piazza del Duomo rejected by Florence's mayor in June.
The decision was upheld in July by a technical panel in charge of preserving the city's ancient heart.
But McDonald's, which modified its proposals to fit with city guidelines, has now launched a bid for damages.
The chain is claiming it has been discriminated against, and wants to recoup the €17.8m (£15.9m; $19.7m) it estimates it will lose over the next 18 years, according to Italian newspaper Firenze Today.
Right to say no
It argues it put forward a plan to "operate respectfully towards the local policies, even accepting to introduce typical local products in our offer, as requested from the local commerce regulation".
"We completely agree that the cultural and artistic heritage and the Italian historical town centres have to be protected and guaranteed, as well as the traditions and the historical small shops, but we cannot accept discriminatory regulations that damage the freedom of private initiative without being advantageous to anyone," McDonald's told the BBC in a statement.
But Florence's mayor Dario Nardella says they were not prejudiced in rejecting the bid to open a branch on the piazza, famous for its Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
He told the city council earlier this year: "McDonald's has the right to submit an application, because this is permitted under the law, but we also have the right to say no."
This is the second high profile spat over an Italian location this year for McDonalds. Last month it was reported that cardinals at the Vatican had been angered by plans to open a branch in a piazza next to Saint Peter's Square.by
The first time the ad for “The Founder” ran, the first thought wasn’t about a Big Mac or McRib sandwich, it was about who would play Doug Rader taking the lineup card up to home plate in a chef’s hat, the night after Ray Kroc called his newly-owned Padres a bunch of “short order cooks.” Or who would play Bob Sykes, who after being traded from the Padres to the Cardinals told St. Louis writers, “tradition in St. Louis is Stan Musial walking through the clubhouse, tradition in San Diego is Nate Colbert coming in trying to sell you a used car.”
The Fightin’ Friars survived and stayed, which the WHA Mariners, NBA Rockets and Clippers and NFL Chargers did not. They finished first in 1996, won a pennant in 1998 that Larry Lucchino and owner John Moores turned into the elegant but not ostentatious Petco Park, and this week, when Trevor Hoffman fell five votes shorts of the Hall of Fame, requiring a year of anticipation to next January’s announcement, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller credited Hoffman as “the biggest reason we have Petco and the Padres are where they are.”
Where the San Diego Padres are now may be last in the National League West and predicted to be there again in 2017. But go back to last July. I remember walking the downtown and the waterfront on the Saturday before the All Star Game and recounting that in 40-something years of All Star Games, I had never experienced such a pregame weekend buzz as there was that weekend.
Of course, San Diego itself, the streets and restaurants and building that followed Lucchino’s vision when they moved in-town from their out of town, and out of date Qualcomm Stadium in 2004, is a place people who live in the Northeast dream of every January. The Padres had always seemed trapped in a corner surrounded by water to the west, Mexico to the south, desert to the East and the Dodgers and Angels to the North, as well as one World Series game won since they began as an expansion team in 1969.
But, now, beware the Mighty Pads with this thought: what they will be and the angle of their ascension come September. Preller and owner Ron Fowler made the splash before the 2015 season with the acquisitions of Matt Kemp, James Shields, Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, et al, a splash that saw them lose more games than they had in 2014. But the splash got nearly 2.5M fans into Petco. Then came the All Star Game in the 2016 season and another 2.4M.
No one is saying that 2017 is going to see the Padres challenge the Giants and Dodgers in the National League West, likely not the Diamondbacks and Rockies, who could be the most improved and most dangerous sleepers, respectively, in the National League. Hey, no one has much of an idea who will pitch games for them this season.
If you are a Padres fan, climb into your time machine and go back in time to the 1991 Indians, fenced in a 80-something thousand seat city-state known as “The Mistake on the Lake.” They lost 105 games, and cost John McNamara his managerial job. But McNamara had let two 24-year old college players, Charles Nagy and Albert Belle, establish themselves. By September, Sandy Alomar was catching, a 20-year old named Jim Thome came out of the minors, as did 22-year old Carlos Baerga, and a creative, energetic GM named John Hart worked 24/7 to build the organization and make traded.
Three years later, they were 66-47 when The Strike hit. In 1995, they won 100 games and lost the World Series to Atlanta and Tom Glavine’s unforgettable one-hitter. Dick Jacobs built The Jake, and they sold it out every night for years.
There was a very important element here:when Hart and Jacobs were building, the Browns had snuck out of town, the Cavaliers played in the suburbs and the beloved Barons were in Minnesota, half of the North Stars.
The Indians were the only show in town. Years later, when the Browns were recreated and the Cavaliers not only moved town but won it all, it became an entirely different baseball market, one that seemed so revitalized by the Indians great run last season.
Now return to the present. The area near Petco is booming. It’s a prime convention area. The buildings and climate change have turned Petco into an offensive stadium.
And, like the Browns, the Chargers, as JD Souther says, have run like a thief in the night. “People here are ticked off about the Chargers,” says Padres General Manager A.J. Preller. He avoids building expectations, but proudly points back to a prospect game in September in which the Padres hosted the Rangers in a game of minor leaguers, this after an in-season adjustment that saw Preller trade Shields, Kemp, all-star Drew Pomeranz, Melvin Upton, Fernando Rodney and Andrew Cashner.
The expectation was for a crowd in the hundreds. They drew close to 7500, and one Ranger official says “it was worth it just to see Cal Quantrill and Anderson Espinoza pitch.”
Quantrill, son of the former major leaguer, was a first round pick last June out of Stanford, following Tommy John Surgery; start with the genes of a man who was as tough as they come, they moved onto the rink he built in the back yard of their Ontario home so Cal could play hockey, then move forward to his being arguably the best college pitcher in the draft. Then move to the 19-year old Espinoza, one of the best prospects in the game, acquired for Pomeranz from the Red Sox.
Quantrill and Espinoza are not going to be opening the season in Petco, although Quantrill could make a September cameo. But they are elite starting pitching prospects in an era when the top ten starting pitchers average $22.5M. They will probably open the season with 22 year old Manny Margot, acquired from Boston in the Craig Kimbrel deal, in center. They should have 25-year old Hunter Renfroe, who hit 30 homers in the minors, in right. At first, Wil Myers is 26 and an all-star. The catcher will be Austin Hedges, 24, with a chance to be a premium defender. The farm system is considered one of the five best in the business, Preller has a history dating back to his Rangers days as a creative international force, and the aggressiveness in finding and trading for young talent is clearly evident up and down the system.
Watch these Padres as we watched the Indians in 1992. I remember exactly where Jim Thome first introduced himself to me that spring training, and, in September, seeing Thome, Alomar, Belle, Kenny Lofton and Baerga in the lineup and feeling what was building. A year from now, Thome likely will have been voted into the Hall of Fame.
If so, Thome probably will be going to Cooperstown with Trevor Hoffman. Two months before the ballots with their names go out in the mail, up and down the streets near the park and the water Padres fans will be watching Margot and Hedges and Quantrill and Carlos Assuaje and names to be learned later, realizing this is rapidly becoming the Padres town and what that monopoly is going to mean to the comparative payrolls of the N.L. West.
A lot of us walked those streets and that waterfront at the winter meetings of 2015 and again last July thinking, ‘come January, remind me why I don’t live here.” With the monopoly’s revenues, there are going to be a lot of players who look at the young talent and think “why wouldn’t I live there.”On the 4th of November the second part of Season 2’s Living World will continue. On Tuesday of this week I had the good fortune of sitting down with Steven Waller and Bobby Stein, two individuals who are part of ArenaNet’s creative team behind Living World, to recap on what happened during the first half of the season and a little about what we can come to expect in terms of closure.
For anyone who hasn’t played through the first half of Season 2 and having recently completed it, I would sincerely suggest that you find the time to play it before the second half arrives. I wrote recently about my enjoyment of it, having played it a second time and in all honesty, I cannot wait for this second half. If you haven’t managed to play the first half of Season 2 or simply won’t have time, it might be best if you recap the story.
In truth there was a lot to digest from the first half of Season 2. We saw first hand Scarletts origins, what her pursuit of ley lines was for and how she not only came to discover this theory but why she was lead to madness. Alongside this there were plenty of offshoots in terms of mysteries that still need resolving.
Steven Waller, Associate Game Director at ArenaNet, states that, “We’ll be introducing a lot of interesting lore that has deep roots in Guild Wars, some things back to original Guild Wars 1 that has ties. We think people will be really excited about that and we’re going to visit some places that people have only speculated about or heard rumours that they existed. We’re going to learn some pretty big secrets that relate to Tyria’s past. This road to war is going to have these points along the way where things will happen and there’s no going back from them. These points of no return where actions will be put in place or information will be learnt and once it’s there, they’ll have impacts on Tyria forever. This idea of the road to war being paved with points of no return is the overall theme that we have working for the second half of the season and we think people are going to be really surprised by the variety of gameplay and instances but also the deep level of lore and information that they’re going to get about Tyria.”
One of the main things for me going into this new season is whether we can expect answers to the side plots that people didn’t notice or fully understand. There’s a large amount of strands still left untied:
Where is the Master of Peace going?
Where were the Zephyrites heading?
What was the golden glow from the Zephyrites Airship?
Why has the ship carrying that glow been looted?
What lead Aerin to pursue the Master of Peace in this way?
How will Marjory deal with Belindas death?
Will Majory and Kasmeer be the same?
How will Eir and Brahams relationship continue to improve after fighting together in the Shiverpeak Mounts?
What is to become of Rytlock?
What did the vision the Commander saw involving the golden chamber full of crystals mean?
How will the battle against Modremoth shape up after the attack upon the Pale Tree and the Avatar?
Steven was on hand to relieve any apprehension I had about these issues being left open and stated that we’ll see some closure. “When the second half of season 2 comes out people are going to be able to look back and go “Ahh, yeah! I get that.” They’ll see how it (the story) was setting up and where it was headed.”
Bobby Stein, Guild Wars 2’s Lead Writer, waded in at this point. “At the conclusion of Season 1 we learnt a lot about how we wanted to tap into the lore or tap into the story pieces with the characters that players wanted to see more of. You probably noticed from the first half of the second season that we’ve been trying to adapt to those lessons. We’re carrying a lot of those things forward. We like to seed the episodes with what seem like minor details, but this set dressing and a lot of the things we’ve planted in the Festival of the Four Winds was where we started dropping hints into the game. For the people really examining the bits and pieces and exploring they’re going to see how things are pieced together.”
If there was anything I was concerned about from Season 1 it was always the fact that it felt disjointed. Were lessons learnt? Steven thinks so. “Season 1 was its own adventure and we learnt a lot. I think we brought a lot of those lessons into the first half of Season 2 in the way we intertwine the world content with the story. Some of the lessons learned in regards to the story, the characters or the pacing. Last year we had some meetings with people in different industries whether it was showrunners, authors or television and film folks to talk about how we define this new thing we’re doing: this episodic style of gaming in an MMO. We’re trying to merge the best of what people enjoy from a more passive linear experience with the interactivity and the grandness and cooperative nature of MMO’s. It’s to hopefully make something groundbreaking and it’s an experience that a lot of people enjoy.”
Interestingly, Steven also spoke about how the company had implemented speculative things since Festival of the Four Winds to get people interested from the start of the Season. “Specifically I think one of the bits people were talking about was what was the golden glow from the initial Zephyrite flythrough that showed the fleet and a new ship in there - different from the original in the Baazar of the Four Winds from a while back. When we panned by there was the glow from inside the ship before the door closed. Some people wondered what was going on there. Some picked up on it while others were like, “OK, there’s this ship.” It was never really explained but there’s something mysterious going on."
Perhaps it seems obvious, but I do think people will have missed many of this subtle storytelling because at times it’s so easy to skip text or not pay close attention to cutscenes when in actual fact ArenaNet are going out of their way to tell the story of what is happening in Tyria.
“If people were paying close attention when they went into Episode 1 where the Zephyrites were attacked and we learnt they were sabotaged, in the investigation instance that you go on there’s an area where the ship is crashed up in the cliffs. If you look, it’s the same area that’s shown to be the glowing area and in there is a chest of some sort that’s busted open. We didn’t call any specific attention to that but obviously if you looked at that, you’d think maybe there was something of value there.”
So what about the Master of Peace? How does he fit into all this? “In this case, the Master of Peace was saying something along the lines of “I can’t give you what you want”. This allowed people to speculate as to what Aerin wanted from the Master of Peace. There was also an interesting end to that for those that were looking closely. It almost looked like there was a glow coming from his backpack. Maybe what was originally in that ship which had the glow, was in the Master of Peace’s backpack. He headed off and at the time for the player and the band of heroes they were satisfied they’d done their part, but now we begin to wonder where was he going?”
Something I pointed out in my last editorial on the Living World was the fact that I was desperate for more cinematics. It’s one of the few things that ArenaNet does exceptionally well and they’re beautiful to look at. The one cinematic in the season which stands out is the vision where your character swims through an aetherial plane, approaching an icon that represents the Pale Tree. Could we be seeing more of this? Bobby Stein had some thoughts on it. “It’s another thing we’ve been trying to do a lot more of: visual storytelling. It’s a really powerful way of getting things across. In Season 1 there were a lot of cases where if we got a special cinematic made or special camera angle made it probably could have explained something a lot better than dialogue or a journal update. We’ve been working really hard with Season 2 to partner closely with the cinematics team to make sure that if there’s a great visual way of getting a point across, that we try to make that happen.”
One of my biggest concerns going forward, outside of the direct Living World story is the fact that going forward, the Journal is going to get bigger and bigger to the point where those entirely new
|
direct dialogue with the reddit community.”
(Photo courtesy Erik Martin)Issue Seven: Abandoned Buildings
Anecdotally, I would say that many urban explorers focus on abandoned buildings as their primary environment. My interest in Infiltration has been fueled by its investigation of many different facets of urban exploration beyond abandoned buildings (this is only the third mention of the subject, after abandoned subway stations in Issue 5 and Pablo’s factory in Deseronto in the second issue). Ninj’s opening editorial is excellent––the necessity of urban survival skills in a post-apocalyptic world. He dismisses “lame rural survival skills like hunting, shelter-building and portaging,” on the basis that “rural living will probably be even more boring after the collapse of civilization, because it will be harder to get a ride downtown.” Climbing, lockpicking, and interior navigation are praised as more useful survival skills, to be practiced in abandoned buildings, the “training academies of urban survival.” Thus, exploration of abandoned buildings is necessary now for the “continuance of urban living” after Armageddon. He also briefly raises the interesting idea that “the number of abandoned buildings will grow exponentially in the next century, as buildings become increasingly specialized and construction becomes faster and cheaper.” Though it is tossed off casually here, I think this is a novel idea, and would love to see it elaborated upon.
The issue continues with a contribution by Kevin K. of “A Trip to the Abandoned Missile Silo.” This trip to the (unidentified) silo is quite well mapped and illustrated, and includes a lengthy disclaimer about the serious illegality of this action. The writer was caught and charged with trespassing. As he puts it, “we have brought this photo tour to you so that you wouldn’t have to go there yourself to see it.” The silo pictures manage to survive the black-and-white printing, to show a gloriously decrepit former military installation.
Next is “Toronto’s Secret Castles” by Throckmorten, who is able to access many abandoned industrial sites in the course of his work as a cinematographer. He always mentally contrasts these buildings in their current decrepit form with the bustle they must have exhibited in their heyday; he believes that film industry workers have an appreciation for these buildings that is less common in normal people, as the former can appreciate the character that they add to a film. Four sites are covered, with the longest section dedicated to the Canada Malt Plant, a grain processing facility of modernist design that Walter Gropius would have admired. Another is a massive, awe-inspiring power generation plant, and another a former warehouse that is being redeveloped into apartments, “another great urban sandcastle lost to the tides of development.” Throckmorten writes, “Unfortunately, they don’t build old buildings anymore–-the modern industrial complexes of today are void of character, mystery, and classic architecture.” This discussion brings to mind questions about where the urban explorer fits into the urban fabric vis-a-vis abandoned buildings: neither gentrifier, renovator, nor developer, the urban explorer seems to be the only party served by the continuing neglect of derelict buildings.
Abandoned buildings are so plentiful and interesting that they could likely have filled the entirety of Infiltration’s 25-issue run; and although I am always interested in more stories and maps and pictures, I appreciate that the topic is pursued with restraint, with considerable attention given by Infiltration to the many other topics of urban exploration. This issue also marks a milestone in that it is the first to have the majority of its content from contributors other than Ninjalicious, an indisputable sign of the zine’s growth and expansion in its first year.
Issue Eight: Toronto City Hall
Here Ninj trespasses into my realm of expertise: government. The history of Toronto’s controversial City Hall is discussed in the opening, which includes a rare occurrence of an urban exploration zine quoting politicians (some of whom are still in office almost two decades later). Toronto amalgamated with five other neighboring municipalities in 1998, and became the fifth-largest urban area in North America. There was debate about what venue should be used as the center of government: the modernist City Hall, built in the 1960s, or Metro Hall. The latter is dismissed by both Ninj and the quoted politicians as “a generic office tower” and “an unwelcoming edifice.” Ninj expresses his eclectic view of architecture and city planning while praising the quality-of-life contributions of architecture: “While I fully support continuous, unbound construction and urban sprawl, a part of me wishes an architectural moratorium had been declared sometime in the late 1980s, when society finally decided to abandon taste and love of beauty in favor of efficiency and economy. Being based in an uptight office tower like Metro Hall would have encouraged the city to think like an insurance company or bank.” Ninjalicious may not subscribe to the Jane Jacobs view of urban planning, but he does have agreeable standards for architecture.
Hearing these objections, I expected the City Hall (which was adopted over Metro Hall) to be a monumental, stone castle in Richardson Romanesque style, like a city hall in New England; or perhaps even something Neoclassical with a dome. In fact, Toronto City Hall is a pair of curved semi-circle towers (of disparate heights) around a dome-shaped council chamber known as “the spaceship.” The bunk of the issue is, of course, an infiltration of this building. “Danger and Deviousness at City Hall” takes us from the office towers (noteworthy mainly for the lack of security and apathy of desk staff), to the council chamber itself, where Ninj found a hidden door into the superstructure of the dome, and hid there until after closing. Ninj also joins a tour of architectural students, and stands out as its star pupil. He praises City Hall’s modernist flair, saying that it was responsible for launching a wave of experimentation that gave Toronto its unique cityscape. Summiting the office tower proves very dangerous when the apex is very small and unsecured.
My desire for a more Victorian municipal building is provided for by a sidebar on Old City Hall, now a courthouse with a lot of security and not much to see, though urban explorers have discovered masses of old documents. Another sidebar is on the locked-down Metro Hall. Ninj does note the presence of photocopiers and possibility for illicit use thereof; I think this is a side-effect of producing a zine without much budget.
The issue is closed out by a revisit of the 19th floor of the Royal York Hotel, as seen in the inaugural issue. The floor has been “restored” as an upscale conference area, and Ninj finds more security present. His investigation almost ends in a very incriminating capture that turns into a tour at the hands of a helpful employee. This article serves as both a revisit of the origins of Infiltration and more proof of the expansion of the zine. Ninjalicious has bit the big leagues at only issue 8.
Issue Nine: Europe
The next issue is another field trip, this time issue-long, as Ninj and others write about (underground) locations in Europe. Ninj starts with a quick story of “The Metropolitana Milanese,” and the letters are all Euro-themed, including a Chunnel Run by the “London Underground Society.” The main article is “Paris Underground: a Tour of the Dark World Beneath the City of Lights” by independent filmmaker Murray Battle. At the time, Battle was working on a film about those who live in underground places. The story of visiting the Paris Catacombs is a series of vignettes, and though they communicate the impressiveness and claustrophobia of the locations visited, they don’t do much to put the catacombs in their proper place in the context of the larger city. The connectivity between the locations isn’t always clear. Battle seems to be more interested in the “cataphiles” themselves, the focus of his film. For most of us, a cellar is the closest we’ll get to inhabiting the underground; but these cliquish adventurers are very familiar with the world beneath Paris, to the point that perhaps some spend more time there than on the surface. They are accustomed even to bringing hammocks along with them to observe a rest period while exploring.
The final segment is on “The Botanic Gardens of Subterranean Glasgow,” a fragment from the archives of The Milk Crate Gang, whose website has apparently been taken down after complaints of copycat explorers injuring themselves. This story about the abandoned Kelvinbridge Subway Station and Botanic Gardens station, which has been reclaimed as green space by the Botanic Gardens above. Infiltration spices up its own repertoire by moving across the Atlantic for this issue, but of course barely scratches the surface on European sites, which could have themselves likely filled the zine’s entire print run. As with the issue on abandoned buildings, Ninjalicious was wise to continue rolling to other topics instead of diving as deep as possible on a single aspect of urban exploration.
Issue Ten: “CAUGHT!”
The tenth issue is entirely in letter format, all stories of infiltrators being busted by the police or private security. As Ninj says, “Have you ever been caught?” is one of the first questions he is asked when his hobby comes up in conversation. Having solicited contributions as part of “Scheduled Infiltrations” on previous issues, he states that he received so many that a second Caught issue is already planned (there would eventually be a total of three).
The content of this issue is very entertaining, but the issue on the whole is interesting because of the connections it establishes to other urban exploration groups. There is a long letter from a member of the longstanding Australian draining group called the Cave Clan, about the time their award ceremony was interrupted by the police. The Cave Clan has been active since the mid-1980s, so by this point (August of 1998), they’ve established a clear subculture, with its own rituals and terminology (they’ll be revisited several times in future Infiltration issues about storm drains).
Another prominent urban explorer making an appearance in this issue is David “Lefty” Liebowitz, co-founder of the New York-based zine Jinx. Lefty tells the story of how, as foolish teenagers, he and some friends were caught on the roof of Grand Central Station. According to the book that he and his partner L.B. Deyo wrote, Ninjalicious and the Jinx crew discovered each other roughly around this time and began a correspondence.
Other readers and explorers write in, many of them using their full names (instead of the common format of previous letters, being a first name and initial, or a pen name). Jonathan Gennick writes about being caught on the grounds of a nuclear power plant in Michigan, Ricky Smith in an abandoned asylum in the same state (I must say that Liebowitz’s letter does add a welcome East Coast presence to the American writers, most of whom are Midwestern). Steve Chapman of Toronto (related to Ninjalicious?) dodges security on a construction site, Chris D. Blickensderfer goes into the steam tunnels of Southern Illinois University. Santa Cruz’s Wes Modes writes about being caught at his hobby of trainhopping. Ninj finishes out the issue with a transcription of a conversation with a security guard who escorted him out of a train station, each baffled by the other’s worldview.
By its nature, the “Caught!” issue involves the highest number of contributors yet, though the letter section has been consistently populated since the second issue. I have pursued some google archaeology to track down some of these individuals and groups that had contributed to Infiltration eighteen years ago. There are many urban exploration sites from this period into the early aughts, and many of them went defunct before that decade ended. These sites are a synecdoche of the abandoned buildings that they catalogue: once thriving, now forgotten by all but a handful.
Though urban exploration still exists today, many of the most prolific groups that practiced it in its heyday have shut down and moved to other projects. I can’t help but speculate that this decline has something to do with the passing of Ninjalicious himself: as the Jinx crew says in their memoriam: “Jeff was about as close to a leader as urban exploration ever had; in a community notorious for infighting, backbiting, envy and scorn, Jeff was one of the few things everyone agreed on. Everybody liked him, everybody admired him, everybody loved his magazine…[having fun was] what Infiltration was all about. A lot of urban explorers consider themselves part of an underground elite. They jealously conceal their activities, and look at newcomers with grim suspicion. Not Jeff. His message to would-be explorers was, join us. We’re having fun, and we want you to have fun too.” It seems very possible to me that some of the spark went out of urban exploration with Ninj’s passing.
This series isn’t intended to be a thorough investigation of all aspects of the UE community, but to focus on the zines that some of them produced. It quickly became clear that the zines were a cultural artifact from a different time, supplanted by blogs and websites. Perhaps Ninjalicious’ death ended the run of physical UE zines (with the exception of DCinruins, of course), as he was the premier zinester of the bunch. The community moved on to websites, some of which no longer exist, some of which exist only as museum pieces, and a few of which (such as the forum uer.ca) are still active. It is good that the physical documents of Infiltration has preserved for posterity the names and pursuits of explorers of this era, so that archaeologists have a first clue to hunt them down.Services for Edward McArdle Friday in St. Charles
hello
A local entrepreneur who helped put St. Charles on the map for thousands of out of town visitors has died.
Edward J. McArdle, 88, died at his home Monday.
St. Charles residents will know him best for his legacy as a successful real estate and hotel developer. In particular, his local landmark, Pheasant Run Resort, celebrated 50 years in business in 2013. The resort came to life after inking a deal with another iconic St. Charles resident, Col. Edward Baker, to purchase his 175-acre dairy farm on what was then just outside of the city limits.
Trade publications from just a few years ago indicate McArdle was still a presence at the resort, engaging customers in conversation while walking the grounds with his pet bulldog.
Former St. Charles Mayor Fred Norris remembered McArdle as a businessman who had both successes and failures but always came out on top in the end.
"He brought something definitely unique to the city from the standpoint of first class live entertainment," Norris said Tuesday. "He was always wheeling and dealing and was just the personification of a dreamer. He made a lot of those dreams come true."
McArdle went on to successful ventures in Florida and the Virgin Islands but maintained residence in St. Charles.
He is survived by his wife, Marian, two sons and a daughter and their families.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., St. Charles. There will be a Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 2900 E. Main St., St. Charles. Burial will be at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Geneva.
The family asks that memorials, in lieu of flowers, be sent to The Alzheimer's Association, Greater Illinois Chapter.
For more information, or to leave a message for the family, visit: www.yursfuneralhomes.com.Despite a growing list of potential conflicts between Russia and the U.S., Russian people hold the new U.S president in high regard and entertain strong hopes the two countries will function not only as friends, but joint world leaders.
The list of conflicts that might have estranged Russians from President Trump is lengthy: The ousting of Gen. Michael Flynn as NSA director for lying about his talks with Russian officials over sanctions; Russian fighter jets buzzing a U.S Navy ship in the Black Sea; Trump demanding the return of annexed Crimea to the Ukraine; and investigations into his team's ties to Russian intelligence.
But none of these have apparently dimmed Russian enthusiasm for Trump.
"Russia and America are special, and very much the same. They are not perfect, they both have some corruption," one Russian foreign ministry official, not authorized to speak on-record, told Fox News this week. "But we want many of the same things. I hope we can cooperate. That would be a win-win. Before, there was no cooperation."
The U.S-Russia association has been one of antagonism since the beginning of the Cold War in 1947, with Russia routinely regarded as a top enemy. But from the Russian side, at least, times have changed.
Across the country, from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, Trump souvenirs adorned with American flags can still be spotted in numerous shops. President Trump is featured as a “matryoshka,” or Russian nesting doll. He is also respectfully portrayed on shirts and alongside their own revered leader, Vladimir Putin, on mugs.
The official explained that following the Soviet Union’s fall in 1991, "the American Dream was the Russian Dream." However, many were left poor and helpless, eventually giving up on the U.S. hope for help.
"People have lost everything. We were starving. We realized that we must do things our own way, and people stopped believing in western democracy," the source said. "We had to fight very hard to survive and become a country of opportunity. Maybe Russians had a more aggressive mentality in the nineties, but we are past it now. Friendly relations are the only way forward."
Efforts to promote friendly relations are increasing. For the first time, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Mary in Moscow is set to hold an "Easter Friendship" event in April, featuring western classics sung half in English and half in Russian.
"We want to send a message of hope and standing together," event organizer Joshua Levy said.
There is also a growing enthusiasm to expand Russia-U.S relations in the higher education exchange sector. Ivan Kusov, dean of Moscow State University’s branch in Sevastopol, Crimea, told Fox News that while they had no exchange program, students and faculty hold video conferences with California Institute of Technology. Also, last December, Moscow State University students were learning English online with professors from Oklahoma East Central University.
Several Russians insisted that while President Reagan’s view of Russia as the "evil empire" is still prevalent in certain areas, younger generations in particular are much more open-minded.
The positive regard of Russians for the U.S., however, is not reciprocated by Americans, who appear to be treading more carefully when it comes to a fresh Russian embrace. In a YouGov poll conducted across the U.S earlier this month, entitled "America's Friends and Enemies," 22 percent deemed the Russian Federation an enemy, and a further 33 percent called it an unfriendly state. Just 16 percent ticked the friend box, and three called it an ally, with the remainder having "no opinion" on the matter.
For many Russian civilians the notion of still being branded the villain -- even in Hollywood movies like "X-Men" and FX's "The Americans" -- is perplexing, especially given the spike of globalism jihadism.
Putin has stated repeatedly that the U.S and Russia share a mutual interest in squashing Islamic terrorism abroad. That sentiment is reflected by a popular tourist shirt featuring caricatures of Obama, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande looking meek and childish while Putin towers over them exclaiming, "You will understand now! Look what you've done now!"
The issue of the Syrian Civil War, too, is viewed differently in the two countries. Much of the U.S media, along with the former Obama administration and human rights groups, routinely shed light on alleged horrific war crimes and the bombing campaign of Syria’s Assad regime with allied Russian air support -- a depiction that surprises Russian civilians.
"It is war. There is nothing nice about war. But there are more than enough reasons why Russia must be involved," a ministry official said. "If the terrorists take over, the caliphate will have the money to fund jihadists in the Caucasus [mountain region] and spread here. We must protect our Orthodox churches. We are fighting the bad guys."
Many also say that the feverish Trump support leading up to the November election was less about Trump love and more about hating Hillary Clinton.
"She was stressful to us, and was speaking about Russians as enemies," Sergey Nesvitsky, a 34-year-old product marketing professional, said. "So when Mr. Trump won, I was out with friends and we all matched our drinks. We see a good future."
Anna Sorokina, contributing editor for popular news outlet Russia Beyond the Headlines also expressed confidence that most people in Russia are optimistic. She also said "things should be better, not only because of Mr. Trump, but because we are people -- not politicians -- and people should talk with each other."
Another prominent Moscow-based businessman said that the mere notion of Trump attempting rapprochement with Russia was a positive, especially in view of the fact that a Clinton administration would not be expected to make a similar effort.
But just how long the Trump cheering from the ground level lasts remains uncertain. Russia’s tightly controlled media has mostly downplayed tensions with the U.S. political developments, framing the Flynn firing as another U.S intelligence effort to frame Russia as the ultimate adversary. But how much longer Russian people are willing to give the U.S. the benefit of the doubt is uncertain.
Last week, there were reports -- dismissed by Russian officials -- that the Kremlin had ordered state media to ease off on the Trump cheering as controversies and divergences mount.
"Don't forget Russia always needs an external enemy to focus on the foreign affairs of another country," added one U.S official with close ties to the Kremlin. "It portrays a sense of strength, and it takes the focus off the domestic problems."5 of the Best Wearable Bantu Knot Tutorials
Bantu Knot‐outs have always been a go‐to for many naturals to achieve super cute wavy curls. However, bantu knots are an equally wearable style. The style can be somewhat of challenge to get down right. We’ve rounded up 5 bantu knot tutorials that will show you how to take the style from just an overnight do to a fierce look:
Threaded
Naptural85 heads up our roundup with her take on the threaded bantu knots. You start out using size 10 crochet thread to work with your each bantu knot. Once properly threaded, your hair will be able to move down the thread like an accordion and lay a lot flatter than your traditional bantu knot. This technique creates a more rounded bantu knot that will last for a while.
Adding Hair
Youtuber AllieJ shows you how to achieve those big goddess‐style bantu knots with adding just a bit of braiding hair. You can also add a bit of gel for that 90s baby hair effect.
Colored Twists
Maybe you want to add a little color to your hair? Add braided hair in a different color to take your knots to the next level.
Braided strands on a TWA
YouTuber MiriamBoxBraids shows you how to rock the Rihanna‐style of braided bantu knots on a TWA. All you need is a little bit of braiding hair. You’ll loop the hair around your own parted strands and braid the braiding hair. Then, you’ll create a bantu knot with the braid to complete the look.
Loc‐ed Bantu Knots
Bantu knots can also be rocked with locs! Youtuber GrizzleRocsLocs really showed out with a snazzy side‐do.
Do you rock bantu knots as a go‐to style? Have any tips you’d like to share?A large group of squatters battled to keep the boat from being towed away
The Wibbley Wobbley floating pub has been towed away from the Greenland Dock in Rotherhithe to be scrapped, after a standoff between police and squatters.
Maritime Police were called at about 1pm to help bailiffs force out five squatters who refused to leave the floating vessel.
The five squatters on board were seen dressed in black and flying a skull-and-crossbones flag, while over 20 more people protested with them.
South Dock resident Paul Battley said he was walking past when he saw the clash unfold.
“As I got there it was being towed and all the doors had been closed up,” he said. “There was a bit of a scuffle where one of the squatters jumped on to a tug boat, and there was a bit of verbal sparring going on.”
But mystery surrounds the recent history of the Wibbely Wobbley, which closed abruptly two years ago. It is believed the squatters first appeared in May or June.
Plough Way resident Karen Jenson told the News: “People along the river are upset about what has happened to the boat. They wanted it to become some sort of community facility.
“The Wibbley Wobbley is part of Surrey Quays, and part of the character of the area.”Here are two fictionalized cases where the arrested individuals were fortunately not indicted.
Case 1. A young male stormed out of a court room after the judge indicated he should leave. In storming out, he banged the door against the wall and the door knob put a hole in the wall. He was arrested and charged with interference with government property. This would be a $20 repair and, if convicted, the young man would have a felony record.
Case 2. Young man drove through a red light and a police officer pulled him over. The officer claimed she smelled marijuana coming from the vicinity of the young man’s car as he was going through the red light. This, she claimed, gave her probable cause to search the car. She didn’t need that probable cause though, as the driver consented to the search. No marijuana was found. The officer did find two pills—Adarall. These were the only drugs found. The young man is college-age; the drug is commonly used in college to help students concentrate. (Often without prescription; this is not wise.) The driver was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and running a red light. If convicted, he would have a felony record.
Here’s the thing.
Police officers use discretion when they decide to arrest or not to arrest any particular individual. They do not pull over every car that runs a red light. They do not pull over every individual they believe has marijuana. (They certainly do not pull over every individual that has Aderall without a prescription.) They use discretion.
The District Attorney and his or her subordinates also use discretion. Always. In fact, there they are quite clear about this. For one sort of example, in GA, they do not bring charges of sodomy even though it is against the law* (that is, they don’t bring such charges unless using it as a way to convict a rapist or child molester or someone charged with some other actually harmful charge). They use their discretion in this way because they realize many people engage in the activity for consensual and enjoyable activity wherein no one is harmed–and those people shouldn’t face penal sanction for this morally innocent activity. Indeed, the DA’s staff knows that the majority of voters do not want such people (themselves!) to face penal sanction. This entire set of crimes is thus simply ignored. Police officers do not seek to arrest anyone for sodomy since they know the DA won’t prosecute those cases.
Differently, the DA also uses discretion about what charges to bring against an arrested party. One DA might charge someone with battery while another would charge the same person in the same case with assault. Or aggravated assault. One may add the charge of making terroristic threats; another might not. Frequently, the charges that the DA seeks indictment for are the charges they think that they can make stick in a trial—and only those. Sometimes this has to do with who the judge will be (and the ADA handling the case knows which judge it will be.)
So the question: Why shouldn’t the members of the grand jury asked to indict a case also use their discretion? I would submit that grand juror’s should use their discretion in order to send messages to the DAs that they will not indict certain sorts of charges. If the DA gets this message about those sorts of charges, they will send the message to the police and the police will not arrest people for violating those laws. Just as the police don’t arrest people for sodomy because the DA does not prosecute people for sodomy, for example, police would not arrest people for possession of marijuana if they knew the DA could not indict anyone for it.
Some people, of course, think that we should have laws against marijuana usage and so will want to indict people for violating those laws. But some people on grand juries don’t think these are just laws or don’t think they are a good use of state resources even if they are just. I think those people should try to persuade the others. It may be that the others have never really thought about these things. It may be that they are just responding as humans typically do and following the authority’s (the ADA) demands. If people saw through the issues and would refrain from indicting the young men in cases 1 and 2 above, they might be persuaded to do so more often.
*Added: a friend reminds me that such laws were rendered unconstitutional by Lawrence v. Texas. The general point remains.The Battle of Parral, on April 12, 1916, was the first battle between soldiers of Venustiano Carranza, known as Carrancistas, and the United States military during the Mexican Expedition. When a small force of American cavalry was leaving the city of Parral, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, a superior force of Carrancista soldiers attacked which resulted in a bloody running engagement. Using a strategy of organized withdrawal, the Americans were able to repulse the Mexican attacks and safely escape to the fortified village of Santa Cruz de Villegas.[5]
Battle [ edit ]
In early April 1916, Major Frank Tompkins, who fought in the Battle of Columbus, persuaded the expedition commander, General John J. Pershing, to allow him to lead eight officers and 120 men of Troops K and M, 13th Cavalry, on a raid deep into Mexican territory. Tompkins' intentions were to chase and eventually engage the elusive rebels of Pancho Villa. After preparations were completed, Major Tompkins left camp on or about April 5. The Americans made a quick ride across the Mexican desert, traveling eighty-five miles in fifty hours. Following several days in the wilderness, Tompkins wrote; "We were ragged, shoes were gone and nearly everyone had a beard. We certainly presented a hard-boiled, savage appearance." The Americans were hoping to rest at Parral for a day, and they were told they'd be welcome by a Carrancista officer along the way. However, when the column arrived at Parral in the early morning of April 12, the Constitutionalist commander of the city, General Ismael Lozano, informed Major Tompkins that coming to the city was a bad idea and that he must leave immediately. Tompkins agreed so the Americans left Parral not long after getting there.[6]
On the way out of town, a group of Mexicans began shouting "Viva Villa", and other phrases, so Tompkins shouted the same back. A few minutes later, as the column was just outside town, a cavalry of about 550 Carrancistas launched an attack on the American column. Within the first few shots a sergeant standing next to Tompkins was hit with a bullet and killed while a second man was seriously wounded. Heavily outnumbered, the major had no choice but to keep going so he dismounted a rear guard to take up positions on a small hill and engage the pursuing Mexicans. In this first skirmish an estimated twenty-five Mexicans were killed and the rest were driven off. The guard then regrouped with Tompkins' main force where they withstood another attack. During the second skirmish, an estimated forty-five Mexicans were killed. Tompkins continued his march to Santa Cruz de Villegas, a fortified town, eight miles from Parral, that the Americans could defend. Though by the time of their arrival the fighting had ceased. The Mexicans were not far away, Tompkins was facing the possibility of his 100-man force being besieged by hundreds of Carrancistas, so he sent out dispatch riders for reinforcements.[7]
Just before 8:00 am, a force of Buffalo Soldiers, from the 10th Cavalry, arrived. They had recently engaged about 150 Villistas at the Battle of Agua Caliente on April 1. Following the arrival of reinforcements, the Mexicans retreated back to Parral, there was no more fighting. Two Americans were killed in the battle and six others were wounded, including Tompkins. For the Mexicans, they suffered the loss of between fourteen and seventy killed or wounded, depending on varying accounts.[8][9]
Aftermath [ edit ]
The Battle of Parral was a turning point in the Mexican Expedition, it marked America's furthest penetration into Mexico during the operation, 516 miles from the border, and marked the beginning of a slow withdrawal from Mexico which ended in early 1917. General Pershing was encamped at Satevo, eighty miles north of Parral, when he heard news of the engagement at Parral. According to the journalist Frank B. Elser, of the New York Times, Pershing was "mad as hell" so he demanded that the Carrancista government, which by then was in control of Mexico, to make a formal apology. It never came and it made General Pershing believe that instead of fighting just the rebels of Pancho Villa, he would now have to engage the "more numerous" Carrancista army. Pershing even requested permission from his commanding officer, General Frederick Funston, to capture both the state and capital of Chihuahua, but it was denied.[10]
References [ edit ]Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14291 for PC and Mobile By Gabe Aul / Corporate Vice President, Engineering Systems Team Share Share Skype
UPDATE 3/24: Today we are releasing this build to the list of devices that will be capable of receiving updates as part of the Windows Insider Program except the Lumia 635. We will add the Lumia 635 at a later date. Going forward – these devices can receive new builds from our Development Branch that we release to the Fast and Slow rings. As we stated previously, only devices which are eligible to receive the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will be able to get preview builds from the Development Branch.
Hi everyone,
Today we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14291 for both PC and Mobile to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. There are some very cool new things in this build, including one of the top requested features by Windows Insiders – extensions for Microsoft Edge!
Earlier today, we began the roll-out of Windows 10 Mobile to select Windows 8.1 phones. As we stated previously, devices which are eligible to receive Windows 10 will also be able to get preview builds from the Development Branch. We’ve already delivered a few builds to the devices which shipped with Windows 10, including the Lumia 550, 650, 950, 950 XL, Xiaomi Mi4, and Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL. We have updated the list of devices that will be capable of receiving updates as part of the Windows Insider Program going forward, and in the coming weeks we will deliver Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview builds from our Development Branch to these devices in the Fast ring.
Here’s what’s new in Build 14291
Extensions in Microsoft Edge: Today we are very excited to introduce extensions for Microsoft Edge. To try out an extension, just click on “More” (…) at the top right in Microsoft Edge and click “Extensions” to open the Extensions pane and click “Get extensions”. You can try out the Mouse Gestures, Microsoft Translator and Reddit Enhancement Suite extensions today with more on the way. Extensions are only available on PC. For more information on extensions for Microsoft Edge, check out this blog post from Drew.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKAywBrQeAw?rel=0]
Pinned Tabs in Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edge now lets you pin tabs, making it super easy to keep your most-used sites and web apps always available. To pin a tab, right-click on the tab you want to pin and choose “Pin tab”. To unpin a tab, right-click on the pinned tab you want to unpin and choose “Unpin tab”. Pinned tabs always appear at the start of the tab row, and only showing the site’s favicon. Pinned tabs don’t show a close button, so you won’t accidentally close them. Pinned tabs that are in your Microsoft Edge window when you close the app will come back the next time you open Microsoft Edge.
Other Microsoft Edge Improvements: You can now copy any link into your clipboard, and right-click on the address bar in Microsoft Edge and choose “Paste and go” from the context menu. Microsoft Edge pastes the URL into the address bar, and navigates to the site. You can also copy words to your clipboard, and choose “Paste and search”.
We have also made it easier to close tabs in Microsoft Edge on your mobile device, especially on devices with a larger screen size by increasing the size of the close button for tabs on the Tabs page.
Updated Maps app: This build includes a updated Maps app for Windows 10 that brings a more lightweight, scalable, and consistent UI as well as underlying architecture improvements and new features for you to try!
One-tap access to search and directions from anywhere, even on your phone. This is great especially for one-handed use.
You can view multiple searches and directions at the same time, on the same map as they are layered on top of each other and you can use tabs or the map to switch between them.
You can now minimize search results, directions, and location info to enjoy more of the map, while keeping them in easy reach.
You can see labels for your search results directly on the map. No more numbers to match between the map and the list.
Cortana will give you turn-by-turn directions (if Cortana is enabled).
We have improved the logic for nearby searches so you should see better (closer) results.
We have added the ability to search for your favorite city in the 3D cities list so no more scrolling forever to get to the city you want.
You can now access your favorites offline and add notes to them.
We have updated the turn-by-turn design to improve glanceability and landscape layout.
For more information on the updated Maps app for Windows 10 – check out this
|
1978 at the Speedway, that weekend is often filled with activities honoring the U.S. military, including an oath of enlistment ceremony.
Day Total Years Sunday 42 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Monday 15 1915, 1920, 1921, 1926, 1927, 1932, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1966 Tuesday 8 1911, 1916, 1922, 1933, 1939, 1950, 1961, 1997 Wednesday 8 1923, 1934, 1940, 1951, 1956, 1962, 1967, 1973 Thursday 8 1912, 1928, 1929, 1935, 1946, 1957, 1963, 1968 Friday 8 1913, 1924, 1930, 1941, 1947, 1952, 1958, 1969 Saturday 12 1914, 1919, 1925, 1931, 1936, 1953, 1959, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1986 Date Total Years May 24 6 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2009, 2015 May 25 5 1975, 1980, 2003, 2008, 2014 May 26 6 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2013 May 27 8 1972, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2018 May 28 6 1978, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2006, 2017 May 29 8 1971, 1977, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2005, 2011, 2016 May 30 53 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1982, 1993, 1999, 2004, 2010 May 31 9 1915, 1919, 1926, 1937, 1948, 1954, 1965, 1967, 1986
Practice and qualifying [ edit ]
Opening Day: The first day of practice is traditionally referred to as "Opening Day." From 1911 to 1973, Opening day was traditionally May 1st, although oftentimes the track was made available for practice much earlier than that date. The day is usually marked with festivities and for many years was popularly attended. In some years when May 1 fell mid-week, or if weather interfered, the activity would be light and the formal ceremonies would be held on the first Saturday of the month. Since 1974, the "Opening Day" practice session has been scheduled either three weeks or two weeks prior to race day. The battle to be the First Driver on the Track for the month was a spectacle of Opening Day for many years. Teams and drivers would battle to get their cars prepped and cranked up as soon as officials opened the track, hoping to be the first car to leave the pits, and likewise the first car to complete a practice lap for the month. The effort usually attracted the attention of the smaller teams, as it was seen as a way to draw headlines for the day. The race to be first on the track was usually friendly, although in some years it became heated, drawing the ire of the officials. For a time, it became a tradition that the cars of the Bryant Heating & Cooling Team, and later Dick Simon Racing, were usually the first cars on the track. In recent years, Opening Day might include separate sessions for Rookie Orientation and Refresher tests, proceeding or following a full-field, veteran driver practice session. One of the long-standing traditions of Opening Day is the ceremonial handing over of the keys to the pace car from the manufacturer to the track officials.
Rookie Orientation Program: Starting in 1936 all rookies were required to take a rookie test prior to being allowed to compete. The test traditionally consists of multiple phases, each increasing in speed, under the close observation of officials, driver coaches, and both current and former IndyCar Series drivers. Rookie drivers are required to exhibit adequate car control and proper driving lines, among other requirements. After several decades of conducting the tests during normal session of practice (usually early in the month), officials decided to organize the sessions. Since 1981, the Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) has been held in April or early May. The program allows newcomers the opportunity to take their first laps at the Speedway and acclimate themselves to the circuit in a relaxed environment. It would be held without the pressure of veteran drivers crowding the track, without the distraction of spectators, and with minimal media coverage. Currently, drivers can complete all phases of their rookie tests during ROP if conditions allow. The ROP has traditionally been held prior to opening day, however, in some years it served as opening day. Drivers with exceptional driving experience at high levels of motorsports can occasionally receive waivers for participation in ROP, but must still pass their rookie test at a later date before they can practice during normal sessions.
Refresher Tests: In addition to Rookie Orientation Program, veteran Indy 500 drivers who have not been behind the wheel of a race car for a considerable amount of time, as determined by the officials, may be required to complete a refresher test prior to competing. The "Refresher Test" typically consists of the latter two phases of the rookie test, and is used to re-acclimate drivers to Indy car racing and the Speedway. Refresher test participants usually are drivers that have not driven in an Indy car, particularly on a superspeedway, since the previous year's Indy 500 (or longer). This usually applies to part-time drivers and drivers who have been away from the sport for an extended period of time. Full-time drivers in the IndyCar Series (that are not rookies) are almost universally exempt from taking refresher tests. Track time for refresher tests is usually offered during the Rookie Orientation Program, but they can also be completed on regular practice days. Currently, the final two phases of the rookie tests are required for the Refresher test.
Scoring pylon at the close of pole day qualifications in 2009.
Practice: Since the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, the track has been opened for practice early in the month for competitors. Through 1973, it was a tradition that the track was made available for practice beginning on May 1. In some years the track opened as early as mid-April. In 1974, the schedule was cut back to three weeks prior to race day. Since 2010, the track typically opens for practice about two weeks before race day. In the early years, practice began each day as early as 9:00 a.m., but in modern times, the track typically opens at 11 a.m. or 12 p.m. Traditionally, the track closes at 6:00 p.m.
Happy Hour: The final hour of practice and qualifying each day is referred to as "Happy Hour". Due to the large double-deck grandstands on the frontstretch, large shadows are cast over a good portion of the track, cooling the asphalt surface. A lower ambient air temperature, along with a lower track surface temperature, usually translates into faster speeds. Since Indiana began observing Daylight Saving Time in 2006, this phenomenon has been somewhat diminished.
Fast Friday: The final practice session before pole day qualifying is nicknamed "Fast Friday". The fastest speeds of the month are commonly observed on Fast Friday, as teams and drivers make their final preparations and look for final "bragging rights" before the run for the pole position. Since the current engine formula was adopted in 2012, elevated turbocharger "boost" levels have been permitted on Fast Friday, reflecting the increased level allowed during time trials. Drivers who have been "sandbagging" during the week may choose to reveal their speed, in an effort to distance themselves from the competition. Sometimes the speeds turned in on Fast Friday are overachieved by the respective drivers' due to a tow. Though "Fast Friday" has been a fixture since the 1950s–1960s, the nickname was not coined until about 1996.[3] Track records set on Fast Friday (as well as other practice sessions) are considered unofficial. The sanctioning body only recognizes speeds set during the officially competitive sessions of qualifying and the race.
Pole Day: The first day of time trials traditionally was referred to as "Pole Day." The fastest qualifier on pole day wins the highly coveted pole position. Over the years, the "race for the pole" was often regarded as a race in itself, a speed contest, and was advertised as the second-largest single day sporting event (second only to race day itself). Though crowds have diminished for pole day as of late, and rules changes have curtailed speeds, the nickname "The Fastest Day in Motorsports" is still sometimes used. Since 2014, a special two-day format has been utilized for time trials, and the pole position is actually not determined until the conclusion of the second day. The term "pole day" is still widely used, however, it is now being used to reference the second day in particular.
Bump Day: The final day of qualifying, when the final starting field is set, was traditionally known as "Bump Day" (or "Bubble Day"). Drivers who are removed from the starting grid of 33 by being out-qualified by faster cars are said to have been "bumped." The driver with the slowest speed in the field of 33, the first in line to be bumped, is said to be "on the bubble."[4] Unqualified drivers attempt to bump their way into the field and "burst the slower driver's bubble." Prior to World War II, the term typically used for drivers being knocked out of the field was "crowded out." Since the early 2000s, smaller entry lists have led to fewer cars, or even zero cars, being bumped from the starting grid. With the adoption of the special two-day qualifying format in 2014, the bumping procedure, if it occurs, actually would occur on the first day (Saturday) of time trials. As such, the term "Bump Day" disappeared from use for a few years. In 2018, the term "Bump Day" was brought back, and widely used as the nickname for the first day of time trials.
Post-qualifying practice: Beginning in 2014, an additional practice session has been scheduled on the Monday after qualifying. After schedule overhauls, as well as a substantial format changes for qualifying, this 3 1⁄ 2 hour session is utilized specifically for race practice, particularly multi-car "group" practice. This practice session has proven to be frenzied and aggressive, simulating race conditions. Previously teams would utilize weekdays, and very often, loosely utilize the down times of the final day of time trials for such practice. Due to the format changes of time trials, adequate time is no longer available to practice during down times on the last day of time trials due to the lengthy post-qualifying technical inspection, and the general lateness of the day that the starting grid is finalized. This extra practice period is also sometimes used by teams to reach maximum mileage for engines, as they install a fresh engine for Carb Day and race day. Under current INDYCAR rules, an engine must reach 2,550 miles (or 4,100 km) during the season in order to be eligible for a fresh engine.
Indy Lights: The Indy Lights series began holding a support race, the Freedom 100, during the month of May in 2003. For the first two years, it was held on the second weekend of time trials. In 2005, it was moved to Carb Day. The first practice, since 2014 changes, is held on the Monday of post-qualifying practice shortly after the finish of the IndyCar practice. The second practice and time trials are held on Thursday, the day before Carb Day. IndyCar teams are not permitted to practice on Tuesday through Thursday, however, they may conduct pit stop practice. In addition, the time is spent setting up their respective pit areas.
Carb Day: The final practice session before the race, currently held on the Friday before race day, is called "Carburetion Day" (shortened to "Carb Day" since 2000). The name originally came from the fact that it was the final session where teams could tune their carburetors in conditions similar to those that might be encountered on race day. The name has remained despite the fact that no qualified car has used a carburetor since 1963.[5] The day is now similar to most motorsport weekends, as the final practice is accompanied by the a pit stop contest, a support race, and a concert.[6] The Pit Stop Challenge debuted in 1977, the Indy Lights Freedom 100 moved to Carb Day in 2005, and the concerts have been held since 1998. In 1969–1972, Carb Day was held the Wednesday before the race. From 1973 to 2004, Carb Day was held the Thursday before the race. It was moved to Friday before the race beginning in 2005, at which time the Indy Lights race was moved to that day. Prior to 1969, Carb Day was not on a fixed day of the week, instead it was simply scheduled for a nondescript day midway between the final day of time trials and race day, and was sometimes closed to the public. Particularly with the advent of the sometimes aggressive Post-Qualifying Monday practice, the Carb Day practice session is typically disciplined and relatively tame. The objectives of the teams might be to conduct basic leak-checks, and/or other minute, last-minute adjustments, but refraining from aggressive driving and avoiding incidents. In case of inclement weather, the Carb Day practice is usually cancelled without being rescheduled.
Radio [ edit ]
Coverage of the Indianapolis 500 on radio dates back to 1922.[7][8][9][10] The longtime flagship of the IMS Radio Network is WFNI AM 1070 (formerly 1070 WIBC). The network dates back to 1952, and was initially launched using WIBC talent. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, the station has featured extensive daily coverage of practice, qualifications, as well as pre-race and post-race coverage on race day.
Since 1971, the most popular and most traditional daily show during the month of May has been Donald Davidson's The Talk of Gasoline Alley.[11]
Concerts [ edit ]
Since 1998, a concert featuring a top act(s) have been held the weekend of the race. Numerous other local bands, indie bands, garage bands, and smaller musical acts perform at other times during the month on days featuring track activity. Since 1998, a headlining concert has been held on Carb Day. Starting in 2014, a second headlining concert has been held on Legends Day. The Carb Day concert has typically featured rock groups, while Legends Day typically stars country music artists. The performers have been as follows:
Last Row Party [ edit ]
A few days before the race, the "Last Row Party" has been held for charity since 1972. It is a scholarship benefit organized by the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation,[12] and is usually held the Thursday evening or Friday evening before the race. Currently it is held at one of the suites in the Pagoda, and previously it was held at the Speedway Motel. The event is conducted as a roast and cocktail party for the final three qualifiers in the 500, who will be starting on the eleventh and final row (positions 31, 32, and 33). Due to the complex qualifying procedure for the race, these three drivers are usually, but not always, the slowest three cars in the field.[13] Like Mr. Irrelevant, often some of these drivers are obscure, and several have been race rookies. Some are noted for a dramatic last-minute qualifying effort to secure a spot in the lineup, while others may have survived a Bump day scare, or an otherwise tumultuous month of May, to hold on to make the field. Nine former or eventual race winners have participated in the honor at some time during their career (Rutherford, Johncock, Sneva, Cheever, Lazier, Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, Sato, Rossi).
In addition to being on the receiving end of numerous good-natured jokes and jabs, the three drivers are presented with a special jacket, various gifts, and checks for 31¢, 32¢, and 33¢, respectively. The group becomes known as the "11th Row Society", an enjoys a buffet dinner, apéritif, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvre with attendees. Later they may sign autographs and pose for pictures, in what is generally a fun and laid-back environment. The emcee for the event is usually a media figure, and past hosts include Bob Jenkins, Robin Miller, Jack Arute, Dave Wilson, and Laura Steele. The 2015 and 2016 co-emcees were Curt Cavin (Indianapolis Star) and Chris Hagen (WXIN). Lindy Thackston hosted the event for 2017 and 2018. The 2013 reception was not held but a brief ceremony was held on Carb Day to recognize the honorees.
Recent honorees include:
Public drivers' meeting and Legends Day [ edit ]
The day before the race, a ceremonial drivers meeting is held at the track, which is open to the public, and is popularly attended. This tradition dates back many decades. During the meeting, the 33 starting drivers are presented with their starter's ring and various awards and trophies are handed out (such as trophies from the previous year's race, qualifying awards, lifetime achievement awards, etc.) The drivers are usually seated on a platform situated in the eleven rows of three, and numerous other celebrities and special guests may be honored or give remarks. Rules clarifications, instructions for the race, and other pertinent information is also discussed in the open forum. Drivers who can not attend due to scheduling conflicts (e.g., participating in another race) will usually have another team member or family member participate on their behalf.
This drivers meeting is separate from the official drivers meeting, organized by race stewards. That meeting, held the morning of the race, is strictly closed to the public and the media.
Starting in 1998, the days leading up to the race have included ceremonies and activities honoring former drivers. In some years, each day during the week would have a featured Indy legend, and might feature the driver taking ceremonial laps around the track in one of his winning race cars, or in a pace car. Other years utilized Opening Day as an opportunity to honor Indy legends. In addition, the day before the race was expanded to include an autograph session featuring the 33 starting drivers, former drivers, Q&A sessions, car displays, a "fanfest" midway, a memorabilia show, and other festivities. Starting 2011, the events of the day before the race have been officially themed "Legends Day," and features a designated honoree. In addition, Legends Day showcases the classic cars of the 500: fans are able to get close looks and take photos of the machines, with a number of historic race cars also running laps of the circuit.
Legends Day honorees
500 Festival Parade [ edit ]
500 Festival Parade is one of the nation's largest, regularly drawing 300,000 spectators.[18] Theis one of the nation's largest, regularly drawing 300,000 spectators.
The 500 Festival[19] is a non-profit organization founded in 1957 to organize various civic events in the city of Indianapolis leading up to the race.[20] The two largest events are the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in early May, and the 500 Festival Parade the day before the race. Other events have included "Community Day" at the track, memorial services, luncheons, and the annual Snake Pit Ball, a black tie socialite gathering downtown.
In many years, the parade grand marshal has been a celebrity with ties to Indiana or the Indianapolis area, particularly Indianapolis-area sports figures. In many cases, the grand marshal of the parade is also honored during pre-race festivities on race morning. The organizing committee boasts the parade as one of the largest in the nation. In 1997, a fire swept through the storage hangar housing the floats for that year's parade, threatening to cancel the event. Only four floats were spared, and Buddy Lazier's 1996 winning car escaped the fire only because the museum had decided to wait a few extra days before delivering it to the float staging area. The parade went on as scheduled, but in a slightly retooled format.[21][22]
The grand marshals for the annual parade have been as follows:
The 1955 Crispus Attucks High School State Champion Basketball Team were the grand marshals in 2015
Track lore [ edit ]
A ceremonial golden brick was installed at the start/finish line of the track to commemorate the 100th anniversary
Gasoline Alley in 1984.
The new Gasoline Alley opened in 1986.
The atmosphere at the track during the month of May and on race day has long been a source of traditions.
The Brickyard [ edit ]
The nickname of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the "Brickyard." When the track opened in August 1909, the surface was composed of crushed stone and tar. This surface quickly was deemed unsuitable and dangerous after multiple accidents. In the fall of 1909, the track was paved in brick. In just over two months, 3.2 million bricks were hand laid on a bed of sand and the gaps were filled with mortar. Before the work was completed, locals nicknamed the track the "Brickyard".[26] Beginning in the 1930s, portions of the track were paved over in asphalt. By the late 1950s, only a portion of the mainstretch remained brick.
Following the 1961 race, the remaining part of the mainstretch was paved over, and the entire track was now covered in asphalt. One yard of bricks was left exposed at the start/finish line. The vast majority of the original 3.2 million bricks remain in place, several inches underneath the asphalt. Some bricks have been unearthed from the track over the years, namely in the locations where the infield access tunnels have been constructed. Subsequent repavings of the track in 1976, 1988, 1995, and 2004, have also kept the bricks in place underneath. However, the yard of bricks exposed at the start/finish line has been dug up in those instances by milling operations. Different bricks - ostensibly bricks that were dug up at one point from other parts of the track - were cleanly re-laid in that place, both for safety and aesthetic reasons.
In 2000 when the new Pagoda and Pagoda Plaza were built, the yard of bricks was extended from the track surface across the pit lane and then through to the spectator areas in the new Pagoda Plaza.
Gasoline Alley [ edit ]
The garage area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known as "Gasoline Alley." The nickname dates back to the early decades of the race, and for a time, referred specifically to one particular spot in the back where cars would refuel. Though the exact origin of the name is unclear, it may be loosely linked to the eponymous comic strip. Later, the nickname was used for the main corridor of the garage area, and eventually was used colloquially for the entire garage complex. The use of gasoline at the Indy 500 was phased out in favor of methanol beginning in 1965 (and later ethanol in 2006), but the nickname nonetheless remained. Gasoline was not used again at Indy until NASCAR arrived for the Brickyard 400 in 1994.
The first garage area consisted of one double-sided bank of garages running east-west. It was in the same general location as the present day complex. In the very early years, the foreign entries were housed in a second garage complex outside of turn two. In 1929, a second row of garages was constructed alongside the first, creating the soon-to-be familiar Gasoline Alley corridor. The original garages were known for their signature green and white barn doors, and were sometimes visually compared to horse stables, as the complex loosely resembled a horse racing paddock.
One of the fixtures of the garage area in the pre-WWII years was Tom Bealle's diner, an outdoor restaurant and gathering place, popular with drivers, mechanics, officials, and fans. Bealle often allowed drivers to run up a tab during the month of May, allowing them to pay their bill once they received their prize money at the end of the month. Around 1974-1975, since the entry fee was still relatively small, Jim Hurtubise was known for entering three cars (despite perhaps only having one or two cars in running condition) in order to rent three garages. He would convert the third garage stall into a bar & lounge to entertain himself and his team and friends, although officials and track management took a dim view of it.[27] In later years, in order to curtail similar actions, entry fees were substantially increased and entrants were required to show proof of the car(s) existence before their entry was accepted. In addition, by the 1980s, teams began setting up hospitality tents specifically for that purpose, and furthermore, an abundance of permanent hospitality suites - many adjacent to the garage area, were later constructed to supplement.
A fire swept through the garage area on the morning of the 1941 race, and burned down a significant portion of the south bank of garages. They were replaced, and eventually the complex expanded to 88 stalls. As the sport grew, and the cars and teams became larger and more sophisticated, work space was increasingly limited in the garages. Amenities were simple, corridors were heavily congested, and by the 1980s, the cars and teams had outgrown the aging facility. With car counts swelling in the 1970s and early 1980s to sometimes over 100 entries, some smaller teams were left out and forced to work out of tents. Even the formidable teams found themselves needing to store some of their equipment (tools, tires, bodywork, etc.) outside the doors or back at their transporters because there simply was not enough room.
Despite their lack of modern amenities, the garages had a nostalgic quaintness admired by participants and fans, and they also served important intrinsic purposes for the teams. For many years, the entry fee for the Indianapolis 500 provided a garage stall to the competitors not just for the month of May, but for the entire offseason as well.[28][29] It was a valuable asset to some teams, especially small-budget teams without a race shop, and it would serve as their year-round headquarters.[30] It was not uncommon for teams to even house other types of race cars there (sprints, midgets, stock cars) as they competed in the Indiana short track circuits during the summer. Even larger, more established teams still might use the garage stall for storage or as a staging location for cross-country trips to other races.
Following the 1985 race, the original Gasoline Alley garage area was torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar garage complex. The nickname "Gasoline Alley" remained when the new complex opened in 1986. In 2000, an additional row of garages was constructed alongside the pit lane on the main stretch, in preparations for the U.S. Grand Prix. Although the pitside garages are used during the Brickyard 400 for NASCAR inspection and top Cup Series teams (lower teams and the Xfinity Series teams use Gasoline Alley), they are specifically not considered part of Gasoline Alley.
The Snake Pit [ edit ]
The Turn 4 infield ("Snake Pit II") seen on pole day in 1988.
The infield of the track in the vicinity of turn one was known as the "Snake Pit."[31][32] (sometimes "Snakepit"[33][34]). Long known for a reputation of rowdiness, heavy alcohol consumption, bikers, streaking, flashing, and an overall Woodstock/Mardi Gras atmosphere, the Snake Pit was a popular location for college-age and counterculture fans to spend time at the track, many of whom had little or no interest in the actual racing activities. Like the infield at the Kentucky Derby, the Snake Pit was often considered a rite of spring, and an excuse to party with abandon. Arrests for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fights, and drug possession were frequent and common. The area formed sometime in the mid/late-1950s, and intensified in the 1960s. It reached its zenith of popularity and intensity of revelry during the decade of the 1970s. The nickname "Snake Pit" was coined sometime in the early/mid-1960s, and appeared in print at least as early as 1968.[34]
In periods of rain, the area usually became overwhelmed with mud, and mud wrestling was commonly observed. Bonfires and burned cars were also noted.
In 1980, a fatality occurred in the area after a Jeep flipped over.[35] Around that time, track management decided to take steps to curtail the revelry, and make the infield more "family-friendly."[36] For the 1981 race, bleachers were erected in the turn one infield. In addition, capital improvements that included the new Gasoline Alley, a place for competitors to park motor homes, new support buildings, new restroom buildings, media parking lots, and other changes to the site, gradually and deliberately scaled back the size of the area. As a result, by the late 1980s, the patrons migrated to the infield of turn four,[37][36] and the less-intense Snake Pit II emerged.
By the 1990s, the intensity of the rowdiness had dropped substantially,[38] due largely to third-generation management at the Speedway (Tony George[36]) and beefed up law enforcement. By the end of the 20th century, it almost disappeared completely.
The turn four infield was razed in 1999 to make room for the infield road course. The race day party scene migrated again, this time to its current location, the turn three infield.[39] The Snake Pit eventually became more of a festive party zone. Later, the original turn one location was also razed to make room for road course modifications, a section sometimes referred to as the "Snake Pit" section. In 2010, the turn three infield was officially named the [New] Snake Pit, and began to be organized and officially marketed by management.[40][41][42] On race day, a concert stage is erected, and popular music acts, and DJ's perform to entertain the infield crowd in a controlled and festive environment. While rock music typically headlines the Carb Day concert, and country music headlines the Legends Day concert, EDM is featured at the Snake Pit. In the mid-2010s, the revelry in the Snake Pit has somewhat re-intensified, however, not to the levels witnessed in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Snake Pit concerts (race day)
Coke Lot [ edit ]
Similar to the aforementioned "Snake Pit," the Coke Lot which is located outside the track, is the most noteworthy and popular camping location on the grounds of the Speedway. Officially designated Lot 1C, it has been nicknamed the "Coke Lot" for decades due to the presence of a Coca-Cola bottling plant located on an adjacent property.
The lot is an open field situated just to the northwest of the track, outside of turn 4 of the oval, off of Georgetown Road. Long known for intense revelry and all-night partying (particularly on the night before the race), the Coke Lot is a festive area and party scene for RVs and campers, as well as tent campers. The lot typically opens a few days before the race and allows fans to stay through the entire race weekend.
While the Coke Lot is the most notorious camping area, several other camping lots are also situated around the vicinity of the Speedway, some focusing on family-friendly environments, while others are considered premium lot for high-end RV'ers.
In years past, another camping area called the "North 40" (named due to its size of approximately 40 acres) was another scene of intense overnight revelry. In the 1970s, its revelry surpassed that of the Coke Lot. Located directly north of the track off of 30th Street, in close proximity to the Speedway's golf course, and backed up against a neighborhood of homes, it is no longer used for camping. Currently it is only utilized for daytime car parking, and employee parking. During its peak, security had to begin using giant searchlights to keep North 40 campers from illegally wandering onto the golf course property late into the night.
Food [ edit ]
A traditional food of choice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the pork tenderloin sandwich.[44][45] The sandwich is a well-known midwestern creation, and is sold at the track concessions.
Beer (largely domestic) is consumed in considerable amounts at the track. Unlike most sports stadiums and arenas, at Indianapolis (and most speedways), spectators are allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages into the track for consumption. Beer is also sold at concessions. Glass bottles, however, are strictly prohibited at the track. Broken glass is considered an extreme hazard to the race cars (cut tires) on the track.
Peanuts are considered bad luck. An ambiguous, long-standing superstition against eating peanuts at the race track has dominated Indianapolis dating back to at least the 1940s. Legend says, though unconfirmed, that a crashed car was found with peanut shells in the cockpit. As of 2009, however, peanuts are sold at trackside concessions, and the myth has lost a lot of its following.
From the mid-1960s until her death in 1975, Mary Catherine "Mom" Unser (mother of Jerry, Bobby, and Al) was a well-known fixture at the race. She became famous for her spicy chili.[46] Each year, she would treat the participants to a cook-out in the garage area.
Several local restaurants, both current and former, have been popular gathering places for participants and fans during the month of May. Establishments include St. Elmo Steak House, Charlie Brown's Pancake and Steak House, Mug-n-Bun Drive-in Restaurant, and Long's Bakery. The aforementioned Tom Bealle's diner was a fixture of the garage area for many years. Redevelopment of Main Street in Speedway has created a area of popular establishments and nightlife, including Sarah Fisher's 1911 Grill, and A. J. Foyt's Foyt Wine Vault. A White Castle used to stand across the street from the track, as did a Steak 'n Shake, but both have since been demolished. From the 1930s to the 1960s, Mate's White Front Tavern was a popular hangout for drivers and crews. Located just a few blocks east of the Speedway, it was sold to new management in the early 1960s, and was kept open until the mid-1980s.[47][48] A Taco Bell just east of the Speedway has gained subtle notoriety with fans after Indy drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti were mugged in the parking lot in 2017.[49]
Superstitions [ edit ]
In the pit area at Indianapolis, there is no pit stall #13. It is substituted with #12A.
Numerous superstitions have developed at the Indianapolis 500 over the years. Most date back many decades, although some have lost a considerable amount of following. Among the prevailing superstitions in the modern day include the ongoing "Andretti curse" and "Curse of the Smiths" (see below).
Older superstitions that have been popular at Indianapolis include some of the following:
Number 13 : Triskaidekaphobia - fear of the use of the Number 13 - has prevailed at Indianapolis dating back to the first 500 in 1911. [50] In that year, the car assigned 13 did not make the race. Only one driver carried #13 on their car for the remainder of the 20th century. In 1914, George Mason started 13th and finished 23rd. From 1926 to 2002, the use of #13 was officially disallowed by the rules. [51] Most drivers avoided the use of number 13, however after changes in the rules, Greg Ray used the number in 2003. It was only the second time the number 13 had been used over the first 87 editions of the race. Subsequently only two other drivers have used #13: E. J. Viso (2009) and Danica Patrick (2018). Both
|
Service at 1-800-736-7136. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Top 5 Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters
Short said the league is looking at 11 markets, including Columbia, Asheville, North Carolina, Lexington, Kentucky, and Knoxville, Tennessee, among others.
No timetable has been set for a decision.
“We’re willing to take the time needed – we don’t want to rush it,” Short said. “We’re using the model that USL has used to make D2 successful. It’s something that is proven, a proven model. We want to put the team in great position from Day 1. When we find the right owner and the right facility it will come off and come off well.”
Short also cited a grassroots movement that indicates support for pro soccer in Greenville, citing a petition at change.org that had collected approximately 800 signatures of support as of Tuesday evening and a supporting Twitter account at @usl2gvl
“There definitely is an interest in pro soccer here,” he said.Plain and simple, sunchokes, previously referred to as “Jerusalem artichokes”, make you fart. That being said, I believe that this really only pertains to consumption of raw sunchokes. The culprit? Inulin- a complex fructose-based carbohydrate that is not digestible by humans. According to the widely trusted Wikipedia (rolls eyes), most hydrolases (enzymes) can be inactivated at 200°F. As water-bath canning raises internal jar temperatures to 212°F, paired with the added acidity from vinegar, perhaps pickling can help alleviate some of the “wind producing” symptoms of sunchokes. Then again, perhaps not…
The week before last I met Jordan the quirky head farmer at Two Toad Farm (his business card is a pack of tobacco seeds- how cool is that!?). While attempting to recruit him as a speaker for the next Seacoast Food Swap, I was overly distracted by his small display of sunchokes… cough… “that’s what she said”. A couple months ago Keith experimented with some baked sunchoke chips; they turned out really good, especially the slightly burnt and crispy ones. I figured sweet, spicy, and nutty pickled sunchoke chips would be equally as tasty. I found and slightly modified this recipe from the Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blog. Enjoy these sweet & spicy pickled sunchokes straight out of the jar, with a mix of other pickles, or as a side to any Middle Eastern dish/stew.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
National exceptionalism is when citizens perceive that their home country is extraordinary, special, and the best place on the planet to live, and in many Americans’ minds is based on absolutist ideology and gross lack of knowledge of comparative circumstances. There may have been a time that America was exceptional over thirty years ago when white people had the opportunity to attain the American dream of a middle class income through hard work and perseverance, and could live out their golden years with the knowledge their children would at least accomplish as much as their parents. However, about thirty years ago a b-movie actor ushered in the era of America’s decline when his directors gave him a script to convince ignorant Americans that handing over the nation’s wealth and assets to the rich and their corporations was the key to success and the results have been that America is no longer exceptional, or even mediocre, and is rapidly deteriorating into inferior and second-rate status compared to the rest of the developed world.
It is true that America is the richest nation on Earth, has the most powerful military in the world, and is home to the most millionaires and billionaires of any country on the planet, but that is where the exceptionalism ends. In just about every other category, America is inferior and that is being extremely generous. However, there are millions of ignorant Americans arming themselves to maintain the status quo and prove their belief that the United States is number one and it is down to their ignorance and acceptance that if it is American, it is the best. Many Americans are led to believe the country’s storied “great middle class” is proof positive the nation is exceptional, but according to the “Global Wealth Databook 2012” the great middle class ranks 27th in the developed world behind poorer nations such as Spain, Ireland, France, and Cyprus. Even in countries struggling with double and triple-dip recessions, the middle class holds four times the wealth as the average middle class American who is watching what little they have left transferred to the richest one-percent due to thirty years of Republican policies.
Just a few of Republicans’ favorite policies that are creating a second-rate nation and a population of peasants are weak labor laws that give corporations and big business the ability to pay poverty wages without any benefits. In fact, the woefully inadequate poverty level minimum wage is 13th among developed nations, and in nearly every industrialized country, every job provides at least a month of guaranteed paid vacation and as many paid sick days as one needs to recover from illness or injury. Republicans are busy passing laws making it illegal to provide paid sick leave, suggest eliminating worker compensation rules for on-the-job injuries, and panting to abolish the pitiful minimum wage to put American labor on par with peasants in Communist China. The Republican House of Representative just passed legislation eliminating overtime pay, and ALEC’s Republican right-to-work states have more poverty-level residents while the states’ corporations haul in record profits.
America has the worst healthcare system in the world because few can afford it, and even if they can this country’s people have the worst health outcomes of “all other industrialized countries” on Earth. In the event of a serious health issue or injury, Americans are guaranteed to join the poverty ranks and it makes Republican and health insurance industry’s drive to destroy the Affordable Care Act all the more Draconian and informs keeping Americans sick and impoverished is their ultimate goal. In many Republican states, at the behest of the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, Medicaid expansion is out of the question and the GOP is desperate to make senior citizens’ Medicare a thing of the past regardless they paid into it their entire working lives.
In nearly every country on Earth a college education is virtually tuition-free and yet in America, Republicans decry spending on any education and are driving college students into life-long unsustainable debt to enrich the banking industry. In most Republican states, ALEC templates are diverting public school funds to the private religious schools to enrich corporations and create the next generation of ignorant Americans claiming the nation is exceptional as they reject established science to assist their precious oil industry decimate the environment.
America is at the end of its thirty year slide into second-rate status and it is all down to the Republican drive to give every last bit of wealth to the richest one-percent that controls the fate of this nation. It began with Reagan-Republican deregulation of the financial industry that gave Wall Street power to transfer wealth from the middle class into the wealthy’s coffers they hide offshore to avoid paying taxes. America’s social programs and safety nets are among the worst in the world, and instead of bolstering them to help Americans claw out of poverty, Republicans slash them to provide tax breaks for the rich and corporations. Last week House Republicans passed legislation to deregulate derivative trading again that resulted in the 2008 Great Recession killing tens-of-millions of Americans’ jobs, bankrupting retirement accounts, and causing millions of middle class Americans to lose their greatest assets; their homes.
America became an exceptional nation with the rise of the great middle class, and it is sliding into a nation of peasants as Republicans thirty year effort to destroy the middle class is reaching fruition. Nearly a quarter of America’s children are living in poverty, millions of Americans earn a pathetic minimum wage insufficient to put a roof over their heads, and the idea of ever achieving anything more is being thwarted by Republicans in all areas of government, but particularly the states. Right to work laws, banning minimum wage, eliminating healthcare, prohibiting paid sick leave, robbing food and housing assistance for seniors and the poor to provide more of the nation’s wealth for the rich and their corporations are all part of the Republicans’ three decade effort to destroy the middle class and still, Republicans have convinced a large segment of the population that America is number one. Well it is number one; number one in guns, number one in prison population, number one in billionaires and millionaires, number one in military might, and after thirty years of Republican economic policy and deregulation, it is the number one poverty creator and nothing whatsoever to be proud of or consider exceptional.
If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:It’s been seven years since Michael Scofield sacrificed himself in the Prison Break series finale, and now the tattooed genius will be back for Fox’s nine-episode revival set for Spring 2017.
This time, however, Michael’s the one behind bars, trapped in a Midnight Express-esque hellscape that makes Fox River look like the Four Seasons, while his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), and former wife, Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), are none the wiser to his true fate.
But how did Michael find himself locked up instead of six feet under? For the answer to that, you’ll have to time-travel back to 2014, when actors Miller and Purcell reunited on the set of The Flash as the villainous duo Captain Cold and Heat Wave after not seeing each other for five years. “Wentworth and I have a deep friendship, but also a unique chemistry on screen, and it was just like we had never left Prison Break when we reunited,” Purcell tells EW.
“We started chatting and reminiscing,” Miller says. “Out of that back-and-forth came this idea: ‘What if we revisited Michael and Lincoln from Prison Break? Would Fox even be interested?’ It turns out they were.” The timing was fortuitous as Fox was already working on reboots for The X-Files and 24.
The next key move was getting Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring to come on board, which happened relatively fast after he met with Miller and saw his enthusiasm for a revival. “On some level, that break that we had of six-to-seven years in real life allowed Wentworth to appreciate what he had with Michael Scofield,” Scheuring says. “He said he wanted to inhabit it for a few more episodes. I said, ‘Look, nobody wants to revive this thing for multiple seasons and that whole long slog, but if we can tell a concise, closed-ended story in nine or ten episodes, I’d be amenable to that.’”
With that long break in mind, it was Scheuring who came up with the idea to use one of the most famous epics in history to revive the beloved series. “It’s ultimately a story about somebody coming back to life,” Scheuring says — though he stays mum on just how Michael is still alive after sacrificing himself in The Final Break. “The emotional heart of it is that he left behind a wife and a son he’s never seen before. [I thought] ‘Hey, wait, isn’t that The Odyssey?’” And Scheuring took his inspiration literally: In both tales, the heroes use the assumed named Outis and resurface after seven years in the foreign land of Ogygia, attempting to get home.
Ogygia, in this case, is the prison that Michael has called home the last four years. The assumed name is Kaniel Outis, renowned terrorist. What?! To get more scoop on the Prison Break revival, pick up Entertainment Weekly’s Comic-Con issue.
To continue reading more on Prison Break, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands Friday, or buy it here – and subscribe now for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent birthday wishes to Queen Elizabeth on her official birthday via the reclusive nation's second-most powerful official.
The chief of the Presidium of the Supreme Assembly of North Korea Kim Yong-nam conveyed the greetings.
"The message wished the queen good health and happiness and the British people well-being and prosperity," according to the official Pyongyang mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The Queen marked her official birthday on 14 June with the usual pomp, pageantry and Trooping of the Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Analysts say North Korea, one of the most isolated countries in the world, must be in dire need of help for it to send a message to the British Queen.
"North Korea is looking for new friends, while they have also sent officials to London to make money on the stock market and seek development aid," Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Japan's Waseda University and an expert on North Korea, told The Telegraph.
"But there is also real concern in the leadership there that the regime could collapse without China's support, so they are looking for a country that might provide them with political asylum. It is possible that they think Britain might provide that."A PATH train conductor was arrested early this morning following an on-board altercation with a passenger that started when he told the man to take his feet off the seats, Port Authority police said.
Brian Fortney, 51, of Piscataway, was charged with aggravated assault for the alleged incident that left a 27-year-old Jersey City man in need of five stitches around his right eye, Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said.
At about 4 a.m. today, Port Authority police received a report of a disorderly passenger from the conductor of a World Trade Center-Newark train as it approached Exchange Place in Jersey City. When the train pulled into the Grove Street PATH station at about 4:13 a.m. Port Authority police met the train and interviewed the subjects and witnesses, Pentangelo said.
But Fortney was placed under arrest after police interviewed a pair of independent witnesses, one of whom said the altercation began when the conductor told the passenger to remove his feet from the seats, Pentangelo said.
The spokesman added that the dispute started verbally and eventually turned physical, at one point spilling out onto a station platform.
The victim was taken to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health, where he was treated a released, Pentangelo said.
No additional details on the incident were provided.
Port Authority officials could not be immediately reached for comment in regards to Fortney's employment status.
According to Port Authority's 2015 payroll records, Fortney has worked for the bi-state agency since 1987 and currently makes north of $74,000 a year.“No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” ~Alan Watts
When I started kicking chairs at work, I knew things had gone too far.
I didn’t kick things when other people were around, and I thought it was the perfect way to release my anger. I could lash out with as much fury as I wanted, but I didn’t hurt anyone.
Why did I start kicking chairs? I’ll explain in a minute. But the truth was, I was hiding a bigger problem: I’ve spent much of my life hating myself.
When I was eight or nine years old, my mom asked if I was okay. She had heard me sobbing in the shower.
I told her I was furious at myself because I hadn’t been writing in my journal. I had skipped a few days, and a few days had turned into a few weeks, and now I was too far behind to catch up.
I was miserable. At nine years old, my life held no purpose because I hadn’t written in my journal for a month.
My mom comforted me, but I repeated the mistake countless times.
In my teens, I crafted a set of rules to lead me to perfection.
My plan was a sixteen-page document with eighty-four rules for the New Year. It included everything from a plan to improve my handwriting to why I would never use sarcasm or ask for seconds at dinner.
Focusing on specific rules would have made a few goals more manageable, but by January 3rd, I realized I couldn’t keep up with all eighty-four. So I blamed myself. I felt like a worthless human being who couldn’t do anything.
It only grew worse after someone broke my heart.
I spent years wondering where I had gone wrong. The person I wanted in my life refused to be with me, and I couldn’t figure out how I had messed up.
The answer, it always seemed, was that I wasn’t perfect enough. To appease the gnawing pain, I’d create a new list of goals.
I decided to build a body that would win me love. I spent ten hours a week lifting weights. I ate 4,000 calories a day for months to build muscle and then starved myself on 500 calories a day when I decided I didn’t look lean enough.
I spent $500 on new clothes in one shopping trip, only to find I was the same person inside, just in different fabric.
I earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in college and a well-paying job afterward. I immediately started working towards a new career, hoping the allure of accomplishment would make myself more appealing.
None of the changes made a difference.
When my extreme measures backfired, I bullied myself even more.
I was a failure at relationships because I was a failure at becoming perfect because I was a failure at everything.
It shouldn’t surprise you that a few years later, I realized I was unhappy. I wanted to become a happy person. I wanted to be cheerful.
So naturally, I created a goal of becoming happier. I measured my happiness each day and tracked my progress.
But when looming anger crippled that happiness, I became ruthless with myself again. I wasn’t happy because I could never be happy. I was a loser at even the most basic of human emotions.
And so I started kicking chairs.
My life had become a cycle. A cycle of feeling like a failure, setting unreachable goals, missing those goals, and feeling like an even greater failure.
But the solution had been with me the whole time.
The solution was to let go.
That wasn’t one of the solutions. Letting go was the only solution. It just took me years to realize it.
The few times I chose to let go, I accepted my faults and felt whole again.
Now I live like that all the time. I allow myself not to meet my goals or even to break them.
To clarify, I still work to achieve things. But instead of dozens of lofty goals, I have two or three I’m confident I can meet. They are simple, and if they don’t happen, I will be okay. They don’t define my life.
By letting go of my goals, I am growing more. I am becoming a better person and goals are guiding me—not controlling me.
If I start to feel overwhelmed, I know I need to let go a bit more.
I’ve found these three strategies the most helpful when letting go of your goals.
1. Let go of your goals all the way.
You must first write every goal. Every single one.
All the silly, absurd, unrealistic, and idealistic goals you’ve ever imagined. Then consciously let go of them all.
Imagine what your life would be like without those goals. If you never accomplished any of them. Come to peace with that idea.
Only then should you add back in the few most important.
Too many people delete goals, only to think of them for months to come. They decide they don’t have time to read more. But they spend hours wondering about the books they are interested in, how it would feel to read them, and what they would tell friends about them.
Pondering half-hearted goals will cause as much strife as overcommitting yourself.
If I choose to let go of a goal, it receives 0 percent of my mental energy. If I focus on a goal, I give it 100 percent of my mental energy. That simple.
2. Let go of your impatience.
A slow accomplishment is still an accomplishment.
I tend to overcommit. If I want to become better at something, I’ll decide I need to spend an hour or two on it each day.
The problem is I can’t maintain that schedule and I give up, disappointed and discouraged.
I’ve found I work best when I ask myself the likelihood of taking that action step every day for the next month. If I’m less than 90% sure I can do it, it won’t happen.
Instead, I take a small action step each day, something I’m 90 percent sure I can do.
Yes, I want to work out six times a week. But I’ll meet the same goals working out three times a week. It will just take longer.
Yes, I want to practice guitar an hour every day, but I also know that’s too much time. If I try to practice for 5 minutes, though, I’m 99% sure I’ll be able to do it. If I practice more that day, I’ll feel good, instead of beating myself up when I play for 50 minutes instead of 60.
3. Let go during your morning routine.
At the beginning of each day, I review what I accomplished the day before.
My criterion used to be how much I did. Did I succeed with each goal? I usually found myself lacking.
Now my criterion is different. Was the day fulfilling? Did I do things that added to my life, even if none of them involved a goal? If so, then the day was a success.
Whereas most days began with me berating myself for failing at my goals, now I spend my mornings being grateful for the enchanting things I did yesterday.
When you change the way you measure your life, your life changes.
In my morning routine, I also spend some time planning what I want to do that day and making sure I am doing the right things. Any task that isn’t important, I let go. It just isn’t necessary.
The day is better that way, and I’m more productive, too.
—
Since coming to terms with my goals and letting many of them go, I am a much happier and fulfilled person.
Instead of hating who I am, I’ve come to accept myself and my accomplishments. I’ve let go of the goals that held me back and now let the important things push me forward.
I don’t need a measurement to know I’m happier this way.
About Stephen Roe Stephen Roe writes at Thoughtful Growth, where he helps thoughtful people take control of their goals and live a better life. Stephen teaches how to use your individual strengths to grow into a better self. Use your morning routine to become happier with his free guide “Habit-Forming Morning Routines.”Google Fiber's gigabit Internet service has consistently been priced at $70 a month since it launched in 2012, but it's now available for just $55 in the ISP's latest city.
Google Fiber in San Antonio, Texas comes in just one speed tier, offering 1Gbps download and upload speeds at the rate of $55 a month. Google Fiber charges $70 a month for standalone gigabit service in all other cities where it offers wired Internet service.
"[I]n San Antonio, we've priced our Fiber 1000 (1,000Mbps) service at $55 per month," Google Fiber said in an announcement yesterday. "There's no installation fee, no hidden fees, no contracts, and no data caps."
There is one small downside to the San Antonio offer. Because the gigabit tier is the only one that's available, $55 is the lowest monthly price one can pay for Google Fiber in San Antonio. In Google Fiber's other cities with wired Internet, there is a 100Mbps tier that costs $50.
No plans to lower price in other cities
ISPs sometimes test different prices or packages in certain cities, so it's possible that gigabit pricing could eventually come down in other Google Fiber areas.
But Google Fiber told Ars that it has no plans to change gigabit pricing in its other markets for now, and the company declined to say why it's offering a different price model in San Antonio.
AT&T is offering standalone gigabit Internet service in San Antonio for $80 a month, and it's available to 230,000 homes, apartments, and small businesses, according to a San Antonio Express-News article.
So far, Google Fiber has launched sign-ups in just two areas of San Antonio and says it is "continuing to extend the network to more of the city."
San Antonio is also one of the first Google Fiber cities without a traditional pay-TV offering. Instead, Google Fiber encourages customers to subscribe to the online streaming service YouTube TV.
Google Fiber's wireless subsidiary, Webpass, charges $60 a month (or $550 a year) regardless of speed, with promised speeds ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps.Home » Forums » General Discussion Mystery of the 'Crazy Reds' (more on feeder crickets...see update comment: We Now Have A Name!) Acheta domesticus feeder cricket industry in Europe due to a devastating species-specific virus and further learned that the same virus had begun to infect the stock at cricket farms in the USA and Canada. I’ve been trying to keep up with the story ever since then, mainly because I keep a breeding colony of Acheta domesticus at home and have gotten a little paranoid about keeping them safe (still no signs of disease, knock on wood!), and must say it’s taken some interesting turns, one of which specifically involves species identification.
In a nutshell, one of the Acheta replacement species a couple of the USA cricket farms are looking to now breed is the Jamaican field cricket or Gryllus assimilis. Unfortunately, this cricket was almost immediately pegged as a good deal more aggressive than the former, familiar house cricket, and warnings about its propensity to bite were widely circulated via pet and zoo forums. Some pictures of the ‘new’ feeder cricket were also posted, such as this one:
(photo at
All well and good. Until you start noticing that these Jamaican field crickets don’t look quite like those in some other pictures of Jamaican field crickets, such as the ones on this very site. Which has since prompted new warnings, that these reddish crickets, now dubbed ‘crazy reds’ by the industry, aren’t really Jamaican field crickets at all, but something quite new and as yet unknown. Snippets from info currently posted at Ghann’s Cricket Farm, for example:
‘Unfortunately, some growers decided not to wait for USDA approval of Gryllus assimilis, and began producing a different, unidentified species without USDA approval. It LOOKS similar to Gryllus assimilis when small, but has been reported to be oddly aggressive, and the adults have a definite reddish tint (see pics above). DNA testing confirmed that these “Crazy Reds” are a DIFFERENT SPECIES from Gryllus assimilis, and in fact are different from any other cricket species currently known in the US or Mexico. The experts believe the "Crazy Reds" may have been illegally imported from abroad, which prompted a USDA investigation.’
On the other hand:
‘There are claims that the Crazy Reds occur in the wild in California. If that's proven to be true, then it may be legal to posses, produce, and distribute them within the state of CA.’
The pics referred to and the article that the snippets are from may be viewed at
PS: There are also apparently two viruses, not just one, decimating those poor old house crickets, but that’s another topic for another day… A while back, thanks to a contributor here, I first learned of the recent collapse of thefeeder cricket industry in Europe due to a devastating species-specific virus and further learned that the same virus had begun to infect the stock at cricket farms in the USA and Canada. I’ve been trying to keep up with the story ever since then, mainly because I keep a breeding colony ofat home and have gotten a little paranoid about keeping them safe (still no signs of disease, knock on wood!), and must say it’s taken some interesting turns, one of which specifically involves species identification.In a nutshell, one of thereplacement species a couple of the USA cricket farms are looking to now breed is the Jamaican field cricket or. Unfortunately, this cricket was almost immediately pegged as a good deal more aggressive than the former, familiar house cricket, and warnings about its propensity to bite were widely circulated via pet and zoo forums. Some pictures of the ‘new’ feeder cricket were also posted, such as this one:(photo at http://www.geckotime.com/jamaican-field-cricket-gryllus-assimili/ All well and good. Until you start noticing that these Jamaican field crickets don’t look quite like those in some other pictures of Jamaican field crickets, such as the ones on this very site. Which has since prompted new warnings, that these reddish crickets, now dubbed ‘crazy reds’ by the industry, aren’t really Jamaican field crickets at all, but something quite new and as yet unknown. Snippets from info currently posted at Ghann’s Cricket Farm, for example:‘Unfortunately, some growers decided not to wait for USDA approval of, and began producing a different, unidentified species without USDA approval. It LOOKS similar towhen small, but has been reported to be oddly aggressive, and the adults have a definite reddish tint (see pics above).The experts believe the "Crazy Reds" may have been illegally imported from abroad, which prompted a USDA investigation.’On the other hand:‘There are claims that the Crazy Reds occur in the wild in California. If that's proven to be true, then it may be legal to posses, produce, and distribute them.’The pics referred to and the article that the snippets are from may be viewed at http://www.ghann.com/gryllus_info.cfm and I have to say that, as adults, the Jamaicans and ‘crazy reds’ do look quite different to me. So there you go, folks, a puzzling unknown cricket species in need of a name and a special reason for all you enthusiasts out in California and its neighbouring states to keep an eagle eye on your local cricket populations from now on. The people at Ghann’s do seem sincere—they mention working with Dr. Thomas Walker (University of Florida) and Dr. David Weissman (California Academy of Sciences) among others—but if anyone can correct or update the above, or just add to what’s known about the whole feeder cricket debacle in general right now, please do so. Who knows, maybe someone who’s just finished reading this will be able to solve the mystery!PS: There are also apparently two viruses, not just one, decimating those poor old house crickets, but that’s another topic for another day…
Comment viewing options Flat list - collapsed Flat list - expanded Threaded list - collapsed Threaded list - expanded Date - newest first Date - oldest first Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.Chris Eubank on why his son has the beating of Gennady Golovkin Chris Eubank on why his son has the beating of Gennady Golovkin
Chris Eubank believes he knows how to deal with Gennady Golovkin and is adamant his son Chris Eubank Jr will "beat up" the Kazakh.
Eubank Jr (22-1-KO17) returns to Sky Sports Box Office on June 25 when he takes on the unbeaten Tom Doran (17-0-KO7) at The O2 and is already targeting a clash with WBA 'Super' and IBF world middleweight champion Golovkin.
At the age of 34, Golovkin (35-0-KO32) has earned a reputation as a brutal puncher and is revered by many as one of the world's top pound-for-pound fighters.
But Eubank Sr is unfazed by the prospect of 'Junior' stepping in with the divisional kingpin and would have fancied his own chances, too.
I would know how to deal with him and I know my son can. It is in the knowing that he will go forward and do this. Eubank on Golovkin
The former two-weight world champion told Sky Sports: "I would have beaten him. I would beat him up. I wouldn't box him. I would beat him up. I'm not going in there looking to see whether I can beat him. I'm going in there to take it, just as Junior is going to do.
"For anyone who may say: 'You're saying that after the fact and it can't be proven and it's not nice Mr Eubank to speak that way about a fighter you can't fight,' with respect I take back what I said. I would know how to beat him.
"I'm not disrespecting his ability. He is a fantastic boxer and a great fighter. I would know how to deal with him and I know my son can. It is in the knowing that he will go forward and do this.
Eubank Jr returns to action on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's defence Eubank Jr returns to action on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's defence
"Eddie Hearn has to do the job of actually making that fight in September. He's ready. He's willing and he's far more capable than the boxing public thinks.
"I pointed out to him the other day that if he fights Golovkin, he'll get marked up and he will do but he beats him and it's worth the risk. To me, it isn't one because if he follows the strategic model we are going to use, I believe Junior beats him up.
"Junior's last performance shows he is beginning to understand what I believe and know, and when he understands it, believes it and knows it, oh my goodness!
"We don't take breaks. He doesn't take breaks. He's pure. He's not a celebrity. He's not notable for anything else other than his ability to fight and isn't it fantastic; the talent and the performance. The performance he's giving is exceptional."
Tom Doran told Ed Robinson he sees weakness in Eubank Jr Tom Doran told Ed Robinson he sees weakness in Eubank Jr
When he faces Doran, Eubank Jr will be making the first defence of the British middleweight crown he took from Nick Blackwell in March but while his father is excited by the prospect of keeping the Lonsdale Belt, he admits a step up to world level remains the priority.
He said: "Being a fierce patriot, we don't want this [a Lonsdale Belt]; we need it. We need it in the family vault. It seems to me that we're going to get it.
"I made a promise to Junior that if he listens to me, then I will steer him to being better than me. He could never be as good as, so he's going to have to be better.
"If the Golovkin fight comes up before, I'd have to say 'go for it', because that's how he steps out of my shadow absolutely. There's nothing I would love more than for that to happen."
Watch Eubank Jr v Doran, Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale, George Groves v Martin Murray, Conor Benn and more live on Sky Sports Box Office on June 25.An American student who admitted to stealing propaganda material from North Korea has been sentenced to 15 years hard labour for crimes against the state, China's official Xinhua news agency has reported.
The sentence was handed down on Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old student from the University of Virginia, by North Korea's Supreme Court, Xinhua said in a brief despatch today.
There was no immediate confirmation of the sentence on North Korean state media.
Otto Warmbier bows his head in apology during a press conference last month. (AAP) ()
Mr Warmbier, who was arrested in early January as he was leaving the country, later said he had removed a political banner from the staff-only area of the Pyongyang hotel being used by his tour group.
His detention came at a sensitive time, as the United States took a leading role in efforts to secure tough international sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear test on January 6 and a long-range rocket launch a month later.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019Get the biggest Everton FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Trust the fixture planners.
The decision to rearrange the Merseyside derby at Anfield to just a few days before Everton's FA Cup semi-final date at Wembley next month has irked many Blues fans.
If not, as some might suggest, a conspiracy, then it is certainly an inconvenience to have such a high-profile Premier League match so close to the biggest game of Roberto Martinez's reign.
That said, a quirk of fate has meant that, on the same night, the other four teams at present still in the FA Cup also feature.
West Ham United and Manchester United – Everton's potential opponents at the national stadium, who will replay at Upton Park next month – entertain Watford and Crystal Palace respectively, who themselves will face off in the other semi-final.
When it comes to travel and timing, none of the clubs involved appears to hold an advantage or can claim to be more deserving of the extra day's rest that would come from playing their semi-final on Sunday April 24 rather than 24 hours earlier.
But in terms of intensity, the Blues could argue they have been handed the short straw.
However, it's not the first time an Anfield derby has been rearranged so close to an important FA Cup match for Everton.
Not so happy anniversary
In the 2011-12 season, the Blues had progressed to a home FA Cup quarter-final tie against Sunderland.
But four days earlier – and just 24 hours before David Moyes was celebrating 10 years in charge Everton – they were asked to make the short journey across Stanley Park for a Premier League clash.
Liverpool had also made it through to the last eight of the FA Cup.
Yet while Everton had to play their tie at 12.45pm on the Saturday morning, Liverpool's game was at 4pm the following day.
The question was: could the Blues really field an understrength side in a fixture that means so much to their supporters?
The answer, when the teamsheet dropped an hour before kick-off at Anfield, was an emphatic yes.
Moyes dropped six players to the bench from the team that had beaten Tottenham Hotspur three days earlier, with Phil Jagielka making his first start in more than two months and Jack Rodwell also returning from a lengthy injury absence.
But the real surprise was up front where, with in-form Nikica Jelavic among a strong substitutes line-up, Denis Stracqualursi led the line alongside Victor Anichebe.
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, though, did the opposite, and instead recalled Scouse duo Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher to his starting line-up.
It would prove a wise move.
Everton were never in it as Gerrard marked his 400th
|
the city and the union.
The meeting took approximately four hours, ending just before 8:00 p.m.
The city commission voted to side with Local 38 in its grievance against the city by a vote of 4-1. Mayor Sherry Carran and Commissioners Chuck Eilerman, Mildred Rains, and Michelle Williams approved while Commissioner Steve Frank cast the dissenting vote. Had a majority not sided with the union, the issue likely would have headed to arbitration.
The River City News has collected only limited details at this time and will work to update this story as soon as possible. What seems to be the case is that last September when the previous city commission approved the elimination of the positions (which were ranks of captains, lieutenant, and engineer), it had missed a 30-day deadline to do so, as negotiated between the city and the union.
Some on the city commission agreed that because of that technicality, the city would lose in arbitration.
The cost to the city to promote eight members of the fire department to higher positions and then the ripple effect that will cause through the department will be somewhere around $80,000 annually.
Frank weighs in on Facebook
City Commissioner Steve Frank offered comments through public posts on his Facebook page:
OK, I am glad that I am impossibly rich and if Covington actually fails; that said after tonights Union Grevance ; if I was actually somehow a person who depends on the system working right; I think I would leave Covington post haste. Even the Commissioners who were appalled by Local 38 are ashamded of their vote. Even if we are behind a legal 8 ball it was worth the worst downside risk....losing another $10,000 as a worse cased to avoid losing another $100,000 plus thousand a year for years on end to the assholes. Now that Local 38 has won; why should the FOP and ASCME who I've opposed but who have been I must admit, honest and real negotiators given the financial position of Covington anything but pissed off. My last words on the subject and yes I've been doing what I do BEST....drinking....Fuck LOCAL 38 AND THE SHIP THEY RODE IN ON. LONG LIVE COVINGTON FOP AND ASCME!!!!!!!!! (snip) I own everything I've said. Fuck Local 38.
Local 38 is going to pay for what happened toinight. They pissed on Covington and I'm here to see that they suffer for it.
(snip)
I do have a good heart...but I will not abide injustice. We have been electing those who have been of, by, and for Local 38 even if that rips open bleeding wounds of the FOP and ASCME. I will not aplogize and I will eventually win. Fuck Local 38.
(snip)
I am this way because I win and I am going to win. Local 38 may have won a battle but I most assure you that they will lose the war. Whither you like me or hate me...one thing anyone who has ever opposed me can tell you.... I am the wrong person to ever be on the wrong side of. Local 38 will suffer and I will enjoy inflicting the pain.
(snip)
Last version. It is OK to hate me in the morning (I will look forward to it)... apparently it is 4 to 1 OK to for Local 38 to loot your pockets. 2 wanted to give them even more money without even asking and two didn't want to risk upsetting the fucks and just rolled over. It is OK to think that I would like to bury them and if I had any extra money to extend it would be for the FOP and ASCME who have been nothing but gentlemen through all of our financial trauma. What was required to keep Covington from financial implosion apparently isn't a problem for at least 3 of the new Commissioners and your Mayor. I spit in their general direction.
(snip)
If you live in Covington; Local 38 the Firefighter's Union isn't here to help you... they are only here to pick your bones clean. Of 113 firefighters; only 8 still live in the city. We pay the rest so well that they live in Ft. Thomas, Ft Mitchell and Edgewood and other parts that protect their own families with less manpower than they insist that you be covered by. Wonder why????? I don't...
A second grievance filed by a fire captain that argued he should have been made assistant chief was unanimously rejected. Local 38 President Chris Black tells The River City News that that issue will go to binding arbitration.
This story will be updated.
Written by Michael Monks, editor & publisher of The River City News
Photo: via Local 38 Facebook
Follow The River City News on Facebook and Twitter. Have a news tip or feedback? Email RCN!The Centre looks set to seek a compensation of around Rs 426 crore from Swiss food major Nestle over the alleged damages caused by Maggi noodles to Indian consumers.
At a time when Nestle India is awaiting a verdict from the Bombay High Court in its case against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), it might now have to fight another legal battle.
The consumer affairs ministry is ready to file a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in the next few days. The complaint, to be filed on behalf of Indian consumers, is against "unfair trade practices" and "misleading consumers" in the Maggi case. A senior ministry official confirmed to Business Standard: "The file has been formally cleared."
The development comes within days of Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan telling the media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked his Cabinet colleagues to "maintain decorum" on the Maggi issue. Also, some ministers in the government have been critical of FSSAI's Maggi recall order. While some have cited international investors' nervousness in the matter - without wanting to be named - Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been more open. She had earlier said the Maggi incident had led to an environment of fear.
FSSAI Chief Executive Yudhvir Singh Malik had, however, told this newspaper last week that he was more concerned that children should not be consuming contaminated products than anything else. Industry, according to him, should be more proactive and sensitive in these matters.
Nestle India estimates indicate that the company destroyed products worth Rs 360 crore after FSSAI's recall order, based on testing of Maggi samples by Food and Drugs Administrations (FDAs) of around half a dozen states. The regulator, on June 5, also stopped the company from manufacturing the noodles in India. Subsequently, Nestle India moved court against the FSSAI order; a verdict is pending.
Though the consumer affairs ministry had started the process of filing a complaint with NCDRC two months ago - around the time FSSAI ordered a countrywide recall of Maggi noodles from retail shelves - it had to go through layers of legal opinion to make it a water-tight case, an official pointed out.
The compensation that the government is seeking from Nestle India has been calculated on the basis of Maggi sales' share in Nestle India's total revenue in the country in 2014-15. The company's Maggi noodles revenue was pegged at around Rs 2,500 crore - this was 25 per cent of the company's total India revenue.
"In the interest of millions of consumers, the department of consumer affairs took suo motu action against the company," the official explained.
When contacted, a Nestle India spokesperson said the company had not received any intimation on this from the government.
Usually, NCDRC comes into the picture when a consumer files a complaint. But a section of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, also empowers the Centre and state governments to register complaints on behalf of consumers. The consumer affairs ministry is expected to file the complaint under this provision of law.
The recall of Maggi noodles followed sample tests which showed presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and an excessive level of lead in the sample tested. In its order of June 5, FSSAI had said the product was "hazardous" for human consumption. According to Nestle India, its own tests showed compliance with the norms, though the company announced withdrawal of Maggi noodles from the Indian market minutes before the FSSAI order on June 5.
(Additional reporting by Arnab Dutta in New Delhi)
MAGGI MESS
The hit Nestle India took as it disposed of packets of Maggi noodles after recall from the marketNestle India's FY15 revenue from Maggi noodles (25% of total)Nestle India's net loss in the April-June quarter, mainly on account of the ban on Maggi noodlesThe amount the consumer affairs ministry might be seeking in damages from Nestle India for misleading consumersThe National Organization for Women is urging The Washington Post to drop George Will's column after he downplayed the prevalence of campus sexual assault and suggested some college efforts to curb it "make victimhood a coveted status."
Will has received harsh criticism over his June 7 syndicated column, in which he cited the response to "the supposed campus epidemic of rape, aka'sexual assault'" as an example of how when colleges "make victimhood a coveted status that confers privileges, victims proliferate."
The column has drawn complaints from numerous women's rights groups and prompted National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill to call for Will's ouster Tuesday.
"George Will needs to take a break from his column and The Washington Post needs to take a break from his column, they need to dump him," O'Neill told Media Matters in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. "It is actively harmful for the victims of sexual assault when that kind of man writes a piece that says to assault victims, 'it didn't happen and if it did happen you deserve it.' That re-traumatizes victims. I can't believe that Mr. Will has had this experience if he would put out such a hateful message."
"We want him to back off and we want The Washington Post to stop carrying his column."
O'Neill later added, "That is absolutely the kind of further attack on victims that just does such extraordinary harm... The media blaming women for the horrific rape of violence against women and sexual assault it is really shameful."
NOW's request follows a similar call for Will's departure from the women's rights group UltraViolet, which launched a petition drive to remove Will.
Post Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt defended Will's column, issuing this statement to Media Matters:
George Will's column was well within the bounds of legitimate debate. I welcomed his contribution, as I welcome the discussion it sparked and the responses, some of which we will be publishing on our pages and website. This is what a good opinion site should do. Rather than urge me to silence a viewpoint they disagree with, I would urge others also to join the debate, and to do so without mischaracterizing the original column.
That debate has occurred on the Post's own website, which has published pieces criticizing the Will column from Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., as well as Post blogger Alyssa Rosenberg.19.09.2016 11121
В итогах прошедших в России парламентских выборах (так и хочется взять эти слова в кавычки, потому что в соседней стране нет ни парламента, ни выборов) важно, конечно же, не количество голосов, полученных отвратительной “Единой Россией” и ее сателлитами, дружно поддержавшими агрессивную политику Путина.
Понятно, что все результаты выборов были написаны в администрации президента за несколько месяцев до их проведения, понятно, что в Думу могли попасть только четыре сервильные “партии”, понятно, что все места в думском руководстве уже распределены. Повторюсь, никакого парламента в России нет и быть не может, его функции исполняют клерки из администрации президента. А граждане – вернее, жители, граждан в России тоже нет – просто участвуют в нелепом спектакле, призванном доказать, что в их стране существуют демократические институции.
Так вот, самое главное, самое замечательное, самое важное для России – и для нас, ее соседей – что желающих участвовать в этом спектакле становится все меньше. И это – несмотря на то, что власть попыталась сыграть в очередную игру в наперсток с мыслящей частью населения и бросила ей обглоданную кость в виде участия двух партий демократической направленности – “Яблока” и ПАРНАСА. Понятно было, что ни в какой парламент эти партии не попадут, что отданные за них голоса просто распределят между собой “победители”. Но иллюзия выборов все же была создана и интеллигенция из социальных сетей получила великолепную возможность спорить, ходить на выборы или все же не стоит.
Не пошли. Прежде всего, в столицах – Москве и Санкт-Петербурге. Явка в этих городах в два раза ниже, чем на прошлых выборах. Потому что тогда – до явных фальсификаций и протестов на Болотной – еще была иллюзия, что жители что-то там решают. Теперь она окончательно исчезла – и никакое присутствие “Яблока” в бюллетене ее уже никогда не возродит.
В провинции, конечно, явка разная – от рекордов в Чечне до результатов, близких к московским. Но, в конечном счете, провинция в России не решает вообще ничего. Это просто нужно понять и принять. Россия – это не государство, государство – это Москва и “немножко” Петербург. В 1991 году почти вся русская провинция поддержала ГКЧП. А Москва поддержала Ельцина. И Питер тоже. И все областное и краевое начальство – вместе с населением – уже через несколько дней радовалось, что запретили КПСС. А победил бы ГКЧП – радовалось бы, что арестовали Ельцина. Такие люди. Во всей провинции – за исключением небольшой части населения национальных республик, все еще мечтающих освободиться от имперского гнета – большая часть жителей вообще не интересуется будущим государства. Скажут в Москве, что теперь президентом будет Явлинский – ну и прекрасно. Даже Обама – замечательно. Только не трогайте нас и расскажите по телевизору, что нам думать.
А Москве – не все равно. Поэтому когда ее жители – как и питерцы – не ходят на “выборы”, это означает, что российские столицы перестают быть коллективным Глуповым. Что живущие в них люди начинают понимать свою неспособность повлиять на происходящее в стране с помощью демократических процедур. А в спектакле участвовать не желают. И пусть многие провинциалы по-прежнему воспринимают выборы как праздник, на который, как на похороны, нужно надеть все лучшее и выглаженное, москвичей этим уже не прошибешь. На похороны они не хотят. Даже та явка, которая есть в столице – это же бюджетники, которым не отвертеться, силовики и чиновники – бандиты, которые охраняют режим ну и еще, между прочим, те самые люди – 15 процентов, между прочим – которые проголосовали за “Яблоко”. То есть на выборы в Москве не пришел вообще никто. Вообще.
Это – замечательно. О такой утрате связи между путинской опричниной и населением можно было только мечтать. Для столиц это уже наверняка – не их власть, не их президент, не их парламент. Чужие. А свои – появятся, как только рухнет российская экономика. Конечно, это вопрос не одного дня, но тенденция становится очевидной.Reading Time: 3 minutes
Update 2016-04-27: Carrie Fisher has cancelled her appearance at DCC2016.
Carrie Fisher’s shooting schedule on the upcoming Star Wars Episode 8 film now conflicts with her scheduled appearance at Denver Comic Con June 17 – 19, 2016. As a result, she will be unable to attend the Denver event.
Perhaps the biggest news to come out of last year’s Denver Comic Con was the debacle of the all-male panel on “Women in Comics.” Although the organizers were quick to respond, allowing a group of real women in comics who were in attendance to hold their own impromptu panel, the damage had been done.
Which is unfortunate because the Denver Comic Con has long been a bastion of diversity and acceptance. From screening movies and organizing panels by leading LGBT rights advocates, to hosting authors who are leading the fight to break the glass ceiling of the historically male-dominated comics industry, the DCC prides itself on being one of the most diverse, inclusive, family-friendly cons in the country. If you have any doubts about their commitment to the mission of “bringing together the diverse people and interests of our community regardless of age, race, gender, or background … focusing on education and providing guests, programming, and events that encourage diversity … [striving] to promote tolerance and empower the members of our community,” just check out this year’s line-up.
Strong Women Dominate DCC2016
Every year there is always one standout headline guest that is the main attraction of the convention. William Shatner, Sean Astin, and Wil Wheaton have filled that role in the past, but it looks like this year’s King of the Con might actually be a Queen, or rather a Princess.
Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess turned General Leia Organa, will be at the DCC on Saturday and Sunday to meet and greet fans, take photos, sign autographs, and participate in panels. When the convention organizers announced Stan Lee would be joining this year, I was sure we had our headliner. Lee would be the panel to attend, the one that would have a line snaking around the convention center six hours before the scheduled start time. Now, if Fisher and Lee end up overlapping, I find myself struggling to decide which panel to attend.
Choosing between Fisher and Lee wouldn’t be a problem if there were no other notable guests. Wait in line for one on Saturday, the other on Sunday, and you’re set. Unfortunately, the DCC organizers decided just two big name stars weren’t quite enough. Or three. Or six. They have packed the entire weekend with enough big names to host a comics/sci-fi/fantasy awards show. Two companions, a captain, and everyone’s favorite time traveling archeologist top the list of female guests attending this year.
DCC2016 Partners with Denver PrideFest 2016
This year, the DCC is partnering with the Denver PrideFest 2016 to hold a group wedding on the Sunday of the con. Any pop culture-loving geek couple, gay or straight, is invited to take part in the geek-themed ceremony from 4-5pm in the Bellco Theatre. Couples are encouraged to come in costume, and the festivities will include geek wedding vows, live music, and more. Guests of the DCC with a Sunday badge are welcome to attend. Those interested in taking part in the ceremonies can apply for free at http://denvercomiccon.com/wedding-registration-form/ before midnight, Friday, April 22.
In addition to the wedding, the DCC will kick off the festivities Friday with LGBTQ programming that will include topics such as how young adult literature with queer themes can disrupt norms and how to add diversity to comics, sci-fi, and fantasy. According to Denver Comic Con director Christina Angle, “We’re committed to promoting education and community, bringing together diverse people and interests regardless of age, race, gender, or background. Our dedication to this mission, and the fact that our events are on the same weekend, made partnering with Denver PrideFest an easy choice.”
The Denver Comic Con is taking place June 17-19 at the Colorado Convention Center. For information on tickets, guests, and programming, visit http://denvercomiccon.com.
Advertisements
Share this: Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Tumblr
LinkedIn
Reddit
More
WhatsApp
Pocket
Telegram
Skype
Email
Print
Get the Official GeekDad Books!Download raw source
Delivered-To: [email protected] Received: by 10.25.125.86 with SMTP id y83csp49502lfc; Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) X-Received: by 10.182.200.132 with SMTP id js4mr7349355obc.10.1446243707633; Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) Return-Path: <[email protected]> Received: from mail-oi0-x233.google.com (mail-oi0-x233.google.com. [2607:f8b0:4003:c06::233]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id dp6si1763387obb.45.2015.10.30.15.21.47 for <[email protected]> (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits=128/128); Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of [email protected] designates 2607:f8b0:4003:c06::233 as permitted sender) client-ip=2607:f8b0:4003:c06::233; Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=pass (google.com: domain of [email protected] designates 2607:f8b0:4003:c06::233 as permitted sender) [email protected]; dkim=pass [email protected]; dmarc=pass (p=NONE dis=NONE) header.from=gmail.com Received: by mail-oi0-x233.google.com with SMTP id s66so43620621oie.1 for <[email protected]>; Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=UwbXAKgqfTWtg61Pc1y1EaOEHCBI2Eyki8fyg24I7oU=; b=oy10Y6P5faYonQSMOtRqFu7tAJAATVOR4eEH5uNK58LrNyqbKqkeqaTklfPK3C4y/s AP9TFPQmWlJ+xG5JwKfLx8EgZEZJ+j7AmrxiqFsk+PGlef+SAGalONLezjpKm54NHnsi YLQmsOIz2+3/UjjvD6RX7ZzGPw0khjSubLlBjBs1+7+vpiE7s+fujnBJiEfXY711PWsN gx/7z+mp1YCeKkxZheFIE+tVJW4rFf6GmBDB1omjA9r5R2nwQzbtTXZif0ooMezPBsj5 ZPhHTu1HufN8nffKEQx04ko0tKWHemyp0IYcbb080wEAF/Z/yrJEMwXs+KXxWC+Suzco At2A== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.202.80.141 with SMTP id e135mr7074959oib.43.1446243707329; Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.202.53.131 with HTTP; Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:21:47 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <CAE6FiQ8qcSJwGXYUwP9afPrE5OySEzEfWwYz14DrE-tja4wUHA@mail.gmail.com> References: <[email protected]> <CAE6FiQ8mNmTq29migisQfxy7tRvRwqV=yg-WKhZYfaJaURo9ig@mail.gmail.com> <[email protected]> <CAE6FiQ8qcSJwGXYUwP9afPrE5OySEzEfWwYz14DrE-tja4wUHA@mail.gmail.com> Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 18:21:47 -0400 Message-ID: <CAA4XnVCUDdYttUEGtbmhD=8RuRoB67Uwm3-AywiGAuuC9YzswA@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: Apt From: Mae Podesta <[email protected]> To: John Podesta <[email protected]> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001a113b056a6f2232052359da3d --001a113b056a6f2232052359da3d Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 OK, I am going come by around 9 tonight to drop my stuff off but I am going to a party so I'll plan to come back in the morning before yoga and will be in and out tomorrow. On Fri, Oct 30, 2015 at 1:39 PM, John Podesta <[email protected]> wrote: > Your bedroom is free tomorrow. Andrea, Tony's friend is still there > tomorrow night but in Tony's room. Super low maintenance guy. Good for > hanging and dinner on Sunday. > > > On Friday, October 30, 2015, Mae Podesta <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I was planning to stay there tomorrow but I don't have to. At some point >> I'll go there since my stuff for wedding is there >> >> Dinner Sunday is great. Can we hang my stuff too? >> >> >> >> On Oct 30, 2015, at 09:42, John Podesta <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> A friend of Tony's is there. He's in Tony's bedroom. I'm in nyc tonight. >> Headed to DC tomorrow. If you come up tonight, I'll stay in the living >> room. Can you have dinner Sunday or Monday in DC? Are you staying at NYC >> apt tomorrow night? I'll check on Tony's whereabouts. >> On Oct 30, 2015 9:19 AM, "Mae Podesta" <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Is someone staying in the apartment? I keep getting weird key removal >>> emails. >>> >>> Are you in NYC this weekend? I'm definitely there tomorrow; back in DC >>> on Sunday afternoon >>> >>> >>> --001a113b056a6f2232052359da3d Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">OK, I am going come by around 9 tonight to drop my stuff o= ff but I am going to a party so I'll plan to come back in the morning b= efore yoga and will be in and out tomorrow.=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_= extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Oct 30, 2015 at 1:39 PM, John= Podesta <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" ta= rget=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote= class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc soli= d;padding-left:1ex">Your bedroom is free tomorrow. Andrea, Tony's frien= d is still there tomorrow night but in Tony's room. Super low maintenan= ce guy. Good for hanging and dinner on Sunday.<div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div cl= ass=3D"h5"><br><br>On Friday, October 30, 2015, Mae Podesta <<a href=3D"= mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>> wro= te:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0.8ex;border-= left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto"><div>I was planning= to stay there tomorrow but I don't have to. At some point I'll go = there since my stuff for wedding is there=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Di= nner Sunday is great. Can we hang my stuff too?<br><br><div><br></div></div= ><div><br>On Oct 30, 2015, at 09:42, John Podesta <<a>john.podesta@gmail=.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><p dir=3D"l= tr">A friend of Tony's is there. He's in Tony's bedroom. I'= m in nyc tonight. Headed to DC tomorrow.=C2=A0=C2=A0 If you come up tonight=, I'll stay in the living room. Can you have dinner Sunday or Monday in= DC? Are you staying at NYC apt tomorrow night?=C2=A0 I'll check on Ton= y's whereabouts. </p> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Oct 30, 2015 9:19 AM, "Mae Podesta"= <<a>[email protected]</a>> wrote:<br type=3D"attribution"><blockquo= te class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc so= lid;padding-left:1ex">Is someone staying in the apartment? I keep getting w= eird key removal emails.<br> <br> Are you in NYC this weekend? I'm definitely there tomorrow; back in DC = on Sunday afternoon<br> <br> <br> </blockquote></div> </div></blockquote></div></blockquote> </div></div></blockquote></div><br></div> --001a113b056a6f2232052359da3d--Upgrading a security protocol in an ecosystem as complex as the Internet is difficult. You need to update clients and servers and make sure everything in between continues to work correctly. The Internet is in the middle of such an upgrade right now. Transport Layer Security (TLS), the protocol that keeps web browsing confidential (and many people persist in calling SSL), is getting its first major overhaul with the introduction of TLS 1.3. Last year, Cloudflare was the first major provider to support TLS 1.3 by default on the server side. We expected the client side would follow suit and be enabled in all major browsers soon thereafter. It has been over a year since Cloudflare’s TLS 1.3 launch and still, none of the major browsers have enabled TLS 1.3 by default.
The reductive answer to why TLS 1.3 hasn’t been deployed yet is middleboxes: network appliances designed to monitor and sometimes intercept HTTPS traffic inside corporate environments and mobile networks. Some of these middleboxes implemented TLS 1.2 incorrectly and now that’s blocking browsers from releasing TLS 1.3. However, simply blaming network appliance vendors would be disingenuous. The deeper truth of the story is that TLS 1.3, as it was originally designed, was incompatible with the way the Internet has evolved over time. How and why this happened is the multifaceted question I will be exploring in this blog post.
To help support this discussion with data, we built a tool to help check if your network is compatible with TLS 1.3:
https://tls13.mitm.watch/
How version negotiation used to work in TLS
The Transport Layer Security protocol, TLS, is the workhorse that enables secure web browsing with HTTPS. The TLS protocol was adapted from an earlier protocol, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), in the late 1990s. TLS currently has three versions: 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2. The protocol is very flexible and can evolve over time in different ways. Minor changes can be incorporated as “extensions” (such as OCSP and Certificate Transparency) while larger and more fundamental changes often require a new version. TLS 1.3 is by far the largest change to the protocol in its history, completely revamping the cryptography and introducing features like 0-RTT.
Not every client and server support the same version of TLS—that would make it impossible to upgrade the protocol—so most support multiple versions simultaneously. In order to agree on a common version for a connection, clients and servers negotiate. TLS version negotiation is very simple. The client tells the server the newest version of the protocol that it supports and the server replies back with the newest version of the protocol that they both support.
Versions in TLS are represented as two-byte values. Since TLS was adapted from SSLv3, the literal version numbers used in the protocol were just increments of the minor version:
SSLv3 is 3.0
TLS 1.0 is 3.1
TLS 1.1 is 3.2
TLS 1.2 is 3.3, etc.
When connecting to a server with TLS, the client sends its highest supported version at the beginning of the connection:
(3, 3) → server
A server that understands the same version can reply back with a message starting with the same version bytes.
(3, 3) → server client ← (3, 3)
Or, if the server only knows an older version of the protocol, it can reply with an older version. For example, if the server only speaks TLS 1.0, it can reply with:
(3, 3) → server client ← (3, 1)
If the client supports the version returned by the server then they continue using that version of TLS and establish a secure connection. If the client and server don’t share a common version, the connection fails.
This negotiation was designed to be future-compatible. If a client sends higher version than the server supports, the server should still be able to reply with whatever version the server supports. For example, if a client sends (3, 8) to a modern-day TLS 1.2-capable server, it should just reply back with (3,3) and the handshake will continue as TLS 1.2.
Pretty simple, right? As it turns out, some servers didn’t implement this correctly and this led to a chain of events that exposed web users to a serious security vulnerability.
POODLE and the downgrade dance
CC0 Creative Commons
The last major upgrade to TLS was the introduction of TLS 1.2. During the roll-out of TLS 1.2 in browsers, it was found that some TLS 1.0 servers did not implement version negotiation correctly. When a client connected with a TLS connection advertising support for TLS 1.2, the faulty servers would disconnect instead of negotiating a version of TLS that they understood (like TLS 1.0).
Browsers had three options to deal with this situation
enable TLS 1.2 and a percentage of websites would stop working delay the deployment of TLS 1.2 until these servers are fixed retry with an older version of TLS if the connection fails
One expectation that people have about their browsers is that when they are updated, websites keep working. The number of misbehaving servers was far too numerous to just break with an update, eliminating option 1). By this point, TLS 1.2 had been around for a year, and still, servers were still broken waiting longer wasn’t going to solve the situation, eliminating option 2). This left option 3) as the only viable choice.
To both enable TLS 1.2 and keep their users happy, most browsers implemented what’s called an “insecure downgrade”. When faced with a connection failure when connecting to a site, they would try again with TLS 1.1, then with TLS 1.0, then if that failed, SSLv3. This downgrade logic “fixed” these broken servers... at the cost of a slow connection establishment. 🤦
However, insecure downgrades are called insecure for a reason. Client downgrades are triggered by a specific type of network failure, one that can be easily spoofed. From the client’s perspective, there’s no way to tell if this failure was caused by a faulty server or by an attacker who happens to be on the path of the connection network. This means that network attackers can inject fake network failures and trick a client into connecting to a server with SSLv3, even if both support a newer protocol. At this point, there were
|
doubting that 'Le Cut Inside Man' has not lost his quality, with his 12 goals and 10 assists in just 25 appearances seeing him top the Kicker player ratings rankings as the best player in the league.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Appearances: 31
Record: 15/10/6
Kicker Rating: 3,11
Goals: 29
Assists: 2
With growing speculation over where the Gabonese striker will be playing next season, Dortmund fans will be hoping that they can keep hold of their striker. His goals and assists have helped earn his side an extra 21 points this season - something that they have sorely needed after another season with several key players suffering long term injuries. The pace-demon is a firm FUT favourite and is a common sight in many teams which feature Bundesliga players, which adds to his already high likelihood of receiving a TOTS.
Robert Lewandowski
Appearances: 32
Record: 24/6/2
Kicker Rating: 2,63
Goals: 30
Assists: 7
It looks set to be a battle to the last minute between the current and former Dortmund strikers for the Golden Boot, with Lewandowski edging it 30 to 29 with one game left. The Polish superstar is a firm fan favourite in his homeland, the Bundesliga, and further afield, making him a certainty to get in the TOTS.
Rune Jarstein
Appearances: 33
Record: 15/4/14
Kicker Rating: 2,76
Clean Sheets: 11
Goals Conceded: 41
Saves: 99 (1 penalty save)
The Norwegian keeper has become a key part of the first team after two years deputising for Thomas Kraft. Yet to miss a league game this season, he has made an impressive 99 saves to help keep his side in many games, and helped Hertha get into the Europa League after they crashed in spectacular fashion last season - going from 3rd to 7th in the last six weeks of the season.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Appearances: 25
Record: 14/6/5
Kicker Rating: 3,04
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Clean Sheets: 7
Goals Conceded: 25
The Greek centre back has been one of Dortmund's most consistent performers this season. Even with the constantly changing back line, he performs well whoever is partnering him and in whatever formation they are playing. The only thing that may stop him getting in is the high level of competition in defensive positions, but I think that he should make it in.
Willi Orban
Appearances: 28
Record: 17/5/6
Kicker Rating: 3,02
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Clean Sheets: 8
Goals Conceded: 30
RB Leipzig were certainly one of the surprises of the season in Germany, after their rapid (and some may say unfair) rise after they were founded just 8 years ago. They managed to keep within just three points of Bayern going into the winter break, before falling off in the second half of the season. Forsberg, Keita and Werner may have got a lot of the credit, but Orban has played a big part in marshalling their defence to help them keep the second best defensive record in the league.
Sebastian Rudy
Appearances: 31
Record: 16/11/4
Kicker Rating: 2,85
Goals: 2
Assists: 9
Hoffenheim have had their best season ever under their excellent young manager Julian Nagelsmann, reaching the Champions League qualifiers at a minimum. Rudy has played a starring role in their midfield, with his goals and assists proving crucial in many games, as well as excellent defensive performances, so a re-release of his TOTSMC card is definitely not off the table.
Ousmane Dembélé
Appearances: 31
Record: 15/10/6
Kicker Rating: 2,75
Goals: 6
Assists: 12
After winning the Ligue 1 young player of that year last season, Dembélé sealed a lucrative move to Dortmund and hasn't looked back since. His link up play with his adopted mentor Aubameyang has been a joy to watch. Even out he misses out on the fan voted XI, he is a certainty to get in the TOTS based on merit due to his excellent 6 goals and 12 assists this season.
Anthony Modeste
Appearances: 33
Record: 11/13/9
Kicker Rating: 2,94
Goals: 25
Assists: 4
For a while, it looked like the Golden Boot race might have been between three players, before Modeste was unable to keep up with Aubameyang and Lewandowski. But with 25 goals and 4 assists, he isn't far behind the top two, and a certainty for TOTS with his contributions helping the Billy Goats earn 22 extra points.
Timo Werner
Appearances: 31
Record: 19/6/6
Kicker Rating: 2,77
Goals: 21
Assists: 8
Since Miroslav Klose retired, Germany haven't been able to find a good striker to replace him in the National team set up. Timo Werner looks like a great option to fulfil that role after his excellent season for RB Leipzig, with 21 goals and 8 assists in his 31 appearances this year. His performances have earned him a first international call up and appearance, and at just 21 years old he should have a long career ahead of him.
Timo Horn
Appearances: 19
Record: 8/6/5
Kicker Rating: 2,55
Clean Sheets: 5
Goals Conceded: 24
Saves: 65
The Köln keeper has had an excellent season, when he has been fit. Boasting the second best Kicker rating in the league, he has been a great boost for his side as they have averaged 1.58 points per game with him playing, and only 1.14 without him. However, with him him missing 14 games due to injury, his chances of getting in are significantly lower. As a result he may be ignored, with Roman Bürki or Bernd Leno the favourites to take this spot.
Vincenzo Grifo
Appearances: 29
Record: 13/5/11
Kicker Rating: 3,19
Goals: 6
Assists: 11
The majority of good things to happen for Freiburg have involved their Italian winger. His 6 goals and 11 assists have helped Freiburg gain an impressive 19 points, without which they would be in the relegation zone. Instead they hold a Europa League qualifier spot and have a very good chance of making it automatically. Grifo, and keeper Schwolow, are the two reasons behind their success, and a TOTS for the Italian is well deserved.
Kerem Demirbay
Appearances: 27
Record: 15/9/3
Kicker Rating: 2,87
Goals: 6
Assists: 9
The second of four Hoffenheim players I am predicting is their attacking-minded midfielder Kerem Demirbay. With 6 goals and 9 assists, his stats may not look that amazing when compared to others, but with an impressive Kicker rating, he looks set to get in the TOTS. One of the few down sides to his season was that he is yet to break into either the German or Turkish national team set up, but if he keeps playing like this then it won't be too far away.
Andrej Kramarić
Appearances: 33
Record: 16/13/4
Kicker Rating: 3,05
Goals: 15
Assists: 9
After a failed spell at Leicester, the Croat made his move to Hoffenhiem permanent past summer. He has been in fine form this season, with 15 goals and 9 assists helping his side get into the Champions League after an incredible season. This spot could have gone to Max Kruse, but as he missed 2 months and had a month of incredible form where he got most of his goals and assists, I think Kramarić should edge it.
Simon Terodde
Appearances: 31
Record: 19/6/6
Kicker Rating: 3,08
Goals: 23
Assists: 3
ho has an incredible 23 goals and 6 assists in 31 games this season, helping them to first place in the league and guaranteed a spot in at least the promotion play-off.
Bonus Daily Knockout Tournament Reward - Benjamin Hübner
Appearances: 25
Record: 13/8/4
Kicker Rating: 2,98
Goals: 2
Assists: 4
Clean Sheets: 9
Goals Conceded: 24
Both of Hoffenheim's main centre backs - Benjamin Hübner and Niklas Süle - deserve recognition for an excellent season. I believe that Hübner may just edge out his teammate, as he currently has a better Kicker rating, as well as more assists, but with Süle moving to Bayern in the summer, the growing hype and his reputation may push him in ahead of his current teammate.
Here we go then. The EPL TOTS drops on Friday 19th May, with the Bundesliga expected to follow on the 26th. You can see the whole thing in more detail here.
Make sure you follow me on twitter @Darren_8196 for more updates on my TOTW and TOTS Prediction, as well as FIFA Mobile. Next week will be the La Liga TOTS prediction, so tweet us or comment below who you think should be in it!This is part two in my ongoing series about my experience, so far, owning a brewery. Part one defined my brewery, the format and style of brewery it is and delved shallowly into the fundamental basics of being a contract brewer. There will be a lot of posts in this series, but this post is one I want to get out of the way early, so now.
I was surprised, pleasantly, by the response to the first post in this series. Within a few hours of it posting, there were almost 5000 views of that particular post. That’s pretty good for this blog, probably not as good as your blog, but decent for this blog. Over the next week, it became one of the most read articles on my blog altogether, pellicle is still beating it out. I don’t know if all of these posts will be that popular and I imagine that this one will not.
This post is going to be, I imagine, the most personal post of this series. I debated whether or not to write about how brewing has affected my personal life or not, and a thread of comments and emails I received as a result of the last post made me realize I had to write about how deciding to go this route has affected my life.
I entitled this post “The Cost of Making Beer” but if you want a cent by cent breakdown of costs, you’ll have to wait for a future post, this post is about my social cost to making beer. And this weekend is a great illustration of those less tangible costs.
If you are going to produce anything, be it art, yogurt, a blog, or beer, you have to develop a thick skin. Beer is a beverage where everyone HAS an opinion and will give it to you unprompted. The vast majority of the feedback I receive about Handsome’s beer is positive. Most people love it, most people are at least telling me that they love it. But, I’ve had people LITERALLY spit my beer out in front of me at events and ask “Who the hell would drink that?” Answer: thousands of people. You…you are the wrong one. I’ve had people write untappd or beeradvocate reviews making horrible assumptions about how the beer was made or reviewing the beer under the wrong name and saying it wasn’t brewed to style. I read (but don’t respond) to EVERY review of Handsome beer available online. I don’t know why I do, but I do. I have grown a callus over that part of my mind and heart, such that nothing can get through. Honestly, I’m my biggest critic. I know EVERYTHING that was sub-optimal about every batch. I’ve been there on the brew day for every beer, on the packaging day for almost every beer (I missed one), I’ve sampled every batch mid-fermentation out of the tank. I’ve started buying sixtels of every batch so I can put it on tap in my house, so I can see how it holds up over the course of a month or two. I’m obsessed with my own beer. That’s probably approximately how it should be.
I also receive feedback about this blog, specifically the last post. Again, mostly positive. “Looking forward to the rest.” “This is great information, nice to see behind the scenes for once.” But I also received this, “Contract brewing isn’t really brewing.” or “Maybe people don’t respect contract brewing because you aren’t actually brewing.”
I touched on this attitude in the first post and a few people commented positively on it, others not so much. I want to clear things up a little and put this in a greater context as a result of this negativity though.
First thing is first, I’ve been to a lot of contract brewing facilities. The likelihood that a brewery from Florida will have a representative in Maryland or Virginia at the contract facility present on a brew day is highly unlikely. The idea that they would have someone swing by the brewery to sample mid-fermentation, to measure gravity, to keep their own records of the progression of the fermentation, to brew on the pilot system, to inventory their own ingredients, to package their own beer….even less likely. They pay the facility to do that and beer is basically a recipe on a page. To people who say that “contract brewers” are really doing the work, do you honestly think that the head brewer of ANY brewery is in there shoveling grain or pouring sacks into hoppers? Do you think the head brewer of any moderately sized brewery does ANY of the brewing work? Check again. Sorry to ruin the illusion of brewing, those guys are doing paperwork.
Even though I like and try to do as much as possible and to be there as much as possible, I have to rely on the host brewery and their staff. You use good breweries to make your beer because they demonstrate their competency through the production of their own beers. Whenever I go to a new account, I order the simplest beer on the menu…usually the kolsch or pilsner. Those beers don’t hide flaws. And while I try to be there as much as I can doing as much as I can, I can’t be there everyday all day. So I rely on their expertise and competence to execute the product based on the specifications I designed and shared with them. This is how nearly ALL breweries work.
I can’t be there all day, every day for the same reason I can’t keep up with posts in this blog. I have a full time job and am the father of two kids. Those come before being a brewer. They always will, they have to. The father thing for sure. That being said, I definitely spend way less time with my sons than I did before I started this brewery. The brewery has so many time-sensitive demands. Things that have to get done at a certain time, on a certain day. My company has only two employees, and our production, distribution and accounts cover the entire state of Maryland and our brewery is currently in Virginia (about an hour outside of Washington D.C.). I spent 5 hours in the car today (Sunday) doing brewery related activities. That’s after spending all day Saturday at a beer festival in National’s Stadium in Washington D.C. and spending 4 hours driving around on Friday for brewery related things after I left my full time job on the 9 to 5 schedule.
Not to get existential on everyone, but I frequently ask myself “who am I?” I used to draw nearly all of my identity from my work. I did cancer research for years, it was easy for me to draw against the assumed altruism and technical difficulty of that position and posit that as the primary drive of my existence. I am what I do. But I’m not that anymore. Part of me becoming a brewery owner was giving up on my career that I worked decades building. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demands of a laboratory position, the demands of being a father / husband, and the demands of being a brewery owner. That’s not possible. I still have a full time job but it’s not as a scientist any longer. Walking away from that career is a huge sacrifice that I’m still not sure about. I love my full-time job, but it hasn’t filled the hole in my identity left by my last job. Maybe one day it will. Right now, that doesn’t seem likely.
My identity now is a father, first and foremost. And I want to spend as much time with my kids as possible. But being responsible for nearly 100% of my family’s income (full time job) and chasing this dream to own a successful brewery (a dream shared by my wife and I) cuts into time with my sons and wife. That time is lost, it is constantly slipping through my fingers. It kills me when I have to go to a beer fest for 11 hours and serve people as they get progressively less coherent, across two sessions, repeating the answers to the same few questions until I’m hoarse on a Saturday. I wake up, make breakfast for my kids, go set up for the beer fest, pour beer all day, get home after they’ve gone to bed. My wife does a good job sending me little videos of the baby saying “Pizza” for the first time, or the boys going down a slide together, or them saying “good night dada”. It’s not all bad, at times beer festivals are fun, I do meet great people at those things, but while I’m doing it, I imagine pushing my kids on the swings, or reading stories, or playing Star Wars. I like to think that I make it up to them by going on bike rides, trying to get home early from work by going in early, making waffles on the weekends, including them in “tool projects” while we work on parts of the house. But who knows if they feel neglected or will feel neglected later.
I don’t always know the right thing to do, or even how to deal with all of my responsibilities. At times, I’m overwhelmed by the work, by the volume of things in the time frame it has to be done. But most of time, I’m at peace with all of this. My family really is my center. My wife can make my day 100% better just by putting her hand on my back. My kids can make me happy just by bringing me some Star Wars toys or a book to read.
On thing I like to do to help make emotional ends meet is to let my kids participate or hang out with me. My family loves hanging out at the brewery or helping me brew test batches at home on the little homebrew system I have. I love it too. I don’t ever let them do anything potentially harmful or dangerous, so let me stop you right there. But sometimes they like playing bean bags or putting caps on the kegs or just sitting there with a coloring book while I check the gravity in the middle of a fermentation. It is something I can share with them.
In the end, I’d rather be the busy but hopefully thoughtful father who can demonstrate to his kids that there’s more to life than the cookie cutter middle class existence.
But please remember, all small businesses are family businesses. So if you hate someone’s product, try to be polite. That was made with time that was taken from another portion of their life. Time that might have been spent fighting a 5 year old with an inflatable light saber or reading a 1 year old “Go Dogs Go” for the 500th time. My wife and kids are my entire family. My time away from them is not trivial. It is me giving up the most precious thing to me, to go sweat in a room for a day watching water boil.
AdvertisementsFlickr MC4Army I have to admit, I'm a little nervous.
When I write something, I fully expect people to disagree with me and to call me an idiot after reading my "analysis."
But I rarely expect to anger people.
My latest article has the potential to really anger a lot of people. About 6 million of them.
I've got an op-ed at The National Interest on the need to reform Tricare, the military healthcare system.
The numbers, however, do not allow for continued inaction. Increasing health-care costs in DoD's budget mean less money for bombs, bullets and training. Fielding a military but supplying it with obsolete equipment and minimal training is the definition of a hollow force. Sensible reforms, like the ones proposed in the administration's FY2013 budget request, will not break faith with military retirees and their families. But Congress must acknowledge that Tricare is merely a policy, part of a larger military compensation package that seeks to recruit and retain the best men and women for military service. It was never intended to become an inalienable right.
Due to space constraints, I had to omit things that I fear might lead some readers to question my support for military retirees. I want to go on record with some things here.
I do not believe Tricare should be abolished or that retirees should not have access to subsidized healthcare in some form. I do believe military retirees should contribute more than they currently do. They should expect to pay, on average, at least 25% of their healthcare costs as was intended by Congress when it established Tricare in 1996. Enlisted veterans should not pay as much as officers. Tricare enrollment fees should be tiered based on retirement pay. Working age retirees who earn over a certain amount each year (including retirement pay), say $150,000, should not be allowed to use Tricare. They should be forced to use their civilian employer's healthcare plan. Once they stop working, they can join Tricare for Life. Reforms must grandfather some people into the current system. Tricare enrollment fees should be indexed to inflation for the general healthcare sector, which should go a long way toward stabilizing DoD's costs. I do believe that we are dangerously close to viewing veterans as a privileged, entitled class of people. This I fear is corrosive to civil-military relations and widens the gap between those who serve and those who don't. The challenge is fighting for and receiving the care veterans deserve without becoming entitled.
Andrew Bacevich used a great quote from FDR in a recent book review that I wanted to crib, but didn't. After General MacArthur broke up the "Bonus Marchers" camp in Washington, DC, Roosevelt let it be known that "no person, because he wore a uniform, must therefore be placed in a special class of beneficiaries."
Anyway, read the whole thing here.November 15, 2015
The Chicago Wolves announced Sunday that center Jeremy Welsh has been reassigned to St. Louis of the National Hockey League.
The 27-year-old Welsh has posted 5 goals and 3 assists with a +3 plus/minus rating in 11 games for the Central Division-leading Wolves this season. The Bayfield, Ontario, native notched 20 goals and 21 assists in 75 games for Chicago in 2014-15. This marks his first regular-season stint with the St. Louis Blues, who recalled him on loan from the Wolves.
Welsh made his NHL debut on April 7, 2012, when he went straight from Union College’s appearance in the Frozen Four to the Carolina Hurricanes. He played 6 games for the Hurricanes through the 2012-13 season before moving to the Vancouver Canucks in 2013-14, when he posted 1 goal, 6 penalty minutes and a -1 plus/minus rating in 19 games.
The Wolves travel to Milwaukee on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. Amtrak Rivalry clash before returning home for the Salute to Military Families Night, presented by Kia and Magellan, on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Wolves host Star Wars Day on Sunday, Nov. 22. To find the best ticket specials, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.Hollywood stars took to social media Friday to fire off a mix of puns and panicked screeds in response to President Donald Trump’s first in-person meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.
Reacting to reports claiming President Trump said he was delighted to meet Putin, pop icon Cher wondered why Trump would put “Russia b 4 America?”
trump Says"It's HONOR 2 MEET PUTIN"&trump looks 4ward to positive things happening 4 RUSSIA & 🇺🇸‼️WHY IS IT AN HONOR,& WHY RUSSIA"B4"AMERICA — Cher (@cher) July 7, 2017
Actor-director Rob Reiner asserted that Russia has “invaded” America, while comedian Michael Ian Black joked that President Trump had been performing a sexual act on Putin during their reported two-and-a-half hour-long meeting.
Russia has invaded US & continues to try to undermine our democracy. DT refuses to protect us. Don't let a weak ignorant liar sell us out. — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) July 7, 2017
Trump must be terrible at blowjobs if it's taking this long. https://t.co/Q90QKwavjy — Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) July 7, 2017
Netflix’s House of Cards tweeted a gif depicting a meeting between the political drama’s fictional Russian President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen) and President Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey).
Below is a roundup of more celebrity reaction to President Trump and Putin’s meeting.
Holy shit guys the piss tape is apparently 2 hrs & 20 mins long — Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) July 7, 2017
👉🏾@realDonaldTrump demonstrates how to greet the banker when you don't want to ruffle his peacock feathers. #MakeRussiaGreatAgain https://t.co/AV6kuUPotD — Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 7, 2017
trump the snail on the scorpions back
thinking he's made a great deal why did u sting me – snail asks dying
i am a scorpion – vlad says https://t.co/8QA7QZpCZi — ROSIE (@Rosie) July 7, 2017
putin is an evil mastermind trump is a mean buffoon pic.twitter.com/oH4k47u26G — ROSIE (@Rosie) July 7, 2017
The one and only positive in all this: Trump has brought the entire world together in the disgust we feel here at home. https://t.co/InhNxZyRDz — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) July 7, 2017
I can't see that we will ever know what happened at the Putin/Trump Summit since not one person in the room was there to better the world. — Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) July 7, 2017
Trump is willing to take Putin purely at his word, but not our own IC agencies. It's a farce. He knows they interfered. He courted it. https://t.co/fKSTbmGVyQ — Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) July 7, 2017
Russia is attacking us as a nation not just the democrats. The Republicans don't seem to realize it could be them next. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 7, 2017
Hard to know what really happened. https://t.co/DyyXSarLK3 — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 7, 2017
Putin asked Trump for proof that Russia hacked the election. Trump said “I’m sitting here.” — Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) July 7, 2017
Russian or WH version of Putin- Trump meeting? Flip a coin https://t.co/IKheelGazR — Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) July 7, 2017
A former reality show host, a former KGB agent, and a guy named Rex, walk into a Russian bar … — Arsenio Hall (@ArsenioHall) July 7, 2017
Coming to President Trump’s defense was game show host Chuck Woolery:
If #Putin is looking for an American apologist in #Trump, he won't get it. Now he is sitting down with a real American Man. Different. — Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) July 7, 2017
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudsonThe United States, land of freedom and opportunity, is also the land of scowling faces and folded arms, according to a new poll.
Travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler has unveiled the results of its annual readers' choice survey
More than 46,000 readers gave their opinions last year on everything from favorite airlines to best hotels and friendliest and unfriendliest cities
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on how C40 is helping cities take action against climate change.
It's the latter category that might cause the most surprises, with U.S. cities dominating the "unfriendly" list.
CNN talks with Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau about his vision for the South African city's future.
Newark, New Jersey, is the unfriendliest city in the world according to the survey.
Rooftop gardens to floating homes, CNN looks at how Rotterdam plans to become the world's most sustainable port city.
"Newark is best known for being the site of an airport near New York, and for many of our readers, that's the only reason to stop there," says Conde Nast Traveler.
In total, five U.S. cities were voted into the top 10 unfriendly cities list and eight made the top 20.
Oakland, California (third), "has an image problem and a split personality" according to a reader who answered the survey.
New Haven, Connecticut (seventh), home of Yale University, is the city of "rude, unfriendly folks;" Detroit (eighth) was called the "armpit of the world" by one reader and Atlantic City, New Jersey (ninth), was dismissed as a "pale shadow of Las Vegas."
Other cities in the list include Islamabad in Pakistan (second least friendly), Luanda in Angola (fourth), Kuwait City (fifth) Lome in Togo (sixth) and Tangier in Morocco (tenth).
What do you think? Tell us about your own friendly or unfriendly travel experiences in the comments section below.
Conde Nast Traveler stresses that its rankings are inspired by factors including location, political perception, size and language barriers, and don't necessarily correspond to rude behavior of locals.
l e v a r t
But enough badmouthing.
The survey also announces the friendliest cities in the world.
Florianopolis, the island city in Brazil, is the world's friendliest city according to the poll.
Hobart in Tasmania followed in second place and Thimpu in Bhutan wrapped up the top three.
One U.S. city made it into the top 10 friendliest cities -- Charleston, South Carolina.
Standing fifth in the global list, Charleston was also voted the friendliest city in the United States in a previous poll.
The world's unfriendliest cities
20. Caracas, Venezuela
19. Bethlehem, Palestine
18. Casablanca, Morocco
17. Wilmington, Delaware
16. Moscow
15. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
14. Shenzhen, China
13. Albany, New York
12. Los Angeles
11. Guangzhou, China
10. Tangier, Morocco
9. Atlantic City, New Jersey
8. Detroit
7. New Haven, Connecticut
6. Lome, Togo
5. Kuwait City
4. Luanda, Angola
3. Oakland, California
2. Islamabad, Pakistan
1. Newark, New Jersey
The world's friendliest cities
20. Cork, Ireland
20. Asheville, North Carolina
18. Edinburgh, Scotland
16.Savannah, Georgia
16. Auckland, New Zealand
14. Victoria, British Columbia
14. Galena, Illinois
13. Dublin, Ireland
12. Christchurch, New Zealand
11. Chiang Mai, Thailand
9. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
9. Kilkenny, Ireland
8. Mandalay, Myanmar
6. Margaret River, Australia
6. Paro, Bhutan
5. Charleston, South Carolina
4. Queenstown, New Zealand
3. Thimpu, Bhutan
2. Hobart, Tasmania
1. Florianopolis, BrazilCosta del Sol means ‘sunny coast’ in Spanish. But in the light of the recent events, the resort region may be called ‘Solntsevsky’ as well. Several suspects, out of the eleven, detained in the framework of a high-profile money laundering case have been arrested in Mijas, Andalusia. Is it a coincidence? No, unlikely. The CrimeRussia was sorting out the business ties of ‘Izmailovskie’ and ‘Solntstevskie’ gangs with the birthplace of Antonio Banderas.
Spanish law enforcement authorities pay special attention to the East-European organized crime. Russian criminals have traditionally been using this country as a ‘laundromat’ for legalization of criminal proceeds, while La Guardia Civil and special services of Spain were struggling against this.
‘Thief № 1’ Zakhary Kalashov, also known as ‘Shakro Molodoy’, had served a prison term in Spain for money laundering; a year later, in 2016, another famous ‘thief-in-law’ Kakhaber ‘Kakha Rustavsky’ Shushanashvili has been convicted for the same crime. Gennady Petrov, one of the leaders or ‘Tambovsko-Malyshevskie’ organized criminal group, was arrested for money laundering in Malaga province in 2009. Now the time has come for ‘Solntstevskie’ and ‘Izmailovskie’ gangs.
On September 26, it became known that the Spanish law enforcement services continue ‘rooting out’ the ‘Russian mafia’ in Malaga.
According to EFE international news agency, La Guardia Civil and Interpol European Office have carried out a large-scale operation and arrested 11 Russians, including several businessmen well-known both in Spain and Russia.
La Guardia Civil arrive to Alexander Grinberg...
The list of detainees includes Alexander Grinberg, owner of Marbella Football Club; German Pastushenko, Marbella F.C. Vice President; and vacationing in Spain Arnold Arnoldovich Spivakovsky (born Arnold Tamm), who used to be the PR Consultant of Pavel Borodin, State Secretary of the Union of Russia and Belarus, in the early 2000s and then switched to the hotel business. Spivakovsky was the First Deputy General Director of Peking Hotel and Office Complex Open Joint Stock Company and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intourist.
...and to his club
In the course of the special operation dubbed “Oligarkh”, 18 searches have been performed in Mijas, Marbella, Estepona, and Puerto Banús. The operatives have seized large amounts of cash (the exact sum is not disclosed), plenty of valuables, electronic data storage devices, 23 luxury vehicles (Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Ferrari, etc.), and an entire arsenal of firearms and munitions. Even the gendarmes were confused: why do the Russians suspected of money laundering need so many top notch firearms?
In addition to handguns, numerous automatic rifles, submachine guns, assault rifles (including silences ones), silencers, and night viewers have been seized.
According to the official statement issued by La Guardia Civil, operative investigation measures have been carried out in the headquarters Marbella Football Club and Dama de Noche Golf Club belonging to Alexander Grinberg and located in Marbella, in the office of Aguas Sierra de Mijas mineral water bottling plant in Mijas, and in some other facilities belonging to the detained Russians.
According to Fiscalía Especial Contra la Corrupción y la Criminalidad Organizada (Prosecutor’s Office for Special Cases Pertaining to Corruption and Organized Crime), the majority of the detained suspects are Russian citizens having Spanish permanent residence cards; they were the leaders of a sophisticated business structure created by Russian ‘Izmailovskie’ and ‘Solntstevskie’ organized criminal groups that used to be rivals in their native country but joined the efforts in money laundering in foreign countries, including Spain. The law enforcement authorities believe that the Russian organized criminal groups have legalized at least €30 million through Spanish enterprises under their control. A standard scheme was used: the Russians were purchasing profitless and pre-bankrupt companies with their debts for next to nothing and ‘laundered’ criminal proceeds siphoned from Russia through major investments.
Football club for €1
Marbella Football Club was one of the such ‘laundromats’; Russian businessman Alexander Grinberg has purchased it in 2013 for €1. The entrepreneur, who had relocated to Malaga with his family shortly before that, acquired Marbella when it was overburdened with debts and unable to pay the bills.
Marbella F.C. Secretary Claudio Hernández, President Alexander Grinberh, and Vice President German Pastushenko
Immediately upon purchasing the football club, Grinberg has paid off the debts in the amount of €250 thousand, donated a significant sum to the municipal budget to restore the city stadium where Marbella players were practicing, and held several press conferences making a very good impression on the local media. Friendliness, politeness, and democratism of Grinberg have delivered results – the Spaniards liked the ‘Russian oligarch’ who had saved the city team from complete ruination. By the way, club fans still can’t believe that Grinberg was involved into illegal activities and consider his arrest a nonsense.
The football club management style
|
House, and Rubio mentioned he now thinks that solution does not perform.
"I know simply because I experimented with," he claimed. When Schieffer asked if he would signal the bill he aided create if he have been president, Rubio said, "which is a hypothetical that will under no circumstances transpire."
Marco Rubio: Move immigration reform phase-by-step
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, states immigration reform can&rsquot; be completed with one particular substantial bill – the tactic he and a bipartisan team of senato...
"We fully grasp that we have to offer with 12 million human beings that are in this nation, that have been below for more time than a 10 years...We know we have to deal with this. We are not geared up to deal with it right until very first you can prove to us this will hardly ever transpire again," Rubio mentioned.
If he had been president, he reported he would check with Congress to "move a extremely specific bill" that implements an electronic work verification program, entry and exit monitoring procedure to reduce visa overstays and strengthens border protection. Then, he explained, he thinks the U.S. really should modernize its lawful immigration method to prioritize benefit above spouse and children ties. Only then, he claimed, would he go a invoice that offers with folks who arrived to the U.S. illegally.
"If they have been here for longer than a decade, they have to go a history check, they have to master English, they have to pay out taxes, they have to fork out a good. And they would get a work permit. And following a sizeable period of time of time in that standing, assuming they have not violated any of the disorders of that status, they would be authorized to utilize for lawful residency. Just like any individual else would. Not a distinctive system," Rubio reported. "Following you might be a lawful resident, soon after a number of many years by regulation, you are permitted to implement for citizenship. It truly is a long system, it's a affordable system. It really is a truthful method. But it has to occur in that get. And it starts with significant enforcement actions."
Marco Rubio discusses the 2016 presidential contenders
The younger senator talks about an additional outstanding Florida Republican, Jeb Bush, and usually takes a shot at Hillary Clinton
Rubio also talked about why he believes there is a "remarkable variation" between his possess knowledge and the practical experience President Obama experienced when he ran for the White Home all through his first time period as a U.S. Senator.
"I am essentially the only candidate contemplating about jogging for president that is served at the local, state, and federal level," Rubio reported, noting he was in the Florida legislature for nine a long time and rose to turn into Speaker of the Household. He stated he will also have finished a full phrase in the Senate by the time voters elect a new president in 2016.
"The presidency's a huge occupation and I am geared up for that," he claimed.
By comparison, Mr. Obama had served eight decades in the Illinois Senate and experienced served just 4 years of his six-calendar year U.S. Senate time period when he was elected in 2008.
Like most Republicans, Rubio is by now concentrating on attacking former Secretary of Condition Hillary Clinton, the only declared Democratic nominee and undisputed entrance-runner for the nomination.
Marco Rubio on Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, says he would make a improved president than former Condition Secretary Hillary Clinton,...
"I think a Clinton presidency would generally be one more four decades of Barack Obama. Up to this place I have not viewed her distinguish herself on a one situation from what the president is executing now," he explained, indicating that foreign policy throughout her expression as secretary of point out was "a catastrophe for America."
But Rubio has also had to solution inquiries about just one of the presumed Republican candidates, previous Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Rubio said his relationship with Bush - who was viewed as his political mentor in Florida - offers a "one of a kind circumstance" in the race.
The prospect to run for president was "an prospect I experienced to get seriously. And I did," Rubio mentioned. "At the finish of the day it will never adjust how I really feel about Governor Bush. He'll stay my friend, and someone I admire, both equally individually and politically."
He maintains that he is not running towards Bush precisely, and mentioned that the GOP is heading to be a better get together because of the crowded Republican subject.
Rubio claimed he believes that overseas policy will be a vital difficulty in the presidential race for the reason that securing the state is the most important obligation of the federal governing administration. With places on the Senate Overseas Relations and Intelligence Committees, Rubio is positioning himself as one of the Republicans with the most working experience on people troubles.
Ticking off a record of difficulties ranging from China to the U.S. Russia marriage to battling jihadist teams in the Middle East, he stated, "I don't imagine we're performing as well as we could be on any of these fronts."
Marco Rubio on why it&rsquos; his time to run
Perform Online video Experience The Nation
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, suggests the 2016 election provides a &ldquohistoric; generational moment” and that he can pro...
He does not rule out the use of American military forces, possibly in the struggle towards the Islamic Condition of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or to avert Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
On Iran, Rubio explained he does not believe that the framework offer to limit the country's nuclear plan will be profitable mainly because it leaves much too substantially nuclear infrastructure in put. But he mentioned the U.S. "certainly" ought to make certain Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
"The greatest way to have achieved that is to go away in place the two the unilateral sanctions, and the global sanctions," Rubio claimed. "You merge that with a incredibly obvious demarcation to the Iranian routine. And that is this: if you cross this threshold, you will encounter navy motion on the aspect of the United States."
Marco Rubio: War with Iran is an alternative
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, claims all solutions are on the desk when it arrives to protecting against Iran from getting a...
"We really don't want that to transpire. But the danger of a nuclear Iran is so good that that possibility will have to be on the table," he included.
He claimed if the U.S. does not consider armed forces motion to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, he believes that one more country like Saudi Arabia or Israel will.
On the fight against ISIS, he explained that employing American troops is "not the excellent consequence" but that there are circumstances the place it could possibly be needed. The best possibility, he mentioned, is to confront the team with a Sunni Arab military that combines troops from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. That should be bolstered with U.S. air aid, logistical and intelligence guidance, and some U.S. special operations forces embedded with the troops.
Rubio also reiterated his skepticism that individuals are exclusively responsible for the rate of climate change and ought to choose action to test to gradual it.
"I think the weather is changing simply because there's in no way been a instant exactly where the weather is not shifting. The dilemma is what proportion of that, or what is owing to human action," Rubio claimed. "If we do the points they want us to do, cap in trade, you name it. How a lot will that alter the rate of climate transform, as opposed to how considerably will it cost our economy? Researchers cannot convey to us what impression it would have on reversing these adjustments. But I can convey to you with certainty it would have a devastating impression on our economy."
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readersStory highlights David Kwiatkowski also worked at Johns Hopkins in Maryland and in five other states
Kwiatkowski, 32, is accused of infecting at least 30 people
The evidence "points irrefutably to Kwiatkowski," a U.S. attorney says
Co-workers witnessed suspicious behavior and symptoms, according to an affidavit
A former medical technician was arrested Thursday in connection with a hepatitis C outbreak at a hospital in Exeter, New Hampshire, a federal prosecutor announced.
David Matthew Kwiatkowski, 32, is accused of infecting at least 30 people when he worked in the cardiac catheterization lab (CCL) at Exeter Hospital. He also is suspected of stealing controlled substance Fentanyl, a powerful anesthetic that is substantially more potent than morphine.
According to an affidavit filed in federal court in New Hampshire, Kwiatkowski is charged with obtaining controlled substances by fraud and tampering with a consumer product. He faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted.
"The evidence gathered to date points irrefutably to Kwiatkowski as the source of the hepatitis C outbreak at Exeter Hospital. With his arrest, we have eliminated the menace this'serial infector' posed to public health and safety," said United States Attorney John P. Kacavas.
Multiple employees at the hospital said Kwiatkowski exhibited suspicious behavior, according to the federal affidavit.
He would leave the CCL during procedures, sweating profusely, and attended procedures on his off days, according to the affidavit.
On several occasions syringes were discovered in a restroom in the vicinity of the CCL, the affidavit said.
One witness even said that she thought Kwiatkowski "was on something" and unfit for patient care. Another co-worker said he remembered an incident when Kwiatkowski was red in the face and eyes and had white foam around his mouth while he was on duty.
Hepatitis C is passed through contact with contaminated blood, most often via shared needles, and is considered to be among the most serious of hepatitis viruses. It is typically asymptomatic, going undetected until liver damage shows up, according to the Mayo Clinic website
Prior to working in New Hampshire, Kwiatkowski was a traveling medical technician who worked on a contract basis in at least six other states. Gary Stephenson, a spokesman for Johns Hopkins Medicine, confirmed that Kwiatkowski worked at the hospital in Baltimore from July 2009 to January 2010.
Kwiatkowski, who is originally from Michigan and has hepatitis C, was arrested in an undisclosed Massachusetts hospital where he is being treated and will be held in custody once he is discharged.
It wasn't immediately clear whether he had legal representation.
Kwiatkowski told authorities that he found out he had hepatitis C in May 2012, but further investigation revealed he tested positive for the disease in June 2010.
A statement released by the hospital states that pre-employment drug testing and standard and criminal background checks were performed before he was hired.
"It is deeply disturbing that the alleged callous acts of one individual can have such an impact on so many innocent lives. As a result of his alleged actions, people in our community, who in many cases are the friends and neighbors of the 2,300 people who work here, now face the challenge of a potentially chronic disease," said Kevin Callahan, president and CEO of Exeter Hospital, in a released statement.After more than a week of back-and-forth discussion, the Yankees and Pirates formally announced the deal that will send A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh. The trade allows the Bombers to unload $13MM of the $33MM still owed to the veteran pitcher over the next two years. Aside from shedding payroll, the Yanks also receive outfielder Exicardo Cayones and right-hander Diego Moreno in the trade.
With the Burnett deal finalized, the Yankees will now have the flexibility to add a bat or two. The club is reportedly eyeing Raul Ibanez and would like to bring back Eric Chavez as well.
As Tim Dierkes noted last week, the Pirates were a solid fit for the 35-year-old as the club has struggled to find a frontline starter on the open market. Burnett held a limited no-trade clause which allowed him to block trades to ten clubs, but it appears that the Bucs were not on that list.
Burnett will take a physical on Sunday and, due to the amount of money changing hands, the trade will be subject to league approval. The Bucs will pay the right-hander $5MM in 2012 and $8MM in '13 as they look to help him return to his pre-2010 form.
The much-maligned Burnett posted a 4.79 ERA, a 1.99 K/BB ratio and a 1.45 WHIP in three seasons with New York after signing a five-year, $82.5MM contract in the 2008-09 offseason. He did, however, play a key role in the Yankees' 2009 World Series title and averaged 195 innings per year during his time in the Bronx. This durability makes the 35-year-old Burnett an attractive quantity to the Pirates, who haven't had a pitcher reach 195 innings since 2009.
The Pirates have been looking for veteran starting pitching this winter but, after signing Erik Bedard, were turned down by free agents Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt. Burnett will have a guaranteed spot in a Pittsburgh rotation that will also feature Bedard and James McDonald, with Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton and Kevin Correia all likely battling for the final two spots.
For the Yankees, getting $13MM of Burnett's salary off the books frees up enough payroll space for the team to pursue some depth needs. We've heard the Yankees are looking at Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez as left-handed bats to fill the part-time DH and backup infield roles, respectively.
The finalization of the deal was first reported by Ken Rosnethal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (via Twitter) reported Cayones' inclusion in the deal while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the news of Moreno heading to New York. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) had the breakdown of how the Bucs will pay Burnett. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter) first reported that Burnett passed his physical and the trade was approved by MLB.
Zach Links contributed to this post.The B612 Foundation announced the first privately Funded Deep Space Mission yesterday morning. It's called Sentinel, a half-meter infrared telescope designed to look for any asteroids whose orbits will cross the Earth's in the next hundred years, down to thirty meters in size. Construction is expected to begin this fall, and the nearly complete design will be similar to the already-successful Spitzer and Kepler telescopes, albeit slightly smaller. It's still 1 1/2 tons and 25 feet tall. The prime contractor will be Ball Aerospace, contractor for Spitzer and Kepler.
The B612 Foundation unofficially began in 2001. Astrophysicist Piet Hut and former astronaut Ed Lu held a 2001 workshop on Near-Earth Asteroids in Houston. The workshop attendees concluded that something needed to be done as soon as possible to be sure that the Earth was not on the verge of being knocked clean. Asteroids have wiped out almost all life on Earth more than once.
An asteroid impacting the Earth does so at a speed so high that the explosion can often be larger than a thermonuclear weapon. Requiring only a few seconds to hit the ground after entering the atmosphere, a large one could liquefy the Earth's crust at the impact point, creating a droplet that ascends into the atmosphere atop spreading circles of liquified Earth. The heat created sets the air on fire and sends a wave of flame hundreds or thousands of miles, leaving nothing alive in its path.
Earlier this month, a kilometer-wide asteroid named 2012-LZ1 flew near the Earth's system just four days after it was discovered. That asteroid was never a threat, but there was insufficient time to react effectively. Had 2012-LZ1 impacted the Earth, it would have wiped out much of humanity.
One big problem is that no comprehensive effort like Sentinel has ever been made to map every Near-Earth Asteroid. Asteroid velocities are tens of thousands of miles per hour, so by the time we spot one we've not previously detected, it's generally too near for us to do anything but calculate its orbit and wipe our foreheads. Even a common and relatively modest asteroid like the one that hit Tunguska, a rural area in central Siberia impacted in 1908, would probably kill tens of thousands of people today at best. The Tunguska asteroid has been estimated at approximately 30 meters, but it released about a thousand times the energy of Hiroshima.
NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) found over 33,500 of the largest asteroids and comets in the solar system before it was decommissioned in February of 2011. But despite the additions by WISE and ground-based efforts, including most of the planet killers, the majority of the smaller asteroids remain. According to the Foundation's website, "The orbits of the inner solar system where Earth lies are populated with a half million asteroids larger than the one that struck Tunguska in 1908, and the vast majority are uncharted." If one hit near a heavily populated area, it might kill hundreds of millions of people.
After the meeting in Houston, the problem seemed urgent enough to warrant the dedication of the scientists' lives. As former astronaut Rusty Schweikart put it, "Let's get on with it."
Hut, Lu, Schweikart, and another attendee, astrophysicist Clark Chapman, formed B612 to organize an effort to map all of the asteroids that cross the Earth's orbit. The Foundation is named after the Prince's home in "The Little Prince".
Several years were spent attempting to organize other groups and individuals to accumulate what was required to map the solar system. In a FAQ on the organization's website, the Foundation says it became evident that the effort wasn't working, and there seemed to be ample evidence that private citizens could organize to design and launch their own spacecraft. The design of Sentinel began then, with Foundation members working alongside other scientists and engineers, several of whom had designed other space telescopes. They chose an orbit well away from the Earth. Data will be relayed to NASA's Deep Space Network and distributed to several locations for analysis.
According to the same FAQ, "The optimal location for tracking Near Earth Asteroids, and for making the Sentinel Map, is from a location between the Earth and the Sun, from where a space telescope can scan Earth’s orbit while continuously looking away from the Sun." Accordingly, B612 began planning possible ways to get the spacecraft into a long elliptical orbit near Venus (orbit pictured above) with SpaceX. This month, they signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to support the project.
The funding, a few hundred million dollars, isn't quite there yet, but the Foundation feels confident that it will be soon. As their website has pointed out, larger amounts of money have been raised for other non-profit efforts "such as museums, performing arts centers, and academic buildings."
When the spacecraft is ready it will probably go up aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Alongside the data that arrives from Planetary Resources' constellation of telescopes around the Earth, we may at least know what we're up against in the next decade, with (hopefully) a decade or more of warning before any asteroid that poses a real danger.
B612 Foundation has a good video and plenty of other material describing the mission on their home page.NDP Leader Tom Mulcair pushed back against attacks from all sides during the French-language leaders' debate Thursday night, which had tempers flaring on topics ranging from the Senate, national unity and the right to wear the niqab.
Mulcair, whose party's lead may be shrinking in Quebec, was on the defensive on issues including the environment and referendum politics.
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe pressed the NDP leader, who goes by Tom in English but Thomas in French, on his views on oilsands.
The BQ leader cited comments that Mulcair had made in French and in English on the topic, suggesting they were contradictory.
"I'd like to know if Tom talks to Thomas from time to time," quipped Duceppe.
Meanwhile, Trudeau attacked Mulcair on the NDP's support for a bill that would recognize a sovereigntist referendum victory, even if it were by a majority of 50 per cent plus one. Trudeau argued that the Supreme Court has ruled that one vote would not be enough to separate from the rest of Canada and accused Mulcair of supporting 50 per cent plus one for a French audience but not for English Canada.
Justin Trudeau, Gilles Duceppe, Tom Mulcair and Stephen Harper debate the plan to ban Muslims from wearing the facial covering at citizenship ceremonies. 4:09
But Mulcair shot back that he trusts Quebecers with the normal rules of democracy.
"Mr. Trudeau says it will take much more than a simple majority, but he refuses to say how much," Mulcair said.
Some of the most pointed exchanges of the night centred on the issue of the niqab and whether government services should only be given to those who reveal their faces.
Mulcair accused Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of raising the issue of the niqab as a distraction rather than dealing with troubling economic questions.
"Mr. Harper is trying to hide his record behind a niqab," Mulcair said.
"Mr. Mulcair, I will never tell my young daughter that a woman should cover her face because she's a woman," Harper said.
"Tackle the oppressor if you believe that there is oppression there," Mulcair shot back, adding that Harper was using the issue as a "weapon of mass distraction."
The controversy over the niqab was inspired by a recent court ruling saying a woman can wear the face veil while taking her Canadian citizenship oath. The Conservatives want to fight the decision before the Supreme Court.
Duceppe said it wasn't a divisive question in his province, saying Quebec's National Assembly and mayors of major cities, as well as most Quebecers themselves, were in agreement that the niqab shouldn't be allowed in these scenarios. He said it was a question of equality for men and women.
Both Trudeau and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said they supported the right of women to wear the niqab.
Senate reform
The NDP plan to abolish the Senate provoked a split as Mulcair argued that the Red Chamber is passé. He said he wanted a mandate from Canadians to work with the provinces to get rid of what he called a sinecure for old Liberals and Conservatives
Harper said his own plan not to nominate any new senators while waiting for the provinces to reach consensus about how to reform the Senate was the best approach.
However, Trudeau pointed out that Harper had broken his own pledge not to nominate senators 59 times. He added that constitutional negotiations are not a priority for Canadians.
Duceppe chimed in that the way to get past the Senate debate was for Quebec to become its own country.
Saudi Arabia relations
Canada's relationship with Saudi Arabia also came under scrutiny during the debate. Canada signed a $15-billion deal to sell to military vehicles to the country. But the debate hosts asked whether Canada should consider sanctions that would include stopping those sales in light of Saudi Arabia's plan to behead a man who was arrested as a teenager for protesting during the Arab Spring.
Mulcair said it was important to oppose barbaric practices as punishment and Trudeau said Canada should work with allies so that countries show more respect for human rights.
However, Duceppe directly challenged Harper on why military sales continued, even while it was believed the Saudis were helping ISIS.
Harper responded that Saudi Arabia was an ally.
"So Saudi Arabia is a big ally. Oh good, I've taken note," shot back Duceppe.
Harper said his government had always denounced human rights abuses, but suggested that didn't mean the military deal should be sacrificed.
"But it's not right to punish workers in a factory in London, [Ontario] for this. It doesn't make sense."
Economy and infrastructure
On the economy and infrastructure investment, Trudeau's plan was attacked by the other leaders.
The Liberals say they would spend $125 billion over the next 10 years on infrastructure, about twice what the Conservatives have planned. However, to fund it the Liberals have announced three years of deficit spending before a plan to balance the budget in 2019.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper and Green leader Elizabeth May spar over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal during the French language debate. 1:24
Mulcair accused Trudeau of placing debt on the backs of future generations. Trudeau said that Canadians were living with the cost of an infrastructure gap now when they are stuck in traffic. He accused his opponents of wanting to balance the budget at any price.
Harper said his party was as already making historic investments without increasing taxes or planning deficits.
"Mr. Harper put everything on oil," Duceppe charged. "His economic plan rests on oil, essentially, with the consequences we see now."
The debate was moderated by Radio-Canada's Anne-Marie Dussault, while questions were posed by Radio-Canada's Patrice Roy and La Presse newspaper columnist Yves Boisvert.
The debate focused on five themes:
Government in service of Canadians.
The economy.
Governance, democracy and institutions.
The environment.
Canada in the world.
The debate was produced by a partnership of Radio-Canada, La Presse, Télé-Québec, CBC News, CTV News and Global News, together with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Google, YouTube and CPAC.The Republican Party wants to reinvent itself. The Republican National Committee's March 18 post-mortem of the 2012 election warns of a national party that "is increasingly marginalizing itself" by alienating women, Hispanics, African Americans, the youth -- basically everyone but old white people. The report prescribes a number of long-term fixes for the party, but before the GOP can even hope to implement them, they have to overcome a substantial hurdle: conservative talk radio and Rush Limbaugh. Can the Republican Party successfully undergo such a significant transformation when their most potent media platform refuses to go along? We're already seeing friction between the party establishment and the AM dial. Not long after RNC chairman Reince Preibus unveiled his roadmap for the GOP's electoral future, President Obama formally nominated Thomas Perez for Secretary of Labor. Perez, the son of Dominican immigrants, heads up the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and has been a key figure in the trumped-up scandal over the New Black Panthers. Reacting to the news, Rush Limbaugh drew a straight line between Perez and the "grand kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan" and also compared him to Hugo Chavez. It's not difficult to see how that bumps up against the recommendations in Preibus' report: "If we want ethnic minority voters to support Republicans, we have to engage them, and show our sincerity." As for the RNC report itself, Limbaugh was not impressed. "The Republicans are just getting totally bamboozled right now. And they are entirely lacking in confidence. Which is what happens to every political party after an election in which they think they got shellacked," Rush said of Preibus' report, according to Salon's Alex Seitz-Wald.
The rift extends beyond messaging issues and inflammatory rhetoric. The RNC clearly views Latino voters as being of paramount strategic importance, and the committee report specifically endorses comprehensive immigration reform as a way to attract Latino votes and prevent further erosion of the party's appeal beyond its "core constituencies." That's a position Limbaugh specifically rejects. "The Republicans have bought the idea that they're never gonna win anything if they don't relax the perceived position they have on immigration," Limbaugh said in late January. He's taken it upon himself to block immigration reform on his own, if necessary. And even though Limbaugh had kind words for Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) foray into immigration politics, he still stopped short of backing reform.
The irony here is that conservative talk radio played a hugely significant role in popularizing the brand of Republican politics the party leadership now views as toxic and untenable. It wouldn't come as surprise, then, that resistance to Republican rebranding efforts would filter down from Limbaugh to the rest of the conservative movement that grew up listening to his show. One need only look at the recently concluded Conservative Political Action Conference to get a sense of how the activist base will receive the RNC's proposed changes. The conservative media figures who attended the conference see a movement that's humming along nicely and effectively mobilizing the faithful. The RNC sees something very different: a party that is busily "driving around in circles on an ideological cul-de-sac." The threat posed by epistemic closure looms large in the report. "The Republican Party needs to stop talking to itself," the RNC counsels. "We have become expert in how to provide ideological reinforcement to like-minded people, but devastatingly we have lost the ability to be persuasive with, or welcoming to, those who do not agree with us on every issue."
It seems likely that any effort on the part of the RNC to reshape the party that faces active opposition from talk radio is doomed to fail. After all, Rush Limbaugh remains, in the words of a former RNC chair who once made the mistake of criticizing him, "a very valuable conservative voice" for the Republican Party.A deputy shot and killed an unarmed man while attempting to serve a narcotics search warrant in Deltona, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Advertisement Some Deltona community members upset deputy shot, killed unarmed man Derek Cruice, 26, shot on Wednesday, died at hospital short time later Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Some community members in Deltona are enraged that an unarmed man was shot and killed by a Volusia County Sheriff's Office deputy on Wednesday around 6:30 a.m.Investigators said deputies were entering the home on Maybrook Drive when Derek Cruice, 26, allegedly advanced on the deputy.“Volusia County Sheriff’s Office narcotics investigators and the Street Crimes Unit were attempting to serve a search warrant at a residence,” Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said.The Sheriff's Office said it has received tons of emails in response to the shooting, some of which are threatening.Video: Unarmed man shot in face by Volusia County deputy diesNeighbor Chuck Leffler said he was upset about the shooting."Just that somebody got killed over nonsense. They should have been just put in jail or something," Leffler said. "There was no need to shoot somebody like that. They could have used a little more restraint I think."A Facebook page was started called "Justice for Derek Cruice" to organize events in the wake of the shooting.A protest at the Sheriff's Office is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m.An event to remember Cruice and raise money for his family is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Dewey O. Boster Park in Deltona. The deputy who fired the fatal shot was identified as 36-year-old Todd Raible. He was placed on administrative leave and the Florida Department of Law enforcement is investigating the shooting. Raible was hired by the Sheriff's Office in March 2005.Two of Cruice's friends, who told WESH 2's Claire Metz that they were inside the house when he was shot, insist that he did not threaten or resist the deputy.“That is completely a lie. I was there; I watched the whole thing. There was no advancement. There was no reaching for anything. The guy was wearing basketball shorts like I am. It’s kind of hard to conceal anything or hide anything when this is all you have on,” said Cruice's friend, who asked not to be identified.Related: Florida mug shotsPresident Obama has announced a package of reforms to repair some of the damage done in recent years to the unemployment insurance system and to provide more help to workers at risk of losing jobs—incentives for employers to retain workers, more income support for job losers, and more help getting retrained and back to work. Reforms are needed, and most of the president’s proposals are obviously helpful.
Background
When the economy crashed in 2007 the federal-state system of unemployment insurance (UI) was far from ready. States had had five years since the previous recession to replenish their UI trust funds, improve coverage (with the help of generous federal grants provided during the Bush administration) and plan for the next downturn. Yet when the crash came and the unemployment rate rose to 10 percent, UI trust funds had not been refilled. Many states had unwisely cut taxes rather than accumulate surpluses that could be drawn down in a recession. By 2007, only 17 states were minimally solvent. Some states—but not many—had extended coverage to workers with unstable employment histories, seasonal workers, and poorly paid individuals who previously would not have qualified for benefits. If you had to give the states a grade on preparedness, a D+ would be generous.
The result was a disaster. Thirty-six states ran out of money and had to borrow in order to pay benefits, with the loans peaking at $47 billion in 2010. Most of the state UI trust funds are still in bad shape, and—according to the White House—only 20 states have sufficient reserves to weather a single year of recession. As of January 13, 2016, California still owes $6.5 billion to the Federal Unemployment Account, Ohio owes $773 million, and Connecticut owes $100 million.
After the economy crashed, Congress quickly passed extended, federally funded unemployment compensation (EUC) for workers who exhausted their state benefits (the program was renewed several times and expanded, eventually paying a maximum of 73 weeks of 100 percent federal benefits in addition to the normal 26 weeks of state benefits). The EUC program was a huge success: it supported hundreds of thousands of jobs, kept millions of families out of poverty, and helped get the economy back on a growth path. More than $250 billion was paid to jobless workers, most of whom had no other substantial source of income. But EUC was ad hoc and temporary, and was terminated at the end of 2013, even though unemployment was still high and millions of people needed help.
Moreover, many states reacted to the Great Recession as if it had been the fault of the workers who lost their jobs, rather than the mortgage industry, the Wall Street banks making reckless loans and even riskier bets on derivatives, or the credit rating agencies that gave junk investments AAA ratings. Republican politicians in Congress and in the states began blaming unemployment on unemployment compensation, as if the way to create jobs were to starve the jobless. Even though the $250 billion in EUC benefits had kept millions of families above water and enabled consumption that fueled local economies that would otherwise have kept collapsing as businesses shrank or shut down, Republican leaders claimed that UI was a job killer.
In nine states, beginning with Arkansas in March 2011, politicians reduced the maximum duration for regular state benefits—not to be better prepared for the next recession, but to make sure that workers would get less help and would suffer more when they lost their jobs. In the most extreme case to date, North Carolina cut its maximum duration to a sliding scale of from 12 to 20 weeks and also reduced the dollar amount of weekly benefits.
These reductions have contributed to a quiet crisis for the unemployed. As of October 3, 2015, barely a quarter of unemployed workers, 26.3 percent, were receiving jobless benefits.
Obama’s proposals
The foregoing is the context in which the president announced a three-pronged strategy to better assist the unemployed. The best part of his proposal deals directly with UI.
The president wants to expand coverage to include more part-time workers, newer labor market entrants, certain low-income and intermittent earners, and workers who leave work for compelling family reasons such as to move with a spouse, escape domestic violence, or care for an ill family member. The proposed legislation would mandate that the states cover each of these groups and provide incentives to encourage states to improve benefit levels and cover temp workers.
Most importantly, the president wants to roll back the tide of benefit cutbacks the states enacted and restore the historic norm of 26 weeks as the shortest duration for regular state benefits. This is crucial, since states are beginning to engage in a race to the bottom with respect to UI. Most recently, Ohio has been debating whether to adopt extreme benefit cutbacks modeled on North Carolina’s legislation. The president’s proposal would foreclose such reductions.
Solvency is also addressed head on. The president wants to restore the solvency of state unemployment trust funds by requiring states to raise appropriate taxes and compelling them to build up enough reserves to last through a six-month recession, rather than cutting benefit levels or weeks of entitlement.
In preparation for the next, inevitable economic downturn, President Obama proposes to replace the ad hoc extension of benefits with a permanent program of up to 52 additional weeks of unemployment compensation triggered when states experience rapid job losses or high unemployment.
The details will matter, but all of these goals for UI reform are correct and important. The goals for some of the president’s other proposals, starting with wage insurance, are less clear. Wage insurance over the years has had a split personality, sometimes designed as a cost saver to induce workers to forego unemployment compensation or trade adjustment assistance, but sometimes considered a cushion for workers at risk of long-term unemployment. It has usually been conceived of as a way to get displaced workers to accept the idea of receiving lower wages in the future by giving them a wage supplement to make up half the difference in earnings between their old job and a new one. For example, a worker who was earning $40,000 a year would be reluctant to accept a job paying $30,000, but would be more interested if the government pays him $5,000 a year to take it. This is unlikely to do much harm if the worker has already unsuccessfully searched for a job and exhausted his right to compensation—it’s probably in his interest to start thinking about a lower wage. The downside comes when the government’s goal is to keep the costs of UI low. Wage insurance has sometimes been offered as something a worker has to choose early in his period of unemployment, in hopes that the government will save money by paying fewer weeks of unemployment compensation. The Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance Project, for example, conditioned wage insurance on the worker accepting a lower-paying job within the first 26 weeks of unemployment, even though his eligibility for trade adjustment assistance weekly benefits could last two years or more.
In a blog post, Jason Furman, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, and Jeffrey Zients, the director of the National Economic Council, argue that wage insurance helps “workers transition out of unemployment more quickly.” They point to a Canadian study, but the study’s results were decidedly mixed. It’s true that workers in the study were 4.4 percentage points more likely than workers in a control group to enter into full-time work by the 26th week after losing a job. But the workers might have been worse off: average earnings in the 15-month follow-up period were 4.6 percent lower for the workers who received wage insurance. And the positive employment effect had disappeared
|
Twitterstorm. As I wrote in these pages in 2016, there is a growing reluctance to read and engage arguments carefully, especially those with which we disagree. Besides, social media always loves a fight; the more personal and vitriolic, the more spectators.
For my part, I see value in putting Coates’s and West’s perspectives in dialogue. To be clear, I am not interested in repeating or endorsing West’s critique here, and Coates needs no one to defend him, certainly not me. Readers of Boston Review know that I have taken issue with parts of his Between the World and Me (2015)—yet, even when I disagree, I find Coates’s writing generative, thoughtful, and startlingly honest, and he pushes me to think harder and deeper about the depth of racism in both the public and inner life of black America. Rather, I want to offer brief reflections on what I find valuable in both Coates’s recent book, We Were Eight Years in Power (2017), and in West’s insistence on the transformative power of social movements. I believe that the reconciliation of their respective insights might open new directions. My mother raised my siblings and me to be Hegelians (even if his 1807 The Phenomenology of Spirit is not exactly bedtime reading), and that means the purpose of critique is dialectical, to reach a higher synthesis, which in turn reveals new contradictions demanding new critique.
• • •
West’s position should not surprise anyone, nor should his ideas be reduced to a couple of interviews and a short piece in the Guardian. He has always combined the black prophetic tradition of speaking truth to power with what he identifies as the anti-foundationalism of young Marx—a critical observation central to West’s book, The Ethical Dimensions of Marxist Thought (1991). West’s Black Prophetic Fire (with Christa Buschendorf, 2014) consists of dialogues that consider the lives and work of black prophetic figures, including Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, and Ella Baker. His insights into these figures are acute and often original, and he refrains from hagiography. For example, he is sharply critical of Douglass, whom he castigates for his relative silence on Jim Crow once he became a fully enfranchised and powerful voice in the Republican Party. The book also contains a subtle indictment of President Barack Obama, implying that his two terms as president, and the emergence of a black neoliberal political class, represent a betrayal of the principles basic to the black prophetic tradition. His criticisms of President Obama are not personal but directed at policies that reflected both the neoliberal turn and the persistence of U.S. imperialism.
West believes that we can win. Coates is concerned that we survive. Our movements have had to do both—find ways to survive and dare to win.
Coates found his calling during a particularly combative period for black intellectuals. In March of 1995, West was the target of a scurrilous attack by New Republic editor Leon Wieseltier, an essay promoted on the issue’s cover with the headline “The Decline of the Black Intellectual.” A month later Adolph Reed, Jr., followed with a piece in the Village Voice titled, “What Are the Drums Saying, Booker?: The Curious Role of the Black Public Intellectual” which names West, Michael Eric Dyson, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., bell hooks, and yours truly. In the essay, Reed characterizes us as modern-day minstrels and attacks us for being “translators” of black culture to white folks, and thus palatable to fawning white liberals. Reed’s piece left a deep impression on Coates. As he recalls in We Were Eight Years in Power, “I was determined to never be an interpreter. It did not occur to me that writing is always some form of interpretation, some form of translating the specificity of one’s roots or expertise or even one’s own mind into language that can be absorbed and assimilated into the consciousness of a broader audience. Almost any black writer publishing in the mainstream press would necessarily be read by whites. Reed was not exempt. He was not holding forth from The Chicago Defender but from The Village Voice, interpreting black intellectuals for that audience, most of whom were white.”
Those “feuds” of twenty-two years ago also generated an important Boston Review forum that centered on a provocative essay by Reverend Eugene F. Rivers III, “Beyond the Nationalism of Fools: Toward an Agenda for Black Intellectuals” (1995). In it, Rivers drops a dose of reality that is still relevant today:
The debate about responsibility [of black intellectuals] has degenerated into star-worship and name-calling, the stuff of television talk shows. The issues are too serious for that. It is time to get back on track. The Black community is in a state of emergency; Black intellectuals have acquired unprecedented power and prestige. So let’s quit the topic of salaries and lecture fees, leave the fine points about Gramsci on hegemony to the journals, and have a serious discussion of how intellectuals can better mobilize their resources to meet the emergency.
Few took up Rivers’ call, especially as black public intellectuals gained greater access to mainstream media outlets. Coates benefited but could not shake Reed’s diatribe, wondering, “How do you defy a power that insists on claiming you?” For West, however, “the answer should be clear: they claim you because you are silent on what is a threat to their order (especially Wall Street and war). You defy them when you threaten that order.” I don’t believe the answer is so clear. The truth is, you cannot control who embraces your work, but you can call out those who are simply riding the fad or who are unwilling to act to change the realities that your work engages. This, I believe, is West’s major point: how do we translate critique into action as opposed to readers’ self-pity or self-satisfaction with being “woke?”
But even more importantly, not all white folks are the same. West and Coates know this, but given what passes for commentary on the Internet, I have to conclude that most people don’t know this. No one’s ideology or political stance is fixed at birth; ideas, perspectives, and movements are always in flux. Part of the task of mobilizing requires ideological work, changing minds, challenging received wisdom, revealing hidden structures of oppression and the possibility of human liberation. So even if Coates says he has very little hope, many read him and see for the first time the deeply entrenched and hidden processes that reproduce inequality within the United States. And they’re not all white! I’ve had literally hundreds of students—black, white, Latinx, Asian American—read Coates’s work on reparations or Between the World and Me (which was core reading for most first-years across our campus) and come running to my courses, questioning their liberalism, seeking out more radical critiques of racial capitalism, some even jumping headlong into groups such as Refuse Fascism (an organization with which West is associated).
• • •
So what are the substantive differences between West and Coates?
At the end of his Guardian essay, West writes that we cannot afford “to disconnect white supremacy from the realities of class, empire, and other forms of domination—be it ecological, sexual, or others.” Coates would agree. He treats these forms of domination as deeply intertwined but not synonymous: “I have never seen a contradiction between calling for reparations and calling for a living wage, on calling for legitimate law enforcement and single-payer health care. They are related—but cannot stand in for one another. I see the fight against sexism, racism, poverty, and even war finding their union not in synonymity but in their ultimate goal—a world more humane.” He may not map out what that “fight” for a more humane world might look like, but I don’t think his perspective can be reduced, as West does, to “narrow racial tribalism and myopic political neoliberalism.”
West’s ideas should not be reduced to a couple of interviews and a short piece in the Guardian. He has always combined the black prophetic tradition of speaking truth to power with what he identifies as the anti-foundationalism of young Marx.
It is true that We Were Eight Years in Power does not give us a sustained critique of Wall Street or the global War on Terror, or keep “track of our fightback.” In fairness, that is not Coates’s project. Rather, the book offers personal reflections on the Obama years and the period leading up to Obama’s political ascendance, interspersed between eight previously published essays that explore a wide range of topics: the rabbit hole of black bourgeois respectability politics; race and Civil War history; the case for reparations; the impact of mass incarceration on black families and communities; the prophetic voice of Jeremiah Wright; the devastating price that Shirley Sherrod, a powerful advocate for small farmers, paid when Obama succumbed to right-wing pressure to fire her; and the constraints and contradictions of the Obama presidency.
Importantly, Coates’s title is a reference not to Obama’s administration, as many seem to suppose, but rather to Reconstruction and the white backlash that followed its tragic overthrow. Coates quotes Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction (1935): “If there was one thing that South Carolina feared more than bad Negro government, it was good Negro government.” Du Bois’s insight is key here; he recognizes that it was the success of Reconstruction in creating arguably the world’s first social democracy that posed the greatest threat to white supremacy. History has a long life: the ways in which formerly enslaved people not only helped overthrow the Confederacy but immediately went to work building a new society—armed, organized, and fighting back—is the story that haunts and illuminates Obama’s presidency.
Coates is certainly attentive to the forces arrayed against the Obama administration, and to the extraordinary hope black people had invested in him, but he is no apologist for Obama. He writes:
Obama was elected amid widespread panic and, in his eight years, emerged as a caretaker and measured architect. He established the framework of a national healthcare system from a conservative model. He prevented an economic collapse and neglected to prosecute those largely responsible for that collapse. He ended state-sanctioned torture but continued the generational war in the Middle East.... He was deliberate to a fault, saw himself as the keeper of his country’s sacred legacy, and if he was bothered by his country’s sins, he ultimately believed it to be a force for good in the world. In short, Obama, his family, and his administration were a walking advertisement for the ease with which black people could be fully integrated into the unthreatening mainstream of American culture, politics, and myth. And that was always the problem.
Coates chose the word “caretaker” very carefully. “Good Negro government” here might be described more precisely as “good Negro in government,” especially since the Obama years were a far cry from Reconstruction, when black legislators were empowered to rewrite state constitutions and were ubiquitous at virtually every level of local government. Coates also describes what he calls a “theory of personal Good Negro Government,” or the theory that if black people comport themselves respectably, dress and speak well, they can gain citizenship and acceptance. Historian Kevin K. Gaines, in his classic text Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics, and Culture in the Twentieth Century (1996), called this “uplift ideology.” But as Coates correctly argues, this theory “denies the existence of racism and white supremacy as meaningful forces in American life. In its more nuanced and reputable form, the theory pitches itself as an equal complement to anti-racism. But [my argument] is that Good Negro Government—personal and political—often augments the very white supremacy it seeks to combat.” The takeaway is that what passes as “Good Negro Government,” the maintenance of the neoliberal order in black face, will not free us. On the contrary, it reinforces hegemony of the ruling racial regime, patriarchy, class domination, and U.S. empire. So Obama did good for a segment of the ruling class, but the ruling bloc is also composed of white people outside of elite circles whose deeply entrenched racism obscured their class anxieties and saw in Obama a symbolic threat to their status.
It is true that We Were Eight Years in Power does not give us a sustained critique of Wall Street or the global War on Terror. In fairness, that is not Coates’s project.
“For now,” Coates writes, “the country holds to the common theory that emancipation and civil rights were redemptive, a fraught and still-incomplete resolution of the accidental hypocrisy of a nation founded by slaveholders extolling a gospel of freedom. This common theory dominates much of American discourse, from left to right. Conveniently, it holds the possibility of ultimate resolution, for if right-thinking individuals can dedicate themselves to finishing the work of ensuring freedom for all, then perhaps the ghosts of history can be escaped.” This theory is an illusion, one liberals continue to hold on to: the belief that we are on the right track, we just need time and patience and a reminder of the ideals upon which the nation was founded. But this is the same democracy that sanctions the violence of the state, the Second Amendment, the castle doctrine, stand your ground laws, militias, vigilantes, and lynching as a form of popular justice (and entertainment). In other words, Coates rejects the American myth of democracy’s promise and the notion that liberalism is incompatible with slavery and white supremacy. It is a perspective found in Cedric Robinson’s writings on democracy, powerfully elaborated by Lisa Lowe’s Intimacies of Four Continents (2015), and one Coates culled from reading Edmund Morgan’s classic American Slavery, American Freedom (1975), as well as the work of Barbara J. Fields and David Roediger. For these thinkers, the liberalism that grounds U.S. democracy was founded on a definition of liberty that places property before human freedom and human needs: it permits (if not promotes) various forms of unfree labor, dispossession, and subordination based on “race” and “gender.”
This is where West and Coates part ways. It is not so much their understanding of history, though. West understands that U.S. “democracy” was built on slavery, capitalism, and settler colonialism. But he also recognizes its fragility or malleability in the face of a radical democratic tradition.
This radical democratic tradition cannot be traced to the founding fathers or the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. Instead, it is manifest in the struggles of the dispossessed to overturn the Eurocentric, elitist, patriarchal, and dehumanizing structures of racial capitalism and its liberal underpinnings. It is manifest in the struggle to restore the “commons” to the commonwealth, which has been at the heart of radical abolitionism—or what Du Bois called the Abolition Democracy. West knows that social movements, or what he calls “our fightback,” have and will alter history. West believes that we can win. While I wouldn’t call Coates’s vision fatalistic, it is deeply pessimistic because his focus is on structures of race and class oppression, and the policies and ideologies that shore up these structures. He is concerned that we survive.
• • •
Our movements have had to do both—find ways to survive and dare to win. Political mobilization and a vision of a liberated future matter, but so does a sober assessment of the forces arrayed against us (and by “us,” I mean all oppressed people everywhere). Sometimes we confront power directly; other times, we struggle to build power where we are—through collectives, mutual aid, community economic development, and the like. All of this is happening now, in Jackson, Mississippi, America’s most radical city, where a genuinely revolutionary movement is building our first cooperative commonwealth dedicated to the principles of democracy, human rights, workers’ power, environmental sustainability, and socialism.
The movement in Jackson, Mississippi embodies the best of West’s prophetic vision and Coates’s concern with building power amidst white supremacy.
The movement in Jackson embodies the best of West’s prophetic vision and Coates’s concern with building power amidst white supremacy. Although the struggle to make Mississippi a safe, livable, and sustainable place for black people has deep roots in Reconstruction, the promise of Jackson didn’t come on the radar of most progressives until 2013, when the late Chokwe Lumumba, a radical lawyer and leader in the New Afrikan People’s Organization (NAPO) and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM), was elected mayor. Lumumba had come to Mississippi from Detroit in 1971 with the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika, a movement for black self-determination that envisioned the South as the site for establishing an independent black nation. The PGRNA initially demanded that the U.S. government hand over the territory to black people and recognize the PGRNA as a government in exile. In addition to the transfer of land, the PGRNA called for reparations from the U.S. government in the amount of $400 billion in order to sustain the new nation during its first few years. Although the demand for reparations never disappeared, the group eventually purchased land, set up cooperative farms, built institutions, and, despite relentless state repression, took root in the city of Jackson.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the MXGM developed the “Jackson Plan,” which included establishing a “solidarity economy,” akin to the Mondragon Corporation in Spain’s Basque region, through worker cooperatives; eco-friendly community gardens; building inexpensive, energy-efficient housing; and developing community and conservation land trusts to make land available to the community and house the homeless—an effort to restore the “commons.” But the plan also included a political strategy of creating People’s Assemblies, open meetings to discuss community needs, ensure full democratic participation, and mobilize working people to win political power. The People’s Assemblies were not only responsible for Chokwe Lumumba’s victory and the recent mayoral election of his son, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, but for creating a structure for participatory budgeting.
The city’s latest initiatives focus on addressing the needs of Jackson’s poor and working-class communities through cooperative economic strategies. In other words, concern with survival and the creation of new democratic institutions can consolidate power and move the city toward a sustainable future. Rather than see Jackson’s immense poverty and revenue shortfalls as barriers to building a radical movement, the People’s Assemblies and veteran organizers realized that the city’s ongoing crisis demanded a radical response.
The struggle for Jackson is certainly no cakewalk. State government is trying to strip the predominantly black city council of local control, has already reallocated revenues from the city’s 1 percent sales tax to other state initiatives, and has introduced legislation that would strip Jackson’s control of the airport and related commerce.
So I propose that we turn away from the latest celebrity death match, and turn our attention to Jackson, Mississippi. Read Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in Jackson, Mississippi (2017), edited by Kali Akuno and Ajamu Nangwaya, and revisit the work of West and Coates and others wrestling with the critical issues of our times. I stand with West and his unwavering commitment to the power of collective resistance, his optimism of the will. And I stand with Coates and his insistence on a particular kind of pessimism of the intellect that questions everything, stays curious, and is not afraid of self-reflection, uncomfortable questions, or where the evidence takes him.
And above all, I stand with the people of Jackson, who have built the country’s most radical movement, mobilized new forms of political participation, and elected a people’s government committed to building a socialist commonwealth. Free the Land!Thanks to two separate reports, one from Jayson Stark, and the other by Jon Morosi, we may finally have some legitimate trade negotiations brewing.
A sign the #BlueJays are going to be all in at the deadline: There were 12 scouts watching their triple-A team in Buffalo this week! — Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 22, 2015
That news alone would be enough to reach the conclusion that there were at least preliminary talks going on with the Blue Jays and some unknown teams; however thanks to Morosi, we know that at least one of those teams is the Padres. They were linked to San Diego earlier this month in a report from Ken Rosenthal, which also suggested that Alex Anthopoulos could solve his bullpen and rotation issues with just one trade; and that appears to still be the case.
#BlueJays and #Padres have had recent discussions about San Diego pitchers -- both rotation and bullpen. — Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 22, 2015
A.J. Preller has a lot of pieces to deal, and he's expected by at least one rival executive to tear the team down as quickly as he built it. From a pitching standpoint, Toronto's greatest need, the Padres have reportedly made Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, James Shields, Ian Kennedy, Joaquin Benoit, and Craig Kimbrel available in trade talks.
According to that earlier report from Rosenthal, the Padres were specifically scouting Daniel Norris, as well as a quickly rising prospect named Jeff Hoffman. Knowing those players, as well as the fact that the Blue Jays would like to acquire both a starter and a reliever at the same time, a package of either Tyson Ross or Andrew Cashner, and Craig Kimbrel would make a lot of sense.
They could also look to trade for James Shields, and a lesser reliever like Benoit, but the Padres would probably have to include more cash in that hypothetical trade than they would for one that included Kimbrel. GM's have seemingly been waiting for something to happen so that the market could be set, but we're now just nine days away from the deadline passing and there's no more time to wait around.This extraordinary footage was shot on a Dutch Railways train traveling between Zwolle and Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. There’s no rude pics, but the audio is line ball NSFW…it’s also one of the weirdest things you’ll see today :-)
Local media reports (via the wonders of Google Translate):
“The driver of the vehicle, a full meeting of masturbation, had forgotten to unplug his microphone. Suddenly, loudspeakers interposed, travelers were able to attend live orgasm of the railway. A pure moment of happiness and laughter. All could not believe their ears.
The thirty minute-long meeting will be in all cases could be shared with as many as a passenger a little voyeur had the indecency – the villain! To film the moment and the poster on the most famous sites of trade videos, Youtube. At full steam!”Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to cut funding for any Texas state school that becomes a sanctuary campus.
The governor made the announcement on Twitter Thursday afternoon. His tweet came after someone asked if he would cut state funding to Texas State University, which is petitioning to become a sanctuary campus.
His response stated, "Texas will not tolerate sanctuary campuses or cities. I will cut funding for any state campus if it establishes sanctuary status."
His decision comes one week after Congressman Bill Flores said he would work to cut off federal funding to Texas A&M University if they took on a sanctuary status. There is currently a petition going around asking to make the university a sanctuary.
Flores made those comments during an interview on WTAW. He says there is no difference between severing funds to a university and a sanctuary city which harbors lawbreakers.A new tournament has been announced that will be hostingandThis new tournament, which is being held by UGC Events as part of their Open series of tournaments, is looking to hit the ground running by announcing a massive prize pot of $40,000 split between the two games! Normally, pot bonuses for Smash have not reached these large numbers, but with the UGC Open being a massive outlier, holding $15000 each forand’s singles tournaments and $5000 for each game’s doubles tournament, top-level talent from all over will surely be looking to compete in this brand new tournament series.They’re not pulling any punches when it comes to making this fledgling tournament top class either; by recruiting Matthew “” Zabrowski to organizeand Bassem “” Dahdouh to organize, the UGC Smash Open is ensured to be run as smoothly and professionally as possible. Both figures are seasoned veterans of running fantastic tournaments for their respective games and are looking to show why they have the reputation they’ve earned by spearheading this new winter premiere. We have quotes from both MattDotZeb and Bear pertaining to this announcement:“In getting this event set up with the Ultimate Gaming Championship team, I have the utmost confidence that the UGC Smash Open will be a great tournament experience. I am thrilled to be working with their team and Bear to provide an exciting and well run event for spectators and competitors," said MattDotZeb.“Thecommunity has been growing so much since the game’s debut in 2014. I am really excited to be working with Ultimate Gaming Championship to provide a large scale opportunity with UGC Smash Open. I am looking forward to working alongside the UGC team and Mattdotzeb to provide a premier Smash Bros. winter event experience," said Bear.The UGC Smash Open will be held from December 2nd to December 4th in Collinsville, IL. Information regarding Ultimate Gaming Championship can be found here on their website, and details of the planned venue can be found here. To follow who will be taking part in this event, you can check out the smash.gg page Be sure to stay tuned to Smashboards for more news on the UGC Smash Open as it comes out. If you’re excited to see players duke it out for one of the largest pot bonuses in Smash history this winter, let us know in the comment section below!The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers played a great game yesterday in the Meadowlands, a game for the ages that ended with a 38-35 victory by the unbeaten Panthers. After an amazing Giants comeback, the Panthers won on a classic two-minute drive led by Carolina's MVP Cam Newton, setting up the winning field goal as time expired.Sadly, all that is being overshadowed by an uglier aspect of the game, the fighting between Giant wideout Odell Beckham Junior and Panther cornerback Josh Norman. The matchup between these two outstanding players had been hyped all week, and once the game began, they did indeed get into it... but not in the way that anyone wanted. Instead we got fighting during and between plays, shoves and slaps and punches and grabs and late hits, a body slam, an ankle grab, all climaxing in a helmet-to-helmet blow that many believe should have led to an ejection. The Beckham/ Norman stuff dominated last night's postgame shows, and was still the number one discussion this morning.There is no need for me to repeat what everyone else is saying. A lot of the commentators were calling for Odell Beckham to be suspended for his actions during the game, and in particular for that helmet-to-helmet hit. This afternoon they got what they wanted. The NFL has suspended Beckham for one game. (He will likely appeal the suspension. Everyone appeals their suspensions).I am not going to argue with that. The NFL had good reason to outlaw helmet-to-helmet hits. Using the helmet as a weapon is dangerous. It can lead to concussions, and in some cases to far worse injuries. Beckham should not have done that. The refs probably should have ejected him for that. (He did draw a 15 yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, one of three he received for the night). Many commentators said that Beckham "lost it" during the first half of the Panthers game, and they are not wrong. He let his temper, get the best of him. He lost control. Beckham had no catches in the first half of the game (the first time that has ever happened to him), but he must have been in a dozen scuffles with Norman. It hurt his team -- the three penalties alone cost the Giants 45 yards, not to mention that all this made their most dangerous receiver a non-factor. It was stupid. He should have known better. He should have controlled himself.So I am not defending Odell Beckham Junior. Can't. Won't. The helmet-to-helmet hit, in particular, was indefensible. Much as I hate to say it, he should have been expelled yesterday, and the one-game suspension is justified.BUT...Something else needs to be said as well.JOSH NORMAN STARTED IT.ODB let himself be provoked, and that's bad. But it was Norman who initiated the ugliness, and we should not lose sight of that. He is not the innocent victim here, and his postgame comments reek of hypocrisy. ODB went way too far, agreed, but the dirty stuff began with Norman.On the fourth play of the game, Beckham blew past Norman downfield, and Eli Manning hit him in stride for what would have been a 52-yard TD... if the ball had not bounced off Odell's hands. "My bad," ODB gestured after the play, taking responsibilty for the error. Some talking heads said afterwards that it was that drop that made Beckham so angry and led to what followed.But that's wrong. It was Norman who most impacted by that pass, not Beckham. After a week of hype about this great match-up, he had allowed ODB to burn him on the first series for what would have been a humiliating touchdown. Plainly, that near miss pissed him off... because ON THE VERY NEXT PLAY, he grabbed ODB and bodyslammed him to the ground. There was no flag, even though a ref was right on top of them. (Picking up a player and slamming him to the ground is also against NFL rules). A couple plays later, Norman fouled ODB again, running into his back and knocking him down. That time ODB struck back and blows were exchanged. But Norman's came first.But don't take my word for it. Here's the two plays in question.There were numerous other exchanges between the two players after that. In some cases both of them were in the wrong, shoving and slapping each other. In others, Beckham was to blame, as when he grabbed Norman's ankle after making his first catch of the day. But all these, it has to be noted, came well AFTER Norman started the fighting with these two early plays.This morning on FIRST TAKE Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless agreed that Beckham should be suspended for his actions yesterday. I can't disagree. But Bayless also said that the officiating crew should also be suspended, and boy, do I agree with that. Most of this ugliness could have been avoided with stronger officiating. Yes, Beckham should have been ejected for the helmet-to-helmet hit. (Instead he and Norman were both given unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, offsetting). But that was way too late.Norman should have been given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for bodyslamming Odell to the ground in the fifth play of the game, as seen above. The ref was right there, and did nothing. Norman should have been given a second penalty when he ran into Odell in the second play on the clip; in that case, ODB should also have been penalized, for his reaction. But no penalties were called on either player in that case.The officials could have nipped this one in the bud. A few fifteen yarders on Norman early on, and he might have cleaned up his act, and in which case ODB might not have felt the need to take matters into his own hands. But when the refs turned a blind eye to Norman's dirty play...There is NO excuse for the helmet-to-helmet hit, I will say again. But let's take a look at that one too... and please, watch theclip, especially the tight angle on Norman and ODB at the end...All the sports shows have been showing the helmet-to-helmet blow. Very few have shown what went before it. Beckham and Norman are well away from the action when the play begins. ODB is running his route, and Norman is covering him, when it becomes clear the play is a run, not a pass. As Beckham streaks past, Norman breaks off coverage and moves toward the runner... but not before he gives Beckham a SLAP in the back of the head as he flies by. Completely unprovoked, a blindside blow to the head, not even to break up a play or a pass (no ball is the air)... just a little extra bit of gratuitous nastiness. After which ODB loses it, and comes streaking after Norman to deliver the helmet hit that has gotten him suspended.Yes, he went way too far in retaliation. But make no mistake, itretaliation. Even on this play, Norman started it.No one covered themselves with glory yesterday at the Meadowlands (except Cam Newton and Eli Manning). Tom Coughlin should have pulled Odell and sat him down for a while, beyond a doubt. And Ron Rivera should have pulled Norman and sat HIM down. The refs could have ejected ODB, and maybe they should have ejected Norman too. They should CERTAINLY have flagged Norman for the initial inciting incidents. Both players deserve blame for their actions, and they should both get fined.But it must be said, Odell displayed far more class in his postgame interview than Norman did in his. "The second man always gets caught," ODB said. Never was that more true than yesterday, in the Meadowlands. Norman, meanwhile, was saying that fans would see "what kind of player" ODB was. Norman needs to look in the mirror; the world saw what kind of player he was too.((It has also come out that before the game some of the Panthers were taunting Beckham with gay slurs and homophobic insults. We're also hearing some strange stories about baseball bats. C'mon, Panthers. You're a great team, you're 14-0, you may be on your way to a Super Bowl. Take a lesson from your quarterback, and show a little class.))Read Story Transcript
The job interview question might go something like: "What are your political leanings?" Or, more to the point: "Are you a Democrat or a Republican?"
It's a safe bet that the vast majority of job interviews in the U.S. don't tread into that territory. But Republican Senator Mark Chelgren wants to change that — specifically, for professors applying for jobs at Iowa universities.
Chelgren has introduced a bill that would ask prospective academic hires for their political affiliation. It also proposes a hiring freeze until the number of Republican and Democrat professors on the faculty falls within 10 per cent of each other.
Chelgren spoke with As It Happens guest host Helen Mann about his proposed legislation. Here is part of their conversation.
Helen Mann: Senator Chelgren, do you think there are too many Democrats on the faculties of Iowa universities right now? Mark Chelgren is a Republican State Senator for Ottumwa. (AP) Senator Chelgren, do you think there are too many Democrats on the faculties of Iowa universities right now?
Mark Chelgren: No, I don't think there are too many Democrats, necessarily. The bill that I wrote specifically says we need to have diversity of opinion, political. My goal is to make sure we have a balance. Now, since my bill has been submitted, I have gotten quite a few emails and calls explaining to me that other people do believe that there are too many Democrats. It's been interesting to hear their perspectives.
HM: What actual evidence do you have that there isn't that political diversity?
MC: Well, when I submitted the bill, I actually had quite a few phone calls. I had quite a few emails. I've had quite a few individuals who've linked me to articles telling me that there isn't that kind of diversity — that universities are turning into echo chambers where political free speech is being inhibited.
' If they acknowledge that they voted for Donald Trump, it almost disqualifies them in their peers' minds and so they choose to remain quiet.' - Mark Chelgren, Iowa senator
HM: Can you give us some examples?
MC: I've had people directly contact me telling me that they are uncomfortable because if they mention that they might have voted for Donald Trump, for instance, that that might put them as ineligible to become tenured in the future. If they acknowledge that they voted for Donald Trump, it almost disqualifies them in in their peers' minds and so they choose to remain quiet.
HM: Are they providing you with any factual support for their assumption that they might not get tenure because they voted Republican?
MC: If you pay attention to the actual bill that was written, the bill says that anyone who's registered as a third party or independent is not calculated. This specifically talks about a balance within 10 per cent of each other, of Republicans and Democrats. It says there should be a balance in hiring of those.
HM: Why is this relevant if someone taking a physics course or an agriculture course? Why would the professor's affiliation matter?
MC: If the professor was simply teaching the facts, as I would hope they would do, it shouldn't matter. But if professors bring their political bias or their political opinions into a class that it may not be appropriate for, that would be one aspect of it. Hopefully, you wouldn't have that case. But I have heard many stories about professor who literally said, "I want to know who voted, how you voted and why."
HM: Do you have evidence of that?
MC: I have that from individuals who've contacted me and explained that's what has happened to them.
HM: A lot of individuals? How many people have written you about that or contacted you?
MC: I've been contacted by dozens of people. It seems like you don't believe that there are individuals at the universities who allow their political feelings and emotions to impact their decision making.
HM: It's not that I don't believe you one way or another, I'm just asking for actual evidence since you're saying that you've had all these reports. I'm just wondering how concrete those reports are and what universities you're talking about. What institutions?
MC: My bill specifically talks about the Regents Universities in Iowa, which is University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa.
U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann talks with Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa, Iowa, while tailgating before an NCAA college football game on Sept. 10, 2011, in Ames, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press)
HM: If I want a job on a faculty at one of those institutions what do I do? Do I have to pull out my card and show my party membership?
MC: Actually, it's already public information in the state of Iowa. So if you want a job at one of those institutions and there's already a substantially disproportionate amount of someone with your political affiliation then effectively someone else would have preference on that hiring.
HM: The fundamentals of universities
|
incident of abuse recorded by the police. It took place in Manchester, where at the time he managed a dance hall.
1960: In one of a handful of example cases given by the police, a 10-year-old boy asked Savile for his autograph outside a hotel. Savile took the boy inside and seriously sexually assaulted him.
1 January 1964: Savile presents the first ever Top of the Pops for the BBC. He had previously been a DJ at Radio Luxembourg in 1958.
1965: Records show abuse started at the BBC, at Leeds general infirmary, where Savile was a long-term volunteer porter, and at Stoke Mandeville hospital, where he also volunteered.
1966: This was the start of what police have identified as Savile's peak period for abuse, which lasted a decade.
1970: Records show Savile started to abuse girls at Duncroft girls' school near Staines, Surrey, where he was a regular visitor.
1972: In another example of Savile's offences listed by police, he is recorded as groping a 12-year-old boy and his two female friends who were attending a recording of Top of the Pops.
1980s: At some point in the decade, a female victim is believed to have told the Metropolitan police she was assaulted in Savile's campervan in a BBC car park. The police file cannot be located and the investigating officer is now dead.
1990: Savile is knighted, also receiving a papal knighthood.
April 2000: In a TV documentary presented by Louis Theroux, Savile acknowledges the rumours about him being a paedophile, but denies it.
26 July 2006: Savile co-presents the final Top of the Pops, an occasion that gave rise to one of the allegations made to police.
March 2008: Savile begins legal proceedings against a newspaper that linked him to abuse at the Jersey children's home Haut de la Garenne.
2009: Savile is interviewed under caution by Surrey police investigating an alleged indecent assault at Duncroft school. The CPS advised there was insufficient evidence to take any further action. This was the year of the last offence recorded by the current investigation.
Police have given another example offence dating from this year in which a 43-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by Savile on a train journey between Leeds and London.
2011: the scandal breaks
29 October: Jimmy Savile dies.
Early November: A Newsnight investigation into Savile begins. Reporter Liz Mackean and researcher Hannah Livingston make contact with former Duncroft pupils.
11 November: A BBC tribute programme is aired on BBC1 called Jimmy Savile: As It Happened.
1 December: The Newsnight editor Peter Rippon emails reporter Meirion Jones telling him to stop working on other elements of the investigation because it is not strong enough without confirmation of the CPS angle and saying that he (Rippon) will pull the editing.
Jones emails himself the "red flag email" in which he sets out what he sees as the consequences for the BBC if the story does not run.
5 December: Surrey police confirm that they investigated "a historic allegation of indecent assault... alleged to have occurred at a children's home in Staines in the 1970s" and that they referred this to the CPS.
9 December: The CPS informs Jones it decided not to prosecute Savile because of lack of evidence and not because he was old or infirm.
Rippon and Jones meet and Jones tells Rippon that he accepts the decision that he is not to pursue the story any more.
2012
8 January: The Sunday Mirror reports that the Newsnight investigation was axed and refers to a clash with the Fix It tribute show.
9 February: Miles Goslett reports in the Oldie that Newsnight's Savile investigation was pulled because of the tribute programmes and that allegations were made about abuse on BBC premises. The article alleges that the BBC had information the police did not and that Mark Thompson knew of the report. Further stories follow in the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
7 September: The BBC receives a letter from ITV giving notice of the Exposure documentary on the Savile sex abuse allegations and posing questions.
3 October: The ITV Exposure programme on Savile is broadcast.
8 October: The BBC director-general George Entwistle appears on the Today programme. Mackean emails Entwistle to share her "disquiet" with "the handling of the Newsnight Savile story" and pointing out inaccuracy in an all-staff email.
Entwistle asks Ken MacQuarrie, BBC Scotland director, to investigate the circumstances in which the Newsnight investigation was dropped.
22 October: The Panorama special on the BBC and Savile is broadcast.
23 October: Entwistle appears before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee.
BBC director-general George Entwistle leaves Portcullis House after giving evidence to MPs. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
October: BBC asks Dame Janet Smith to investigate the culture and practices of the BBC in the decades that Savile worked there.
10 November: Entwistle resigns as director-general of the BBC.
2013
11 January: Scotland Yard labels Savile a "prolific, predatory" sex offender after its investigation reveals 214 criminal offences across 28 police forces, between 1955 and 2009. Its report, Giving Victims a Voice, found that 73% of his victims were children, and the allegations of abuse span 14 medical establishments.
2014
2 June: NSPCC research for BBC Panorama confirms there have been at least 500 reports of abuse by Savile.
26 June: Department of Health publishes the results of investigations by 28 medical establishments, including Leeds General infirmary and Broadmoor hospital. In Leeds, Savile abused 60 people including at least 33 patients aged from five to 75. At high-security Broadmoor hospital, the broadcaster abused at least five individuals, including two patients who were subjected to repeated assaults.
• Anyone needing support should contact the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) on 0808 801 03311:51pm: Despite moving to release Triple-A backstop Erik Kratz, the Mariners are not “close” to a deal to add a new catcher, multiple sources tell Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). He does add that Seattle has been looking for a new reserve behind the dish, though it has found the prices unreasonable.
12:23pm: While the Braves have had talks with Seattle regarding A.J. Pierzynski, he is not the backstop who is close to being acquired by the Mariners, Morosi tweets.
12:09pm: The Blue Jays are not involved, says Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter). Toronto backstop Dioner Navarro has long looked like a strong trade candidate, but it appears he isn’t the player being pursued by Seattle.
9:54am: The Mariners are close to striking a deal for a backstop, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The report does not give any indication of the identities of the player or the other team involved in talks.
Seattle, of course, has already traded for a catcher this year, acquiring Welington Castillo from the Cubs. But Castillo has since been shipped to the Diamondbacks as part of the Mark Trumbo deal.
Mike Zunino, who is only 24, still looks like he could be a long-term piece for Seattle. But his struggles have become rather pronounced: his batting line sits at.160/.223/.292 after 277 plate appearances on the year. While Zunino is well regarded as a pitch framer, and Defensive Runs Saved is a fan (+7) of his work behind the dish. But Baseball Prospectus does not rate him highly in its measure of Fielding Runs Above Average.
The addition of Castillo seemed like an effort to supplement Zunino, and it appears that the Mariners are about to undertake another such attempt. Of course, it is entirely unclear at this point what kind of addition is under contemplation. MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently provided a complete breakdown of this year’s trade market at the position.Share Pinterest
Email
Ford Motor Co. has delayed delivery of some GT supercars following supplier constraints and homologation testing issues as part of an extended production ramp-up.
The automaker sent a letter to would-be GT owners earlier this week, saying, "The craftsmanship required to build these vehicles for global markets has required that we adjust our original timing projections."
The letter, signed by Ford Performance boss Dave Pericak and global marketing manager Henry Ford III, said Ford would provide customers with an updated three-month projected delivery window for the $450,000 (or more, if you start adding options) supercar within a week.
Ford declined to say how long the delays would be, saying in a statement that it has "nearly completed" the ramp-up process.
Supercars 2017 Ford GT first drive: Hoo baby! Are you one of those guys who says to anyone who will listen, “I want a race car for the street, man!” Well, Ford has finally made your car. The Ford GT is perhaps the closest any carmaker...
Ford began production of the GT in December at Multimatic Inc.'s plant in Markham, Ontario. To date, it has delivered about 50 GTs, according to a spokesman.
Once the ramp-up phase is complete, Ford will build one GT a day. The automaker has limited production to 250 a year and will produce the GT through the 2020 model year.
Among the high-profile recipients of the first few GTs: Executive Chairman Bill Ford, former Ford CEO Mark Fields and comedian Jay Leno, who recently featured the vehicle on his show, "Jay Leno's Garage."JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier and were then shot and killed on Thursday outside a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the military said.
Since October, Palestinian street attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 187 Palestinians, 126 of whom Israel says were assailants. Most others were shot dead during violent protests.
Related Coverage EU says Israeli land seizure threatens peace process
In an initial statement, the military said an Israeli woman was wounded in the attack at a road junction near the settlement of Ariel, and evacuated for medical treatment. It later identified her as a soldier.
“Forces at the scene responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths,” the statement said.
The surge in violence has been partly fuelled by Palestinian frustration over the collapse of U.S.-sponsored peace talks in 2014, the growth of Jewish settlements on land they seek for a future state, and Islamist calls for the destruction of Israel.Something strange happened last week—Congress did something good on accountability. On Wednesday, 13 bills that cover issues from security to freedom of information passed out of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee with extraordinary bipartisanship.
The Project On Government Oversight was particularly pleased to see improvements to two of our landmark “sunshine laws” advanced: the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2013 (H.R. 1211) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2013 (H.R. 1104). Though these are modest reforms, they will provide more accountability and access to information for the American people.
The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act, introduced by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), takes some common sense next steps towards fixing the problem-plagued, slow-moving government responses to Freedom of Information Act requests. Chairman Issa noted that the bill will require agencies to demonstrate a foreseeable harm to one of the interests protected by an exemption in order to withhold information. This is the current policy of the Obama Administration, but it hasn’t been every President’s policy. As Ranking Member Cummings noted in his remarks, President George W. Bush ended this standard, which was begun by President Clinton. The legislation sponsored by the Chairman and Ranking Member will make sure this standard isn’t changeable.
Other steps toward transparency in the bill include a pilot program to give a boost to FOIAOnline, the public portal for making requests to multiple agencies, and encouragement of proactive disclosure of information on agency websites. Agencies will be required to post online in a publicly accessible and fully usable format any releasable information that was requested at least three times. In a demonstration of bipartisan support, the Chairman echoed the Ranking Member in acknowledging that we can and should do better on FOIA.
On March 13, during Sunshine Week, POGO Public Policy Director Angela Canterbury testified before the Committee on openness in government (and the lack thereof). Her testimony highlighted the need to address the overuse and abuse of FOIA exemptions, expand FOIAOnline to include more agencies, and encourage more proactive disclosures of information, among other recommendations.
In the hearing, Representative Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) raised concerns about agencies consistently flouting the 20-day deadline to respond to requesters. After the hearing, he joined Representative Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) as a cosponsor on her amendment to H.R. 1211 to require any agency assessing fees after the deadline to explain to the requester in writing why they believe they are not in violation of the financial penalty provision, which prohibits agencies from assessing fees outside of the 20-day window. Responsible for responding to most FOIA requests within 20 days of their receipt, agencies that lag in response time often assess fees despite penalties that prohibit search charges (and duplication fees for non-commercial requesters) beyond the deadline, as laid out in the OPEN Act’s 2007 amendments.
The rate of agency responses to FOIA requests is alarmingly slow, and was a major topic of discussion when the bills were marked up. In speaking about extensions, which should be reserved for unusual or exceptional circumstances, and how the extensions are abused, Representative Duckworth urged, “If we’re serious about government transparency, this type of foot-dragging should not be allowed to continue.” Representative Meadows also spoke, referencing Ms. Canterbury’s testimony, saying she had mentioned that, “out of a hundred [FOIA] requests sent by that organization [POGO] in February, only eight—eight out of a hundred—met that deadline.” Representative Meadows emphasized that this rate is unacceptable. POGO is pleased that Representatives Duckworth and Meadows took our recommendations and offered a bipartisan proposal to address FOIA delays.
Other amendments to the FOIA bill include an amendment authored by Representatives Michael Turner (R-Ohio) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) that would expand FOIA to cover government-like entities or entities funded by the government, particularly financial entities such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The amendment was withdrawn, but Chairman Issa voiced his support for further work on the issue. Representative Turner also introduced an amendment that would require the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on agency treatment of FOIA requests pertaining to entities receiving federal bailouts. This amendment passed. Representative John Mica (R-Fla.) offered an amendment to require each agency’s Office of Inspector General to review FOIA compliance. This amendment also passed.
Though the current draft of the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act reflects some of POGO’s recommendations for a more efficient FOIA process, there is still much to be done to improve the law and its enforcement. For example, we would like to see the overuse and abuse of certain exemptions addressed in the law. However, it is understood that at this time, the Committee wants to quickly advance modest reforms with broad support. Perhaps the Senate will consider additional, substantive reforms to the law moving forward.
Meanwhile, there are some easy improvements to H.R. 1211 and the Duckworth-Meadows Amendment that we hope Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings will consider. For example, the language for the foreseeable harm standard, proactive disclosures, and deadlines for appeals could easily be made more clear. We also recommend additional reporting on litigation by the Department of Justice and further strengthening of the role of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), which acts as FOIA ombudsperson. The legislation simply moved too quickly (a rarity for government reform bills!) to allow for this kind of fine-tuning by the community of FOIA experts prior to markup. Ranking Member Cummings indicated that he also wanted to make some improvements, so we hope there will be an opportunity to address these issues before the bill moves to the Floor of the House for a vote.
POGO also supports several other bills that passed the Committee last week. The Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2013 (H.R. 1104), or FACA Amendments, intend to make agencies more transparent in the selection of their committee members. Under this legislation, agencies would be required to disclose how committee members were chosen and to account for any outside interests being represented by those members. The FACA Amendments seek to reduce conflicts of interest in the selection of these committee members by allowing for public nominations of members and subjecting all nominations to the scrutiny of the ethics officer at the relevant agency. Representative Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), the bill’s sponsor, hopes it will open federal advisory committees by providing for greater transparency and ensuring they are free from political pressure.
The Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2013 (H.R. 1233), introduced by Ranking Member Cummings, seek to modernize federal archival infrastructure to reflect the widespread use of electronic communication in the government. Making presidential and federal archives more thorough and more available is a priority for POGO. There is also a provision requiring that records of any private Internet accounts used for government correspondence be archived, but it remains to be seen what the National Archives’ position is on this proposal.
POGO also supports the Government Accountability Office Improvement Act (H.R. 1162), introduced by Chairman Issa. The GAO Improvement Act echoes a bill authored by Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in the 112th Congress that strengthens the GAO through the expansion of the Comptroller General’s oversight authorities and access to information. Ranking Member Cummings referred to the GAO as a force multiplier in carrying out the investigative functions of the legislative branch. Another good bill is the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 1133), which bill sponsor Representative John Duncan (R-Tenn.) called “the most bipartisan bill this Committee could ever take up.” This legislation would bring transparency to donations for presidential libraries. Like the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments, this bill has languished in previous Congresses—not because it is controversial, but because getting congressional support for moving government reform bills has been difficult in the past. Perhaps that is changing, given the apparent interest on the part of this Committee’s leadership and members in more open and accountable government.
One of the overwhelming themes in this markup was the bipartisanship with which these pieces of legislation were developed and passed. POGO is heartened to see the Committee moving on so many sensible open government reforms with cooperation across the aisle. We will continue to work with these good government champions to strengthen the reforms where needed and support these bills becoming law.Hell Week, University of Idaho, 1944. Freshman Dude (pronounced Dew-dee) Thompson was on her hands and knees scrubbing the dorm floor with a toothbrush.
“I was madder than a wet hen,” she recalled. “Then I looked up and saw a photo. ‘Who’s that?’ I asked. And my sorority sister, Jane said, ‘That’s my brother. He’s in the Marines overseas. You should write to him.’”
So she did and sent a picture of herself. Seven decades later, Donn Thompson still carries that photo in his wallet, and Thursday they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.
Donn had grown up on a farm in the Palouse and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1941. He was attending the University of Washington and waiting for his draft number to come up when he decided to take matters into his own hands and enlisted in the Marines in April 1943.
“At boot camp, I was up before reveille. I was used to getting up at 4 a.m. to milk cows,” he said. “So they made me squad leader.”
He said basic training was supposed to take 11 weeks, but they cut it down to seven.
“They needed bodies,” he explained, shrugging.
He was sent to Pearl Harbor for further training and then on to the Marshall Islands.
“It got really choppy about 500 feet out,” Donn recalled. “I was on K.P. duty. Everybody was sick. I’d put food in front of them, and they’d vomit. I’d clean up the mess hall and then give them apples and oranges. I kept that whole platoon alive by giving them fruit.”
He didn’t get sick, though. “I was too busy to get sick,” he said, grinning.
His smile faded when he talked about the brutal battle they soon endured.
“I got very good at going over the side of the ship. But one of my buddies was right beside me on the net when he got hit in the chest. I called for a corpsman. The bullet had gone straight through his chest and out his back. He survived.”
When he made it to the beach, he encountered a chicken without any feathers.
“The concussion blast had shaken the feathers right off it,” he said.
Donn and his fellow Marines went on to Guam and Guadalcanal and, for 83 long days, they took part in the battle of Okinawa.
All told he spent 27 months overseas.
“I saw the world, and it didn’t cost me a nickel,” he said.
He didn’t know how hard his absence was on his parents until he came home.
“My dad was a very stoic person, but when I got off the bus in Spokane, there was my dad with tears rolling down his face.”
The memory makes him pause to wipe his own eyes.
“I was very lucky. If they were shooting at me, they missed,” he said.
Those letters from Dude gave him something to look forward to – something to hope for.
When he returned, he called her and asked her to come to Spokane with his sister and meet his folks. She agreed.
He told her he’d meet her at Felts Field and that he’d be wearing a camel hair coat. She arrived first and sat down to read a magazine. It was Dec. 30, 1945.
Soon she heard a voice call her name. It was Donn.
“I looked up and fell in love,” she said.
Donn had a similar reaction.
“When I met Dude, I’d never seen anything as beautiful as that girl, ever,” he said. “I’m not a particularly religious fellow, but I’d asked God if I could have a beautiful lady like Dude to be my wife and he put us together. Unbelievable.”
Dude said, “I always said I want to marry a man, not a boy.”
They were married April 6, 1947.
“I’ll tell you how romantic I was. I asked Dude to marry me in the garage of our old home. I don’t know if she ever said yes,” Donn said.
Dude laughed. “I don’t remember saying yes, but he gave me a ring.”
Soon after their wedding, Donn decided to continue his studies at the University of Washington. Dude had left school to care for her ailing mother, who’d since recovered, so they moved to Seattle.
“We lived on the GI Bill – $120 a month,” Donn said.
He left school to take a job at Atomics International in Idaho Falls, Dude’s hometown.
Their children – Donn, born in 1948, George in 1951, Marianne in 1952 and Jim in 1955 – completed their family.
In 1963, the company transferred them to California, a move Dude was not happy about.
“I didn’t want to leave my hometown,” she said. “I told him I’d stay three years, after that I’m going home.”
They ended up staying 29 years, and Donn finally got that long-delayed degree when he graduated from California State Northridge.
“He got his degree in 1969, the year our second child graduated from high school,” Dude said.
Donn switched careers to the insurance industry. When he retired at 67, they decided to get out of the California rat race. They visited Spokane for his 50th high school reunion and liked what they saw. For 30 years, Dude had the plans for the home she’d always wanted, and in 1992 they built it near Ferris High School.
They plunged into Spokane life by volunteering at Deaconess Hospital and enjoying the connections they made at the South Side Senior Center.
“We played golf every Monday for 18 years, with a group Donn organized,” said Dude, now 90. “We had a really great time.”
Today, they have six grandchildren and one great-grandson.
“Our family has been the most important thing in our lives,” Dude said.
She still appreciates the man she first saw in a photograph so many years ago.
“He’s my best friend,” she said. “I respect his privacy, and he respects mine, which is so important.”
And Donn, 94, still admires his bride. Glancing at her, he said, “That young lady is probably the smartest non-degreed woman in the world. We enjoy each other as much as we did when we were younger. We’re just very deeply in love.”The British government today issued a new set of guidelines designed to encourage automakers to make vehicles cybersecurity a priority.
UK Transport Minister Lord Callanan says that as autonomous and connected vehicles are increasingly used on British roadways, minimum protections should be established to protect consumers from cyber attacks, whether it’s controlling personal data, or taking control of the vehicle remotely. The goal is to provide “all parties involved in the manufacturing and supply chain... with a consistent set of guidelines.”
The governmental guidance, titled “The key principles of vehicle cyber security for connected and automated vehicles,” consists of eight basic principles. Organizations should ensure that security is a priority on a board level, manufacturers should assess potential risks, especially with third-party contractors, vehicle security needs to last for the lifetime of the system in question, organizations and subcontractors must work together to certify their security processes and products, security systems should be made redundant, manufactures should manage software over the expected life of the system, data storage should be secure, and the vehicle or systems should be able to withstand attacks and continue to function.
Essentially, automakers should be putting a greater emphasis on ensuring that the systems in their products are secure and that consumers won’t be left hanging because they own an older vehicle. Getting automakers to comply with governmental rules isn’t exactly a trivial concern either, as self-driving car makers in the US haven’t exactly been forthcoming when it comes to getting onboard with potential federal guidelines.
This isn’t the only avenue in which the UK Government is working to address autonomous vehicles. During her speech opening Parliament in June, the Queen announced the Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Bill, which will “allow innovation to flourish and ensure the next wave of self-driving technology is invented, designed and operated safely in the UK”.Report: Banks at Risk Over Climate Change
By MarEx 2017-02-26 19:54:13
Carbon War Room (CWR) and University Maritime Advisory Services in the U.K. have released research that suggests climate transition pathways pose risks to the banks that hold $400 billion of global shipping debt.
With the onset of climate policies as soon as 2023, there will be a need for significant capital investment to keep vessels competitive. Navigating Decarbonisation: An approach to evaluate shipping’s risks and opportunities associated with climate change mitigation policy lays out an approach to climate stress-testing of shipping assets and proposes that enhanced due-diligence undertaken today by financiers, shipowners and shareholders can help deliver long-term value and avoid losses by the mid-2020s.
By examining outcomes of investment approaches in a range of future scenarios in the newbuild dry bulk fleet, the research assesses whether the industry is exposed to climate policy-driven risks and how to manage these risks.
This is the first known scenario analysis of decarbonization risks in shipping, says CWR. Project finance and corporate lending to the international shipping industry has long been big business for major financial institutions. The 18-month project identified that while some financial stakeholders are aware of stranded asset risks, few banks assess ship efficiency or have lending programs in place to keep assets competitive.
Navigating Decarbonisation is the third instalment of research on stranded assets and climate risk in shipping from CWR and UMAS. It offers a method to analyze how GHG mitigation policies in shipping and national contributions under the Paris Agreement could impact existing and future investments in shipping.
James Mitchell, senior associate for shipping with Carbon War Room, says: “Risk is nothing new to the shipping industry or to the major financial institutions that bankroll it, but climate transition risk is. If a newbuild financing decision is made today, that vessel will very probably have to compete under new IMO or E.U. policy actions before its first drydock. This work suggests that these risks will impact the market and should be considered now.”Women who have suffered a serious sexual assault sometimes feel as though they’ve been given a life sentence. The psychological effects can last for years, forcing victims to change their everyday routines and taking away their sense of autonomy. No matter how much we believe in the principle that women should be able to have a few drinks and walk home late at night, just like men, the cultural messages to the contrary are relentless.
That is why a letter written by a young woman who was brutally assaulted three weeks ago is so welcome, and so unexpected that it has made front-page news. Ione Wells, a 20-year-old student at Oxford University, was walking home from an underground station in north London when she was attacked near her family home. As the victim of a serious sexual assault, she was entitled to lifelong anonymity, but she decided to waive that right and publish an open letter to her alleged attacker in the student magazine, Cherwell.
“I cannot address this letter to you,” she begins, “because I do not know your name. I only know that you have been charged with serious sexual assault and prolonged attack of a violent nature. And I have one question.” What this courageous young woman wants to know is whether, while her unknown assailant was beating her head on the ground, tearing her bra and kicking her in the back and neck, he ever thought about the people in his life.
Instead of seeing him as the stereotypical lone predator, she understands that such men have a context. Even if they are able to forget about the fact that they have friends and relatives while they are committing their crimes, her own sense of belonging to a supportive community is undamaged: “I am a daughter, I am a friend, I am a girlfriend, I am a pupil, I am a cousin, I am a niece, I am a neighbour, I am the employee who served everyone down the road coffee in the cafe under the railway.”
Instead of feeling isolated, as many victims do, Wells sees the attack on her as an attack on her community as well. It is an assault on their shared values, and she believes that her community will prevail because its values are better than the world her attacker inhabits. “You’ve carried out your attack,” she says, “but now I’m getting back on my tube.”
Wells is not the only young woman who has gone public in such a dramatic way. Emma Sulkowicz, a visual arts student at Columbia University in New York, was so angry about the way in which the college handled her accusation of rape against a fellow student in 2013 that she began carrying a mattress around the campus in protest. In an interview with New York magazine, she said that the mattress “represents a private place where a lot of your intimate life happens”, turning it into a symbol of the way in which she claims she has been forced to put her private life in the public domain. On Tuesday, her alleged attacker announced that he is suing the college for allowing Sulkowicz to brand him a rapist.
What both these young women are doing, in very different ways, is insisting that sexual violence demands a response from wider communities. It is not something that victims should have to struggle with on their own, and it certainly isn’t something they should feel shame about.
It has to be said that this is very different from suggesting that every victim should follow their example. Having the choice of lifelong anonymity is an important factor in persuading women who have been attacked to report their experience. But the idea that victims should be able to draw strength from a community that shares their values, rather than blames them, is powerful. The notion that sexual predators exist in communities raises a supplementary question about why those close to them apparently don’t notice danger signs or fail to act. It addresses a matter that has caused a great deal of soul-searching since the exposure of Jimmy Savile. Complaints against Savile were made during his lifetime, both informally and to the police, but the communities in which he held prominent positions repeatedly failed to recognise or act as a check on his behaviour. According to a report published this week by Surrey police, Savile abused at least 22 pupils and a visitor at Duncroft approved school in Staines over a five-year period in the 1970s. He was given “unrestricted and largely unsupervised” access to the girls’ school and committed at least 46 offences.
For decades, shame was one of the main reasons why more women didn’t reveal their experiences of sexual assault even to friends, let alone to police. Feminist authors and organisations have said for years that this is entirely wrong, pointing out that the responsibility for each and every act of sexual violence lies with the perpetrator. Now some remarkable young women are saying it too.
“You, my attacker, have not proved any weakness in me, or my actions, but only demonstrated the solidarity of humanity,” Ione Wells declares in her open letter. It reflects not just her resilience, but the emergence of networks of families and friends who have much more supportive attitudes towards victims of sexual violence.Image copyright Tito Neto Image caption The Purussaurus brasilienses could measure up to 12.5m in length
A prehistoric caiman that lived in the Amazon region about eight million years ago had a bite twice as powerful as that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brazilian scientists say.
A team of Brazilian paleontologists calculated the strength of a bite by the Purussaurus brasiliensis, a reptile that lived in the Late Miocene period.
They said it could exert a pressure up to 11.5 tonnes.
That is 20 times the strength of a white shark's bite.
Tito Aureliano, one of the co-authors of the study, said the animal's head was better structured for biting than that of the T-Rex.
The Purussaurus's stout and robust skull with conical teeth were made for gripping large prey.
The findings by the team drawn from a number of research and academic institutions were published in the online Plos One journal.
Purussaurus brasiliensis could reach a length of more than 12.5m (41ft), longer than a London bus, and was an unrivalled predator in its wetland habitat, the researchers said.
Image caption Roughly 66 million years have passed since the last T-Rex roamed the earth
"The Purussaurus and the Tyrannosaurus lived in different ages but there is no doubt that the Purussaurus would have won a fight between the two of them," Aline Ghilardi, one of the co-authors of the study, told BBC Brasil.
The paleontologist from Rio de Janeiro's Federal University said that while the Purussaurus was discovered in the 19th Century, it had been not been the focus of much scientific study despite its dominance in the Amazon region during its heyday.
Ms Ghilardi said that while it may have had no natural predators, the Purussaurus fell victim to the geological movements that led to the rise of the Andes mountain range.
"The rise of the Andes changed everything for the Purossaurus, which previously thrived on the presence of huge mammals in the regions," she said.
The reptile needed more than 40kg of meat a day, 20 times the amount modern-day alligators eat, she explained.
"The swamplands were radically changed and the led to the demise of several species," she added.Naming a human being is a monumental task, but some grandparents are stepping in to raise the stakes even higher. A disturbing new trend supposedly has some grandparents-to-be offering money, property, and other hefty rewards in exchange for the right to decide their future grandchild’s name.
According to the New York Times, the bribes are a result of grandparents’ desperation to keep family names from being abandoned. Gone are the days of John, Jr. and John II. Instead, millennials want baby names that are unique to them. In fact, some are even paying naming experts to help them come up with monikers that are entirely new. As a result, grandparents are playing whatever cards they have to keep treasured family names alive.
In the Times piece, writer Alyson Kreuger tells the story of Frank and Jennifer Hudock, who were offered $10,000 by Frank’s parents if they agreed to also name their son Frank. Another new mom, who asked to remain anonymous, said her mother-in-law asked her how much money it’d take to get her to choose a baby name from their side of the family. Maryanna Korwitts, a Chicago-based naming consultant, told Kreuger she’s even had client’s who’ve been offered dream weddings or ownership of the family business if they let the grandparents choose a name.
Money is usually a big concern for new parents, as is future financial and professional security. Receiving a down payment for your dream home in exchange for having to name your baby Reginald Arthur III can start to sound like a pretty good deal to some. No matter how sweet the deal is, though, it’s still a predatory practice that shows little regard for the parents or the baby.MSNBC chowderhead Chris Matthews praises the Democratic Party for making sure the 'right' candidate wins. But he's furious that the GOP hasn't done the same.
If it accomplishes nothing else, Donald Trump's candidacy has shown that the establishment despises the American voter: If you don't vote for the "right" candidate, you are an "idiot" who probably shouldn't even be voting.
MSNBC's legendary establishment boot-licker Chris Matthews perfectly embodies this level of contempt for American voters.
Chris Matthews isn't fond of 'voting'
In a rambling outburst after Trump was announced the projected winner in the Nevada caucus, Matthews lamented that unlike the Democratic Party, the GOP had allowed the "wrong" candidate to win:
Here's a rough transcript:
MATTHEWS:...[Nevada Senator] Harry Reid was out here working ever one of the casinos. He made sure his party won
|
-6 forward, he’d get enough minutes as well. Actually he was one of our better players in the playoffs as well.
Staal still top-6 forward or reclamation: I think a lot of things just went wrong. I don’t think he liked playing left wing. I think he’s the kind of the guy that wants the puck in the middle and wants to handle it and play with it. He wants to be the guy. In Carolina, they didn’t have guys like Parise and Coyle to play with either. They were young guys that are going to be good, but at that time, they weren’t the players he was used to playing with 10 years ago and eight years ago and six years ago. When I talked to him on Wednesday night, I thought he was so excited about the opportunity. It didn’t have much to do with money or any of that. He wanted the opportunity to be the Eric Staal that he was in the past. And I told him he would definitely get that chance here.
Staal vs. Washington: When he was on top of his game, Carolina beat us all the time. He would get three or four points and that meant he was having the puck between the blue line’s, carrying the puck, he was a dominant force everywhere. Second year was in Lowell in the lockout, and we played them 12 times and got a chance to see him and knew he was going to be a great player. Things haven’t gone well for him the last year and a half statistically speaking, but I have a hard time thinking that 31 in today’s day and age with how fit the players are that he’s all of a sudden gotten old. I think there’s a lot more for him to give. I think he’ll be rejuvenated by the situation here. He’s used to the cold weather. He’s from Thunder Bay, so it all should work out (jokes).
Boudreau on if they missed out on anybody: I wanted that Stamkos guy, but I think he was taken (jokingly)
Lines:We can move guys around. I think I’ve got combinations in my head at least for the top-9, but the other guys are going to mix and match right now. And who knows, Chuck may do another deal before the summer’s out, but who can tell.
-----------------------------------------
CHUCK FLETCHER
Fletcher
on the day: We were able to add a couple of quality NHL forwards, and we've added a couple of quality players for Iowa that will provide great depth for us. It's been a good day. Obviously having the shopping period you’re able to speak with agents and players for several days before today, so it's changed the nature of July 1st so now you have a pretty good idea of what's happening. You have a pretty good idea of who has interest in you, and who doesn't, and the type of term they may be looking for. You still have to wait until today to talk specific figures, so there's always some risk, but coming into today we had a pretty good idea of what we accomplished was able to be accomplished.
Eric Staal the same Eric Staal: Time will tell. As players get older, let's be honest, when you're 32 years old you're not the same player as when you're 25, 26. But we think this is a good situation with Eric, and obviously, he felt the same way. We have some quality players he can play with. We certainly have an important role he can fill. And the most important thing about the deal is he was able to give us a cap number that works for us, and will allow us to fill in some players around him as well. He was willing to work with us. He's a quality centermen, has skill, good on faceoffs, can play 200 feet, and along with Mikko and Haula we now have three guys through the middle of the ice who can defend well, and also contribute offensively.
Granlund and Coyle at wing: I thought Granlund played really well on the wing, even through the World Championship. He looked very comfortable there. There's obviously a lot less responsibility defensively on the wing. That allows him to focus a lot more offensively. He's such a diligent player. When he defended as a center iceman, he never cheated, he played hard, and that maybe compromised his ability to get up the ice and contribute offensively all the time. This should lead to a much more productive season for him.
Same thing with Charlie. He's a big body. I know the coaches were certainly comfortable playing him at center, but Charlie likes both positions. Certainly he's a premier power forward on the wing, and he's a very good power center at center. With Staal and Koivu, that's tremendous size through the middle, and now we can get Charlie on the wing, and along with Nino, and now Stewart in particular, we have three really big bodies on the wing. Our team is much bigger, we're much more experienced, we're much deeper, and I like our group. The fact that we didn't have to sacrifice any of our young defensemen to fill these holes is important. Certainly strength of our team remains the strength of our defense corps.
Wanted to get bigger? More physical, maybe, but bigger, (to) control the walls better, and be able to establish better offensive zone play. We had a stat that our folks came up with. We were one of the worst teams in the league last year on puck recoveries. Does that speak to size? Possibly. We've added a bit more size up front, and allowing Charlie to play the wing more often will certainly allow us to recover more pucks, and that's a big part of the game. We didn’t' seem to have as much offensive zone play last year. Clearly we need to shoot the puck a little bit more often, but if you can't get the puck, it's hard to shoot it. This was a big part of fixing that problem in terms of generating more offense, generating more shots. We'll be able to recover pucks a little bit better than last year.
Stewart: I'm a big fan, personally. He fit very well with our team; great chemistry. I know Bruce really enjoyed him last year in Anaheim. Again, he had a tough injury. Broke his jaw and missed a lot of time, but he was on pace for about an 11-goal season again playing about 11 minutes a night only in Anaheim. He's a guy we think can contribute 10-plus goals and potentially 30 points depending on where he plays. He had good chemistry with Mikko when he was here, but he's also a guy who can play on the third or fourth line. It gives you a lot of flexibility, and that size is important. When we went on the road when he was here we were a much more confident team.
Staal other interest: You'd have to ask him. I can't speak to what he was offered. I just know that by buying out Vanek we created some cap space, and actually, if you look at the dollars we spent on Staal and Stewart, plus the Vanek buyouy, it almost adds up to what Thomas made last year. We basically allocated all of those dollars for two players. That's really what we felt what we had. We want to have a little bit of space here going forward, and we have enough space that depending on how the next few days go, we might find a situation where we have a player that's very interested in playing for us at a very good cap rate. We haven't had that luxury the last couple of years. We're excited that we can still potentially add somebody here and still have a bit of flexibility going forward. You'll have to speak to Eric, but I know he made it very clear to us that he wanted to come here. Money is always a bit of a factor, but the cap number, the salary he took was way down his list of considerations. We're the beneficiaries of that, and very fortunate for that.
Stewart bring lightheartedness to room: Going 1-14-2 led to that a little bit. I mentioned this at the end of the year that the things about our room were a little bit overstated. When you're winning, usually your room is great. When you're in a tough stretch you're certainly more tense, and guys aren't as happy with each other, or happy with the coach, or happy with the manager. It's just the way it goes. Adding both these guys, they're veteran guys, they've played in the league. Staal has won a Stanley Cup, Stewart is familiar with our group. He got along with everybody when he was here. Any time you add veteran guys that have been through the ups and downs it will help your room. And our younger guys again, they're not that young anymore, but now they've had a lot of experiences. Guys like Charlie in Granlund I challenged at the end of the year. 'You guys have to step up, and it's time for you guys to grab some leadership here, and start to assert yourself too, within the room, and within the group.' Hopefully last year will make us stronger this year, and certainly we're deeper, bigger, and I believe more skilled than we were last year. We just have to learn for last year.
who you going after?: We'll get the best player we can get. Whether it's a big guy, or a skilled player, it doesn't have to be a fourth line player. As the days go on, prices come down dramatically, and hopefully we can be shopping in an environment where we have some options to look at. We'll see what happens. Maybe something happens tonight; maybe it's a week or two from now. I like the flexibility that we have.
Trades done?: You can never say that. Trades are a two-way street and we certainly, I don't think I've ever spoken to more managers more often than I have the past few weeks. We were very well aware of what was available, and what wasn't. We made the right move with the information that we had right now. But going forward we'll see how things play out. I know Scott Stevens in particular and obviously Bruce really wanted to get to know our young defensemen. I believe it's the strength of our team. We have great depth. Going forward we'll see how that works out, but it's a nice luxury to have. It certainly gives us options down the road.
who was overpaid? I would say almost all of them (laughs). But again, good for them. That's the nature of it, and we've certainly been a part of the free agent market before. You typically have to pay bigger dollars, or add a couple extra years of term. The players have worked hard to get that right. That's their CBA right, and it's an opportunity to acquire a player without making a trade or giving up an asset. But cap space is still an asset, and I'd like to think the deals we signed today were certainly very easy to justify on a production basis.
Stalock: Alex had a great attitude, and he's very excited about getting down to Des Moine and playing. When you're a backup goalie sometimes for a few years you don't get a lot of starts, and you're game can slip. He really wants to get in and play games, and get his game back to the level it can be. He's a competitive guy, and to have Dubnyk, Kuemper, and Stalock, that's the best depth by far we've had since I've been here. You combine that with our defense where we have great depth, and now up front we have a lot of depth, and still have guys like Schroeder, and Dalpe, and Tuch, and Anas, and Downing, and a lot of young talent that's pushing through. It's going to be a highly competitive camp, and it's going to be a pretty good hockey team.The Stone is a forum for contemporary philosophers and other thinkers on issues both timely and timeless.
Kant set the terms of modern aesthetics. In his hands, the field became centered on the study of aesthetic judgment, in particular, judgments of the beautiful and the sublime. But if it’s plausible to think that each era’s aesthetic judgments take on more particularized forms, what might the defining aesthetic categories of our age be? This is Sianne Ngai’s question in her new book, “Our Aesthetic Categories,” reviewed by Rebecca Ariel Porte at LARB. Her tripartite answer: the zany, the cute and — most interesting — the interesting.
Ngai contends that these three concepts best articulate our relationship to beauty in the 21st century, both within and without the museum. The zany is an “aesthetic of action, ” Porte writes about Ngai’s theory. “It is one in which labor and play are confused so that it’s hard to tell whether we ought to react to a display of zaniness with humor or concern.” (Lucy of “I Love Lucy” turns out to be the quintessence of zaniness). The cute, in Nagai’s words, is “the aestheticization of powerlessness”; hence its strong links to the childish and to historical notions of feminine weakness. Finally, there is the category of the interesting: it is the positive aesthetic judgment we make of something we lack the understanding or conceptual equipment to describe any more precisely. It “begins with a feeling — inquisitiveness, curiosity, wonder — falling somewhere between an affect and a desire,” Ngai says. Duchamp’s urinal is interesting in this sense. And in fact much contemporary art seems aimed at being interesting rather than beautiful.
A Country of Two Tales: By means of narrative nonfiction, Siddhartha Deb’s “The Beautiful and the Damned” and Katherine Boo’s “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” vivify India’s social troubles, in particular, the abject poverty that still afflicts much of the citizenry. Deb’s book is a loose collection of essays detailing his travels in the nation, narrated in the first person. The technique, of course, is now common in long-form journalism. Boo’s, though, is more radical: her reportage is formally identical to a novel written in the third-person omniscient, with thoughts and feelings imputed to the characters. (She explains in the afterword that these psychological ascriptions were made on the basis of fastidious research of her subjects.)
Martha Nussbaum, reviewing the books for the The Times Literary supplement, questions whether Deb’s and Boo’s journalistic techniques, unsupplemented by more traditional economic and historical analysis, can illuminate the “the New India” in a way that give readers not only a heart-stirring account of the country’s social problems — they succeed admirably in that — but a full-blooded one, the sort necessary in identifying the most promising means of amelioration.
The Varieties of Evil: How to think about evil? Claire Carlisle outlines the options at The Guardian. One is that it can’t be thought about at all, properly speaking. The early Wittgenstein may have held this view, and our common language has expressions that lend the notion credence, like “unthinkable evil.” But suppose we can productively think about evil. Where might we search for the conceptual tools to do so? Carlisle thinks Christian theology is amply supplied, and is one of our best resources, offering as it does a taxonomy of evils: moral evil (human wrongdoing), natural evil (calamitous earthly events, like earthquakes and tsunamis), and “metaphysical evil” (our predicament as human beings, to be mortal and to have limited powers of knowledge), among others. And indeed out modern conception of rights, of the natural good (or evil) in human beings, and many other concepts relating to evil trace back to theological concerns. Interestingly, Carlisle suggests that even atheists often construct their positive moral visions out of elements scavenged from (or else negatively defined against) Christian theodicy — Camus and Nietzsche, to take two.
Also:
Bookforum reviews Zizek’s latest, “Less than Nothing.”
A video of a roundtable discussion about time, at Three Quarks Daily.
3AM Magazine interviews Jerry Fodor.
A post about our lay and scientific intuitions about innateness, at Experimental Philosophy.
In the New York Review, Freeman Dyson’s take on Jim Holt’s “Why Does the World Exist?”
Finally, the philosophy of Black Sabbath.Honolulu, HI—This morning on Kauaʻi, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) continued her focus on criminal justice reform by touring the Kauaʻi Community Correctional Facility. Warden Neal Wagatsuma and Watch Commander Harry Victorino guided the walk-through, explaining the facility's operations, needs, rehabilitation programs, and services to the community. The congresswoman spent time with many of the incarcerated men and women, listened to their stories and experiences, answered their questions, and spoke about how she is working to reform the criminal justice system and reduce recidivism. She visited jails on Oʻahu and Maui earlier this week, has long advocated for common sense criminal justice reform legislation, and has been a vocal advocate supporting state programs like Drug Courts, Veteran Courts, Hawaiʻi Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE), and the State Juvenile Justice Hoʻopono Mamo Civil Citation Initiative.
This afternoon on Oʻahu, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard hosted a “Congress on Your Corner” Townhall Meeting in Waianae to hear from constituents about their ideas and concerns and share how her office can assist people with federal services. She spoke about her work in Congress, bills she’s introduced and cosponsored, and important issues facing the people of Hawaiʻi. She spent the majority of the meeting answering questions from the audience on topics including war and peace, national security, concerns with the Trump Administration, federal spending, local transportation projects, affordable housing, healthcare, the environment, education, military issues, and veteran services.
The photos below from today’s Kauaʻi Community Correctional Facility visit are available here for download.
The photos below from today’s “Congress on Your Corner” in Waianae are available here for download.
###Marie Brenner, writing in Vanity Fair, explores whether Jews should leave France.
The French language version of the article is titled Paris En Flammes. With my distant recollection of high school french, that translates as Paris in Flames.
But the English language version has a more descriptive title, The Troubling Question in the French Jewish Community: Is It Time to Leave?:
How can anyone be allowed to paint a swastika on the statue of Marianne, the goddess of French liberty, in the very center of the Place de la République?” That was what the chairman of one of France’s most celebrated luxury brands was thinking last July, when a tall man in a black shirt and a kaffiyeh leapt to the ledge of Marianne’s pedestal and scrawled a black swastika. All around him, thousands of angry demonstrators were swarming the square with fake rockets, Palestinian and Hamas flags, even the black-and-white banners of ISIS. Here, barely a mile and a half from the Galeries Lafayette, the heart of bourgeois Paris, the chants: “MORT AUX JUIFS! MORT AUX JUIFS!” Death to the Jews. It was Saturday, July 26, 2014, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration turned into a day of terror in one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the city.
We covered those riots last summer (some of the videos in the posts have gone bad):
(more videos here)
Similar events took place in Malmo, and Copehagen, and Berlin, Frankfurt, The Hague, and London. (And, by the way, in Miami and Boston.)
But in France it seems worse than in the rest of Europe because of the large Jewish population, the high profile terror attacks on Jewish targets by Islamists including the SuperCacher supermarket, and the routine and vicious street thuggery by anti-Israel groups, such as the Israeli reporter harassed in the middle of Paris, and two Jews attacked by a BDS-related group.
Walking While Jewish is a problem in many places in Europe, but particularly in Paris.
Just this week, a 13-year old Jewish student was attacked by six men of “African” descent (it is unclear what that means in the reports, but frequently attacks in France on Jews are carried out by Arabs of North African descent):
One arrest has been made and a suspect detained by Paris police so far in the the gang beating of a 13-year-old Jewish boy last Monday (July 6) after he left the Colonel Fabien Jewish Day School. The traumatized victim, who has not been identified due to his age and the risk such identification poses, spent his Sabbath trying to recuperate from the trauma of the beating he received at the hands of six teens possibly of “African descent.” The boy was attacked by the gang after leaving the building in the 19th arondissement, near Gare du Nord train station, according to the Bureau National de Vigilance Contre l’Antisémitisme (BNVCA). Sammy Ghozlan, president of the watchdog organization, issued a statement condemning the attack. “He was spotted as a Jew because he was wearing a kippa,” the group said in a statement on its website.
Note the name of the president of the watchdog organization, Sammy Ghozlan.
Ghozlan is the main focus of the Vanity Fair article, which notes that Ghozlan was the person first contacted by French Jews during the Paris riots of 2014:
Photographs and videos of the swastika and its perpetrator, of protesters chanting “Kill the Jews,” and of the Palestinian, Hamas, and ISIS flags were sent in a rush to various groups in the Jewish community who assess threats. By early afternoon, some of these reached Sammy Ghozlan, a 72-year-old retired police commissioner who has spent his career working the banlieues, the belt of working-class, racially mixed suburbs that surround Paris. Ghozlan is a folk hero of the banlieues and has a nickname that is impossible to forget: le poulet cacher—“the kosher chicken.” (Poulet is slang for cop.) For 15 years, he has overseen France’s National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism—known by its French abbreviation, B.N.V.C.A.—a community hotline he founded that is funded by his police pension and whatever small donations he can come by. Its purpose is nothing less than to protect the Jews of France.
It really is hard to excerpt of summarize the Vanity Fair article. It is long and detailed. Read the whole thing. But make particular note of how pervasive anti-Semitic violence is in France:
This past year, Ghozlan’s frequent bulletins—detailing attacks in parks, schools attacked, synagogues torched, assaults on the Métro—have clogged the in-boxes of reporters at Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Le Parisien, and of thousands of Jews throughout the banlieues. Ghozlan’s bulletins sometimes come twice a day, with claims that have also been backed up by hard numbers: according to a watchdog group, the Jewish Community Protection Service, or S.P.C.J., which reports statistics collected by the country’s Interior Ministry, there were 851 recorded anti-Semitic incidents in France in 2014, more than doubling the total from 2013. Ghozlan and his 19 volunteers are on the front lines in the most troubled areas, documenting, trying to confirm, hoping to get a reporter or a police prefect or a court to take action. There has been such an uptick, and such a flurry of alerts from Ghozlan over the past year, that there’s always a risk that his efforts will be shrugged off as yet another nuisance.
The issue of whether Jews should leave Europe in general or France in particular is a topic we have explored many times, including in 2013, Jews in Europe past their expiration date, in which we quoted You Only Live Twice by Michel Gurfinkiel in Mosaic Magazine:
“Call it the yogurt’s-expiration-date syndrome,” an elderly, Moroccan-born Frenchman recently said to me. He elaborated: Right after Morocco won its independence from France in 1956, my family joined the country’s ruling elite. My father, a close friend of King Mohammed V, had access to everybody in the government. It went on like that for two or three years. Then one day, out of the blue, Father told us we were leaving. We children asked why. “We’ve passed the yogurt’s expiration date,” he said. “We have no future in Morocco; as long as we’re free to go, we must go.” So we left, leaving behind most of our money and belongings. Ever since then, wherever I’ve lived, I’ve been on the lookout for the yogurt’s expiration date. In France, I think it’s close. * * * Can it really be that European Jewry was reborn after the Holocaust only in order to die again? Can it be that, even as Jews, you only live twice? History, of course, is unpredictable except in retrospect. But it would be irresponsible in the extreme to brush off the possibility of demise; “unthinkable” is no longer a word in the Jewish vocabulary. The sober assessment of Robert Wistrich, the instincts of Samuel Sandler and so many other European Jews—these rest on firm foundations. The expiration date looms nearer, however slowly and by whatever intermediate stages it may finally arrive.
In the aftermath of the Hyper Cacher supermarket and Charlie Hebdo attacks, it seemed that the departure of Jews from France was inevitable, Au revoir les juifs et La France:
There is a recognition of a reality that has been building for many years. Maybe France can reverse its Goodbye to the Jews, before the Jews of France say Goodbye.
Back to Sammy Ghozlan, the person French Jews turned to in times of crisis, and the leader of the watchdog group against anti-Semitism, from the Vanity Fair article. He’s left France:
For Ghozlan, July 2014 was the tipping point, after years of escalating anti-Semitic violence: “There was no debate in our family. We all knew—it is time to go. Leaving is better than running away,” Ghozlan later told me. He would ultimately come to think of the summer riots as the predictors of the catastrophes that would play out six months later in the terror attacks at the offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, three quarters of a mile from the Place de la République, on January 7, 2015, and then, two days later, at Hyper Cacher, a kosher grocery store in the Porte de Vincennes neighborhood of eastern Paris. By then Ghozlan’s classified ad—one nobody who knows him could ever have thought possible—had already been posted: “Renting a house, 4 rooms, 2 bathrooms, a veranda, a garden with 50 m. square.” Two days before the Charlie Hebdo attack, Sammy announced what, to many, including me, was unthinkable: Sammy Ghozlan, proud Frenchman and the dean of Paris’s anti-Semitic crime-fighters, had joined the thousands of French Jews moving to Israel.
You can find him now where you would expect:In many cases, artists working in this industry do not speak English as a first language. Couple that with the brevity we try to employ when making art requests and sometimes you get miscommunications. In general, however, our artists are very good at following directions. Art requests are usually only a sentence or two long, such as,
"This bald, male hobgoblin is wielding a scimitar and a dented metal shield that it looks like he took as a trophy of a former war. He has a scar running down the left side of his face."
In this case, the most important things we want the artist to know are that it's 1) a hobgoblin; 2) male; 3) he's bald; 4) what he's holding in his hands; 5) two distinctive features that make this hobgoblin specific rather than general a) his trophy shield and b) his scar. The less details we give, the more likely we are to get art that includes those elements.
Consider, on the other hand, an art order were overly complicated:
"This war-weary hobgoblin lieutenant, a male of the species of roughly middle age, has a black, burnished leather tunic with brass studs in roughly whorled shapes on it. His breaches are mottled with a mix of blood and mud, and his steel-spiked boots are caked with dried excrement from the yak mounts they ride in his army. The scar on the left side of his face runs from an inch above his eyebrow down to his chin, and is mostly straight except for a little squiggle at his cheek, like the slash hit his cheekbone and flinched only slightly. He has no hair on his head. In his right hand, held above his head menacingly, is a well-maintained scimitar with a spiked hand-guard that he might use to punch people in close combat. His other hand wields a battered metal shield, round in shape and convex to deflect blows, that bears the marred visage of an elven prince. This was formerly his enemy's shield and the hobgoblin stole it, so it needs to look like both a trophy but also something he doesn't respect, hence the scratches and dents over the elven face. The hobgoblin should have a look on his face like he wants to kill you, but not instantly—he wants to toy with you first. He wants you to suffer."
In this case, if the art director ordering the art didn't murder the developer who wrote such a request (slowly, so they suffered) the artist, whether a native English speaker or not, has so much information that they don't know which elements are most vital to making the illustration accurate. If the artist chooses to focus primarily on the whorled pattern of the armor's studs, or the hilt of the scimitar, or the yak crap caked on the character's boots, and deemphasizes the character's scar and shield, and yes, that he's bald, that's not really the artist's fault.
TL;DR: Miscommunications happen because we have very little space to tell someone we've never met how a specific illustration should look, and sometimes that laser focus means that other elements we don't specify exactly come out differently.
If you're really curious about how miscommunications happen in general, there are a ton of articles online about it. Just google "How do miscommunications happen".While you'd be forgiven for not knowing who John Rogers is, he's certainly graced these pages more than once. He's the research chief at the University of Illinois that's previously broken new ground in the world of invisibility cloaks and wearable technology. This time, his team has cooked up a silicon, magnesium, magnesium oxide and silk circuit that's designed to dissolve in the body in the same way that absorbable sutures are used in minor surgeries. It's thought that the tech could eventually be used to implant monitors that never need removal, reducing invasive medical procedures, or even build devices that eventually turn into compost rather than E-waste -- although we're not sure we'd appreciate our smartphone doing the same thing when we're making calls in the rain.
[Image Credit: Fiorenzo Omenetto / Science]Updated, 12:30 p.m.
The signs indicate bikes “may use full lane” and “13th Street Bikeway Northbound Bicycle Route.” Yet for some residents of South Philadelphia, the posts signal a neighborhood crisis.
“You’re changing residential streets to be bike lanes,” said Girard Estate resident Jody Della Barba, “without telling the neighbors.”
The signs are part of a long-planned, federally funded effort to turn 13th and 15th streets between Washington and Oregon avenues into Neighborhood Bikeways and move bicycle traffic away from Broad Street. In addition to the signs, the money goes to new crosswalks and “super sharrows,” which are green insignias of a bicycle that aren’t a bike lane but are intended to attract cyclists and remind drivers to be aware of them. Couple those additions with a lawsuit asking the PPA and Philadelphia Police to enforce median parking restrictions on South Broad — brought forth by “pedestrian, bicyclist, public transit user and motorist” Jacob Liefer — and people say tensions between cyclists and their opponents are higher than usual in an area infamous for its biker-driver tiffs.
“I feel like once I cross Washington Avenue,” said cyclist Kate Mundie, who lives in South Philly east of Broad, “there’s this level of anger that just comes out.”
On the anti-cyclist side, Della Barba has stirred up much of the anger. The Facebook group Taking Our South Philadelphia Streets Back shared a note of hers last week, imploring residents and police to be watchful of any cyclists breaking rules. It read, “Since the goal of the Philadelphia biking world is to take over the streets of South Philly, we are asking local police to step up enforcement of the laws they break 24/7.” Her problem, she said, is cyclists who pass through stop signs and red lights, which is illegal, and who take up the full street, which is legal.
These messages circulate on social media from time to time but not usually to the degree of hers. Della Barba’s words were shared about 250 times and received about the same number of comments. Many of them supported Della Barba, like Kelly Williams, who wrote, “If I need to abide by safety rules, they should too, we share the road therefore we must share the same RULES!.”
Della Barba isn’t your average South Philadelphian. She was Frank Rizzo’s secretary and is the leader of the Girard Estate Area Residents (so maybe she is your average South Philadelphian).
She wants bikes to be registered and cyclists to have liability insurance. Licensing programs have been enacted in Los Angeles, Detroit and Honolulu with differing success. It would take changes to local or state laws for Philadelphia to mandate bike registration.
Della Barba said she has spoken with state representatives and senators about it.
“How do you talk to the police,” she said, “if you can’t identify the culprit?…We’re inundated now with bicycles.”
South Philly likely does have more cyclists than typical neighborhoods in Philadelphia, at least in terms of bicycle commuters. Six of Philly’s top 10 census tracts for bicycle commuters are in South Philly. Just 2 percent of city residents bike to work. In these tracts, which are in the vicinity of 13th and 15th streets, closer to 12 to 15 percent of commuters are cyclists.
The designated bikeways for 13th and 15th streets are considered a major step for changing Philadelphia’s infrastructure to better suit the needs of cyclists. When the federal funds were first secured in 2014, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia wrote that the super sharrows and signs would lead to a “culture change,” with cars likely opting to use Broad Street instead.
“The infrastructure and environment on 13th and 15th Streets, to date, have encouraged a driving culture less hospitable to bicyclists and pedestrians,” read a post on the Coalition’s website. “These Neighborhood Bikeways are Philadelphia’s first attempt at changing that culture.”
John Furey, leader of the Broad Street West Civic Association, has lived in South Philadelphia for 40 years and has “seen a lot of change.” He favors the licensing and registration of bikes and wants safer roads.
“I wish it was a simple answer,” Furey said. “It’s a little tense. If the bikers show they’re serious and start paying their own way and adhering to traffic regulations, that would be welcome.”
Third District Police Capt. Frank Milillo said his South Philly coverage area hasn’t heard of any major problems on 13th Street since the new signs went in. He said the department regularly gets complaints from drivers who don’t understand cyclists can take up the full lane the same way cars can. Yet he also sympathizes.
“Common sense,” Milillo said, “would tell you if you’re a cyclist to move to the side.”
But Pennsylvania law requires 4 feet of space for motorists to safely pass bikes. That’s impossible on most city streets, especially on narrow South Philly roads.
Milillo said police are taking seriously complaints from both cyclists and motorists, and have especially been targeting teenagers biking the wrong way in South Philly. Requests from neighbors have had no discernible effect on ticketing bikers: This year, there’s been one citation against a cyclist in South Philly and there was just one other the previous two years combined.
At times, South Philly cyclist Travis Southard said he goes through red lights and stop signs, explaining that it’s helpful for keeping momentum in places where there’s little to no traffic, and for staying warm in the winter months. He also regularly takes up the full lane when he commutes home on 23rd Street, dealing with the occasional loud driver. And lately some of their complaints have increased.
“I think there’s a lot more visibility on it now, as the 13th and 15th bikeway signs are popping up and as we’re getting back to school and seeing more people, like students,” Southard said. “It’s the season. It’s the season for bikelash essentially.”
He sees no reason why motorists should be hostile toward the changes on 13th and 15th streets.
“They have a bajillion other roads to choose from,” Southard said. “They can choose Broad Street and 17th and 12th. It’s not ridiculous that cyclists want a southbound street not next to the Delaware.”
Southard was surprised to learn he lives in the same neighborhood as Della Barba. He even attends trivia night at a bar close to Della Barba’s house.
On Wednesday night, he had plans to walk to the bar. Some of his friends bike there, however, and have felt the wrath of the neighborhood.
“My girlfriend parked there last time,” Southard said, “and her seat got stolen.”TOKYO— Before it goes on Christmas break, the House of Representatives plans to approve on third and final reading a bill that would bring back the death penalty, a priority measure of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has often threatened to kill criminals.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the House would work to approve state-sanctioned killings of drug convicts and those involved in heinous crimes.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I don’t know with the Senate, I don’t control it, but as far as the House is concerned, we will approve it before the Christmas break,” Alvarez told reporters in Tokyo, where
|
However, such a solution would have to be owned by one party, which is unlikely because of business competition. In reality, the industries that use your data tend to be quite fragmented.
Storing consent on a Blockchain will allow the consumer to authenticate the consent directly. This also creates information sharing agreements that can be read by anyone and appended to the data that is transmitted to a company. This metadata will enable tracking and enforcement of consent against a distributed Blockchain ledger and give the consumer dynamic control over their personal data.
This further enables a company to perform due diligence to determine – before accepting any data – if the consent to share this has been granted and what scope of access has been agreed to.
Companies are coming to the realization that data is not only an asset, it is also a liability.
Therefore, this needs to be a service that for businesses of all sizes and it has a small incremental cost per customer. Blockchain technology can enable such a service and put the consumer in the driving seat on exactly what, who, and when anyone can access their data.
- By Stephen Holmes
Stephen Holmes is Vice President of Virtusa’s xTech Lab. In this role he investigates the application of core technologies in solving current digital banking challenges, including Blockchain technologies and smart contracts.STOCKHOLM, Sweden – National police are preparing to seal Sweden’s borders for the first time in over ten years, but it is unclear if the order will ever be given for them to deploy.
Commanding officer of the Swedish force Stefan Hector made the revelation that officers across the country and particular in the south were preparing to close the borders for the first time since 2001. Plans and practice on how to close the borders are now over a decade old, and forces are now revising the drill so should they be called to, Sweden could cut itself off from Europe at a moments notice, reports Sydsvenskan.
In addition to over 300 police officers needed to man bridges and water crossings into the country from mainland Europe, Security Police, the Immigration Service and the Coast Guard would also get involved should the plans be put into action.
Although the news may generate some favourable headlines for the left-wing government which is struggling with an electorate growing increasingly uncomfortable with unlimited mass migration, it may ultimately go no further than just headlines. A Sweden Democrats source – the only anti-migration opposition voice in the Swedish parliament, told Breitbart London the announcement was nothing more than posturing and would be quickly forgotten within the corridors of power.
That view seems to be borne out by the comments of Swedish justice and migration minister Morgan Johansson who, attending emergency meetings at the European Union yesterday, told press he was confident the police could handle the influx with their present deployment. He said it was a situation he couldn’t foresee changing.
His remarks are against all available evidence to the contrary, however.
As the migrant crisis has intensified, significantly larger nations have already thrown in the towel and reintroduced border checks, including Germany, whose population is almost ten times larger.
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and the Netherlands have all already announced their intention to, or have already started, checking passports.
The number of people entering Sweden from the south, has only grown since the country become a more attractive prospect to economic migrants posing as refugees since former soft-touch Denmark dramatically slashed benefits for migrants. Sweden’s state railway has even gone as far as laying on extra trains between main point of entry Malmo and the capital Stockholm, as the number of migrants moving into the country overwhelmed regular services.
Perhaps aggravating demand is the decision last week by the state railway board to offer their services for free to all migrants – but to continue to charge natives for train journeys.Cadillac Escalade owners will no longer have to turn to tuners like Hennessey to satisfy their horsepower cravings. Cadillac itself is poised to offer an Escalade V model, which should give the other big, powerful SUVs currently available a run for their money.
The news comes from our own Jonny Lieberman, who tweeted that an Escalade V is imminent. We don't yet know many hard facts on the high-performance Caddy SUV, but we expect power to come from the supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 found in the CTS-V and Corvette Z06. The Escalade V should also get the CTS-V's eight-speed automatic, which will be tuned to better accommodate the full-size sport ute's weight. Expect power to be well in excess of 600 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The Cadillac CTS-V makes 640 hp and 630 lb-ft, while the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 makes 650 hp and 650 lb-ft. The Escalade already comes equipped with GM's Magnetic Ride Control suspension, but the V model could be lowered and wear wider, stickier tires to improve handling further.
The Escalade V will be arriving late to the high-powered large luxury SUV party, so it will have some stiff competition waiting for it. The GL63 AMG (soon to be renamed GLS63) is one example, with its 550-hp twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8. Others include the Range Rover Supercharged and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. The Cadillac Escalade V could debut as soon as next year's New York auto show, and will likely be priced around $15,000 more than a standard Escalade.Indiana Jones is back - and on form
By Mark Savage
Entertainment reporter, BBC News in Cannes
Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford's dashing hero, was infamously named after George Lucas's pet dog. And there were rumours that the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - the fourth movie of the film franchise - was the runt of the litter. Special effects have been largely jettisoned for the film
What the critics thought So it came as a surprise to many people in Cannes that the film was so entertaining. Swashes were buckled, rips were roared and sticks were slapped. The film suffers slightly from the mumbo-jumbo plot device of that titular Crystal Skull, but it was always thus. Every Indiana Jones movie has what creator and co-writer George Lucas calls a "MacGuffin" - a mystical artefact that the intrepid archaeologist has to track down - be it the holy grail or a sankara stone. This time, Jones is on the trail of a skull that must be returned to a lost city in the Amazon which is guarded by the undead. It is a load of old nonsense, of course, but the journey is worth the price of admission. Visceral quality Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Director Steven Spielberg has largely jettisoned computer generated effects (much to the chagrin of tech freak Lucas) with the result that the film's action sequences have a visceral, physical quality you rarely find in modern-day blockbusters. An extended sequence with Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett careering through the rainforest, swordfighting astride two army vehicles is a pure adrenalin rush. Cate Blanchett plays a Russian baddie As ever, Spielberg brings both humour and visual flair to sequences where other films are happy to provide mere spectacle. The film kicks off at the height of the Cold War, with Dr Henry Jones Junior captured by Russians. Like Ford, the character is older, if no wiser. David Koepp's script wisely gets his star's advancing years out of the way early in the movie. "What are you? Like, 80?" asks Shia LaBeouf, a Marlon Brando-inspired tearaway motorcycle freak who gets wrapped up in the adventure. B movie inspirations Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Better realised are the little tips of the fedora to previous Jones adventures, and the B movies that inspired them. LaBeouf even apes Tarzan at one point - maybe indicating another film franchise Spielberg would like to resurrect? For the hardcore Jones fans, this film was never going to live up to expectations. One cinemagoer leaving the first press screening in Cannes said: "George Lucas, you gotta stop hurting us". But this is no Phantom Menace or Godfather III. The quality control has been maintained, despite the 19-year wait. And as Indy himself says, "I dunno kid, it's just a story."
E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon What are these?Intense & Atmospheric // Attractive For Team-Players
LockeProposal's Big Day Out
+ Agreeable balance in multiplayer+ The game's audio is superb and offers some of the better sound effects I've ever heard in a multiplayer FPS+ Weapon-kit customization is excellent, intuitive and well-rounded+ The game boasts a healthy variety of firearms, peripherals and equipment+ Movement feels largely fluid and realistic (save for some hit-detection issues when entering doorways, but to this, one quickly adapts)+ Menu interface is very minimalist and aesthetically pleasing+ Multiplayer places an overwhelming emphasis on vocal communication and team synergy; while this can be problematic in a new server, it makes for an incredibly rewarding experience when you insert yourself into a competent group of individuals+ Variety of entertaining game-modes (despite many large and glaring similarities between them, though this does not take much away from the game in my experience)+ Seemingly realistic hit-detection and bullet-spread+ There is no microtransaction or pay-to-win mechanic in this game, and the unforgiving gameplay makes the multiplayer entirely skill-dependent+ All weapons and equipment are, for all intents and purposes, 'unlocked' from the outset; weapon selection is based upon selected class and available weight distribution, which appears to be more lax as your account accrues experience+ Detail put into firearms is impressive+ Very, very high replayability+ Healthy, competitive player-base+ No HUD, which lends a feeling of maturity to the experience+ Night maps serve to give the existing map selection a greater measure of replayability, and add significantly to the level of challenge- Quite a few bugs and glitches; this includes a handful of CTDs- Environmental textures and visuals are lacking (though not drastically)- Learning curve is initially a bit steep, and may deter more casual gamers- In regard to night maps, night-vision is near mandatory (flashlights make you a prime target in a game that distinctly punishes such behavior), yet it sucks up a massive portion of your weight limit, severely hampering the usefulness of the rest of your kit; it seems to me that the weight of the item is unbalanced and punishes newer players to an inordinate degreeThe public says it wants to see government spending cut — and the Tea Partiers really, really want spending cut — but people don’t want to cut any program they like; and they like almost everything. What’s a conservative to do?
The obvious answer, once you think about it, is to eat the future: to cut spending in a way that undermines the nation’s long-run prospects, but doesn’t impose all that much pain on voters right now.
And that, as best as I can tell, is the running theme in the cuts proposed by House Republicans. The proposal is, deliberately I think, hard to read and interpret; I hope and assume that the good folks at CBPP will do the detail soon. But on a quick read, here are some of the cuts that jumped out at me:
WIC 1008 million
Food for Peace 544 million
NOAA 450 million
NASA 579 million
Energy efficiency and renewable energy 899
Science 1111 million
Nuclear nonproliferation 648 million
Federal buildings fund 1653 million
Homeland security administration 489 million
FEMA, various, around 1.2 billion
EPA clean water and drinking water about 1.8 billion
Community health centers 1.3 billion
Centers for disease control 900 million
WIC is nutritional aid for pregnant women and women with young children; let’s cut that, because the damage to the nation from malnourishment is a problem for future politicians. NOAA is weather and climate — hey, what we don’t know can’t hurt us. Nuclear nonproliferation — well, we probably won’t feel the pain of a terrorist nuke assembled from old Soviet fissile material for a couple of years. FEMA — well, how often do hurricanes hit New Orleans? CDC — with luck, by the time plague hits someone else can be blamed.
Don’t start thinking about tomorrow.Recently by Gary North: Dr. Keynes’s Health Care Prescription
Back in 2002, I wrote a review of It’s a Wonderful Life. In that review — written in the midst of the housing bubble — I offered this analysis of the savings and loan industry and its effects.
In Anno Domini 2002, we have been told that what has saved the American economy, and hence the world’s economy, from the miseries of a deep recession is the housing market. There is cheap mortgage money available, and Americans are now re-financing their homes. Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac are merely the Bedford Falls Building & Loan Society gone national and federalized through presumed loan guarantees for investors. Odd as it may sound, in this recent real-life remake of It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is played by Alan Greenspan. He has received generally favorable reviews.... The message: George Bailey made a difference because he helped depositors make loans to each other that were secured by real estate. That was the mode of national redemption in 1946, after a decade of depression and half a decade of war: “Own your own home!” On this theological foundation was built Levittown and the other post-War tracts. Exactly how Bailey did this during the Great Depression, the movie never says.
In the real world, building and loan associations did it because the U.S. government changed the laws under Roosevelt’s Administration regarding fractional reserve banking. There would be no more bank runs. The government would insure against this. It would make safer what fractional reserve bankers had feared most: borrowing short (accepting deposits that were redeemable on demand) and lending long (30-year loans at a fixed rate on real estate). Then the government inflated the currency, raising interest rates, but also raising people’s dollar-denominated net worth through rising prices on their homes. Lenders then made additional loans based on rising property values: more valuable collateral. And so it goes, even today: the Federal Reserve System’s policy of depreciating the dollar in order to keep home owners happy. Mortgage investors are now locked into investments that will plummet in value if price inflation raises long-term interest rates. The system will either implode in deflation in one long bank run that will not end after one day at 6 p.m., or else the creditors who extended the mortgage loans will see their investments wiped out through mass inflation. This is why, in a future remake of It’s a Wonderful Life, Alan Greenspan will star as Uncle Billy.
In 2002, I thought that Alan Greenspan should star as Uncle Billy. Now I know that Ben Bernanke was made for this role.
In 2008, we saw the results of Greenspan’s inflation, which was followed by the reduction of monetary inflation by Bernanke, beginning as soon as he came into office in February 2006. That change in policy guaranteed a recession, as I said at the time. It guaranteed the popping of the housing bubble, which I also said at the time.
Today, Bernanke’s FED is expanding the money supply at rates that dwarf Greenspan’s. The FED is keeping the federal funds interest rate close to zero, not Greenspan’s measly 1%.
Gary North [send him mail] is the author of Mises on Money. Visit http://www.garynorth.com. He is also the author of a free 20-volume series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible.
Copyright © 2009 Gary NorthWorld
Kim Jong Un Orders Execution Of 10 Officials For Graft, Watching South Korean Soaps
Kim Jong Un, the leader of reclusive nation North Korea, executed 10 government officials charged of graft and watching South Korean television shows, a South Korean official's aide revealed.
The latest executions, which were carried out via shooting, is part of Kim's effort to purge the nation, South Korean Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo's aide Lim Dae Sung said. In December last year, he also executed his uncle and deputy Jang Song Thaek for graft, factionalism and sexual misbehaviour, Bloomberg relayed.
Like Us on Facebook
Advertisement
Lee, however, did not disclose the names of the killed officials and the site of the executions, the report added.
The young North Korean leader is fresh from a six-week hiatus after undergoing surgery for the removal of a cyst from his right ankle, said Lim. A foreign doctor flew in to perform the procedure, he added.
Kim, who took over the nation after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in December 2011, is trying to get a better grip on his leadership after his long absence from the public eye prompted rumors about his weakening health and power, the report explained.
"Kim Jong Un is trying to establish absolute power and strengthen his regime with public punishments," Seoul-based North Korean expert Yang Moo Jin said. "However, frequent purges can create side effects."
North Korea has stirred the anger of army officials when it started performing more public executions and expanding prison camps in the country, said Lim. Kim used these purges to consolidate his power, and even terminated Ri Yong Ho, the Chief of General Staff in 2012. The latter was the one who guided Kim when he succeeded his father.
In addition, the North Korean leader replaced the leaders in the military. In June, he had Army General Hyon Yong Chol replace Minister of the People's Armed Forces Jang Jong Nam, according to Yonhap.
On the same month, Kim warned that he will show no mercy to anyone found to have links with a certain Western comedy movie that portrays an assassination attempt on him.
"The Interview," a movie starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, coincides with the plot of the unidentified movie that Kim was talking about. The story involves two celebrity reporters who successfully interviewed the North Korean leader and were later on hired by the Central Intelligence Agency as assassins, the report detailed.
Advertisement
Advertisement
©2019 Chinatopix All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permissionUser Rating
Current user rating: 88/100 (742 votes)
You need to enable JavaScript to vote
Profile
Drama: Fantastic
Fantastic Revised romanization: Pantaseutik
Pantaseutik Hangul: 판타스틱
판타스틱 Director: Jo Nam-Kook
Jo Nam-Kook Writer: Lee Sung-Eun
Lee Sung-Eun Network: JTBC
JTBC Episodes: 16
16 Release Date: September 2 - October 22, 2016
September 2 - October 22, 2016 Runtime: Fridays & Saturdays 20:30 (65 min.)
Fridays & Saturdays 20:30 (65 min.) Language: Korean
Korean Country: South Korea
Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©
Story depicts the romance between So-Hye (Kim Hyun-Joo) and Hae-Sung (Joo Sang-Wook). So-Hye is a popular TV drama series writer, but she has only 6 months left to live. Hae-Sung is a poplar actor, but he is not good at acting.
Notes
"Fantastic" takes over the JTBC Fridays & Saturdays 20:30 time slot previously occupied by "Hello, My Twenties!" and followed by "Listen To Love" October, 2016. First script reading took place July 20, 2016 at JTBC building in Sangam, Seoul, South Korea. Ji Soo was diagnosed with acute osteomyelitis (bone infection) and underwent surgery on September 13, 2016. Ji Soo’s filming for “Fantastic” will resume when he is ready. Because of this, his character's scenes have been decreased.
Cast
Additional Cast Members:CHICAGO—Standing several feet back as they tossed a ground-up, blood-soaked mixture of beef and pig meat toward the outfield walls, members of the Wrigley Field grounds crew reportedly spent Tuesday afternoon feeding buckets of raw meat to the ballpark’s hungry ivy. “In order to keep the ivy healthy and lush, we have to make sure to maintain its diet of at least 600 pounds of meat per day,” Cubs head groundskeeper Roger Baird told reporters, raising his voice so he could be heard over the guttural gnashing and slurping sounds of the ivy as it feasted on its food. “We have consistent feeding times every day at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9 p.m. If we miss any feedings, the ivy gets pretty upset and starts making loud groaning noises, so we’re very diligent about the schedule. And we always have to remind fans to never feed the ivy, both because of its diet and for safety reasons.” At press time, in anticipation of the Cubs game later in the day, workers were cleaning up the bone shards and chunks of cartilage that the ivy had spit back out all over the outfield.
AdvertisementYou may have seen this on New Year's Eve:
Another leap second, another slew of outages. Handling time correctly is hard!https://t.co/kJepOfsKkv pic.twitter.com/Fwz2Xtpzkd — Dan Luu (@danluu) January 1, 2017
I'd heard a little about this problem, but I didn't understand how it broke code, and what to do about it. So here is an explainer.
Background
Earlier this year, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service decided to add an additional second to the year. This is due to the fact that the Earth's day-to-day rotation does not perfectly line up with a 86400 second day.
So when the clock hit 23:59:59 on New Year's Eve, it usually ticks over to 00:00:00, but this year, repeated the second 23:59:59. So if you had measurement code that looked like:
a := time.Now() // Dec 31 2016 23:59:59 and 800ms // While this operation is in progress, the leap second starts doSomeExpensiveOperation() duration := time.Since(a) // Taken at Dec 31 2016 23:59:59 (#2!) and 100ms fmt.Println(duration)
We usually assume in our code that time can't go backwards, but the duration there is -700ms! This can cause big problems if you have code that always expects nonnegative time durations. In particular code that accepts timeouts might panic or immediately error if it gets a negative value. Cloudflare passed a negative duration to rand.Int63n, which crashed some of their servers.
But this is only a problem on leap seconds, which occur once a year at most. That's not good, but I can handle one problem a year. That would be nice, but unfortunately time on your servers can jump around quite a bit. An individual server might get a few seconds ahead or behind the rest of your servers. When it gets the correct time from the NTP server, the time on the server might jump forward or backward a few seconds. If you run any number of servers you are bound to hit this problem sooner or later.
Ok, how do I deal with it?
Good question! The Linux community implemented CLOCK_MONOTONIC as an option to clock_gettime to solve this problem. CLOCK_MONOTONIC returns an integer number of nanoseconds that only ever increases. You can use this to get more accurate (and always nonnegative) deltas than getting the system time twice and subtracting the samples.
You'll have to check whether your programming language uses CLOCK_MONOTONIC for implementing calls to get the system time. Many languages don't use it for the simple "what time is it" call, because it returns you time from a random starting point, not the epoch.
So you can't really translate between a CLOCK_MONOTONIC value and any given human date; it's only useful when you take multiple samples and compare them.
In particular
The Go standard library does not use CLOCK_MONOTONIC for calls to time.Now(). Go has a function that implements CLOCK_MONOTONIC, but it's not a public part of the standard library. You can access it via the monotime library - replace your calls to time.Now() with monotime.Now(). Note you will get back a uint64 that only makes sense if you call monotime.Now() again a little while later (on the same machine) and subtract it from the first value you got.
import "time" import "github.com/aristanetworks/goarista/monotime" func main() { a := monotime.Now() someExpensiveOperation() b := monotime.Now() // b - a will *always* be greater than 0 fmt.Println(time.Duration(b - a)) }
Porting code errata
I ported Logrole (a Twilio log viewer) to implement monotonic time. In the past it was really easy to call t := time.Now() and then, later, somewhere else in the code, call diff := time.Since(t) to get a Duration. This let you both use t as a wall clock time, and get an elapsed amount of time since t, at some unspecified point later in the codebase and in time. With CLOCK_MONOTONIC you have to separate these two use cases; you can get a delta or you can get a Time but you can't get both.
The patch was pretty messy and an indication of the problems you might have in your own codebase.
Another problem to watch out for is a uint64 underflow. If you have code like this:
if since := time.Since(aDeadline); since > 0 { return nil, errors.New("deadline exceeded") }
You might port it to something like:
now := monotime.Now() deadline := now + uint64(500*time.Millisecond) someExpensiveOperation() if monotime.Now() - deadline > 0 { return nil, errors.New("deadline exceeded") }
The problem here is you are subtracting uint64 values and if now is under the deadline, you'll underflow and get a very large uint64 value (which is greater than 0), so you'll always execute the if condition. Instead you need to avoid the subraction as well and use
if monotime.Now() > deadline {
instead.
Conclusion
It is hard to get this right, but it's probably a good practice to separate out wall clock time values from time values used for deltas and timeouts. If you don't do this from the start though you are going to run into problems. It would be nice if this was better supported in your language's standard library; ideally you'd be forced to figure out which use case you needed a time value for, and use it for that.
Liked what you read? I am available for hire.Hands in cuffs (Shutterstock)
Washington D.C. police investigators are looking into how the department botched the rape case of an 11-year-old almost seven years ago, arresting her instead for filing a false report, reports The Washington Post.
According to her parents, even though their daughter, Danielle Hicks-Best [who allowed her name to be used in the story], showed signs of sexual assault, she was charged with filing a false report and they agreed to a poorly worded and confusing plea bargain on her behalf making her a ward of the state.
Since that time, Hicks-Best has spent years in and out of detention and secure treatment centers, when she wasn’t running away.
“After 11, she lost the rest of her childhood,” said Danielle’s foster mother, Veronica Best, who along with her husband Mayo have pushed the police to reopen her case and go after the men who assaulted her.
In 2008, Danielle was repeatedly raped by two men in a basement apartment which was reported to the police after she had gone missing overnight. A rape kit taken at Children’s National Medical Center proved conclusively that she had been sexually assaulted, yet detectives failed to follow up, even after she took them to the scene of the crime.
Less than one month later, Danielle was abducted once again and raped by a different man and then later by the same men from before. After being released, she was driven home by a passerby, and then taken to the hospital again by her parents where a detective came to speak with her.
Detective William Weeks of the Youth Investigations Division tracked down one of the men accused of raping her. But the 22-year-old man said the 11-year-old girl had claimed she was sixteen and was willing to have sex with any men in the house. Weeks confronted her about the assault and he said her story became confused and muddled.
“Over the next three-hour period, the Complainant proceeded to tell Detective Weeks a myriad of stories.... In the presence of her parents the Complainant continuously changed her stories whenever confronted with inconsistencies from the previous tale. It became apparent that the Complainant was determined to get any story across that she could, regardless of how incredible it might be,” Weeks’s report said
In a recent interview, Hicks-Best said, “I don’t remember giving lots of different accounts. What I remember was being confused, and I was exhausted, and I was still wearing the same clothes and I felt horrible.”
Although a rape kit once again showed that she had been sexually assaulted, Weeks went to the Office of the Attorney General and requested a custody order so he could charge her with making a false police report, which was granted. Weeks then marked the child sexual abuse case as “closed.”
In an internal email uncovered by the Washington Post, one police lieutenant called her “promiscuous” and stated that the “sex” consensual, despite the fact that at 11-years-old, the act constituted statutory rape.
Working from Weeks’ report which called the sexual assault accusations “unfounded,” a warrant was issued for the arrest of the young girl, now 12-years-old, who turned herself in and was taken away in shackles by police.
While Danielle’s foster mother admitted that she was difficult child, with severe behavioral, academic, and mental-health issues associated to drug exposure and physical abuse she suffered from her birth mother, a crack addict, she feels the police did a poor job handling her case, only to victimize her further.
“I was desperate for the police to do their job six years ago and get those guys off the street and away from Danielle,” Veronica Best said. “It’s hard not to be angry when she was the one locked up and labeled... a delinquent.”
Since the rapes and her arrest Danielle has suffered from depression, considered suicide, has run away multiple times, and has been in and out of residential mental health facilities.
Although D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier wouldn’t confirm details into the investigation of the police handling of Hicks-Best’s case, she said they were doing their best to make things right.
“Obviously we cannot turn the clock back and fix things that have happened in the past.... The best I can offer the hypothetical victim from six or seven years ago... is to make sure if there were any investigative leads that were never followed or things that should have been done that they are done. It’s never too late to try to correct things.”
In an interview with the Post, the young woman said she hoped her story, horrifying as it is, would help other young women who have been sexually assaulted. “A lot of this same stuff happens to young girls and they just keep it within themselves, sometimes for a long time. But if you bottle it up, you don’t get anywhere. If you can talk about it... people will understand better where you’re coming from and maybe you can get some closure.”
(Correction): A previous version of this article stated that prosecutor Joshua Henline labeled the sexual accusations “unfounded.” That was the conclusion of the police investigators. We regret the error.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
The Manchester City fan who ran onto the pitch and tried to confront Rio Ferdinand at yesterday's Manchester derby has apologised.
Matthew Stott, 21, was restrained by Blues keeper Joe Hart and subsequently arrested following Robin van Persie's late winner at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. He was subsequently charged with pitch encroachment.
City have removed his season ticket with immediate effect and he will be banned from the stadium for life if found guilty in court of a charge of pitch encroachment.
But speaking through his solicitors he has confessed his guilt - and said sorry to the Reds defender.
In a statement, the landscape gardener, from Knutsford, said: "I would like to apologise to all those affected by my actions yesterday, particularly Mr Ferdinand and the other players. I am extremely ashamed of my actions. I have let myself down, my family down, my fellow fans down and Manchester City Football Club.
"I intend to write personally to Mr Ferdinand to express my extreme regret and apologies and also apologise to Manchester United and their fans. I would like to thank Joe Hart for his actions when I came on the pitch."
"I have been a fan of Manchester City Football club all my life and I have been a season ticket holder for three years and I attend the games with my father. I have had the same seat in the section next to the away fans for those three years."
Rebecca Caulfield, solicitor at Stephen Lickrish & Associates, is representing Stott.
She said: "Mr Stott is a hard working man who has held a full time job as a landscape gardener for four years and lives with his partner of five years. He has never been to court before and has never been in trouble with any of the stewards at Manchester City Football Club before or at any other ground. He is extremely remorseful and is mortified by his behaviour which is completely out of character.
"This was a momentary mistake by Mr Stott which has led to him being charged, brought shame on his family, and will bring sanctions on the club that Mr Stott has supported all his life.
"Mr Stott will accept the consequences of his actions. He would like to make clear that he is not the stereotypical drunken football fan but a fan that attends games with his father. He is embarrassed and ashamed of his temporary moment of madness that has brought wider consequences on the club he supports and his fellow fans."You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
— A sign in a Granville County yard urging people to "kill liberals" is the latest in a string of fiery political messages posted by the homeowner, according to people in the area, who say they mostly ignore the rhetoric and the man behind it.
The sign, at the corner of Bruce Garner Road and Pocomoke Drive 2 in the southeast corner of the county reads "Civil War 'Now' Kill Liberals." The man who posted it wasn't home Wednesday when a WRAL News crew stopped by.
"This is quite offensive, and before the election, he had other offensive signs, too," said Ravinder Bindra, who runs a country store about a quarter-mile away on Bruce Garner Road. "I don’t pay, most of the time, any attention."
Bindra said the sign's owner stops by his store almost daily, but the Sikh immigrant from India said the man never bothers him.
"He has not been any trouble to me so far," he said. "I don’t know what his name is. See, nobody cares about him."
Some neighbors said the man, who also flies a Confederate flag, a "Don't Tread On Me" flag and a U.S. flag with only 13 stars, causes no trouble other than firing off guns in his yard and lighting bonfires with his buddies.
"That man’s posted all types of (stuff) out there in his yard," said Ronnie Keith, who lives up the road from the sign's owner. "It’s probably just for entertainment."
Keith said most people have an attitude similar to Bindra's when it comes to the man and his signs.
"They don’t care. It’s their opinion, and they know they have the right to say it," he said. "Me, myself, personally, I don’t really do politics."
Bindra said the signs don't signal local sentiment.
"(If it) was of a majority of the people, then I’d be worried, but a single person like him, I’m not worried about any mishappening or anything," he said.Published 7/28/15
Sanjay Shukla looked out over row upon row of tomato and pepper plants and had an idea: What would happen if he made the compacted soil rows taller and more narrow? Would the plants need less water, fertilizer and fumigation? Would the plants grow as tall? Would the plants produce as many vegetables?
And so, instead of planting rows that were normally 6 to 8 inches high and about 3 feet across, the University of Florida professor planted them 10 inches to a foot high and 1 ½ to 2 feet across. Instead of needing two drip lines to irrigate each row, they required only one. In addition, they needed fewer square feet in plastic mulch covering. He calls it “compact bed geometry” or “hilling.”
Shukla, who specializes in agricultural and biological engineering, was astounded by the answers.
Not only did the tall narrow rows grow the same amount of vegetables, they retained more fertilizers – reducing what would have leached into groundwater – and they would need half the amount of water. In addition, he cut fumigation rates for pests by as much as 50 percent.
Read entire article at this link:
http://news.ufl.edu/archive/2015/07/florida-researcher-finds-way-to-cut-cost-save-water-and-help-the-environment-by-changing-one-simple-thing.htmlSome 476 custodians, one-fifth of the 2,500-some employed by CPS or private companies, are in the process of being laid off, says CPS spokesman Bill McCaffrey.
These layoffs are happening despite the fact that principals are furious with the way their buildings have been cleaned over the past few months since the district turned over management of custodial services to two companies with $340 million in contracts. Last week, Catalyst reported that 230 principals responded to a survey and said that cleaning of their buildings was inadequate and that they were losing staff.
Troy LaRaviere, chairman of the activist principal group AAPPLE, responded angrily to the news. AAPPLE sent out the survey to principals.
“They don’t have enough custodians as it is and now this private company wants to lay off nearly 500 more in order to decrease their payroll and increase their profit margins at the expense of our schools and our students,” LaRaviere wrote in an e-mail to principals, which he shared with Catalyst.
La
|
about the New York Times' real-time election forecasts.
And Box CEO Aaron Levie was equally frustrated with 538 founder Nate Silver's predictions.
Nate Silver, we trusted you. — Aaron Levie (@levie) November 9, 2016
Sam Altman, head of the influential startup incubator Y Combinator was just all around nervous.
Can't remember the last time i felt so anxious :( — Sam Altman (@sama) November 9, 2016
Andreesen Horowitz'z Benedict Evans was ready to give up on Twitter entirely.
I prefer my Instagram feed — Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) November 9, 2016
Google Ventures general partner M.G. Siegler was starting to sound despondent.
...so, we're gonna have to learn the hard way then. 😞 — M.G. Siegler (@mgsiegler) November 9, 2016
Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield just wants it to be over.
DO THIS FASTER! — Stewart Butterfield (@stewart) November 9, 2016The formula — which reached its pinnacle with the international megahit “The Lion King” — isn’t foolproof. (Hello, “The Little Mermaid”! And hello, “Tarzan”!)But tourists who have been programmed to seek out all things Disney guarantee a strong initial audience for this whimsical variation on an “Arabian Nights” fantasy. Whether flying carpets and a shape-shifting genie will be morphed into credible stagecraft remains to be seen.
But at least one of the show’s songs, “A Whole New World” by Alan Menken and Tim Rice, is already tattooed on the memories of those who were moviegoing children two decades ago, not to mention the millions who have since been hypnotized by it via babysitting DVD players. Having simply written the title, I now can’t get the tune out of my head.
(This, in turn, leads me into a dark reverie: What if Disney decided to turn its “It’s a Small World” theme park ride into a Broadway show, with that one, insufferable song playing endlessly? No, perish the thought. I’m sorry I brought it up.)
By the way, the season’s two big musical revivals are of shows that became much celebrated movies. “Cabaret,” the 1966 Kander and Ebb musical about nightclubbing in Weimar Germany, was the basis for the sensational 1972 film, directed by Bob Fosse. When the stage version was revived in 1998, the show (which incorporated numbers that had been added for the film) became such a hit for the Roundabout Theater Company that it stuck around for 2,377 performances.
Now the Roundabout is bringing it back, with the same director and co-director (Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall) and one of the same stars: Alan Cumming, who won a Tony as the M.C. (Michelle Williams will make her Broadway debut as the divinely decadent Sally Bowles.)
Then there’s “Les Misérables,” the enduring blockbuster adapted by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil from Victor Hugo’s doorstop novel about life on the barricades (and in the sewers) in 19th-century Paris. First staged on Broadway in 1987, “Les Misérables” lasted until 2003. It was then brought back, with unseemly haste, in a 2006 revival.
Now here it comes again. In the meantime, of course, there was the 2012 movie adaptation, which racked up a lot of Oscar nominations and had everybody humming “I Dreamed a Dream” ad infinitum. In other words, the brand-name recognition of “Les Misérables” is greater than ever. Its reincarnation may be the ultimate example of the belief that on Broadway, familiarity breeds not contempt but big box office.Curious British 12-year-old Charlie Le Quesne just innocently wanted to know how many people there were in the world when he happened to be chewed out profanely by the iPhone app Siri at his local Tesco –a UK superstore, similar to Target. “Shut the fuck up, you ugly twat!” exclaimed the foul-mouthed app in response to his innocuous question.
Shocked by the iPhone’s X-rated response, Charlie’s mother, Kim, asked the phone the same question and received the same obscene reply.
According to the Sun‘s Andrew Parker:
“I asked for the manager and after staff heard it they agreed to unplug it.” Apologetic staff at Tesco in Coventry told Kim pranksters had tampered with the phone’s set-up instructions. The Siri system refers to the phone’s user by name — using information stored in its contacts system. The jokers had entered the rude seven-word phrase as the user’s name — so the phone blurted it out when it answered a question. But nursery worker Kim, 39, said: “I couldn’t see the funny side.” Tesco said: “We have launched an investigation. The handset will be going back to Apple for diagnostic tests.”
(h/t The Sun via HuffPo)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] Agents: Higher-Ups Let Guns Go To Cartels
Three agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives marched to Congress on Wednesday to blow the whistle on a risky operation targeting gun traffickers.
The agents told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that more than 1,000 guns tied to the ATF's investigation of drug cartels are still missing somewhere in the U.S. and Mexico. Lawmakers want to know who approved the operation in the first place.
The ATF agents testified that they tried for months to sound alarms about an operation called Fast and Furious, in which federal officers in Arizona watched AK-47s being sold to people who would pass them illegally to Mexican cartels.
The whistle-blowers said they wanted to intervene early and arrest the so-called straw buyers. But time after time, higher-ups who wanted to build big criminal cases against drug kingpins directed them not to act, they said.
ATF agent Peter Forcelli didn't mince words.
"Sir, it's my belief that what we have here is actually a colossal failure in leadership from within ATF, within the chain of command involved in this case, within the United States attorney's office and within DOJ as to the individuals who were aware of this strategy," he told lawmakers.
Forcelli said he never understood the strategy behind the ATF operation. To watch guns walk across the Southwest border, he said, was a recipe for disaster.
We weren't giving guns to people who were hunting bear. We were giving guns to people who were killing other humans.
"We weren't giving guns to people who were hunting bear. We were giving guns to people who were killing other humans," he said.
Two assault weapons purchased by a straw buyer who was targeted by investigators were recovered near where U.S. border patrol agent Brian Terry died in a firefight with Mexican bandits last December. Federal sources say they don't think the guns were used to shoot Terry.
Terry's cousin, Robert Heyer, spoke for the family at Wednesday's hearing.
"Brian did ultimately come home that Christmas. We buried him not far from the house that he was raised in, just prior to Christmas Day," Heyer said.
ATF whistle-blower Olindo Casa said there are more than 1,000 weapons from Fast and Furious still unaccounted for.
"Anytime there's a shooting in the general Phoenix area or even in Arizona, we're fearful that it might be one of these firearms," Casa said.
Congressional investigators released emails from a government strategy meeting in 2009 when senior officials from the Justice Department, the ATF and the FBI agreed to focus on bigger cases against the networks that traffic guns to Mexico.
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa has been pressing to find out who in Washington knew about the operation.
"We want to know what felony stupid bad judgment led to allowing this program at the highest level," he said at the hearing.
Prosecutors and congressional Democrats have said weak gun laws contribute to the violence on the Southwest border. But there's little political will in Congress to open up the divisive issue.
Ron Weich, speaking for the Justice Department, told lawmakers the federal policy on guns crossing the border is clear.
"The attorney general has made very clear that guns cannot walk to Mexico, that is to say it is a violation of law for guns to be transported across the border to Mexico," he said.
Issa has promised to hold more hearings to get to the bottom of the scandal.FORT MYERS, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida police said on Monday they had taken three people into custody but were searching for additional suspects in connection with a shooting outside a nightclub just after midnight that left two teenagers dead and more than a dozen people wounded.
The shooting took place shortly after 12:30 a.m. EDT (0430 GMT) on Monday in the parking lot of Club Blu, which was hosting an event open to teenagers, the Fort Myers Police Department said.
Police said Stef’An Strawder, an 18-year-old high school basketball star, and Sean Archilles, 14, were killed. Two other people were critically wounded.
Police officials in Fort Myers, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, said terrorism was not a factor in the state’s latest outburst of gun violence this summer, but provided no details about a possible motive.
The three young men were arrested after fleeing the scene in two vehicles and were charged in connection to that pursuit, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on Facebook.
According to the statement Derrick Church, 19, was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer after accelerating his vehicle toward a sheriff’s deputy. Church was shot in the stomach by the deputy during that altercation, but was treated and had been released from a hospital, the sheriff’s department said.
Demetrius O’Neal, 19, and Tajze Battle, 22, were taken into custody on suspicion of resisting arrest, according to the statement.
“This was not a terrorist act,” Fort Myers interim Police Chief Dennis Eads said at a news conference.
He said officers responding to the shooting found chaos at the scene.
“No one really knew what was going on or what happened,” Eads said.
Officers provided first aid to victims, bandaging some with tourniquets to stop bleeding, he said. Paramedics took some victims to the hospital while others drove themselves.
At least 19 people, ranging from 12- to 27-years-old, were treated at local hospitals, said Lisa Sgarlata, chief administrative officer for Lee Memorial Hospital.
Fort Myers police officers walk in the parking lot of Club Blu after a shooting attack in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S., July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Joe Skipper
Three patients remained hospitalized at Lee Memorial as of Monday afternoon, two of whom were in critical condition.
The shooting came six weeks after a massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, in central Florida, where a gunman who sympathized with Islamist extremist groups killed 49 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Despite the recent violence, Florida Governor Rick Scott said the state’s crime rates were at a 45-year low.
Fort Myers, about 150 miles southwest of Orlando, was the scene of another shooting incident last October when one person was killed and several wounded by gunfire at a festival that attracts thousands of people in zombie costumes.
ALL-AGES PARTY
Before the latest shooting, Club Blu, located in a partially vacant strip mall, was hosting a “swimsuit glow party” for people of all ages, according to a flyer posted on Twitter by television station WINK.
The nightclub said on its Facebook page that the shooting occurred when the venue was closing and parents were picking up their children. The page later appeared to have been removed.
“We tried to give the teens what we thought was a safe place to have a good time,” the nightclub’s post said, adding that armed security guards were present inside and outside the club. “It was not kids at the party that did this despicable act.”
Jean Archilles, 37, the father of the 14-year-old killed, said his son loved sports, especially basketball.
“It happened for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is,” he said in a telephone interview, adding that he had not been told details about his son’s death.
Sean Archilles was due to enter eighth grade at Royal Palm Exceptional Center, while Strawder was to start his senior year at Lehigh Senior High School, according to the Lee County School District.
Strawder’s mother, Stephanie White, told the News-Press newspaper that her son was shot in his right shoulder as he walked out of the club and was pronounced dead at the hospital. His 19-year-old sister survived a gunshot wound in the leg, White said.
Slideshow (10 Images)
Police said shots were also fired at a nearby residence, where there was one minor injury.
In a video interview, Syreeta Gary said her daughter and a friend ran for cover. Her daughter escaped unscathed, but a bullet struck a friend in the leg.It was the wildest weekend of the year in college baseball, as several ranked teams suffered series losses. Florida State, though, bounced back from a midweek loss to rival Florida, hitting the road and sweeping a three-game series from Boston College to stay atop the latest Perfect Game College Top 25.
Other programs weren't so lucky. Though the teams in the top seven of the rankings remain the same, with South Carolina leapfrogging Louisiana-Lafayette as the only change, there was a lot of movement elsewhere. Of the 18 remaining teams outside of the top seven, four failed to win a single game last week, while 12 of the 18 had unsuccessful weekends.
Louisville, Mississippi State and Houston are the newest top-10 clubs in the latest rankings. The Cardinals went from No. 12 to No. 8 after another good weekend, Mississippi State went from No. 13 to No. 9 after winning its third Southeastern Conference series, and Houston moved from No. 15 to No. 10 after a good weekend against Memphis.
Texas vaulting from No. 22 to No. 12 and UNLV and Clemson vaulting six spots each was the biggest upward movement in the rankings, while Cal State Fullerton, for instance, dropped from No. 11 to No. 22 after losing yet another series, this time on the road against Wichita State.
North Carolina State, North Carolina and Auburn dropped from the rankings. The Wolfpack was swept at home by Miami, UNC was swept on the road by Duke and Auburn dropped a tough and surprising home series to Missouri.
The newest entrants to the rankings include No. 18 Washington, No. 20 Alabama and No. 24 Florida. The Huskies improved to 20-5 with a road series sweep over USC and are winners of 10-straight, the Crimson Tide did a clean home sweep of Ole Miss, and Florida had a terrific week that included a midweek triumph over Florida State and weekend series sweep over LSU.
The Perfect Game College Top 25 is released every Monday during the season.
COLLEGE CHAT: Check out the transcript
Rk Prev Team Overall record Weekly record 1 1
Florida State 22-5 3-1 2 2
Virginia 23-4 5-0 3 4
South Carolina 24-3 5-0 4 3
Louisiana-Lafayette 26-3 4-1 5 5
Cal Poly 23-4 4-0 6 6
Vanderbilt 23-6 3-1 7 7
Oregon State 21-6 2-1 8 12
Louisville 21-6 4-0 9 13
Mississippi State 20-10 3-1 10 15
Houston 22-5 3-1 11 8
Oregon 19-8 2-3 12 22
Texas 22-7 3-1 13 10
Rice 21-9 2-3 14 9
Louisiana State 20-8 0-4 15 21
Clemson 17-9 3-0 16 14
UC Santa Barbara 19-5 2-2 17 17
Kentucky 19-9 2-2 18 NR
Washington 20-5 4-0 19 25
UNLV 19-8 3-1 20 NR
Alabama 19-8 4-0 21 16
Mississippi 21-8 0-4 22 11
Cal State Fullerton 14-10 1-2 23 18
UCLA 16-10 2-2 24 NR
Florida 19-9 4-0 25 20
Tennessee 19-7 0-3A Belgian mayor in the coastal town of Kokzijde has sought to ban male refugees from a local swimming pool after police were called to investigate an incident involving an Iraqi man and a 10-year-old girl.
Local media in Belgium reported the asylum seeker, in his 20s, was taken in by police for questioning after he caught a girl coming off a slide in the local swimming pool. Two witnesses claimed the man held the girl inappropriately for several seconds before she was able to tear herself away.
De Redactie reported the man told police what had happened was no more than an unfortunate collision. He may be required to return to the police station for further questioning. The incident follows a number of complaints from women using the pool. "The problem is part of a series of incidents that occurred...that worries us," Chief of Police Nico Paelinck was quoted as saying. "The director of the pool has already received several reports from women or their spouses," he added.
Women said residents from the nearby asylum centre were taking photos of them while they were swimming or had been constantly staring at them.
The town's mayor is seeking to temporarily ban male refugees from the swimming pool in the wake of the complaints. The town recently took in 300 asylum seekers. Marc Vanden Bussche told Reuters news agency he would ask for a one month ban to stop the situation from worsening. "We had women complain because they felt stared at and selfies had been taken with them. It's escalating. We never had any complaints before," he said.
Belgium's secretary of State for migration has warned against sanctioning all refugees for the actions of a few. "It's never wise to punish a whole group for the transgressions of a few," he said in a tweet. "Asylum seekers live in open centres, they're free to go swimming. But hands off!"
The trouble in Belgium comes on the heels of a string of sexually motivated attacks by believed refugees and asylum seeker across Europe. The German town of Bornheim in the west of the country has also banned refugees from a local pool in similar circumstances.
Attacks on more than 600 women in Cologne on New Year's Eve provoked a public backlash against refugees and asylem seekers. The series of assaults and thefts were perpetrated by men of North African and Middle Eastern appearance. Police in German have said they are now focusing their investigations on illegal migrants from North Africa as well as asylum seekers.By now you've probably heard of the “Panama Papers,” the name bestowed on a massive database leaked from a law firm based in Panama. The leaked documents show that the company, Mossack Fonseca, helps its clients set up offshore shell companies, some of which are allegedly linked to crime.
Why is this such a big deal? The size of the release, for one, is staggering; then there's what all these files stand to reveal about offshore banking by global elites and its ties to illegal activities.
Before we get into all that, let's define "offshore company": a corporation or legal entity registered in jurisdictions that allow tax exemption, anonymity and minimal government oversight. These jurisdictions are also called tax havens. While it is not illegal to set up an offshore company, including a shell operation, many use them to dodge taxes and hide proceeds from criminal activities.
If you want a first-hand sense of how this works, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — the main group behind the papers' release — created a game where you can assume the role of a politician or wealthy soccer player to navigate the "secret world" of offshore banking.
Now let's look at the Panama Papers. As we said, the leaked database is huge — the biggest data leak in history. The documents together dwarf all recent major leaks combined, including the WikiLeaks dump of American diplomatic cables in 2010 and Edward Snowden's files on the NSA in 2013.
Credit: Süddeutsche Zeitung
The database was sent to Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the largest and most influential newspapers in Germany, over a year ago by an anonymous source.
Realizing what it would take to handle the massive trove of data, Süddeutsche Zeitung approached the ICIJ, a reporting arm of the Washington, DC-based Center for Public Integrity, which has a record of completing cross-border investigations into leaked financial data.
The ICIJ subsequently brought together almost 400 journalists — from over 100 news outlets in nearly 80 countries — to investigate the Panama Papers. They started to publish their findings on Sunday.
Credit: Süddeutsche Zeitung
The papers named current and former heads of state, government officials and international organizations, as well as their relatives and associates.
Use this interactive developed by the ICIJ to find out who's who:
The leaked data also show that more than 500 banks and their subsidiaries used Mossack Fonseca's services to register offshore companies, which has been a huge blow to the reputations of some major banks, including HSBC and Credit Suisse.
How does all this affect ordinary people? The impact is indirect, but huge. When individuals or companies hide their assets in tax havens through shell companies, the governments that they should pay taxes to lose an important source of income which could be used to improve the lives of citizens.
A study by Tax Justice Network, an international research and advocacy group, conservatively estimated that at least $21 to $32 trillion was hiding in more than 80 tax havens in 2010.
The study also found that individual elites in 139 mainly low-middle income countries had accumulated $7.3 to $9.3 trillion of unrecorded offshore wealth in 2010, while their governments were borrowing themselves into bankruptcy and other economic predicaments.
If 30 percent of $7.3 trillion in hidden wealth was paid as taxes and divided equally among 139 countries, each would get almost $16 billion. Imagine what a country like Nigeria could build with $16 billion.
The ICIJ isn't done yet. They've promised to release more data in early May, and other outlets involved in the investigation are also expected to publish damning reports.To celebrate our amazing double bill screening of Horror Express (1972) and White Zombie (1932) at the Roxy Bar & Screen in London on Saturday 7th July we decided to share with you some fab reviews of Horror Express by some of the internets top writers! Our headline review below is by the awesome Ric Crossman aka @squidfromspace!
Once you’re done reading it why not check out these Horror Express reviews from the following:
NUTS4R2
Martin Unsworth
British Horror Films
And also check out this White Zombie (1932) review from DVD Infatuation!
Don’t forget to buy your tickets for our classic horror double bill from WeGotTickets!
Check out Classic Horror Campaign on Facebook!
HORROR EXPRESS
The best horror films are, at heart, about mystery; whodunnit’s freed from strictly earthbound rules, and aiming to distract the investigator with as many scares as possible. Watching great horror should be like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube in zero gravity, whilst being threatened by a bear. Horror Express ups the ante in this department with constant on-the-fly rewrites of both narrative and trope. It’s difficult to go into detail without spoilers – what makes this era of horror cinema so fascinating is its unpredictable flights into glorious madness – so consider the following. Any sufficiently savvy genre fan can take a fifteen-minute stretch of most pre-millennial horror films, and extrapolate at least the bare bones of the movie’s trajectory. There’s a reason Scream’s rules drew blood.
What makes Horror Express work isn’t that it prevents such analysis; it’s that it reshuffles itself so often no two slices could lead to our hypothetical horror boffins coming up with remotely similar scenarios. Our puzzle cube is now a pyramid. Or an icosahedron. Or the Duke of Edinburgh. Director Eugenio Martin makes the most of his cast in spinning out the bafflement. With Cushing and Lee on deck (neither aiming for the performances of their lives but both turning in characteristically strong turns) as rival anthropologists trapped together on a trans-Siberian train, you can keep the audience guessing almost indefinitely. Throw in Telly Savalas – an American-born Greek speaker putting as much effort into pretending to be a Russian Cossack as Sean Connery does in pretending to not be Sean Connery, but captivating nonetheless - as your wild card, and you have a film far harder to pin down than its prosaic opening would suggest, as well as enough top-billing voltage to forgive what are generally rather workmanlike performances elsewhere.It isn’t just the intersection of stars that make the proceedings so entertaining to unpack.
There’s a constant sense throughout of, for want of a better term, deliberate narrative unsteadiness, which maintains interest through some of the films more problematic violations of science and logic, as well as a feeling of constant movement. It would be too pat to link such lurching progress to Horror Express’ titular transport, and of course anyone attempting to describe a film as a ride of any kind should be sent back to reviewing school to retake “Cliché Avoidance”. That said, the sense of motion – sideways as well as forward – is ever-present.This was a year of hard lessons. Movie attendance and ticket sales fell. Television shows struggled and died. Book publishers faced an electronic future. And through it all, some great works of the imagination thrived. What did 2010 teach us?
Advertisement
1. Ruling Comic Con doesn't guarantee a winning box office. The writing's been on the wall for a long time, but now it's totally legible. San Diego Comic Con is a great place to build buzz for a new movie or TV series, but it doesn't guarantee anything. (We posted a list of films in years past that wowed the Hall H crowds and bombed at the box office here.) This year, films that were like catnip to Comic Con-goers but failed at the box office included Scott Pilgrim, Kick-Ass, Skyline, and Let Me In. And then there's Tron Legacy — which hasn't done as badly as those other films, but seems unlikely to make back its $170 million budget in the U.S. – Tron Legacy was greenlit after Hall H went nuts for a test video in 2008, and was heavily pimped at SDCC 2009 and 2010, but still failed to do as well, in its first two weekends, as last year's Sherlock Holmes.* Tron Legacy wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Comic Con, but it couldn't ride that SDCC love to box office nirvana. (Plus, we came away from SDCC 2010 with the impression that people were pretty excited about The Event.)
* – Yes, we know Tron Legacy will make back its money overseas, but domestic gross still matters, or Prince of Persia would be considered a huge hit. And we know there was a blizzard, although that didn't affect the movie's opening weekend.
Advertisement
2. Supervillains are the new hotness. Hollywood has been nuts for superheroes for a while, but this was arguably the year of the supervillain. Two of the year's biggest animated movies, Despicable Me and Mega-Mind, were about masterminds who grow as people over the course of a movie. And the best part of Iron Man 2, the part everybody's still raving about, was Mickey Rourke's turn as Whiplash. Meanwhile, one of the most buzzed about comic book runs this year was Paul Cornell's stint on Action Comics, which put Lex Luthor front and center.
Advertisement
3. 3D doesn't guarantee anything. After Avatar earned the GDP of several Eastern European countries, and then Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans both did surprisingly well, Hollywood seemed to think 3D could make any movie a hit, regardless of quality. It couldn't. Otherwise, we'd be marveling at the awesome success of Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Piranha 3D, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Alpha and Omega, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and Yogi Bear, among others. Showing a movie in 3D allows you to charge more for tickets, but that only helps if people actually show up. And we've learned the hard way that a lot of the time, 3D doesn't add much to a movie — even if it was filmed in 3D instead of being converted afterwards. Bottom line: a good movie might make more money in 3D, but it won't help a bad or indifferent movie.
4. Television is where a lot of the most mind-bending storytelling happens. For every Inception in the movie theaters, there were shows like Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, and many others. In speculative fiction, we had the tail end of Lost, a show that proved that you could confound your viewers — and they would continue to watch, in crazy numbers. This year, True Blood skated past being a hit and became a bona fide institution, and The Walking Dead became one of the fall's most talked-about shows. And Fringe, despite less-than-awesome ratings, finally took its place as one of the all-time great science fiction sagas — and a critical hit, judging by how many people are raving about it in year-end roundups like this one.
Advertisement
5. But television audiences just don't want scary/freaky paranoid conspiracies. At least, that seems to be the lesson from the failure of so many conspiracy/thriller/WTF shows this year. FlashForward, V, The Event and Fringe, to name just a few, all seemed to suffer from the unwillingness of Nielsen households to engage with anything where something freaky is going on and shadowy figures are telling other shadowy figures that there are even more shadowy figures in the shadows. The idea of combining science fictional ideas with the thriller/mystery/procedural genre seems like a no-brainer — both science fiction and the procedural are about uncovering the truth, after all. But whether it's that audiences don't want too much weirdness in their thrillers, or that they're sick of the evil conspiracies altogether, they just couldn't get down with the scifi mysteries.
Advertisement
6. Book piracy has arrived. Apple only introduced the iPad last January, but it's already become ubiquitious. And 2010 was the year that a lot of e-book holdouts got used to the idea of reading a whole book on a Kindle, a Nook or an iPad. While publishers battled over how much their new hardcovers would cost as ebooks — with the battle between Amazon and Macmillan blowing up into a public battle, with Amazon even delisting Macmillan books at one point — e-book piracy was becoming a serious concern. At the start of the year, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol became a symbol of book piracy, with 100,000 downloads of the torrent within a few days. The most pirated ebooks of 2009 were mostly things like the Kama Sutra, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex, and How To Get Anyone To Say Yes — but we're betting the list for 2010 will include a lot more actual bestsellers. Piracy and pressure for cheaper e-books will continue to chip away at publishers' margins.
7. At least at the movies, people don't want a downer. For the past few years, everybody's been saying that during a shitty economy, people would want fun and escapism. But this year, movie-goers definitely seemed to punish any movie that promised a post-apocalyptic world, or a dystopian hell, or a lesson about how much people suck. The Book of Eli, Resident Evil 4, Never Let Me Go, Repo Men, Let Me In... if it was bleak or took place in a world where everything was fucked up, audiences really didn't want to know. (Of course, on television it was a different story, at least as far as The Walking Dead was concerned.)
Advertisement
8. But when it comes to young-adult literature, dystopias rule. After the success of the Hunger Games books and the critical acclaim of Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking trilogy, we're seeing a lot more future dystopias aimed at young adult readers. Especially notable and buzz-worthy: the Incarceron books by Catherine Fisher, and Matched by Allie Condie. Maybe younger people are more comfortable delving into the depths of nastiness when the real world is going down the tubes, or maybe book consumers are a slightly more select bunch than moviegoers, and they can still stomach a bit more nastiness. Or maybe it's because people in post-apocalyptic books have a degree of introspection and personal growth that's harder to show on a movie screen. Whatever the reason, dystopian YA books felt like a sure thing this year, even as their movie counterparts struggled.Dante Chinni and James Gimpel, in a 2010 book called “Our Patchwork Nation,” subdivided America into a dozen categories, with special emphasis on the urban-rural divide, to explain why different places go in such different directions. Gimpel, who teaches at the University of Maryland, told me that rural and small-town residents feel belittled by “what they perceive as the cultural imperialism of big cities.” They hunker around their Fox News, which feeds their resentment.
He is surely right about rural alienation, but, as Gimpel acknowledges, America is increasingly neither urban nor rural; it is suburban, or urban-ish. The Patchwork formula doesn’t fully explain why Iowa, one of our least urbanized states, has accepted same-sex marriage, or why voters in the most urbanized state, California, voted to reject it.
I heard a more satisfying if somewhat depressing explanation for the seemingly random eruptions of political idiosyncrasy from Samuel Abrams, who teaches politics at Sarah Lawrence and Stanford. Abrams, who has spent the last decade or so researching our political habits, begins with the evidence that most Americans are simply not engaged in local politics, except perhaps on pocketbook issues. In the absence of public attention, motivated, well-financed and sometimes extreme elites have captured the lawmaking process in many state capitals. Legislatures are vulnerable to (and often populated by) the most ardent believers in a cause, the ones who care enough to take the time, raise the money, turn out on Election Day and lobby relentlessly.
“People who participate in state and local government tend not to be representative of the masses at all,” Abrams told me. “They tend to be highly engaged political elites — 15 percent of the population who think they’re fighting this culture war. They’ll see an opening. They’ll see a judge, they’ll see a legislature that looks amenable to something, and they’ll try to push it through and build a groundswell around that.”
This dynamic applies to both liberals and conservatives, by the way, although a variety of studies show Republicans have pulled much further to the right than Democrats have to the left.A Victorville woman was facing 21 felony counts of insurance and workers’ compensation fraud Monday after allegedly making a false claim against McDonald’s for burns on her hands she said she received from spilled coffee.
Selena Edwards, 38, claimed the lid on a coffee cup she was handed at a McDonald’s drive-thru was not secured and the coffee spilled on her right hand, leaving her with second-degree burns, the California Department of Insurance stated in a news release.
Edwards submitted photos of the burns along with her injury claim, but detectives discovered that some of the photos had been copied from a hospital website, according to the news release.
“By copying legitimate burn photos from the Internet, Edwards attempted to make a profit from another person’s pain and suffering and for this she will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said.
Edwards was scheduled to appear in court Monday for a preliminary hearing.APA: 'Photographers' Rights Have Been Under Attack'
× Email American Photographic Artists, APA National
(PRLEAP.COM) In the past few weeks, three events have surfaced that serve to illustrate the assault working and emerging professional photographers are under to surrender their federally-guaranteed rights to earn a living from their images. The American Photographic Artists (APA), the most prestigious national organization for professional photographers, and its national chapter, APA/EP (focused on editorial photographers), are deeply concerned with these ongoing developments.APA continues to urge independent photographers to resist surrendering rights to their images without fair compensation, while continuing to evolve and adapt to a new digital-media reality.1. Condé Nast publications' Vogue Magazine has partnered with the Italian fashion designer, Bottega Veneta, in a photography competition that unnecessarily and unfairly grabs unlimited, non-photo-credited rights, including lucrative publication and advertising rights, to every image submitted to the contest NOT just winning images, but EVERY IMAGE: http://promotions.vogue.com/promo_newexposure2013.php. Unfortunately, they are not alone in their strategy. Hundreds of photo contests every year build vast libraries of free imagery by dangling the promise of exposure and publicity, then insidiously seizing broad usage rights to every image submitted via the fine print of the contests' terms.APA endorses the mission of the Artists Bill of Rights organization http://artists-bil-of-rights.org and strongly believes that while photo contests can play a role within a photographer's well-planned marketing strategy, the price of admission should not be the complete surrender of copyright to every image submitted. We should never be so vain, or so desperate, to get published that we forget that the ultimate goal of being published is to be paid.2. On May 20, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was quoted as saying, "There's no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [with so many people taking photographs] there's really no such thing as professional photographers anymore." While she quickly apologized on her Twitter account @marissamayer and claimed the comment was taken out of context, this
|
startle or will he return the challenge? It's a war of nerves.
A self-confident alpha male just approaches his challenger and sets him straight, either by attacking him or performing a spectacular display of his own. No avoidance of eye contact: he takes the bull by the horns.
It rather is the hesitant or fearful alpha male who avoids looking straight at the other, sidesteps him as if nothing happened, ducks when objects fly, and just hopes that the other will give up and go away. This may work, but also signals weakness. One day, the challenger will pick up courage and do something more drastic, such as hitting the old guy's back. If the latter still tries to ignore his challenger after this, he's toast.
I read the body language between McCain and Obama as that between a senior male being challenged by a remarkably confident junior one. The senior didn't know exactly what to do. He avoided eye contact and body orientation, probably realizing that a direct confrontation might not go his way.
If McCain was an alpha male, it was an incredibly insecure one.
In another primatological reflection, a year ago I wrote about Hillary Clinton as alpha female, stating that only post-reproductive females will likely be successful securing massive support, since they pose no sexual competition to other females. McCain's choice of a female running mate of reproductive age obviously violated this rule, and it doesn't surprise me that she now has more support among men than women. In fact, the logic of sexual competition would predict that the former support will erode the latter.
Seeing an older male paired with a much younger female sets off red flags in the heads of many women, so that for McCain and Palin to appear side-by-side may be problematic. This is another major drawback to his choice of running mate, since appearing together is a critical part of political communication. It show others who your coalition partners are. Male chimps who are united groom each other, walk together, display in synchrony, all of which tells everybody else "we stick together, don't mess with us." This is relatively easily done between males, and such bonding has indeed been on display between Obama and Biden, two differently aged males with mutually understanding smiles and back slaps. Following the debate, Biden was on TV to praise Obama's performance (not unlike the way chimps hoot along with their heroes from a distance to signal support), whereas Palin was nowhere in sight.
It may be hard for McCain to avoid the appearance of being a loner.
For a recent interview (8 September, 2008) about the comparisons between primate and human politics listen to CBC's "The Current" (scroll down to Part 3: Political Primatologist).Evicted San Jose State students can cancel plans for couch-surfing — they’ve got reservations at the Clarion Hotel, with a pool, hot tub, spa, cable TVs and weekly maid service.
“Just three miles from campus, the Clarion Hotel is a resort-style property,” according to a long-awaited letter from SJSU’s housing office, emailed Wednesday to the 100 former dorm residents whose housing was in limbo.
The university ran out of space in its dorms when 4,000 freshmen opted to enroll this fall, up from 2,760 freshmen last year — so older students, told to leave, suddenly found themselves homeless, with an offer to shack up at a mystery hotel. School starts in three weeks. The university has been scrambling since July to find a willing hotel — but needed a commitment from students ahead of time.
At their new home on North Fourth Street, students will face the inconvenience of a commute that interferes with campus social life and library hours.
And while each room has a mini refrigerator, there’s no cafeteria. Instead, the Clarion, a “business class” hotel, offers The Island Grill (“steak and seafood with an island twist”) or tropical drinks in front of 42-inch plasma TVs at The Bamboo Lounge. But neither one is included in the university’s meal plan.
“They’re welcome here, absolutely,” as long as they are over 21, said Martin Garcia, a bartender at the The Bamboo Lounge, adding that disc jockeys spin records on the weekends.
Students, however, won’t have the same privileges as other hotel guests. For instance, room service won’t deliver icy daiquiris or fresh towels.
But the announcement will come as a relief to those who feared sleepless nights at the Roach Motel. Will the news be so welcomed by Clarion guests? The hotel manager did not return calls for comment Thursday.
It’s an economic marriage: The hotel’s average occupancy rates between 40 and 60 percent.
Leasing motel space is a creative solution to a problem posed by the university’s decision to require all freshmen to live in dorms, except those from local families. Studies show the new students do better when they live on campus, forming lifelong bonds with fewer worldly distractions.
Stanford, with lots of space and money, guarantees a room all four years. Santa Clara University doesn’t promise a room, although it has recently been able to accommodate everyone.
But most urban schools, such as San Francisco State, don’t guarantee campus-sponsored housing for all returning students. UC Berkeley promises only two years for new students and one year for transfers. The popular San Diego State has merely 3,700 beds for more than 30,000 students, with freshmen and transfers getting first dibs.
But SJSU’s last-minute change angered some families, who said the school shouldn’t have required on-campus housing when there wasn’t enough space to accommodate everyone — even those who reserved dorm rooms months ago. Parents also preferred the convenience and safety of dorms with security systems, regulations and tight oversight.
Other families were upset by the school’s request to commit before the school had a commitment from a hotel. Meanwhile, San Jose’s off-campus housing market is tight, with rents rising — and time was short.
The last time SJSU faced a housing crunch was a decade ago, when there weren’t enough dorms and the tech bubble caused off-campus rents to skyrocket. But back then, local hotels were too full with business travelers. So the school instead appealed to alumni to rent out rooms.
Things eased up with the 2005 construction of the Campus Village housing complex, adding thousands of beds and transforming the school from a commuter to residential campus. Then enrollment dropped, and some rooms gathered dust.
When UC Santa Cruz ran out of space, it took a similar approach, renting out rooms in a downtown Holiday Inn, near the beach and bustling Pacific Avenue. This strategy was problem-free, except for one cross-dressed male student who took a dip in a bikini in the hotel’s hot tub.
Since then, UC Santa Cruz converted the hotel into its own University Town Center, offering students 108 beds on the fourth and fifth floors of the building.
Increasingly, universities are striving to keep students near campus. At UC Berkeley, more than 1,300 new beds have been added in the past decade, including an off-campus Craftsman-style student apartment building in 2002. “Over the years, we’ve tried to build more and more housing to accommodate as many students as possible,” said UC Berkeley spokesman Bob Sanders.
But new dorm construction at SJSU during such tight fiscal times is impractical.
Instead, students are invited to a hotel “open house,” planned this month. “We will look forward to seeing you at the Clarion Hotel,” said SJSU’s email.By Peter Schwartz
2015 was shaping up to be a historic year for soccer in our area.
The Red Bulls were coming off the best back-to-back seasons in franchise history while expansion club New York City FC had been creating a lot of buzz with the signings of international stars David Villa and Frank Lampard.
But the Red Bulls angered their fan base by firing popular head coach Mike Petke, while NYCFC misled everyone about the Lampard “loan” to Manchester City, and that led to both teams earning red cards from the media and fans.
While all this was going on, the Cosmos — a franchise that captured the imagination of this area in the 70s and 80s — just went about their business in trying to re-establish themselves as a soccer power.
“I think it all starts with having a good owner,” said Cosmos chief operating officer Erik Stover. “We have Seamus O’Brien as our chairman, and he has provided excellent leadership and vision for our staff, front office, sporting department and players.”
After a 29-year absence, the Cosmos returned to the pitch in 2013 and won their sixth NASL Soccer Bowl. Last season, they fell short of their goal by losing in the semifinals to San Antonio in overtime. Back in their heyday, the Cosmos did not deal with losing very well.
Fast forward 30 years and nothing has changed.
“It was a disappointing result,” said Stover of the playoff loss. “I was thinking, ‘I hate this business and I don’t ever want to do this again.’ But you get to the offseason and you can’t wait to have another day.”
The offseason has provided plenty of productive days for the Cosmos, but the biggest one ended a courtship that started during the 2014 season. Just like decades ago when they brought in the likes of Pele, Chinaglia and Beckenbauer, the Cosmos made a huge splash with the signing of former Real Madrid star Raul.
The striker attended a game this past season to check out his potential future club, and he immediately created a buzz. When he was noticed by fans sitting in a suite, chants of “Raul Raul Raul” echoed throughout Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University.
Raul is going to do a little bit of everything for the Cosmos. Not only will he boost the club’s offensive output and ticket sales, but he’ll also be involved in the creation of the Cosmos Youth Academy.
“I think he’s your prototypical Cosmos player,” said Stover. “He has tremendous ability. He’s world recognized. Aside from scoring goals and helping us win a championship, his most important impact will be with our youth development system. Obviously he’ll have an impact on ticket sales, but it’s not as simple as signing a guy and everything is going to be fine and we’re going to be sold out every game.”
Selling out the 11,929-seat Shuart Stadium on Long Island is one thing, but the Cosmos have their sights set on filling a proposed 25,000-seat stadium as part of a $400 million privately-financed complex to be built next to Belmont Park.
So far, there has been no answer on the proposal from the New York State Economic Development Corporation.
“I think a decision is overdue,” said Stover, who oversaw the construction and operation of Red Bull Arena when he was the managing director of the Red Bulls. “I don’t think that anybody involved would have expected that something like this would take so long.
“We don’t have any expectations about when an answer is going to come. We remain patient.”
If the answer is no, the Cosmos could possibly look for a stadium site elsewhere.
But for the time being, Hofstra University is Cosmos Country, and local soccer fans will be treated to a terrific club in 2015. In addition to Raul, the Cosmos have improved their roster with the signings of Adam Moffat and former Stony Brook star Leo Fernandes, on loan from the Philadelphia Union. They also signed two-time NASL Best XI midfielder Walter Restrepo, who was previously with the Soccer Bowl-champion San Antonio Scorpions.
The team has also locked up sporting director and head coach Giovanni Savarese to a contract extension.
“He is, I think, the personification of the modern Cosmos,” said Stover. “I think we’d be lost without him, particularly in this early phase of bringing the club back.”
Another phase in the Cosmos’ growth occurred last week, as the club announced that it is putting a team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a developmental league recognized as the fourth division of American soccer.
New York Cosmos B will be part of the club’s academy system, but it will also give younger players on the first team a chance to play in reserve matches.
All of this comes two years after the Cosmos’ reboot started with a plan to establish a “proper” soccer club.
“Over the past two years, we’ve done everything that we’re capable of doing,” said Stover. “Obviously we would have liked to win two championships. So far, so good. But we have a long way to go to establish that mission statement.”
The Cosmos won’t be battling the Red Bulls or NYCFC head-to-head unless they meet in the U.S. Open Cup, but they are already beating them in the court of public opinion. The organization has worked diligently to not only bring back the once-storied franchise, but to restore its place as one of the most recognizable clubs in the world.
It’s been an offseason of nothing but smiles and cheers from Cosmos Country, a far cry from what Red Bulls and NYCFC fans have had to endure.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow the Cosmos @NYCosmos and get ticket information here.Police officers stand in front of the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, on Jan. 8, 2016. (Photo: EPA)
Eighteen asylum seekers are among those who allegedly carried out a string of attacks during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne, Germany’s Interior Ministry said Friday.
Police identified 31 suspects in connection with assaults and robberies, at least 18 of whom are asylum seekers, Interior Minister Tobias Plate told reporters on Friday, AP reported.
At least 170 criminal complaints related to the incident have been filed, including 120 of a sexual nature, Cologne police said.
On Friday, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia dismissed Cologne’s police chief, Wolfgang Albers, after heightened criticism over the way police handled the dozens of reports of sexual assaults.
The move was “necessary to restore public trust and the Cologne police’s ability to act, with a view to upcoming major events,” Interior Minister Ralf Jaeger said in a statement, AP reported.
Police initially identified the suspects as up to 1,000 men "of Middle Eastern origin,” but later backtracked as public officials cautioned there was little information on whether those involved were migrants.
According to the police report released Friday, nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, five Iranians and four Syrians were among the 31 suspects, Plate said, according to the New York Times. The 31 suspects are not believed to have carried out assaults that were sexual in nature, according to AP.
Police said groups of men robbed and attacked women as the New Year's festivities were in high gear at the main square near the historic cathedral and main train station. The attacks occurred as officers were clearing the crowd from the square for safety concerns because they saw men firing firecrackers into the throngs of celebrants.
Police in Hamburg and Stuttgart said they received similar, but fewer complaints of assaults and robberies that occurred on New Year's, the German daily Die Welt reported.
"What happened in Cologne and in other places in Germany is unacceptable and can't happen again," German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said at the news conference. "This has never happened before, at least not in these dimensions."
The assaults outraged many in the country, and ignited calls for Germany to re-examine its stance on the refugees flooding into Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed 1 million migrants and refugees into Germany in 2015, mainly from war-torn Syria, Iraq and other Muslim countries, saying it was the "right thing to do." But the massive influx also raised concerns about security.
Plate said police are investigating whether the assaults in Cologne were linked to similar assaults in nearby cities, AP reported.
Contributing: Florian Neuhof and Jabeen Bhatti, Special for USA TODAY.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1OUEeUvToday Steelers WR Antonio Brown moves the age bar from 24 to 25, as he celebrates his birthday about two weeks before the Black and Gold start another season with training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Brown has become one of the most dynamic players for the Steelers, today we wish him a Happy Birthday with the Top Five Moments of his Steelers Career.
5. 60-yard TD vs Bengals 12/23/12 – In a December matchup vs the Bengals, the Steelers were fighting for their playoff lives. They trailed 7-0 after a pick six by the Bengals, and then 10-0 as the half neared. They got a huge play from Brown, who took in a 60-yard pass from Ben Rothelisberger and went the distance, cutting the Bengals lead to three at 10-7. The Steelers lost in a heartbreaker to knock them out of the playoffs, but it was a play that showed again the big play ability for Brown.
4. 79-yard TD Catch to Clinch Win Over Browns 12/8/11 – The Steelers were having major issues putting their rivals away on a Thursday night in December, leading just 7-3 with about 3 minutes to play. The team had avoided falling behind with a pick by William Gay at the 20-yard line. Looking to put the game away, the Steelers turned to Brown, who made a catch and raced 79 yards to the end zone, his second TD of the season and it couldn’t have been bigger, clinching a 14-3 win over Cleveland.
3. 14-yard grab to clinch the AFC Title Game vs Jets 1/23/11 – The Steelers were on the verge of maybe one of the biggest collapses of all-time. The team led the AFC Title game 24-0, but with just over 2:00 left, they found themselves hanging on to a 24-19 lead. It came down to one play, a 3rd-and-6 from the Jets 40 with a shot to go to the Super Bowl. Rothelisberger rolled out, and who was there, but Brown. The WR made the diving 14-yard catch, clinching the game and making yet another huge play in the postseason.
2. Kickoff Return Vs Titans 9/19/10 – It was the moment that Brown first appeared on the spotlight, taking a kickoff from returner Mewlede Moore and racing 89 yards on the opening play of the game for a score. It set the tempo for the Steelers to pull out a gutsy 19-11 win to get to 2-0 on the season, and for the first time Brown’s name was in the headlines for a big play.
1. 58-yard Playoff Grab vs Ravens 1/15/11 – It was the defining moment in Brown’s career to date, and a play that many Steeler fans admit pushed the team to Super Bowl XLV. Brown going up against Ravens CB Laradius Webb raced down the sideline, and hauled in against his helmet a 58-yard catch that set up the Steelers game-winning score in a 31-24 comeback win over the Ravens. The play seemed to set in motion Brwon’s career as a big-play wide out, and it got him on a national stage as a rookie for the first time.A wave disk engine or wave disk generator is a type of pistonless rotary engine being developed at Michigan State University and Warsaw Institute of Technology. The engine has a spinning disk with curved blades. Once fuel and air enter the engine, the rotation of the disk creates shockwaves that compress the mixture. When ignited, the burning mixture expands, pushing against the blades, causing them to spin. The spinning of the disk itself opens and closes intake and exhaust ports.[1] The proposed concept was called a radial internal combustion wave rotor.
Background [ edit ]
Wave rotors utilize shock waves to transfer energy between a high-energy fluid to a low-energy fluid, thereby increasing both temperature and pressure of the low-energy fluid (also called pressure wave machines or pressure exchangers).
Operational principles [ edit ]
As with all heat engines, the efficiency of a wave disk engine is governed by the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides (see Carnot's theorem). Compared to a conventional piston engine (reciprocating engine), a wave disk engine works at higher peak temperature, which theoretically makes it more efficient. The design also works without a cooling system, saving weight. Compared to turbine based systems, the rotational speed and the rotor-blade temperature of the wave disk engine is lower, which creates lower stress on materials, and consequently less demanding requirements for materials, leading to cheaper manufacturing and maintenance costs.[2]
Earlier wave rotor implementations were mainly axial flow, where the scavenging process of returning hot compressed air back into the turbine is complex. The wave-disc engine uses a radial and circumferential flow, using centrifugal forces for scavenging. Curved channels provide greater length for the same disc diameter compared to straight channels, allowing the travel times of the waves to be tuned properly.
Current status [ edit ]
The wave-disk engine has the potential for better energy efficiency compared to conventional internal combustion engine designs and can potentially save weight. Possible applications include charging batteries in hybrid vehicles, which could reduce weight by about 1,000 pounds (450 kg).[3][1][citation needed] It promises to be up to 60% efficient, 30% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture than an equivalent conventional piston engine, and to reduce emissions by 90%.[4]
Michigan State University and Warsaw Institute of Technology researchers claim to have a prototype wave-disk engine and electricity generator that could replace current backup generator technology of plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.[5] The research team is led by Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Norbert Müller and has been given $2.5 million funding from the United States Department of Energy's ARPA-E program. Müller's team hoped to have a vehicle-sized 25 kilowatt (33 hp) wave disc engine/generator ready by the end of 2011.[6][7] As of January 2013, the project is looking into commercialization of the technology. [8]A state of emergency has been declared after heavy rains have paralyzed much of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Thousands have been evacuated from their homes as the city braces itself for continued monsoon downpours over the coming days.Floods are almost a daily occurrence in Jakarta’s rainy season.But this week’s monsoon rains have been the fiercest the capital has seen in years.Torrential downpours and overflowing rivers have forced more than 18,000 people to evacuate their homes and left more than 11 peopledead.In the worst-hit areas, the water is more than chin high. People have been forced to evacuate their homes on makeshift rafts and rubber boats.Yesterday’s alleys and streets are now murky brown rivers strewn with rubbish and household items."I have already evacuated my home and helped my mother and father to evacuate. The floodwaters were up to 4 meters high at our house," says Ardy, "a resident of Kampung Melayu in South Jakarta."Ardy says that more than 2,500 people from his neighborhood have been camped out in the local mosque for three days now. He says they are in desperate need of food, water and clean clothes, and he is worried they will get sick.Ardy’s neighborhood is situated on the now-overflowing Ciliwung River, where severe floods are not unusual.But it’s not just Jakarta’s poorest riverside neighborhoods that are underwater.Even the president was wading through knee-high water at the state palace.Floods, blackouts, gridlock and the shutdown of public transport have crippled normal activities at the center of Southeast Asia’s largesteconomy.Newly elected Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo has declared a state of emergency until January 27.The Jakarta governor says he is committed to making a breakthrough, not just a small effort to mitigate the flood problem. And he suggests the need to build a huge dam in the capital city.Many say this year’s floods could be worse than 2007, when more than half of the city was submerged and more than 300,000 people were displaced.Authorities say the heavy rains are expected to continue.Residents have been advised to stay at home, reduce electricity usage and not stockpile basic commodities.Read Part 1 of John Dickerson’s travels with Sen. Barack Obama over the weekend.
Barack Obama
READING, Pa.—Barack Obama said he’d come to Reading, Pa., two days before the state’s crucial primary to “deliver his closing argument.” For over an hour he spoke and took questions, but the words that will be remembered from the event were the ones he tossed off at the very end, almost in passing. “All three of us will be better than George Bush,” he said of the remaining presidential candidates. Since he’d been arguing that McCain would represent a disastrous third Bush term, this little slip muddied the closing argument he’d just given and offered Hillary Clinton an opportunity she would surely grab.
Clinton immediately performed her role in the pantomime. “We need a nominee who will take on John McCain, not cheer on John McCain, and I will be that nominee,” she said referring to Obama’s remarks. This is proof that you don’t have to be a member of the press to get accused of loving John McCain the wrong way. Those with a demitasse worth of recall will remember that by the Clinton standard she, too, has been a cheerleader for McCain. Not that long ago she claimed that while Barack Obama had not passed the “commander in chief test” necessary to become president, John McCain had. Bill Clinton also spoke highly of McCain recently.
The crowd of a couple thousand in the Reading High School gymnasium probably didn’t take note of Obama’s little slip about the GOP nominee. They seemed incapable of seeing any flaws in the man. Even by Obama standards, they were frenzied. A suit of armor representing the school mascot stood on a high platform at the back of the gym. When Obama walked in, the crowd cheered so loudly, I thought the thing would spring off its perch.
As Obama talked, people interrupted him with cheers and exclamations. Everything seemed to prompt an outburst. He told the audience about the 35,000 people who attended one of his recent rallies, and before he could describe the location, a woman screamed from the crowd “in Philadelphia.” When he mentioned that the campaign had been going on so long that some babies have been born and can now walk, parents thrust their children—even surprised toddlers—into the air. Because the gymnasium was filled with basketball hoops and because the proud parents vaulted their children with such gusto, they all looked like they were trying to heave their little darlings up to make a last shot before the buzzer.
Sometimes a passage of the speech that might not seem that exciting would cause a member of the crowd to stand up and wave and flap his arms like he’d been called to be a contestant on The Price Is Right. “This is a feisty crowd,” said Obama. “What did you all eat this morning?” This only encouraged them. Obama had to wait for the mayhem to subside before he could get back to his remarks.
It was, to quote Hillary Clinton, a “whoop-de-do” event.
Obama’s final argument, as articulated in Reading and later Sunday night in Scranton, is not that different from the argument he’s been making for months, with the notable exception of a passage now devoted to cutting Hillary Clinton down to size. Here’s how the speech goes:
Declaration of Independence: Obama says that the 35,000-person rally in downtown Philadelphia reminded him of the founders who gathered nearby and their improbable quest. “We have to stand up the way those founders stood up,” he says. “Now is our moment. This is our time.”
Why he’s running: Quoting Martin Luther King, Obama declares the “fierce urgency of now” before outlining America’s foreign and domestic problems. (Here he cites job loss statistics in the local area. Message: I know what the blue-collar voters I’m having trouble attracting are going through.) “In such circumstances we can’t wait,” he says.
We can’t fix anything until we change our politics: There are plenty of good solutions to our problems, but lobbyists block them. The cynical game in which politicians tear each other down is equally corrosive. In the Founders analogy, the special interests and cynics play the role of George III.
George Bush won’t be on the ticket: If anyone in the crowd has stopped being excited, this passage offers a chance for everyone in the audience to blow out whatever remains of their vocal chords.
But McCain will be on the ballot: Boos. “I respect his service,” says Obama. Applause. In Scranton late Sunday night, Obama asked: “You know what John McCain’s problem is?” An audience member yelled, “He’s too old.” Obama responded immediately: “No, no, that’s not the problem. There are a lot of wise people. …” That’s another assist for McCain—and also classy. Obama could have let that slide.
There is a choice in the primary: This is the Hillary-bashing section of the speech. Clinton is captive to the lobbyists whom she defends. Obama then runs through how her various evasions on NAFTA, Mark Penn and Colombia, and the Iraq war represent typical Washington cynicism. She will do and say anything to get elected, he charges. This long section bends (and sometimes breaks) his high-minded new politics message. Sensing this contradiction in Reading, he said, “Our campaign is not perfect, but you get elbowed enough, and you start to elbow back.”
Obama will tell people hard truths (unlike Hillary): 94.3 percent of the time Obama never really tells the audiences anything uncomfortable though he boasts that he will 100 percent of the time. What he promises them instead is to tell people they don’t like (auto executives and Wall Street fat cats) what those groups don’t want to hear. In Reading, however, Obama was a truth-teller. A local activist stood and asked what he would do to end the zero-tolerance policies for those who deal and use drugs in public housing. Obama could have wiggled around the question. Why tick off a local activist before election time? Instead he told the woman, “I’m sympathetic [to those who are evicted] but not that sympathetic.” If you want a break on public housing, you can’t mess with drugs, Obama told her. The audience loved it.
History of hope: As he concludes, Obama answers the criticism that his message of hope is naive with a tour through American history, citing the achievements—from ending slavery to equality for women—brought about by hope. “If those colonists had listened to the naysayers who say you can’t defeat the British, where would we be?” he asked the crowd in Scranton. Pointing to Caroline Kennedy, who introduced him in Scranton, he said, “When Caroline Kennedy’s father looked up at the moon, he didn’t say, ‘Oh that’s too far.’ “
The Obama pitch has been remarkably consistent over the months. Without notes, he can now produce it with very little deviation from stop to stop. Depending on how he does in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, he may finally get a chance to write a new speech.Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
[email protected]
Cathy Weselby
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-2791/650-604-4789
[email protected]
Maria Martinez
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
210-522-3305
[email protected]
Richard Lewis
Brown University, Providence, R.I.
401-863-3766
[email protected]
Dwayne BrownHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1726Cathy WeselbyAmes Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.650-604-2791/650-604-4789Maria MartinezSouthwest Research Institute, San Antonio210-522-3305Richard LewisBrown University, Providence, R.I.401-863-3766
RELEASE : 11-171
NASA-Funded Scientists Make Lunar Watershed Discovery
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- A team of NASA-funded researchers has measured for the first time water from the moon in the form of tiny globules of molten rock, which have turned to glass-like material trapped within crystals. Data from these newly-discovered lunar melt inclusions indicate the water content of lunar magma is 100 times higher than previous studies suggested.The inclusions were found in lunar sample 74220, the famous high-titanium "orange glass soil" of volcanic origin collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The scientific team used a state-of-the-art ion microprobe instrument to measure the water content of the inclusions, which were formed during explosive eruptions on the moon approximately 3.7 billion years ago.The results published in the May 26 issue of Science Express raise questions about aspects of the "giant impact theory" of how the moon was created. That theory predicted very low water content of lunar rock due to catastrophic degassing during the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized body very early in its history.The study also provides additional scientific justification for returning similar samples from other planetary bodies in the solar system."Water plays a critical role in determining the tectonic behavior of planetary surfaces, the melting point of planetary interiors and the location and eruptive style of planetary volcanoes," said Erik Hauri, a geochemist with the Carnegie Institution of Washington and lead author of the study. "I can conceive of no sample type that would be more important to return to Earth than these volcanic glass samples ejected by explosive volcanism, which have been mapped not only on the moon but throughout the inner solar system."In contrast to most volcanic deposits, the lunar melt inclusions are encased in crystals that prevent the escape of water and other volatiles during eruption."These samples provide the best window we have on the amount of water in the interior of the moon where the orange glass came from," said science team member James Van Orman of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.In a 2008 study led by Alberto Saal of Brown University in Providence, R.I., the same team reported the first evidence of water in lunar volcanic glasses. They used magma degassing models to estimate how much water was originally in the magmas before eruption.Building on that study, a Brown undergraduate student, Thomas Weinreich, searched for and found the melt inclusions. With that data, the team measured the pre-eruption concentration in the magma and estimated the amount of water in the moon's interior."The bottom line is that in 2008, we said the primitive water content in the lunar magmas should be similar to lavas coming from the Earth's depleted upper mantle," Saal said. "Now, we have proven that is indeed the case."The study also puts a new twist on the origin of water-ice detected in craters at the lunar poles by several recent NASA missions. The ice has been attributed to comet and meteor impacts, but the researchers believe it is possible that some of the ice came from water released by the eruption of lunar magmas eons ago.The paper entitled, "High Pre-Eruptive Water Contents Preserved in Lunar Melt Inclusions," was written by Hauri, Weinreich, Saal, Van Oman and Malcolm Rutherford of Brown. The research is funded by NASA's Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research and Cosmochemistry Programs in Washington, the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) at the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., and the Astrobiology Institute at Ames.The NLSI is a virtual organization enabling collaborative, interdisciplinary research in support of agency lunar science programs. The researchers are members of NLSI teams from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and Brown. The institute uses technology to bring scientists together around the world, and it is comprised of seven competitively selected U.S. teams and several international partners. NASA's Science Mission and Exploration Systems Mission Directorates in Washington fund the institute.For more information about the NLSI, visit:
http://lunarscience.nasa.gov
- end -
text-only version of this release
NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending a blank e-mail message to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a blank e-mail message to [email protected].
Back to NASA Newsroom | Back to NASA HomepageAbout
Game play footage starts at: 0:36.
Note: All art is temporary and a work in progress, all characters and enemies will be reanimated and backgrounds repainted for the final game (see FAQ for details)
My name is Bryan Heemskerk and I've spent the last few years working in the game industry as a concept artist, animator, and game designer.
This idea began with a spark. That spark was the birth of my daughter a year ago. Being a dad has changed a lot...
The day she was born I did a quick sketch of an older version of my daughter with a guardian robot, which developed into the story of a father that built all of his children robotic guardians. This is that sketch...
This idea continued to grow in the back of my mind until Drop was born. Recently I had the opportunity to display the Drop trailer at Fan Expo and on the second day, a little girl stood in front of it with a look of awe on her face. It was the same look I had on my face the first time I played Mega Man and Mega Man X. With this game I was really hoping to create the kind of experience that daughters, sons, kids and adults everywhere could resonate with.
Tay's parents predicted that one day all of the information people digitized would be gathered and used against them. They feared for the safety of their daughter Tay, so using their expertise they built her a guardian and powered bracers to protect her.
Over time they found that their worst fears were becoming a harsh reality. Slowly, people went missing. Tay's mother was taken when she was only a little girl and the government continued to tighten their grip on the population until all information was passed through a fleet of airships that terrorized and besieged them. Private ownership of aircrafts has been banned and the population is powerless to reach the airships - no rebellion can form.
Nowadays, there are eight colossal shadows being cast over the land; darkening peoples' hopes and suffocating their freedom. Each of the airships hover between the earth and the satellites, spying on peoples' personal information and funneling intelligence. The information is used to further their military control, creating more powerful weapons to manipulate humanity. Tay's father has been missing for a month; she must face powerful adversaries and challenges if she hopes to find him.
Drop is an action-packed tribute to Megaman X and Metroid. You are dropped onto eight beautifully rendered platforming levels. Scour the fringes for secrets, avoid the hazardous climbs and face off against the colossal monstrosities of each ship to earn their upgrades. Run, jump, jump again, dash, blast and smash your way to saving your missing father. Help Tay uncover the terrifying truth behind the flotilla of
|
absolute parliamentary majority, which no Indian leader has managed since Rajiv Gandhi’s landslide victory in the wake of his mother’s assassination, thirty years ago. So turnout became the key. Young Indians and the urban middle classes had already made up their minds. Now Modi turned up the volume on his populist appeal to the Hindu faithful and lower-caste voters who related to his own humble background as the son of a tea seller.
Varanasi is the fifth-largest city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. U.P., as it’s known, plays a disproportionate role in Indian politics. It was the birthplace of Jawaharlal Nehru, and it has been home to eight of the country’s fourteen Prime Ministers since independence. It’s also India’s most important state, in terms of its sheer size. U.P. has two hundred million people—roughly equal to the population of Brazil, but squeezed into an area thirty times smaller—and they’re some of the poorest people in India. U.P. is also notorious for corruption, and it has a particularly awful history of communal and religious violence. It was here, in 1992, that mobs spurred on by the B.J.P. and militant Hindu groups demolished a mosque in the town of Ayodhya, which some claimed had been built on the birthplace of the god Rama. Two thousand people died in the riots that followed. U.P. is also the heartland of caste politics, one of a handful of states where the support of powerful caste-based parties has been vital to the cumbersome coalitions that have defined Indian government for the past thirty years. So if Modi wanted an unfettered mandate, he had to sweep U.P.
His opponent in Varanasi was Arvind Kejriwal, the upstart anti-corruption campaigner who shocked the country when he was elected last year as chief minister of Delhi, only to flame out after forty-nine days in office. I happened to be in Varanasi at the end of March, when Kejriwal came to town to declare his candidacy. His inaugural rally was held—pointedly, I thought—in a large, dusty park in a heavily Muslim neighborhood. Tens of thousands showed up, many in white shalwar kameez and wearing the white knit kufi, the Muslim prayer cap. Kejriwal’s campaign slogan for Varanasi was “River, Weaver, Sewer”—“weaver” being the important code word, because the city’s sari-weaving industry is the economic mainstay of its Muslim minority.
Modi seemed to take it for granted from the outset that the Muslim vote was lost. He rarely spoke of them or to them, and never made the symbolic gesture of donning a kufi. But he went after Kejriwal in language that was anything but coded. As Kejriwal was speaking in Varanasi, Modi was holding his own rally in Punjab, close to the border with Pakistan. He started off by denouncing the AK-47 as the symbol of Islamic terrorism in disputed Kashmir. Then came his little joke: Kejriwal should be called “AK-49,” a play on his initials and the number of days he held office in Delhi. This was droll enough, I suppose, as far as it went. But in case anyone had missed his meaning, Modi spelled it out: Kejriwal was an “agent of Pakistan and enemy of India.” To anyone familiar with the violent history of the subcontinent since Partition, it’s hard to think of a more incendiary insult or a darker implied threat.
Modi hammered Kejriwal in the end, winning Varanasi by thirty-six percentage points. And he got his landslide in Uttar Pradesh, taking seventy-one of the state’s eighty parliamentary seats and wiping out the powerful caste-based Bahujan Samaj Party.
Last Saturday, Modi returned to Varanasi, and to the banks of the Ganges, to give thanks for his victory. Plunging into the labyrinthine back alleys of the old city, he visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the “golden temple,” perhaps the most important shrine in all of Hinduism, and sprinkled Ganges water on the lingam of Lord Shiva. From there to the ghats, the steep steps that line the river, where pious Hindus yearn to be cremated in order to achieve moksha, liberation from the unending cycle of death and reincarnation. To the blowing of conch shells and the chanting of Vedic hymns, Modi joined in the Ganga Aarti, the nightly worship of the river. The Ganges is the river that cleanses all sins, and Modi reiterated his promise to cleanse the river in return, and “to begin cleansing India from Varanasi.”
Modi’s pledge to cleanse the Ganges isn’t just about metaphor, or religion, or stripping off the mask to reveal the dark side of his Hindu nationalism. It goes to the very heart of his appeal. Nothing sums up the failures of government in India better than the despoiling of the Ganges. Rajiv Gandhi vowed almost thirty years ago to clean it up. Since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been squandered on his Ganga Action Plan, with no discernible results. Some of the most noxious chemical effluent in the world still flows into the Ganges from the tanneries of Kanpur, two hundred miles upstream from Varanasi, because there are no effective treatment plants. Raw sewage still pours into the river because pumping stations are regularly shut down by power cuts. Fecal coliform bacteria levels along the ghats of Varanasi, where pilgrims take their “holy dip,” are off the charts.
Not all of this can be blamed on the ineptitude and corruption of the central government. State authorities like those in U.P. share the blame. India’s ruling coalitions bog down in large part because they depend on the support of these often rotten and incompetent regional fiefdoms. And state governments have the primary responsibility for things like sewage-treatment plants. The real significance of Modi’s landslide is that he can rule without any of these restraints, which is, in any case, his temperamental preference. His clean-up-the-Ganges campaign, then, becomes a kind of litmus test for his vision of efficient, if authoritarian, government. That’s what he claims to have accomplished in Gujarat, and it’s what voters now demand and expect of him.
George Black is writing a book on the history and culture of the Ganges.
Photograph by Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty.Newly-elected Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) president Brian Cookson has published details of his annual salary, making good one of his pre-election pledges.
Former British Cycling president Cookson will receive CHF340,000 (equivalent to £235,500 at today’s exchange rate) in his new role. The UCI states that this is CHF110,000 (approximately £76,000) less than the amount received by his predecessor, Pat McQuaid. McQuaid had previously refused to divulge his salary package.
According to the statement released by the UCI on Tuesday (October 29), the president’s salary will be reviewed annually by the newly created Remuneration Committee.
UCI meets to discuss measures to restore trust in organisation
The UCI Management Committee underwent its first full meeting on Tuesday since Cookson was elected in September. Four key measures were agreed during the meeting, and have been published as follows:
“A full audit of the systems and controls currently employed by the UCI’s anti-doping operations to ensure that they are working efficiently. The audit will also be used as a basis to create a clear roadmap for setting up an independent UCI anti-doping operation in 2014.
“The broad principles under which it intends to move forward with the implementation of an Independent Commission which will look into allegations of past wrongdoing at the UCI and the extent and roots of doping in cycling. The objectives of the Independent Commission are in line with the manifesto of Brian Cookson, to re-establish trust in the UCI and restore confidence in the sport of cycling. UCI will continue its discussions with WADA and other stakeholders to finalise the Independent Commission’s framework.
“The establishment of an International Development Commission to review the wide-ranging work of the UCI in this field including the role of Global Cycling Promotion and the World Cycling Centre. The Commission will report its initial findings and recommendations to the next UCI Management Committee in January 2014.
“Supporting the new Women’s Cycling Commission, chaired by UCI Vice President Tracey Gaudry, in its work to appoint members and establish objectives including 2014 recommendations by the end of 2013 on delivering a step change in women’s cycling. Further details on this will be available on the UCI website this week.”
Cookson said: “Today’s Management Committee meeting was an important moment for the UCI as we put in place a number of measures to restore trust in the UCI and ensure our great sport is able to move forward.
“We have made important decisions on women’s cycling, international development, the establishment of a fully independent anti-doping unit and an independent commission to look into allegations of UCI wrong-doing. We have also started the process of modernising the UCI’s constitution.
“There is a huge amount of work to do in the coming months and beyond, but I am excited by the passion and support my colleagues have shown for implementing a real programme of change for the good of cycling.”
In addition, former British Cycling Policy and Legal Affairs Director Martin Gibbs has been given the role of UCI Director General. Gibbs had previously worked for the UCI between 2007 and 2009, before joining British Cycling and he replaces previous UCI Director General Christophe Hubschmid, who left the role shortly after Cookson was elected.
Related links
New UCI president Brian Cookson promises changes
Cookson appoints three new UCI vice-presidentsIn my family, the weekend after Thanksgiving always means leftover turkey sandwiches and at least one family outing to the latest big-screen flick. I’m already looking forward to the newest Disney•Pixar release: “The Good Dinosaur” which debuts in 3D nationwide on November 25th. And this year, the movie excitement actually starts the weekend before the film hits theatres, with “The Good Dinosaur Weekend” taking place at Disney Springs Marketplace in Florida and at the Downtown Disney District in California, across from Downtown Disney AMC 12.
On November 21 and 22, both locations will host a celebration with a live DJ and a Dinosaur Dance Party from 11am to 11pm. As the sun sets, meteor shower lighting effects will light up the night. Special décor, photo opportunities and giveaways will amp up the party. T-REX and Rainforest Café will also join in the dinosaur-themed fun – so I’d suggest fueling up at one of these restaurants before making your way to the family-friendly festivities.
“The Good Dinosaur Weekend” is part of Dino Week, happening November 14 – November 22 throughout the Walt Disney Company; be among the first to find out more about Dino Week when it kicks off this Saturday on The Good Dinosaur Facebook page and get to know the film’s lead character, Arlo the Apatosaurus, his unlikely human friend Spot, and all of the T-Rexes, Raptors, and Pterodactyls they meet along the way.
Stay tuned to The Disney Parks Blog for more information about “The Good Dinosaur Weekend” including details on signing events, special event merchandise and more!Turkey must act now to protect Kobane
Updated
As Islamic State moves on the Kurdish city of Kobane, there are four reasons why Turkey must finally join the military action against the terrorist network, writes Benjamin Isakhan.
Late last week the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of military action against the terrorist network, the Islamic State (IS).
Despite some polls showing only 52 per cent of Turks support involvement in the US-led coalition against IS, the Turkish parliament took the bold move to permit the military to use force against IS in neighbouring countries and to allow allies to use Turkish bases to launch attacks against the militant jihadist group.
Since then, both president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PM Ahmet Davutoglu have done a great deal of posturing but taken very little action. As the black flag of the IS death cult has been raised over the Kurdish city of Kobane in Syria, within eyesight of the Turkish border, the Turkish military has stood idly by.
The time has come for the Turkish government to make good on the parliament's authorisation. There are four fundamental reasons why Turkey must act now on Kobane.
First and foremost, Kobane is a humanitarian issue. It is not just a potential "strategic stronghold for IS", nor a "Kurdish hot-spot with links to the PKK", it is primarily a city occupied by human beings whose very existence is being threatened by radical and deadly jihadists.
The IS track record reveals exactly what they will do in Kobane: impose strict Sharia law, seize weapons to fuel their campaign, publicly crucify those who disagree with them, gang rape and sell girls as sex slaves, and recruit child soldiers to fight on their behalf.
Turkey is in the best position to stop the slaughter of innocents and the expansion of IS. Turkey has a very well-trained and disciplined military - NATO's second largest - and right now scores of tanks and troops are stationed at the border near Kobane.
Failing to act on Kobane will not only lead to a mass humanitarian tragedy but will also put Turkey out of step with international sentiment on IS. This is a second key reason why Turkey must act now on Kobane.
Although the world has been slow (and at times reluctant) to respond, the momentum has finally swung against IS. The US has now cobbled together a broad coalition of more than 40 countries in its fight against IS - including crucially the Sunni-majority Arab states of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others.
This unique coalition has come about in no small part because of the mass humanitarian tragedies that have faced various minority communities in the wake of the deadly IS advance, such as the Yazidis at Mount Sinjar, the Turkmen Shiites in Amerli or the Christians of Mosul.
The predominately Kurdish population of Kobane are no different.
This brings us to a third key reason why Turkey must act now on Kobane: the Kurds. Turkey has its own significant Kurdish minority population of some 15 million and there have long been tensions - including open hostilities - between Ankara and certain Kurdish groups such as the PKK.
With the US and others currently arming and training Kurdish groups in Iraq and Syria (let alone the prospect of Kurdish independence from those countries), Ankara is afraid that such groups will pass on their weapons and knowledge to the PKK and trigger renewed conflict.
While this seems a possible but unlikely prospect, we know for certain that inaction on Kobane will have a dramatic effect on Turkish-Kurdish relations. Indeed, Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the PKK, has threatened that the peace process would end immediately if Kobane were to fall to IS due to Turkish restraint.
We have already seen civil unrest in certain Kurdish parts of Turkey in response to the situation in Kobane. We will see much more if - via their inaction - the Turkish government make martyrs out of the small and isolated Kurdish community in Kobane. In the eyes of Kurds everywhere this would be proof enough that Turkey has no genuine interest in the plight of their people.
The fourth and final reason that Turkey must act now on Kobane, and perhaps that most central to Turkish interests, is that if allowed to develop its capacity and extend its territory, IS will wage attacks in and against Turkey.
By capturing Kobane IS would fortify and control a large wedge shaped piece of the Middle East that would stretch from Aleppo to Mosul, down almost to Baghdad (Ramadi and Fallujah) and back to Aleppo with the IS capital of Raqqa well and truly ensconced deep inside their territory.
This would be a major victory for IS but it is not their "end-game". If IS can hold and then extend their territory within Iraq and Syria, they will look elsewhere. While Lebanon, Jordan and others would make softer and perhaps more obvious targets, the 900 kilometre Syrian-Turkish border (1200km if you include Iraq) is relatively porous and difficult to defend - even by Turkey's strong military.
Let us not forget that IS has no respect for Turkey. They threaten the small Turkish enclave at the Tomb of Suleyman Shah - about 40 kilometres inside Syria. They have also fired countless mortars into Turkey from around Kobane.
But they have much more ambitious plans. Even a small symbolic attack inside Turkey with its proud tradition of democracy, inter-religious and inter-ethnic cohesion and its unique blend of the religious and the secular - would be a another major victory for IS.
Make no mistake, Turkey, the barbarians are at the gate.
Benjamin Isakhan is senior research fellow at Deakin University. He will give visiting lectures this week at Istanbul University and Bogazici University. View his full profile here.
Topics: government-and-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, foreign-affairs
First postedWhat is SWIFT?
The SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Network is a forward-looking, financially sustainable plan to help the region connect, compete and keep pace in a digital world by building a holistic, ultra-high-speed fibre optic network across the region. Spearheaded by community and businesses leaders across southwestern Ontario, Caledon, and Niagara Region, SWIFT will build an ultra-high-speed fibre optic regional broadband network for everyone. Regardless of the size of your community, your age, education, or where you work, you deserve affordable access to high-speed broadband – and SWIFT is working to build and deliver critical infrastructure to our communities by connecting over 350 communities across 41,286 km2 through 3000 Points of Presence. The project was initiated by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) in 2011 and became incorporated as a non-profit, SWIFT Inc., in 2016.
As we begin the next phases of our project, we remain anchored by our guiding principles and are motivated by our bold new vision:
To empower communities to access global opportunities through local, ultra-high-speed connections.So Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is elegant and charming but doesn't keep promises. That Netanyahu is elegant and charming is a matter of personal taste. As for the prime minister not keeping his promises, it's possible to ask: "What else is new, WikiLeaks?"
Now if Mubarak had said Netanyahu did tend to keep his promises, that would have deserved a front-page headline - though more because of the doubt it would arouse about the Egyptian president's judgment than by virtue of its contents.
The U.S. State Department does not need to wait for the next wave of leaks in order to know that any promise Netanyahu makes in a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or President Barack Obama often lasts only until the prime minister's next meeting with Interior Minister Eli Yishai, or even Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely. In the best case.
Clinton recently received another reminder about Netanyahu's trustworthiness: In closed conversations, the secretary of state has said the prime minister put words in her mouth that were never uttered at her last one-on-one meeting with him. Clinton read in the newspapers that she promised him to send him a written list of the sugarplums meant to sweeten the pill of a temporary moratorium on building in the territories (the prime minister's associates say he stands by his story ).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Daniel Bar-On
Nor did former American diplomat Edward Abington need the quote from Mubarak to judge Netanyahu by his actions rather than by his promises. Several weeks ago, Abington, who served as the United States consul in Jerusalem, read in this column that the Palestinians had complained that Netanyahu's special envoy, attorney Isaac Molho, had told them he wasn't authorized to take receipt of a document presenting their outline for a permanent-status agreement. This report reminded Abington of an incident from the period of Netanyahu's first term as prime minister, in February 1997.
"[Palestinian negotiator Saeb] Erekat, Molho and I met at the Laromme Hotel [in Jerusalem] so that they could formally sign the Hebron Agreement," Abington recalled. "I was there as the U.S. Government witness. After both had signed the agreement, Erekat handed Molho a piece of paper which contained the names of Palestinian representatives to seven or eight committees that both sides had agreed during the Hebron negotiations would immediately begin work on implementation of various commitments made in previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements, including the Hebron Agreement.
"Saeb asked Molho for the names of Israelis who would be on the committees. Molho responded that he would have to get back to Saeb with the names. After a week or so passed, Saeb complained to me and to Washington that Netanyahu was stalling and asked for U.S. assistance in prodding Netanyahu for action.
Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter Email * Please enter a valid email address Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close
"Dennis Ross was in charge and made clear that the U.S. wasn't going to get involved since it had been overly involved in brokering the Hebron Agreement. He said it was up to the Palestinians and Israelis to work this out bilaterally, without any U.S. assistance. Of course, Netanyahu had absolutely no interest in any further negotiations and the prospect of the Hebron Agreement giving impetus to Palestinian-Israeli talks died.
"This incident only deepened Palestinian distrust of Ross, which remains to this day. And it shows that Netanyahu's behavior hasn't changed thirteen years later."
On Monday, Netanyahu told newspaper editors that "Israel hasn't been harmed by the publication in WikiLeaks." Regarding him, this is probably true - because what WikiLeaks published concerning Mubarak's opinion of the prime minister was an open secret.
The IDF will pay
The good news is that an Israeli judge has ruled that the magic word "security" is not a synonym for lawlessness. Jerusalem Magistrate's Court Judge Avraham Rubin recently ordered the State of Israel to compensate a Palestinian family whose home was bombarded during a chase after a "wanted man."
The incident occurred in Ramallah in June 2006, during the second intifada. An Israel Defense Forces unit received information about a terrorist hiding in a five-story building and raided his apartment. When they didn't find him there, the soldiers laid siege to the building and implemented the "pressure cooker" procedure, which is aimed at forcing a suspect to leave his hiding place. It begins with an announcement over a loudspeaker and ends with firing tank shells at windows.
The next day, the force entered the building, combed though all the apartments and left empty-handed. The terrorist was captured on another occasion.
Attorney Shlomo Lecker, representing the building's owners, asked the court to award them compensation based on the rules of international law, which obligate an occupying force to compensate owners whose assets are used. The state asked it to reject this request, on the grounds that this was a warlike operation carried out while Ramallah was under Palestinian security control.
With rare courage, the judge ruled that the circumstances of the incident show it was not a warlike operation. He did rule that the means employed were reasonable and that the action was legal under international law. Nevertheless, he continued, "the legality of the action in no way detracts from the state's obligation to compensate the plaintiffs, who were not involved in the terrorist's deeds."
The less good news is that the judge awarded compensation of NIS 429,902 to the plaintiffs - the sum needed to repair the damage, according to the state. In so doing, he opted to rely on the judgment of one party to the case - i.e., the opinion of an assessor on behalf of the state. An assessor on behalf of the property's owners had put the amount considerably higher ($1.4 million for repairs, loss of rental income and decline in value ). Rubin suggested that the owners file a separate suit over the lost rental income.
The state will presumably appeal this important ruling before a higher court. Lecker, who has already petitioned the High Court of Justice over the legality of the "pressure cooker" tactic in general (it has been used in dozens of cases ), said the time has come for the state to compensate Palestinians whose property is damaged in the same way it compensates Palestinians whose houses are taken over to serve as army lookout posts.They’re coming in with such frequency, it’s getting hard to keep track. This one is from Better! Cities & Towns:
A recent blog from Twin Cities Sidewalks highlights growing evidence that vehicle miles may have peaked. If the right policies are put in place, vehicle miles can go down even as the population and economy rises.
The graph dramatically shows the historical trends of vehicle miles traveled in the US and how they have changed in recent years. Young adults, who may set the direction for generations to come, are on a steep downward trajectory.
.
After that graph came out, the Federal Highway Administration reported that only 67 percent of 16-to-24 year olds had driver’s licenses in 2011, the lowest level since statistics have been kept.
For cities, where more alternative transportation options are available, the trend is potentially stronger: from 2005 to 2009, as the population of Washington, DC, grew by 15,000, car registrations in the District dropped by 15,000, according to Jeff Speck in Walkable City.
Like this: Like Loading...The new HBO documentary Going Clear has put Scientology at the center of the national conversation. The church is huge in Los Angeles, and the notion of the religion being active in Chicago seems alien (pun intended) to most locals.
There is already a Scientology church here, a rundown location in Lakeview with the sign "Hubbard Dianetics Foundation." The church is also in the process of opening another, grander location in Printers Row at 650 S Clark St. The city filed a $2,000 housing complaint against the owners of the location in 2013, which is still making its way through the system. The church is being represented in the matter by local law firm Pedersen & Houpt.
According to the religion's website, the church has acquired dozens of new properties that are projected to open this year, and will "stand as the embodiment of the technology of L. Ron Hubbard, designed to provide the full services of Scientology to its parishioners and to the community."
Scientology's expansion into Chicago is not surprising given that other major cities like New York and London already have Scientology churches. Either way, it's disappointing to see Printers Row, an area that was once the center of publishing in Chicago, turned into an area filled with E-meters, "audits" and Tom Cruise aficionados.The City of Toronto is now projecting a 2012 end-of-year surplus of $232 million — double the earlier projection of $115 million.
About $105 million of the windfall had already been earmarked for repairs to the Gardiner Expressway. The bigger surplus allows the city to increase funding for arts and culture and to boost financial reserves.
The surplus has come about thanks to lower than expected costs and higher than expected revenues. In particular, the Municipal Land Transfer Tax yielded $340 million in 2012 — $52 million higher than initial estimates.
Under council policy, 75 per cent of any year’s surplus is to be allocated to capital costs such as reducing repair backlogs.
City finance staff recommend that $22.5 million go to arts and culture and $14.2 million to cover the 1.5 per cent 2013 wage hike for unionized workers.OTTAWA—Last spring, school boards grappled with the practical issues that came with welcoming thousands of new Syrian students: finding them desks, pencils, books. But as they gear up for this school year, Muslim organizations hope they can turn their attention to another problem: warding off the dirty looks — and worse — that many Muslim students say they get at school.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets members of a Syrian refugee family. The NCCM, the Islamic Social Services Association and the Canadian Human Rights Commission have developed a guide for educators to help them understand the impact of the trauma Syrian kids have experienced abroad and also the experience they, and other Muslims, have of Islamophobia in Canada. ( Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo ) Amira Elghawaby, communications director for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, says schools have wrestled with Islamophobia since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, but there was never intense educator interest in combating the problem until now.
Schools have wrestled with Islamophobia since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 but there was never intense educator interest in combating the problem, said Amira Elghawaby, communications director for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. That’s changed, she said. “The previous federal election where Islam and Muslims were at the forefront for all the wrong reasons, combined with the arrival of Syrian refugees, suddenly this is on people’s radars,” she said.
Article Continued Below
As upwards of 25,000 Syrians have arrived in Canada since November, her organization has begun fielding far more calls about the issue — ranging from people ranting about refugees seeking to change Canadian culture to parents panicked about their child experiencing Islamophobia on the playground. Teachers, too, were phoning, seeking resources to help them understand the issue and how to respond. So the NCCM, the Islamic Social Services Association and the Canadian Human Rights Commission have developed a guide for educators to help them understand the impact of the trauma Syrian kids have experienced abroad and also the experience they, and other Muslims, have of Islamophobia here. One Winnipeg woman said she welcomes the fact the Syrian arrivals are forcing a discussion. Two years ago, her then-ten-year-old daughter was taunted by a substitute teacher for wearing a head scarf. The teacher went so far as to try and grab the girl’s hair through the scarf.
It was the same school the woman herself had attended decades earlier, a school where she wore a hijab without attracting a second glance. “We like to think we’re getting more tolerant,” the woman said, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect the identity of her children.
Article Continued Below
She said the fact her daughter was comfortable going to the principal — the teacher was later disciplined — shows the power of a school taking the time to create an environment that’s inclusive of Muslims. She hopes the guide can help lay that groundwork elsewhere. “What if this had happened to someone with immigrant parents, who maybe don’t speak the language, who’d been taught teachers were always right?,” she said. The guide discusses the psychological impact of hate and discrimination, offering by way of an example a U.S. news story about Muslim children running to pack up their dolls and toys in response to rhetoric there about a ban on Muslim immigrants. It also takes people through some of what newly arrived refugee children grapple with, such as issues of grief and mistrust, and how that can play out in the classroom. “The biggest take away is just to put yourself in the shoes of a Canadian Muslim student or a newly arrived refugee or immigrant student who is Muslim,” Elghawaby said. Many schools are adding teachers, interpreters, orientation sessions and other programs this fall to continue assisting with the emotional and social integration of Syrians. But finding enough pencils still remains a problem. Last year in Ottawa, the Somali Centre for Family Services needed backpacks filled with school supplies to help 63 kids in need. This year, they said recently, they have 300 children on that list — 97 per cent are Syrian.Anglers are obsessed with water. Freshwater, saltwater, moving water, still water; it matters not. We peer from car windows as we speed across bridges, staring down in wonder at even the most unimpressive of trickles. We yearn not only to see water, but to know and explore it, to discover what quarry swims in it. We’re compelled to protect and preserve it, to stand in the way of those that would harm or endanger it. And now more than perhaps any time in a generation, the waters of our United States, which so often preoccupy our minds, face a grave and serious threat.
That threat is Scott Pruitt, former Oklahoma Attorney General, who Donald Trump has nominated to be the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Make no mistake, Pruitt doesn’t care about our water. He doesn’t care about our fishing. He doesn’t care about our outdoor heritage. He doesn’t care about our uniquely American conservation success story. Pruitt has spent much of his career working to undermine or nullify protections on waters across our nation and if we anglers stand idly by while Pruitt is confirmed and appointed to lead the EPA, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing it to happen.
Within moments of the transition of power, the new occupants of the White House declared a war on clean water, making good on a campaign promise that they would seek to undo the Clean Water Rule, a set of guidelines approved in 2014 which clarifies what is and is not protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act. And it does so in the most common sense of ways. Put simply, the Clean Water Rule states the obvious: that what goes up must come down and that protecting the “waters of the United States” means protecting not just our major rivers and lakes, but all of the interconnected waters that feed them.
It may be safe to say that few Americans understand this concept of interconnected waterways better than anglers. We seek out places where rills combine to form brooks and creeks and spill into our streams, because we know that trout like them. We follow our streams to where they meet our rivers, drifting boats down crystalline torrents in search of trophy fish. We follow our rivers to where they near or meet the sea, hoping for char and salmon and other anadromous fish that race up from the impossible blue depths of our oceans. And all along the way we ply waters where aquifers fuel springs that charge our streams with cold, clean water knowing that, in turn, our algae-flecked marshes and wetlands replenish and nourish those aquifers and springs.
But the new administration, preferably with Pruitt at the helm of the EPA, wants to do away with protections on our headwater streams, the “duck factories” that are our wetlands and marshes and so on. They justify these goals with false claims of wide-reaching, blanket government overreach and imagined economic impacts that stunt job creation.
Scott Pruitt may be the perfect choice to lead this assault on the waters that course through our fisheries. Pruitt has made a career out of waging war on clean water, siding with industry and big business instead of anglers and other Americans. Pruitt sued the EPA 14 times while serving as Oklahoma’s Attorney General. In 13 of those 14 cases, the co-parties on Pruitt’s lawsuits were campaign donors or donors of Pruitt-supporting PACs. During his tenure as Attorney General, Pruitt also repeatedly undermined clean water protections by stalling court cases or flat out refusing to enforce regulations, choosing instead to allow the poultry industry to flood Oklahoma’s waters with phosphorus pollution. And those poultry companies that benefitted from Pruitt’s delays? You guessed it: also Pruitt campaign donors.
Pruitt has made it clear that his allegiances are not with the people of Oklahoma or of the rest of the nation, but with the corporations that fund his campaigns and that profit from decreased protections of our waters.
In fact, until now, Pruitt was best known for being the star of an embarrassing investigative report that revealed that he sent letters to numerous governmental agencies, including the EPA, the Department of Interior and the Office of Management and Budget, that were written not by Pruitt himself but by lawyers or lobbyists working for oil and gas companies. But, if we stand silent while Pruitt is confirmed as head of the EPA, his greatest claim to fame may come to be not that shameful report but the wholesale dismantling of protections that keep the waters we anglers obsess over—the rivers and streams where we chase our passions and pass them onto our children and grandchildren—safe from those who seek to profit from their destruction.
But we anglers won’t be fooled. We won’t be led by false and baseless claims that suggest that keeping our streams and rivers clean means losing jobs. We won’t be scared by ridiculous tales that tell us that the agency that has worked tirelessly for more than 40 years to protect our waters has a hidden agenda to rob everyday Americans of their personal property rights. We see through this administration’s agenda to undermine the laws that protect our fisheries and we reject Scott Pruitt and his appointment to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.A spokesperson for the supposedly ‘non-violent’ group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) has appeared on video calling for Muslims around the world to rise up against the governments of the countries in which they live, with special reference to “going abroad and visiting” the Middle East.
Taji Mustafa – who is known for touring of British university campuses delivering lectures to young, impressionable students – gave a speech at a Friday mosque sermon last month in which he claimed:
“Why is it that the [Muslim] armies have not moved? Is it that we don’t have armies? Is it that we are cowards? No, no, no. This Islamic nation has been blessed with men, with women, with faith, with people who long for martyrdom, with people who want to be the descendants of Saladin… Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan – we could drown this place. But what we have today is rulers who have abandoned the Quran.”
Mustafa’s words come as Britain finds itself mired in dealing with homegrown extremism which has led to over 500 jihadists absconding and moving to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside the brutal terrorist organisation ISIS.
While counter-extremism experts have been warning about Hizb ut-Tahrir and the likes of Mustafa for years, the British government has been unable to proscribe the group for fear of being slapped down by the European Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, HT speakers continue to tour UK universities and mosques with messages of jihad and war. Mustafa said in his sermon:
“The solution is clear: that Muslims have armies, and these armies should move. What we have today are rulers who prevent the armies of this nation from moving… It is not because we are weak, and it is not because we don’t have men or weapons. It is because the armies have been chained. The armies should be released. This is the Islamic solution… Maybe we have not reached them. You need to contact everybody you know in the army of the Muslims. Contact them, call them, visit them. Go abroad and visit them. You need to speak to them. You need to open their eyes.”
Mustafa’s comments are likely to attract the interest of the security services, who regard the incit
|
to 150
Focus Fire no longer has a cast animation
Witch Doctor
Maledict AoE increased from 150 to 165
Voodoo Restoration initial manacost reduced from 25/50/75/100 to 20/30/40/50
Paralyzing Casks can now bounce to units in Fog of War
Wraith King
Reincarnation slow increased from 50 to 75%
Reincarnation slow duration increased from 4 to 5
Zeus
Arc Lightning cast range increased from 700 to 850
ITEMS
+ Show Spoiler + Animal Courier
Ground Courier bounty per player reduced from 175 to 150 [?]
Arcane Boots
Manacost increased by 10
Battle Fury
Cleave AoE increased from 225 to 250
Blink Dagger
Blink no longer has a manacost [?]
Bottle
Can now be used on your allies by holding down the Control key [?]
Bunker
Build time increased by 5 seconds
Diffusal Blade
Agility bonus increased from 22/26 to 25/30
Drums of Endurance
Number of charges increased from 4 to 5
Recipe cost increased from 800 to 875
Eul's Scepter of Divinity
Cyclone cooldown reduced from 25 to 23
Force Staff
Force travel speed is reduced [?]
Iron Branch
Gold cost reduced from 53 to 50
Mask of Madness
Lifesteal increased from 17% to 20%
Mjollnir
Changed the area type that is used when Static Charge hit units [?]
Necronomicon
Necronomicon units bounty increased from 100/125/150 to 100/150/200
Necronomicon units armor reduced from 6/8/10 to 4
Necronomicon cooldown increased from 80 to 95
Observer Ward
Can be targeted on allies to transfer one charge
Radiance
Attack damage bonus increased from 60 to 65
Refresher Orb
Recipe cost reduced from 1875 to 1800
Ring of Aquila
Agility bonus increased from 6 to 9
Rod of Atos
HP bonus increased from 325 to 350
Sange and Yasha
Sange and Yasha slow duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds
Sange and Yasha slow increased from 30 to 32%
Sentry Ward
Can be targeted on allies to transfer one charge
Shadow Amulet
Fade delay improved from 1.8 to 1.5
Can now be used on allies [?]
Shiva's Guard
Arctic Blast range increased from 719 to 900
Arctic Blast speed increased from 300 to 350
Smoke of Deceit
Duration decreased from 40 to 35
Teleport Scrolls
Stacking delay decreased from 3/5/6/7/8 to 3/5/5.5/6/6.5
Max targeting range increased from 525 to 575 [?]
Tranquil Boots
Movement speed increased from 85 to 90
HP Regen increased from 10 to 12 [?]
Veil of Discord
Strength/Agility/Damage bonus increased from 3 to 6
Random Ability Draft
Trade the organized chaos of Dota 2 for a taste of pure bedlam! Unlocked at level 11, in this mode each player is randomly assigned a hero, and each hero's abilities are placed into a pool. Players then take turns choosing which abilities their hero will bring into battle. Behold the majesty of a Pouncing Pudge, witness Axe fumbling with Psi Blades, and experience the terror of Illusory Orb Magnus. From http://www.dota2.com/newbloom/day3/ Icarus Dive - Swoop forward in a fierce arc, slowing and damaging all enemies in your path.Fire Spirits - Spend health to summon spirits which can be launched at your foes to burn them over time.Sun Ray - Sacrifice vitality to blast your enemies, and heal your allies, with a beam of searing light.Supernova - Become a core of fusing energy that burns nearby enemies which, if allowed to detonate, will stun foes and renew your strength.Grab your friends and rewrite history! Now you can take control in any replay created after the New Bloom update, then act out the rest of the match from that moment forward. During a replay, hit the Takeover button to create a lobby where everyone can choose which hero to portray. Resume the match, and become the one to turn the tide of a favorite pro play, discover a way to escape an impossible setup, or relive a cherished team fight again and again.Takeovers are considered a new match and have separate replays, which are recorded from the moment you assume control.Items that have been purchased while dead can now be sold, if that item was bought during the same death. Previously, no items could be sold while dead.Highlighting an allied Ward will now display its effective range.Holding ALT and clicking on an ability will now issue a context-sensitive ping for that ability. This can be used to indicate whether the pinged ability is ready for use, if you do not have enough mana to use this ability, or to indicate the number of seconds remaining on that ability’s cooldown.From http://www.dota2.com/newbloom/day2/ Reflection - Create a double of your foe, which then attacks its original as it slows their movement.Conjure Image - Summon forth an illusion of yourself to aid you in battle.Metamorphosis - Embrace the darkness within, trading your melee attack for a ranged strike while granting additional damage.Sunder - Sever the soul of an ally or enemy, exchanging your health for theirs.You now lose one gold per second if you haven't picked a hero after the selection timer runs out in All PickAll Pick selection time increased from 60 to 75All Pick pre-creep time reduced from 90 to 75Roshan no longer stops upgrading his hp/damage/armor at 45 minutesRoshan upgrade rate increased by 20%Roshan bounty rescaled from 105-600 to 150-400 ModeratorMilwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. was the target of a $150,000 ad campaign by anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg as Clarke sought to retain his seat in a recent Democratic primary. After defeating his opponent—and Bloomberg’s money machine—Clarke is expected to roll to reelection in his race to become sheriff, as there is no Republican running against him for the position.
Clarke has now taken to the pages of the Washington Times to savage Bloomberg’s outside interference in an op-ed that takes no prisoners.
Two years ago, I ran a series of self-defense local radio ads advising residents that they are the first line of defense in their own safety. I told them to consider taking a firearms-safety course so they could defend themselves and their families from imminent attack. In April, I spoke at the National Rifle Association’s convention in Indianapolis, and that brought me into Mr. Bloomberg’s cross hairs. According to one Democratic Party source, Mr. Bloomberg said of his attempt to knock me off in my re-election primary for sheriff, “This one is personal with me.” That is a sign of desperation. Yes, even billionaires can be greedy. Surely, Mr. Bloomberg saw me as an easy win that he could parade around the country as a warning to other pro-gun candidates to either get in line with his anti-gun movement or face defeat at the polls. He saw picking off a big-city, pro-gun sheriff as a prize worth landing. So in parachuted billionaire Mr. Bloomberg, dropping $150,000 on my opponent in a weekend TV blitz that depicted me as a gun nut, hell-bent on arming every law-abiding citizen in Milwaukee County. The TV ads he financed depicted me telling residents to forgo calling 9-1-1 and to handle local policing themselves, which is as contorted a view of my personal-defense radio ads as one could imagine. Mr. Bloomberg’s plan didn’t work. People here are smarter than he thought, and they did not like this outsider rolling into town trying to oust Wisconsin’s only black sheriff…. … This was no ordinary defeat for Mr. Bloomberg’s “Mayors Against the Second Amendment” group. Losing to a local sheriff in a county dominated by Democratic Party voters just might have set his futile movement back to a point of no recovery. Some people might generally be in support of changes that make it more difficult for criminals to acquire guns, but they also recognize and reject the true objective of Mr. Bloomberg, which is to obliterate the right to keep and bear arms. Here in Milwaukee County, you cannot buy votes; you have to earn them.
While it would be nice to think that Bloomberg would be driven to despair and stop his attempts to destroy the Second Amendment because he suffered another stinging defeat, I’m afraid that Former Mayor Better Than You is hardly done in his drive to tell Americans how to live. He’s too arrogant, and too convinced that he knows better how you should live your life than you do to give up easily.
We’ll have Bloomberg and his astroturf gun control groups at least through the 2014 elections.
After that is anyone’s guess, as Bloomberg’s gun control groups don’t tend to have a very long shelf life.Among the more unusual and important due process cases FIRE is following this summer is one that began with an allegation that a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) student cheated on a chemistry exam in 2011. Why does this case stand out? Because what it suggests generally about UCSD’s views on due process could have implications far beyond any one exam room, affecting untold numbers of students.
In May 2011, former UCSD student Jonathan Dorfman was accused of copying the Scantron sheet of another student during a chemistry exam. Following an academic disciplinary hearing, UCSD expelled him. Dorfman was granted a rehearing by the university’s Council of Provosts, but after the university ruled against him again, Dorfman filed suit against the university in 2012. (The San Diego Union-Tribune and Inside Higher Ed both provide detailed timelines of the ensuing legal fight.)
Throughout Dorfman’s efforts to prove his innocence, he has repeatedly sought—and UCSD has repeatedly refused to provide—basic evidence from the university that could tie him to the alleged cheating. Chiefly, he has asked UCSD to identify the student (referred to in court documents as “Student X”) whose answers he was alleged to have copied. The logic is simple: If Dorfman wasn’t in fact sitting next to Student X, UCSD’s case against him would quickly fall apart. Not having access to this information would deny Dorfman basic information necessary to defend himself in a hearing, in violation of his due process rights.
In September 2015, a California appellate court agreed, finding that UCSD had violated its own policies mandating “certain minimum procedural protections in disciplinary proceedings.” The court directed UCSD to overturn its decision in Dorfman’s case. A transcript of Dorfman’s August 2015 hearing (The College Fix has posted the document on its website) shows the surreal lengths to which UCSD went in defending its decision to withhold information that even its own attorneys conceded could vindicate Dorfman. UCSD, in fact, went so far as to claim Student X was not a “relevant witness” even though his proximity to Dorfman during the exam is central to the question of Dorfman’s culpability. Inside Higher Ed reported:
“Without this information, [the accused student] could not adequately defend himself against the charge of copying,” the court wrote in its decision. “No eyewitness evidence showed [the student] copied from another student. [He] may have been able to exonerate himself completely by showing Student X was not seated near him. Where Student X sat during the exam was, therefore, ‘knowledge relevant to the charge.’” Because [the] instructor did not keep a seating chart, the court said, “the only avenue available to [the student] to obtain this information was through Student X.” According to a transcript of the university’s oral argument, a lawyer representing the university’s Board of Regents agreed with this assessment. “Was Student X not relevant?” a judge asked the lawyer. “Did Student X not have relevant information?” “Yes,” the attorney said. “Student X had relevant information.” “OK,” the judge continued. “Extremely relevant information, arguably.” “Extremely relevant,” the attorney said. “Dispositive, arguably.” “Potentially dispositive information.” The attorney also said the university did not try to determine whether the two students sat near each other, nor did it ask the proctor of the exam if he or she had noticed anyone cheating. “I think there’s a word for that,” a judge said, according to the transcript. “It’s called stacking the deck.”
By its own admission, then, UCSD claimed it had sufficient evidence to expel Dorfman even while admitting it hadn’t attempted to determine if Dorfman could possibly have copied from Student X. (Rather than do this, UCSD relied heavily on the argument that the likelihood of Dorfman and Student X’s answers being so similar was so small as to be indicative of cheating.) The College Fix’s reporting provides additional glimpses of the court’s incredulity:
As [attorney for UCSD Michael] Goldstein pointed to the alleged supremacy of the exams with matching wrong answers, Judge Terry O’Rourke blew up: It would be so easy, wouldn’t it, if we just found out that Student X was on the opposite side of the room? And then you don’t have a case. And it seems to me to be the linchpin of this whole hearing. … It’s almost preposterous in my estimation that we’re sitting around bickering about statistical probability and hearsay and someone calculated this or that. … It’s so simple to find out where the other person was sitting, and you refuse to tell anyone. An unidentified “female judge” agrees that UCSD’s failure to first investigate Student X’s location during the exam “seems like an enormous omission … in the chain of evidence.”
The question of Dorfman’s culpability in this matter is outside the scope of FIRE’s mission, as are issues concerning academic misconduct generally. But if this is how UCSD adjudicated Dorfman’s case—not only preventing him from accessing crucial information about his case, but also not doing its own due diligence to ensure its own investigators had the necessary information—what does it say about due process at UCSD generally? Would a student facing, say, a charge of sexual assault, encounter a similarly flawed process?
In fact, there is reason to believe that they would—and that some already have.
Just months before UCSD was rebuked by the court in Dorfman’s case, a different court faulted UCSD’s procedures in a case that had resulted in the suspension of a student for sexual assault, and it ordered the suspension be reversed. That court found, among other deficiencies, that UCSD unfairly hindered the student’s ability to question his accuser and admitted into evidence material that the student was not allowed to question or challenge, severely compromising the accused student’s ability to defend himself. Does that sound like “stacking the deck” to you? It does to us, and apparently the court agreed.
Writing of that case last year, FIRE’s Joe Cohn noted the importance of the case “because it demonstrates that when courts subject campus proceedings to scrutiny, the ugly truth of their shortcomings is glaring.” He wasn’t writing about Dorfman’s case, but he easily could have been.
Following a hearing last Friday, Dorfman and UCSD are awaiting the court’s directions on how to handle matters from here. Should he decide to return to UCSD, Dorfman could face what would be the third hearing over his alleged cheating in going on six years. Hopefully, for UCSD and the rest of its students, the exposure that Dorfman’s case has brought to the university’s shameful practices will motivate it to clean up its procedures and give accused students the fair process they’re owed.Lamoureux’s record required paddling alone and bringing the fish into shore.
Lamoureux is 42 and friendly, with a big smile and a ready laugh, and lives most of the year in Chicago, where he is a futures and options trader. He also has a place in Boston and access to his parents’ summer home here.
“My personality — I trend toward risk and danger,” he said last week, explaining that he used to rock climb and do extreme skiing.
But kayak fishing entailed “measured risk, not being-crazy risk,” he added, and compared it to trading. “Being a trader, you like risk. You’re comfortable with it. You have to weigh the reward versus the other side, which in this case is your life.”
Lamoureux’s 12-foot Heritage FeatherLite isn’t even a fishing kayak.
It’s a recreational kayak he found in the family garage and modified with additional equipment, the exact nature of which he will not disclose.
“I can’t be revealing all my secrets,” he said, “or else guys who are younger and in better shape will be breaking my records.”
When Lamoureux climbs into his kayak, wearing a wet suit or a dry suit, he is loaded down with safety gear: life jacket, whistles, strobe lights, a signaling mirror, a compass, two GPS devices, two radios, two cellphones, and two knives, in case he is dragged too far out to sea and needs to slash the line.
Photo
He hasn’t yet capsized, but Lamoureux still prepares himself psychologically to wind up in the drink.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
“I actually consider myself safer than the average boater because all the safety equipment is attached to my person,” he said. He also carries dive fins in case he has to swim home. “I don’t plan on calling the Coast Guard or the commercial fishermen for help,” he said. “I think that’s irresponsible.”
When Lamoureux first showed up in their fishing grounds, commercial tuna fishermen figured he was lost or in distress. Now he has befriended several of them, and he will turn over a fish too big for him to manage. In August he reluctantly did this with a bluefin that eventually escaped but that on the fishing boat’s sonar looked to be about 800 pounds.
Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.
“That just broke my spirit,” he said. “They told me, ‘That fish is so big, it doesn’t even know you’re here.’ ”
Two years ago, Lamoureux began kayaking for stripers and bluefish. This summer he started looping through the tuna grounds on his way home, and at the end of July he hooked a bluefin. It proved too big for his striper rig and broke his line, but made him think catching a really big fish was at least possible.
Lamoureux consulted with George Lewis, a longtime mentor at Truman’s Bait and Tackle in Yarmouth, with the staff of Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown, and with Austin Proudfoot at Goose Hummock, a shop in Orleans that coincidentally specializes in kayaks and tuna — though until Lamoureux came along, not in both at once.
Proudfoot fixed Lamoureux up with Van Staal rods and Fin-Nor reels, heavy duty-spinning equipment, and came up with the idea of using frozen ballyhoo, a sort of miniature swordfish, as bait.
“You wrap the beak with wire and you rig it so the tail can move; that’s the attraction,” Proudfoot said, adding, “When Dave first came in and said what he wanted, I sort of giggled and I thought, That’s impossible. Now I tell him, ‘Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right.’ ”
Learning on the job, Lamoureux hooked 14 tuna before he finally caught one. There are five steps, he explained.
First you have to hook the fish, which strikes suddenly and violently — “sort of like a raging bull,” he said. Then there’s the ride, which is the scariest part but also “the most fun thing I’ve ever done.” After that you have to fight the fish until it dies of exhaustion.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
This can take hours and entails steering the tuna — Lamoureux won’t say how — and controlling its speed with the drag on the reel.
Bluefins are powerful enough, he said, that if given too little line, they can cause a kayak to flip end over end. When they get close enough, commercial fishermen harpoon a tuna, but Lamoureux right away realized that that would be a disaster from a kayak.
“Even I’m bright enough not to do that,” he said, laughing.
At the end, the fish must be attached to the kayak and towed home, which is harder than it sounds, especially if, as Lamoureux hopes one day soon, it is a 300- or 400-pounder — enough weight to drag someone under. He has that part, too, all figured out, but don’t hold your breath waiting for him to tell you how.These are mostly third-graders we are talking about!
They learned order and discipline. The garden is not a place for physical hijinks and bad behavior. They had fun while showing respect for the unique environment that was theirs.
They learned patience through the science of plant life. They planted seeds and watched them mature into food producing plants or flowers.
They learned to focus and pay attention to detail. Usually, they only needed to be told something once before they were capable of doing it on their own.
They learned responsibility. They were very diligent in their role as gardeners. No one complained.
They learned that work could be fun.
They got a sense of accomplishment. When harvesting of the garden begun, August through the end of the school year, each child (estimated) had taken home 8 to 10 pounds of vegetables. Those who came subsequently were able to take home an additional 5 to 10 pounds.
They went to market where they learned social skills and earned money (age appropriate).
What’s Next? Our Goals for 2014
Engage with the students as early as possible (get an early start indoors as well as outdoors) Work with the Contact teacher to develop in-class activities. Attract older students (11 years and older) to take to market. Get more parents involved. Work more closely with the school food service. Develop a column for the school newsletter or other communication vehicle to the parents.
We are looking for gardeners in the classroom as well as out in the field. Beginning in January we hope to create a few classroom projects to keep the children interested. If you are interested in your child becoming a member of the 2014 garden club please contact Ms. Bonnie Odom-Brown at (313) 804-6776 or [email protected].
Nolan’s Fierce Gardeners Certificate Presentation
October 9, 2013
Related articlesFrom Al Gore's article "
We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change
" in today's NY Times:
"It would be an enormous relief if the recent attacks on the science of global warming actually indicated that we do not face an unimaginable calamity requiring large-scale, preventive measures to protect human civilization as we know it.
Of course, we would still need to deal with the national security risks of our growing dependence on a global oil market dominated by dwindling reserves in the most unstable region of the world, and the economic risks of sending hundreds of billions of dollars a year overseas in return for that oil. And we would still trail China in the race to develop smart grids, fast trains, solar power, wind, geothermal and other renewable sources of energy — the most important sources of new jobs in the 21st century.
But what a burden would be lifted! We would no longer have to worry that our grandchildren would one day look back on us as a criminal generation that had selfishly and blithely ignored clear warnings that their fate was in our hands. We could instead celebrate the naysayers who had doggedly persisted in proving that every major National Academy of Sciences report on climate change had simply made a huge mistake.
I, for one, genuinely wish that the climate crisis were an illusion. But unfortunately, the reality of the danger we are courting has not been changed by the discovery of at least two mistakes in the thousands of pages of careful scientific work over the last 22 years by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In fact, the crisis is still growing because we are continuing to dump 90 million tons of global-warming pollution every 24 hours into the atmosphere — as if it were an open sewer."
MP: In 2007, Al Gore's mansion in Nashville burned through an average of 17,720 kWh of electricity per month (see Al Gore's energy bills from 2005 to mid-2008 here, via the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, which first reported on Al Gore's energy usage in 2007 electricity consumed by the average U.S. household (936 kWh), and almost 3 times as much electricity as the average U.S. commercial customer (6,408 kWh), see chart above (Dept. of Energy ), which is almost 19 times as much as the monthlyconsumed by the average U.S. household (936 kWh), and almost 3 times as much electricity as the average U.S. commercial customer (6,408 kWh), see chart above (Dept. of Energy data here ). So it's just a little hard to take Al Gore's preaching about climate change too seriously when his own household's contribution to the "climate crisis" is almost 20 times greater of the average American household, and almost three times greater than even the average commercial user of electricity.
So it's classic Al Gore. He talks about a "criminal generation that selfishly and blithely" dumps "global-warming pollution into the atmosphere as if it were an open sewer." However, if personal energy usage was "criminal," Al Gore might be at the top of "America's Most Wanted List," see chart above. Terms that come to mind to describe Al Gore's carbon footprint include "Bigfoot," "Paul Bunyan," "Brobdingnagian," "Sasquatch," or "the elephant in the room." To paraphrase blues pianist Mose Allison, "If polluting was criminal, he'd live a life of crime."
So it's classic Al Gore. He talks about a "criminal generation that selfishly and blithely" dumps "global-warming pollution into the atmosphere as if it were an open sewer." However, if personal energy usage was "criminal," Al Gore might be at the top of "America's Most Wanted List," see chart above. Terms that come to mind to describe Al Gore's carbon footprint include "Bigfoot," "Paul Bunyan," "Brobdingnagian," "Sasquatch," or "the elephant in the room." To paraphrase blues pianist Mose Allison, "If polluting was criminal, he'd live a life of crime."
Maybe the article could have been titled, "We Can't Wish Away Climate Change, But We Can Reduce Our Personal Carbon Footprint, But Only If We Really Want To: I'm Not Willing to Change My Lifestyle, But the Rest of You Should."Number of Cycles
A cycle represents the amount of time it takes for the Yerba Mate to become Lavado (washed), and lose its taste.
The number of cycles will very much depend on how much Yerba Mate you are using and how large your Yerba Mate gourd is, but if you stick to the same gourd and same amount of Yerba Mate in each serving, then you can compare Yerba Mate brands.
Dulce
“Mate Dulce” means something sweet has been added to the Yerba Mate. This is most commonly regular sugar, but it can be sweet syrups too. The sugar is usually added before the hot water is added.
Palos
Small white twigs that are included in the mate to enhance its flavor makes the mate sweeter and smoother in my experiences.
Con Palos
This simply means the Yerba Mate is with Palos (twigs). Con Palos Yerba Mate tastes sweeter.
Sin Palos
Opposite of Con Palos, “Sin Palos” means the Yerba Mate does not have Palos (twigs). Yerba Mate is usually harsher in taste when Sin Palos.
Despalada
This means “mate without stems”. It is synonymous with “sin palos”.
Gaucho
“Gaucho Mate” is usually very strong, intense Yerba Mate that is typical of Southern Brazil and Uruguay.
Polvo
This is the green powder present in Yerba Mate bags. Because of the milling process of the plant, all Yerba Mate comes with powder. The amount of Yerba Mate powder is brand dependent as each company makes its own ratio of leaves, stems and powder. The Yerba Mate Polvo plays an important role in the taste profile of Yerba Mate. It can make your Yerba Mate strong, well-balanced or mellow.
Polvo also helps hold the mate together and increases the Yerba Mate’s cycle. Gourmet and high-quality brands have just the right amount of Polvo for the target customers. Our Native Leaf Original, for example, is targeted at European customers and as such, it has a sweet mellow taste profile.
Mate cocido
Mate Cocido is a Yerba Mate that is prepared by adding Yerba Mate to water and bringing the water to boil, then pouring the Yerba Mate into a cup with a strainer to filter out the leaves and sticks. Sugar can be added if one has a sweet tooth.
Modern versions have moved the Yerba Mate into tea bags for convenience, though these as with other teas, do not taste as good.The Sports Business Daily is reporting that NASCAR is considering a proposal to reduce the noise stock cars make in “a move that could make it easier for fans to talk to each other during races and engage more socially.”
The move, according to the SBD, is yet another attempt to attract younger race fans.
“Quieter cars could be targeted more toward millennials, who place heavy importance on the social experience of attending sporting events,” the SBD’s Adam Stern wrote. “For example, many teams in stick-and-ball sports have developed standing areas where fans can gather and socialize instead of being restricted to a standard seat.”
Article continues below...
Has it really come to this?
What’s next, an all-hybrid front-wheel-drive econobox race followed by an all-acoustic Metallica concert? Only green tea and organic vegetables sold at the concession stands?
Should the sport really be positioned as a quiet place people can come and hang out and “engage more socially?”
No, no and no. One thousand times no.
A huge part of the entire live race experience is the visceral sensations it creates — the sights, the sounds, and by God, yes, the noise. Racing is supposed to be loud, it’s supposed to be ground pounding, it’s supposed to fill the air with noise and sound waves and heat and roaring exhausts.
Want to “engage more socially?”
Invite some friends over to watch on television.
Go to the Tweet-up before each race.
Camp with your pals all weekend.
Attend a church social.
Or better yet, put your device away for 10 minutes and actually talk to another live human face to face.
Want to see 40 cars run hard at 180 miles per hour up close and personal?
Then put your earplugs in or your headphones on and feel the thunder.
I promise you there’s nothing quite like the sensation of the entire field rushing by the grandstands when the field goes green on the opening lap. You’ll remember your first time forever.
It’s an experience not to be missed and one you don’t just see, you feel. It’s meant to be loud and it needs to stay that way.
Maybe a dozen or so years ago, before one of the races at Phoenix, the Phoenix Business Journal hosted a breakfast for a couple hundred of the city’s business leaders, most of whom didn’t know squat about NASCAR.
NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton gave an excellent and informative overview of the sport to the crowd, but the real moment of clarity came after the race.
Outside the meeting room was one of Ricky Rudd’s Tide Ford Thunderbird show cars. Once the breakfast broke up, the folks were invited outside to look at the car.
Maybe 30 or 40 people stood nearby, curiously gazing at the big orange race car.
And then the show-car driver fired the engine and the ground shook and the exhaust roared.
I stood there and looked in the eyes of the people gathered there and one thing became screamingly obvious: The moment the driver lit the candle and fired that bad-boy NASCAR V-8 engine up, people got it.
They understood on some level, maybe even a subconscious one, that this roar meant something, that it was loud and violent and maybe even a little bit scary or sexy. But it was real. And it was present, and the people loved it.
That’s what racing is meant to do to your heart, your soul, your body. It’s supposed to move you and shake you and get you excited. It’s 850-horsepower rock and roll.
In NASCAR, our cars are louder than thunder and faster than the wind. And they need to stay that way, always.Beginning in Week 11 of the regular LPL split, Coach Xiao "Chris" Qiang, previously of Royal Club, joined LGD Gaming as their coach on stage. After the semifinal victory LGD took over Edward Gaming and subsequent qualification to the World Championship, Chris reportedly departed from the club, leaving a confusing statement on his weibo.
If you think I'm not as good as a Korean coach, it's okay. I'm not attending Season 5 Worlds.
—Chris, 2015
A few players commented on the incident on stream, but LGD made no definitive statement. Following LGD Gaming's close victory against Qiao Gu in the Summer LPL Final, the players officially stated in an interview that Chris had resigned.
Chinese social media buzzed with rumors, which included a debate between LGD CEO Ruru and Qiao Gu manager Link0. To try to lend some clarity to the issues leading to his resignation, Chris posted an official statement on tieba, a Chinese forum.
In the statement, Chris described the events that lead to his cooperation with LGD and his eventual departure. He explained initially that he was coaching for LSPL team Newbee when the team's management and the three Chinese players approached him with the offer to join LGD Gaming. Chris' initial offer, he claims, was 100,000RMB (~15,600USD) to make the World Championship.
At the time, he told LGD that he wanted to help Newbee get into LPL first. When Newbee failed to place top two in LSPL Playoffs and autoqualify for LPL, Chris admitted he chose to abandon them in their crucial week playing in the LPL Promotion to join LGD in Week 11 of their regular season.
During the LPL Playoffs, Chris said he can't take too much credit. Everyone made an effort to qualify for the World Championship. Following the qualification, he went out drinking with a group of his friends to celebrate. During the night out, they discussed other coaching salaries.
Upon returning to the LGD house, Chris said he drunkenly discussed some inappropriate things about money with the players. In the morning, LGD's manager met with him and promised him 30,000RMB (~4,684USD) a month and told him he would be Yoon "Homme" Sung-young's assistant.
Not finding the offer to become Homme's assistant attractive since he would not receive primary credit for his work from fans or have the players not listen to him as much anymore, he refused. Chris claimed he cared less about the money, but wanted a chance to prove himself after what happened with Star Horn Royal Club.
Chris said he chose to remain quiet through the final, but seeing misleading comments on social media made him feel he had to say something. Neither side in the issue, he feels, is in the wrong, and he still wishes LGD Gaming luck at the 2015 World Championship.
LGD Gaming has made no statement of their own so far. At the 2015 LPL Summer final, their Taiwanese analyst, Huang "Firefox" Dingxiang served as the coach during picks and bans. Those close to the club have said he contributes to the players' draft strategy behind the scenes.
As for Homme, it's unclear if he will officially rejoin LGD Gaming. Earlier in the summer, the team officially announced he would become the co-coach of the team alongside Luo "BSYY" Sheng, but Vici Gaming provided a counteroffer, and he chose to return to them.
Now that Vici Gaming are no longer in the running for the 2015 World Championship, and they are temporarily without a head coach, Homme may choose to help LGD in their Worlds run, as Chris suggested, but it is as yet unconfirmed.
Kelsey Moser is a staff writer for theScore eSports. You can follow her on Twitter.In late October, 2009, I received an e-mail from Jake Barton from Local Projects, titled plainly ‘Potential Freelance Job’. I read the e-mail, and responded with a reply in two parts: First, I would love to work on the project. Second, I wasn’t sure that it could be done.
The project was to design an algorithm for placement of names on the 9/11 memorial in New York City. In architect Michael Arad‘s vision for the memorial, the names were to be laid according to where people were and who they were with when they died – not alphabetical, nor placed in a grid. Inscribed in bronze parapets, almost three thousand names would stream seamlessly around the memorial pools. Underneath this river of names, though, an arrangement would provide a meaningful framework; one which allows the names of family and friends to exist together. Victims would be linked through what Arad terms ‘meaningful adjacencies’ – connections that would reflect friendships, family bonds, and acts of heroism. through these connections, the memorial becomes a permanent embodiment of not only the many individual victims, but also of the relationships that were part of their lives before those tragic events.
Over several years, staff at the 9/11 Memorial Foundation undertook the painstaking process
|
cysteine and glycine, which play a crucial role in combating oxidative stress in the cells by donating one electron and donation of two electrons by GSH results in the formation of GSSG, which is converted back to GSH by glutathione reductase [44-47]. The doxorubicin treatment has increased the oxidative stress in the bone marrow cells of mice by alleviating the GSH contents in a dose dependent manner. A similar effect has been observed earlier in the liver of mouse and rats treated with DOX [25,48-50]. Treatment of mice with naringin before and after DOX administration raised the GSH contents and the effect was better in the naringin pretreated group than the naringin post-treatment. Earlier investigations conform to our observations where a similar effect has been observed in mice heart and rat livers pretreated with naringin however, reports on post-treatment studies are lacking [25,26,50,51]. The other agents like Agele marmelos and glutamine, an amino acid have been reported to increase the GSH concentration in mice and rats treated with DOX [48,49].The reduction in oxidative stress by GSH is the outcome of its reaction with free radicals directly or its participation through other enzymatic reaction [52]. It also conjugates with NO radical to form S-nitrosoglutathione adduct. This product is cleaved by thioredoxin system to generate GSH and NO back [47]. The other functions of GSH include its conjugation with electrophiles and physiological metabolites, which are essential in cell physiology [53].
The observation that DOX inhibited the GST activity in mouse bone marrow is in accordance with earlier findings where DOX has been reported to reduce GST activity in mouse heart and mice and rat liver [25, 51]. The treatment of naringin before and after DOX treatment elevated the GST activity and the effect of both pre and post naringin treatment was almost similar. The earlier studies have shown that naringin pretreatment elevated the GST activity in mouse heart and liver and rat liver [25, 50]. DOX-induced GST alleviation may have played a significant role in inducing oxidative stress as GSTs are essential in protecting against the toxic insult and DNA damage [54]. GSTs catalyze conjugation of a variety of substances with GSH causing detoxification and it also modulates cell proliferation and death [55]. The reduction of GSTs by DOX may be crucial in suppressing cell death and enhanced cell killing. Their overexpression in cancer cells have been considered as a cause of chemotherapy resistance [56].
Catalase or oxidoreducatase is a tetrameric intra cellular enzyme present in animals, plants and microorganisms. The accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in cellular milieu is detrimental to the health of cells and catalase mainly cleaves hydrogen peroxide into non-toxic products like water and molecular hydrogen, neutralizing the toxic effect of hydrogen peroxide [57]. Treatment of mice with different doses of DOX resulted in a dose dependent reduction in the catalase activity in their bone marrow cells, which could be one of the reasons of myelosuppression in the patients. The earlier studies have reported a reduction in the catalase activity after DOX treatment in the mice and rat heart and liver [25,26,49,50]. The administration of mice with naringin before and after DOX treatment elevated the catalase activity, where both the pre- and post-treatment were equally effective especially at higher DOX doses. Likewise, early studies have indicated an increase in the catalase activity in the mouse and rat heart and liver [25,26,50,51]. The extract of Aegle marmelos has been found to reduce the DOX induced catalase activity in mouse heart earlier [49]. This increase in catalase activity by naringin may have played an important role in reducing the oxidative stress triggered by DOX in the present study.
The superoxide ions are generated during respiration, which are converted into the less harmful product hydrogen peroxide, which is neutralized by glutathione peroxidase and catalase [58-60]. However, DOX enhances the generation of these radicals and presence of iron converts the superoxide radicals into the more reactive, toxic and damaging species of OH radicals [10]. The DOX treatment has been found to deplete SOD activity in a dose dependent manner in the bone marrow of mice in the present study. A similar effect has been reported earlier in the mice heart and liver and rat liver [25,49,50]. The naringin treatment before and after DOX administration has been reported to retard DOX-induced attrition in the SOD activity. Earlier naringin treatment has been reported to protect against the DOX-induced depletion in the SOD activity in mice and rats [25,26,50,51]. The elevated level of SOD may have protected mice bone marrow cells from DOX-induced oxidative stress.
Lipid peroxidation is produced as a result of membrane damage as the lipids of the cell membrane interact with free radicals produced and undergo lipid peroxidation [61]. The production of lipid peroxidation has been considered as one of the hallmarks of oxidative stress. The DOX increased lipid peroxidation in the mouse bone marrow which is in conformation to earlier studies where DOX has been found to increase lipid peroxidation in the mouse and rat heart and liver [25,26,48-51,62]. Earlier studies have shown that naringin pretreatment resulted in the reduction of DOX induced lipid peroxidation in vitro and in mouse and rat heart and liver [23,26, 29,31,50,51]. Similarly, naringin alleviated the bleomycin-induced lipid peroxidation in rat lung earlier [33]. However, naringin treatment was not very effective in arresting the lipid peroxidation in bone marrow cells in the present study.
The exact mechanism of reduction of oxidative stress by naringin in the bone marrow cells of mice is not clearly understood. The DOX generates free radicals by the activation of NADPH oxidase system and naringin has been reported to inhibit the activation of NADPH oxidase leading to the attrition of free radical formation [63,64]. Therefore suppression of DOXinduced free radical generation by naringin may be one of the important mechanisms that may have helped to keep the activity of GST, catalase and SOD higher accompanied by more availability of glutathione. The presence of naringin may have neutralized free radicals immediately after their production since it has been reported to scavenge free radicals earlier [24]. It is well established that DOX generates higher amount of free radicals in the presence of iron and chelation of iron by naringin may have arrested the DOX induced free radicals reducing oxidative stress. Naringin has been reported to chelate iron [31]. DOX has been reported to transcriptionally activate NF-κB and COX-II in cardiomyocytes which is responsible for increased oxidative stress and inhibition of NF-κB and COX-II by naringin may have reduced DOX-induced oxidative stress [65-67]. Naringin has been reported to arrest transcriptional activation of of NF-κB and COXII in vitro [64,68]. Nrf2 is essential in the expression of various antioxidant genes and its inhibition by DOX may have contributed to raise the oxidative stress in mice bone marrow cells leading to decline in all these antioxidants. The activation of Nrf2 elements by naringin may have been responsible for increased activities of GST, catalase and SOD along with raised GSH. The naringin has been reported to activate Nrf2 signalling pathway earlier [69].
Conclusions
The present study demonstrates that DOX has been able to increase the oxidative stress in mice bone marrow cells by increasing lipid peroxidation and reducing the activities of GST, catalase and SOD accompanied by a decreased concentration of GSH, whereas naringin pre- and post-DOX-treatment increased the activities of GST, catalase and SOD and also elevated GSH contents in the bone marrow of mice reducing the oxidative stress. The inhibition of the activation of NADPH oxidase, NF-κB, and COX-II may have contributed to the protective effect exerted by naringin along with activation of Nrf2 signaling at molecular level.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a grant No.F4- 10/2010(BSR) UGC from the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, IndiaTy Cobb had previously said he expected the interviews to wrap up by Thanksgiving but, as the holiday approached, he backed away from that timeline. | Jerry Cleveland/The Denver Post via AP White House lawyer: Mueller finished with interviews he’s requested
Special counsel Robert Mueller on Tuesday completed interviews with the last in a slate of about two dozen current and former White House witnesses he’s initially requested as part of the investigation into Russia's actions in the presidential election, White House attorney Ty Cobb said.
It’s unclear if Mueller will seek follow-up interviews or seek to question additional people beyond the initial batch of witnesses, but the completion of this round of questioning tracks with the goal Cobb has long stated publicly that President Donald Trump’s White House was cooperating with the Russia investigators in search of a speedy resolution to the probe.
Story Continued Below
White House attorneys have declined to name specific staffers interviewed, but sources tracking the investigation said people questioned have included former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, presidential spokesman Sean Spicer, White House communications director and former campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, and current White House counsel Don McGahn.
Cobb had previously said he expected the interviews to wrap up by Thanksgiving but, as the holiday approached, he backed away from that timeline. Cobb has also said he was looking for Mueller to issue a statement by the end of the year exonerating the president.
Mueller’s office declined to comment on Cobb’s characterization of the special counsel probe.
But longtime observers of special counsel cases have cast doubt on Cobb’s timeline.
For starters, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, as well as former campaign aide Rick Gates, have both pleaded not guilty to charges in the Mueller probe and face trial sometime next year. Two other former Trump officials, Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, have pleaded guilty on charges of lying to the FBI and are cooperating with Mueller’s investigations.
Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.
“You say what you need to say to keep the sun coming up in the morning, but if you woke Ty Cobb up in the middle of the night and ask him if he thinks this is really going to be over in three weeks I think his answer is, ‘Are you f------ kidding me? Of course it won’t,’” said one white-collar attorney representing a senior Trump official in the Russia probe.
“It’s nonsensical,” the lawyer added. “But it may be the most useful thing he can say to keep the president from going overboard and to keep the wheels on the bus.”Overrated: Why You’ll Hate Working From Home
In Defense of the Office
Herbert Lui Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 7, 2015
Working from home sounds like a dream come true.
But it’s really not.
An unlimited vacation sounds great but can actually result in employee dissatisfaction. Similarly, working from home comes with many drawbacks.
Even if you have the freedom to work remotely, you should work from anywhere except from your home. Here’s why:
You’ll Procrastinate — Because You Can
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. — Parkinson’s Law
Procrastination is debilitating. You’d have thought that it gets easier with age. But it’s equally tempting to procrastinate now as when you were in high school. With the privacy and comfort of your home, it’s challenging not to procrastinate. You lose the momentum that being around colleagues would have held you accountable to.
Ever notice how:
It’s easier to work at the office?
Read at the library?
Fall asleep watching late night TV on the couch?
Author and designer Jack Cheng calls this idea habit fields. His point is we find it naturally easier to do the same stuff in the same environments.
I was familiar with relaxing at home. It was a battle to break that inertia every day.
So if you have the fantasy that you can just get paid to watch TV from home while you “handle emails,” think again. You’re going to get fired.
More and more often, I found myself often working until 9 or 10PM. And still, I got less stuff done each day than I would have at an office or a library. It was ridiculous.
Even making a to-do list seemed like a monumental challenge. Why do that, when I can load an episode of Fresh Prince while I eat breakfast? And then lounge on the couch and watch another one, and another one…
Sucky weather also becomes particularly debilitating. The Canadian winter got me into a slump. It’s so easy to stay inside, bundled up in a bathrobe, when I have an option. It’s heated in the house and it’s cold outside. But this is by far not the best choice. Before I know it, I’ve binge-watched six episodes of The Office. I’m hating myself for wasting time, and I’m stuck wondering how and why I feel so helpless in the face of this work. I used to be productive!
Working from home sounds great on paper. It gets old, fast. And if you have a tendency to procrastinate, it is not particularly fun to live through.
What I would’ve done differently:
I met up and talked to my friend about this challenge, and he was adamant that we speak once a week for 30 minutes. During this call, we would talk about my sales pipeline. I would also share my calendar with him so I could review my to-do lists. This structure sounds like it robs valuable freedom, but it actually empowers me. I realized how much more I could get done. My frustration evaporated and I felt like I could do work again — I had to.
If you’re not comfortable asking a friend to do this, try a service like Stickk.com. Invite one or two people to keep you accountable.
You’ll Feel Sloppy Because There’s No Reason to Look Sharp
“Before you knew it, you had devolved into a sloppy version of yourself, with unkempt hair (oh, skipping a washing day, no one’ll see it anyway), alternately clad in muumuu-like roopoosh outside, and messy house clothes inside.” — Azadeh Moaveni
Moaveni was writing about her experience with her roopoosh. Spending all day in the house has a similar effect. When you’re working from home, you have less incentive to dress up since no one can see. You realize you can get away wearing your PJs all day. That’d be fine, except for the part where you wonder why you feel so sluggish and too cozy to get anything done. (It’s a first world pain, but it’s still a pain.)
Fashion has long been considered a superficial aspect of life (and it is). Yet there’s no denying that it influences how we feel. Psychologists Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky explored how clothing affected the way we think their paper for the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. They coined the term coined the term “enclothed cognition”. In one of their experiments, they had respondents put on a white coat belonging to a doctor. They noticed the cloak had a positive correlation with students’ their abilities to pay attention.
What I would’ve done differently:
When I was working from home, I’d roll out of bed and start writing or check emails. This wasn’t a good idea. I should’ve beelined straight for the shower right after waking up.
Look, this sounds so obvious, but if you’ve ever worked from home you know how easy it can be to get away with half the day having not showered. Showering is crucial.
In order to force myself to do this, I would have done my first hour of work at a coffee shop. Once I built up momentum in the morning, it’d be easier for me to get stuff done in the afternoon.
There’s (WAY) Less Human Contact
No one is an island. Mood is contagious, which is why good leaders pay so much attention to office culture. Both strong and weak ties at the office affect your happiness and sense of belonging. Fresh ideas are really important.
When you work from home, you run the risk of living in an extremely, extremely small filter bubble. You’re isolated. And you control so many variables (e.g., environment, who is around, etc.). If you work with obnoxious team members, then this sounds great. But if you like the people you work with right now then you’re actually going to miss them.
When you’re isolated, you also have fewer unexpected moments — which means fewer happy accidents. In this survey conducted by Regus, 62% of respondents who worked from home feel they are getting stale, 38% responded that they got lonely, and 64% miss mixing with other professionals.
It’s really awesome when a friend also works from home and you work together. But that doesn’t happen nearly as much as you might think. (Or you might procrastinate together, which is less awesome but more fun. PlayCatan ate entire days.)
I don’t have a child or a pet, but I imagine being around one of these will make a huge difference as well. Something to consider!
What I would’ve done differently:
If you like going to local industry events, get out of the house and go to an event or two every week.
Or, take the time you would’ve spent at the office water cooler, and email people that you find interesting. Get in touch with them. I emailed someone asking if they had transcripts for their podcast. That person would eventually become one of my clients. When you work from home, you’re free to spend more time making these connections — so do it.
If you miss being around people and also don’t have a child or pet, work at a co-working space or pay quick visits to the coffee shop. Become a good return customer that people like. (Meaning tip well, make small talk occasionally with the staff, and don’t stay for more than 1.5 hours per drink. Don’t take calls here, take them at home).
Is it working for you?!
Be honest with yourself. If it’s not working for you, go back to your company office, or find a co-working space. A co-working space is more expensive. But, you’ll work a lot more, which will increase your productivity and revenues. (If you’re freelancing, you might also meet people that become your clients or can refer to you to some.)
Anna Colbatch has a good set of rituals for working from home without going nuts:
But putting this system together is a lot of work! For me, I’d rather just commute. I live in the suburbs, and I crave the excitement of downtown. Plus I reclaim time lost on the commute by reading on the train. (I likely would’ve lost that time procrastinating if I were working at home.)
Now, I have a desk at a client office. I preserve the freedom to take a day off or go to the office late. My habits improved, almost effortlessly, as I changed my environment.
In spite of the comfort, or perhaps because of it, I can’t see myself working from home ever again.55User Rating: 5 out of 5
Review title of Joe Great competition platforming with friends!!
Don't trust the bad reviews, those seem to be mostly people that just don't play platformers, or don't play with friends. The controls are good, tight, there are a variety of modes, and the net code is solid. The amount of fun you have multiplayer is really determined by the type of friends you have. Speed Runners is a better off-headset competition game, but even with a friend or two this game can produce a lot of laughs. There are options for alternate color schemes for slightly colorblind users. This is a charming game, much like a 2D side-scrolling kart racer with powerups and quick matches to the finish. Best played with friends, and will test your skill.In the mailbags and inbox email servers of Australian public affairs television programmes like 60 Minutes, there is one issue that enflames viewers’ vitriolic responses more than any other.
The sheer volume of angry letters and emails we receive about this issue far outweighs anything else upsetting our audience, and it’s been the case for years.
The level of public passion and bitterness this issue inspires is overwhelming in comparison to what you might expect to be the top issue of the day: fears about Islamist extremism and terrorism, crime, anger about the Family Court, opprobrium of politicians (and journalists), the rising cost of living, immigration, and refugees.
No, they aren’t it.
There is a number one concern in Australia at the moment that leaves dust behind every single one of its rivals for top billing as the topic that incites more excoriating contempt and condemnation than any other.
I’m talking of course about Australia’s big banks.
Eleven days ago, 60 Minutes, aired a story about Cairns businessman Roy Lavis, whose company CEC Group went into receivership in 2011, devastating the lives of 750 employees who lost their jobs – just some of around 5,000 locals directly and indirectly affected by CEC’s collapse.
Our story was straightforward in the telling because, unlike so many complex banking stories, we had the benefit of the findings of an exhaustive investigation report prepared into the CEC Group collapse by the Federal Government’s Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell.
Her damning report was explosive in its findings.
"It is highly likely the CEC Group would have survived if not for the actions of the CBA," it said, also declaring the bank’s treatment of CEC was "highly unreasonable"and "potentially unconscionable".
Suggesting a bank acted potentially unconscionably is to suggest that bank may have acted illegally, breaching Australia’s strict consumer laws by abusing its power.
It is an incendiary, albeit – as the Ombudsman found – a justified allegation.
So, as is fair and proper, the Ombudsman Kate Carnell’s report was sent confidentially to the Commonwealth Bank in early March this year for comment.
But, as Ms Carnell revealed in the blow back from the bank against our story, the CBA completely failed to respond to her findings.
“They didn’t respond to it,” she said.
“I thought they didn’t have any problem with it.”
Imagine that. A major bank is accused of possibly illegal conduct by a Government Ombudsman and it totally fails to avail itself of the opportunity to defend itself against those findings.
It was when 60 Minutes obtained a copy of the Ombudsman’s report and asked the bank for an interview that, shortly before our broadcast, the bank sent its government relations lobbyist Euan Robertson to Canberra to angrily complain to the Small Ombudsman that her report had found its way to 60 Minutes.
The gall of it; shame on us for having the temerity to publish a Government report criticising a bank!
That is why we decided to criticise Commbank on 60 Minutes for what we dubbed in our story’s introduction as its “breathtaking arrogance”.
That a bank felt so powerful it believed it did not need to even respond to the Ombudsman’s findings is, we believe, symptomatic of a wider malaise across the banking industry.
And it is not just 60 Minutes that is attracting victims’ bitter allegations about ‘bastard banks’.
The Federal Labor Opposition is pushing for a Royal Commission into our banks and there is also support among Coalition MPs for a banking tribunal – an initiative that is also supported by Ms Carnell.
Federal politicians are getting the same mail we are. They know the major banks have a terrible perception problem and complaints about their behaviour are clogging up their inboxes too.
Treasurer Scott Morrison clearly had his reasons when he told the big banks in the May Budget that "no one likes you anyway".
Australians have had a gut full of the way our major banks are perceived to treat their customers, especially small business; and the banks have a perception problem – whether they want to admit it or not.
60 Minutes interviewed Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell. (Network) ()
When we interviewed Kate Carnell for 60 Minutes, she made this astonishing admission:
"When I started in this process for this banking inquiry, I believed that – you know – that there’d be two sides to every story. I believed that – you know – that banks wouldn’t operate this way. I just believed that and it was just, the more we got into these stories like Roy [Lavis’], the more I realised people really were treated unfairly and really were hurt and really do need to have some justice," she said.
Ms Carnell also stated categorically, based on her analysis of what happened to Roy Lavis and CEC Group, the Commonwealth Bank was best advised to negotiate a quick and speedy financial settlement with him for its clear failings.
"Commbank is our biggest bank,” she told us.
“I think it has an obligation, a moral obligation to, you know, to settle with people like Roy.”
She clearly believes she is in the right - that her findings against CBA are based on the very best expert advice, and she is not backing down - as perhaps the bank hopes she will.
At this point, you would think the Commonwealth Bank might sit back for a moment and quaff a reflective brandy or two in its 19th floor boardroom; that it would consider very carefully how and if to take this further.
It has been excoriated in an Ombudsman’s report that it failed to respond to.
It has, according to evidence given to a Parliamentary banking inquiry, another 2000 or so Bankwest complainants claiming that it unfairly shafted them and, despite the bank’s denials in that hearing of a conspiracy against its customers, it seems inevitable that at least some of those many cases will eventually find their way to a new government banking tribunal that can publicly investigate alleged bank malpractice and levy penalties where breaches are found.
But in the wake of our story, the Commbank’s lobbyists and spin-doctors chose to stand and fight (perhaps they got heady inspiration from Nine’s Australian Ninja Warriors fighting it out on Cockatoo Island in the harbour far below their corporate HQ).
Through the pages of the Australian Financial Review, Commbank has unleashed a splenetic scourge of spin-doctors - and it also, unwisely, chose to take on the Small Business Ombudsman upon whom we relied for our story.
In 33 years of reporting, I have never seen an Ombudsman savaged so mercilessly as Kate Carnell was this week.
Just about everything she found against the CBA was arrogantly dismissed by the AFR (and Commbank) as politically motivated – about the most damaging slur you can levy against a Government official entrusted as an independent arbiter.
Over six successive days and venting thousands of words, Aaron Patrick, the AFR journalist entrusted as the safe pair of hands to air Commbank’s claims, has run seven breathless major, often full-page, stories in which he has sought to weave an elaborate conspiracy theory suggesting 60 Minutes is working in league with Federal MP Warren Entsch and Ms Carnell.
"Bank executives believe that Ms Carnell’s investigation into the CEC collapse and several earlier parliamentary inquiries into the banks, are being driven by politically connected property developers upset with commercial decisions made by banks during the global financial crisis," Patrick credulously reported.
For good measure, the AFR’s editorial writers also weighed in, slavishly towing the CBA line and dismissing the whole Ombudsman’s report as "bank bashing hysteria".
60 Minutes’ story was also peremptorily cast aside as "one-sided".
On the way through, the AFR also put the boot into Prime Minister Turnbull, suggesting he was simply playing to political populism when he upbraided the banks for their arrogance at Westpac’s 199th anniversary lunch in April last year.
So it’s a case of, 'Nothing to see here, it’s all politicised bollocks and how dare those vulgar scoundrels from commercial TV investigate the banks’, the AFR appears to be sycophantically spluttering. It was not the greatest moment in the once-mighty AFR’s contribution to investigative journalism.
At least the AFR’s Mr Patrick had the good grace to report to his readers that when he rang me for comment, I called him a "lickspittle" for his craven toadying to the bank’s line.
He also acknowledged I had asked if he would be able to look at himself the morning after his obsequious puff-piece was published.
One claim he made in support of his wacky conspiracy theory was that we did not mention MP Warren Entsch had been the company’s acting chairman, thereby suggesting 60 Minutes had deliberately concealed his board role on the CEC Group board.
Patrick’s allegation was totally false.
Our story stated clearly that Mr Entsch was "on the board of CEC when he says the company collapsed under the weight of Commbank’s demands". At time of writing, our requests for a correction by Mr Patrick have been ignored.
Mr Entsch is also writing his own complaint to the AFR but we are not holding our breath in expectation it actually gets published.
The Small Business Ombudsman’s office yesterday revealed the AFR’s Mr Patrick has repeatedly ignored several offers to come to Canberra to review the evidence the Ombudsman relied upon to make her findings.
It is a very generous offer, and it has to be asked: how could the AFR possibly assert it has done a proper investigation into this matter if it has not bothered to actually sit down with the Ombudsman to hear her evidence?
60 Minutes spoke to both Ms Carnell, Mr Lavis, Mr Entsch, and Commbank and we also spoke to former CEC employees and investors and other sources.
Yesterday evening, Mr Entsch wrote an angry letter to the AFR complaining about its one-sided coverage:
“Mr Patrick has shown nothing but contempt for Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell by dismissing her findings and questioning her professional skills and ability to conduct a thorough and impartial review of the CEC case," the letter read.
“I would like to know why reporter Aaron Patrick has failed to declare in print that he has been invited by the Ombudsman to come and view the evidence in the CEC case first-hand, but has repeatedly refused this offer?
"In fact, he told Ms Carnell he is "not interested in that" and that he is "only interested in a short grab" for his articles. How can you tell an accurate story when you refuse to look at all the facts?”
But of course, the fact Mr Entsch has had any dealings with the Ombudsman this week at all is just further evidence for the AFR of this massive supposed conspiracy to undermine the banks.
No doubt, as we speak, the AFR has its photographers poised to capture Kate Carnell slugging back fine Grange in a mansion on the Gold Coast with Mr Entsch and those dreadful Queensland property developers behind the conspiracy against our banks.
We had heard about Roy Lavis’ case during 2015 Parliamentary inquiries into impaired loans but it came up again while we shot another story in Cairns earlier this year, investigating how the National Australia Bank had pressured a husband and wife couple, Terry and Cathy Maloney, to deal with a convicted criminal named Joseph Prestia.
As it always happens with bank stories, the NAB exposé generated a blizzard of other alleged bank victims who then sent their mounds of paperwork into 60 Minutes, all pleading for their gripe with their bank to be exposed.
A plethora of these cases were small business clients of Bankwest who found themselves foreclosed, and declared to be in ‘non-financial default’ by the Commonwealth Bank after the CBA bought Bankwest off United Kingdom bank HBOS in 2008.
Time and time again, these Bankwest complainants alleged Commbank had shut them down using questionable loan-to-value ratio non-financial defaults, suggesting the value of the asset against which they had borrowed was now far lower than Bankwest had agreed.
Significantly, most of the alleged victims asserted they were never in financial default on their loans – they had consistently paid their interest and principal on time and in full.
Banking stories are notoriously difficult to produce for television because they invariably involve complicated discussions about the masses of paperwork used to contract the loan to the borrower in the first place.
How to measure the rights and wrongs of a bank’s actions when, as happened in Roy Lavis’ case in 2008, he said he and his CEC Group board were suddenly confronted by a panicked demand from CBA that CEC dramatically reduce the borrowings that the bank had agreed to only weeks earlier?
Throughout the previous year, the bank had supported CEC in a growth strategy to buy land for development by approving borrowings from $106 million to $169 million by Christmas 2007; it had authorised $18 million just before Christmas after undertaking a credit risk assessment of Roy’s company.
Then the Global Financial Crisis began to hit and, as Roy told it, just weeks later in late February 2008, CBA decided he would not get his money unless he agreed to a massive reduction in debt.
By October 2008, he claimed he was forced to more than halve his debt down to $80 million.
Roy said he complied with the Bank’s debt reduction demands and, with a lot of effort, he kept on paying his interest and principal on time – and, because of that, he believed he had the bank’s support to keep on running his business.
But what he said happened is as he reported the bank’s imposed debt reductions to the Australian Stock Exchange, shareholder confidence in the business gradually collapsed, and the bank’s demands for debt reductions continued even further.
He was forced to release $89 million from asset sales in eight months to reduce a debt that had increased with the bank’s approval by just $63 million in the preceding year.
Being forced to sell his most valuable assets, Roy said (and Kate Carnell agrees with him), destroyed his business.
We first met Roy Lavis when he rolled up to the Cairns Hilton in a borrowed, battered, Toyota land-cruiser hefting a distressingly large pile of manila folders and binders, the last remnants of CEC Group’s paperwork during that 2008-2011 period when he was fighting for his corporate life.
Roy gave personal guarantees to try to keep his company afloat and he was forced into bankruptcy; it has made his efforts to rekindle his business almost impossible.
The irony is, as we stand on the Cairns harbour esplanade, almost everything around us was built by Roy’s CEC Group. For decades, he was the bloke who built Cairns’ sewers, streets and housing developments.
As Carnell told us: “Roy was one of those fantastic Australians who grow a business from nothing. We need more Roy's.”
Over two weeks before our story was due to be broadcast, we sent Commbank an exhaustive list of questions aimed at extracting from the bank an explanation for why it did what it did to Roy Lavis and CEC.
We also attended a long, off-the-record briefing with CBA’s public affairs manager Tracy Lee and government lobbyist Euan Robertson, a former advisor to Labor Shadow Minster Tony Burke.
Days passed without a bank response and broadcast drew closer.
Then, shortly before broadcast, the bank finally agreed to allow us a short interview opportunity to put questions to CBA’s chief risk officer David Cohen.
We have always made an extended version of that interview available online, despite the AFR’s false assertions we only gave Mr Cohen 90 seconds.
That interview can be viewed here:
What surprised us from the start about the bank’s position was that it unrepentantly claimed in the interview Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell had got things badly wrong and that, in particular, it was CEC who came to the bank in December 2007 recommending a debt reduction strategy.
Former CEO Roy Lavis and former chairman Warren Entsch both adamantly deny this claim – and so does the Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell.
“It’s complete and utter bullshit,” former acting chairman Warren Entsch told us.
They say the company only agreed to a debt reduction demand made by the bank at the end of February 2008 and that when it was reported to the ASX, the CEC share price plummeted because of it.
But the bank purports the opposite is the case:
“By December 2007,” CBA’s Mr Cohen claimed, "the board of CEC, and these were very experienced board directors, we had a former Premier of Qld in Rob Borbidge, we had a former chairman of ASIC, we had a current Federal member [Entsch], um very senior people, very senior accountant, these directors and senior management, including Roy Lavis, came to the view that actually the business model as CEC had been implementing was just not viable, so CEC itself decided that it needed to reduce its debt…”
I challenged Mr Cohen during our interview about this assertion (and we included that exchange in our story) because I knew it was clear from the documents the debt reduction strategy had been imposed on CEC by Commbank.
Here’s an extract from a letter from CEC to CBA dated 22 February where CEC’s managing director clearly states the debt reduction strategy was the bank’s concern, not CEC’s:
Supplied. ()
In another letter dated 28 February 2008, it is again abundantly clear CEC’s continued loan facility is dependent on the company agreeing to CBA’s proposed dramatic debt reduction strategy – a demand made by the bank, not CEC:
Supplied. ()
It’s the same again when the facility is renewed on 30 May 2008, the bank requiring yet another huge cut to CEC’s borrowings.
It is very clear the debt reduction strategy demand has come from the bank not CEC:
Supplied. ()
When the facility is up for review again in October 2008, it is again the bank that is insisting on the debt reduction strategy, not CEC:
Supplied. ()
Roy Lavis laughed off suggestions by CBA’s David Cohen it was CEC who came begging in that December 2007 period for a debt reduction.
As he correctly noted, the bank had approved another $18 million extension to his loan facility on 20 December 2007.
“Why in heavens name would we have agreed to CEC Group paying bank fees totalling $875,000 within 12 months for a debt reduction program the bank falsely claims was CEC Group’s initiative,” Roy asked.
Nothing in any of the AFR’s lengthy reports addresses this clear conflict between what the bank claims and what
|
others. Live life on your terms.”
In that simple, yet stunning, note, I felt his kindness. I learned what fraternal brotherhood meant. I knew I could be the gayest, most flamboyant frat guy my campus had ever seen. And I would still be respected, accepted, and cared for.
Visit AndrewGelwicks.com for more information about the writer and his work.OF ALL THE FEELINGS said to sweep over us in wild places — awe, peace, a sense of the divine — there are a few that rarely get mentioned. My last two-week trip into the woods, for example, was frankly depressing. The year had been a cold one, and the forest was not its usual refulgent self. A black bear was hanging around, skinny and sickly from the bad berry crop and probably bound for death by starvation in its winter den. Pink salmon had just begun to spawn in a nearby creek, where their battered bodies were a reminder of the grand cycle of life, yes, but were also an intimately dismal spectacle. Then I discovered a colony of bats, the year’s pups just learning to fly. Not a lot is known about the mortality rate of bats in this fledgling period, but I am inclined to predict it is high. The little ones peeped fearfully before their maiden flights, and with good reason — I watched several crash into the tall grass, unlikely ever to make it home again. They might, at least, make easy meals for the garter snake I saw that had somehow lost half its face.
All of this took place in a valley that, blessed with steep slopes, icy winters, wet summers, and remoteness from the world’s stock exchanges, has somehow retained the full complement of predators, including wolves, grizzly bears, and mountain lions. I do indeed feel awe in that place, but not much peace. By day I carry pepper spray, and by night I sleep with a twelve-gauge shotgun close at hand, because a couple of years ago a bear tried to break into my “cabin” — a ninety-year-old homestead shack that can’t even keep out the rain — in the first light of dawn. If a god is in charge of the area, he is surely of the mercurial, Old Testament variety.
The idea that nature is a bittersweet and sometimes forbidding place is not, as they say, currently trending. More prevalent is the view reflected in a recent caution from the Chicago Manual of Style editors that capital-N “Nature” is to be used only to denote “a goddess dressed in a flowing garment and flinging fruit and flowers everywhere.” The comment is tongue-in-cheek, but the point is well taken. The natural world is increasingly seen as a gentle and giving realm of the spirit. In some cases, this view is actively religious or quasireligious, whether we are speaking of the biosphere as the provident Earth Mother, the being-of-beings that is James Lovelock’s Gaia, or simply the handiwork of one or another god. But above all else, the actual experience of being in nature seems to affirm its essential holiness. The natural world feels like a spiritual respite: a literal sanctum, where we are safe to reconnect to what is larger than ourselves. Compared to the cosmic rhythms of mountain, sea, and sky, it is ordinary daily life — driving at rush hour, punching security codes, navigating a shape-shifting digital culture — that seems hostile.
Yet there is a serious problem with our idea of sacred nature, and that is that the idol is a false one. If we experience the natural world as a place of succor and comfort, it is in large part because we have made it so. Only 20 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface is still home to all the large mammals it held five hundred years ago, and even across those refugia they are drastically reduced in abundance. The seas have lost an estimated 90 percent of their biggest fish. For decades there were almost no wolves, grizzly bears, or even bald eagles in the lower 48, and modern recovery projects have brought them back to only a small fraction of their former ranges. Scientists speak of an “ecology of fear” that once guided the movements and behavior of animals that shared land- and seascapes with toothy predators — an anxiety that humans once shared. In much of what’s left of the wild, that dread no longer applies even to deer or rabbits, let alone us. The sheer abundance and variety of the living world, its endless chaos of killing and starving and rutting and suffering, its routine horrors of mass death and infanticide and parasites and drought have faded from sight and mind. We have rendered nature an easy god to worship.
If humankind’s relationship to the wild were to be embodied by just one of the gods we have invented, I would nominate Janus, the twin-faced deity of the ancient Romans. Our sense of the divine can connect us to nature, but it can divide us from it as well. Spirituality can help us see ourselves as kindred to every living and nonliving thing, all sprung from the same celestial dust. This primeval understanding remains deep and broad today, revealed everywhere from the Garden of Eden story shared in one form or another by Christians, Jews, and Muslims; to the Tibetan name for Mount Everest, Chomolungma, the Holy Mother; to $2,995 shamanic journeys of reconnection to Mother Earth in Sedona, Arizona, complete with one-night vision quests, “weather permitting.” On the other hand, spirituality has long been used to place ourselves on a pedestal above the rest of creation. The Garden of Eden story includes instructions to “fill the earth and subdue it” and to “have dominion” over every living thing, among other phrases that amount to a mission statement for latter-day capitalism; Mount Everest is a challenge to be conquered; and that same Arizona wilderness retreat promises to refresh the “natural power that is your birthright.”
Old Janus has been staring in these opposite directions a long time — the tension between being a part of nature and standing apart from it is elemental to what it means to be human. “The archaeological record encodes hundreds of situations in which societies were able to develop long-term sustainable relationships with their environments, and thousands of situations in which the relationships were short-lived and mutually destructive,” wrote the Arizona State University anthropologist Charles Redman in his seminal 1999 book Human Impact on Ancient Environments. The pattern Redman points to is not, as some might suppose, divided neatly between destructive societies in the lineage of so-called Western civilization and sustainable societies in the more earth-toned traditions often associated with, for example, Native Americans. A recent scientific review of human impacts on the oceans found “overwhelming” evidence that aboriginal coastal cultures “often” depleted their local environments; in fact, the editors speculate that it may have been the struggle to survive in increasingly degraded surroundings that gave rise to the conservation values that many Native Americans appear to have held at the time of European contact. If so, then 1492 was a clash of Janusian timing: European nations reveling in the discovery of God-given riches just as Native American cultures were formulating a spiritual understanding of natural limits.
We know which of those two worldviews prevailed in the centuries that followed — a history that astounds us with the extinction or near-extinction of even the most superabundant creatures, from the great auk to the buffalo to the Atlantic cod, though these iconic species are best thought of only as reminders of a wholesale assault on animate life that left no species unscarred. In the midst of it all, a countercurrent emerged. A small minority of people still mark the beginnings of that turning with the 1864 book Man and Nature, by George Perkins Marsh, a pioneer of ecological thought. With the exhausting thoroughness of autodidactic science-geekery, he presented an inventory of “the extent of the changes produced by human action in the physical conditions of the globe we inhabit.” For the most part, however, Marsh is a footnote, massively overshadowed by his more lyrical, less empirical contemporaries. I don’t even need to use their first names: nature writing in the tradition of Emerson and Thoreau, of Wordsworth and Coleridge, has called on us to see the face of God in every trembling leaf ever since. To do otherwise is to fall into the cold rationalism so often said to have betrayed the wild world.
This modern love of the earth is ironic — it is a reaction against the destruction of nature, but is also a product of that destruction. Witness Great Britain, once home to deep forests, bears, wolves, wild boars, wild oxen. We celebrate England’s Romantic poets for seeing divinity in a landscape that others found dark and threatening. Yet the Romantics were only opening their eyes to a new reality: Almost every threat posed by that wild landscape had been vanquished. By the time of the Romantics, Britain was much as it is today — a deforested island, its fauna largely reduced to butterflies, birds, and hedgehogs.
The pattern repeated itself on the American shore. Thoreau wrote from a forest that had lost its capacity to instill fear in a young man’s heart. (Marsh could have detailed this history for him; Marsh’s childhood home near Woodstock, Vermont, had in his lifetime lost its moose, wolves, and mountain lions, and seen its spruce and hemlock forests replaced with European trees.) Annie Dillard’s pilgrimage to Tinker Creek plays out in a denuded Virginia, and even Edward Abbey, that singular voice of wildest America, went to his deathbed never having seen a free-living grizzly bear. Such versions of nature still inspire wonder — I held a wild hedgehog in my hands last year and was speechless with the thrill of it. In fact, one might argue that the works that have brought us closest to nature have depended on a more welcoming wilderness. But another truth should be foremost in mind: that what we call nature today is a kinder, gentler, more depauperate world than at any time since at least the late Paleozoic, some 300 million years ago. Nature is not a temple, but a ruin. A beautiful ruin, but a ruin all the same.
According to recent statistics, most people on earth now live in cities, with few if any daily reminders of things ecological. There is considerable evidence that this disconnect costs us at a personal level. Among the most durable findings in the field of environmental psychology, for example, is that we prefer natural settings over the built environment. Among natural landscapes, we show the greatest preference for open spaces dotted with trees, with a little water nearby. (Picture the views from the apartments that border Central Park in Manhattan; as the biologist E. O. Wilson puts it, “To see most clearly the manifestations of human instinct, it is useful to start with the rich.”) These preferences have a consistency across cultures and generations that approaches evolutionary natural law.
I want to call attention to two aspects of these discoveries. The first is that the salient feature of our most preferred environments — savannalike spaces — is long sightlines, which would have helped us to survive the eons when our species was still a link in the wild food chain. In other words, we prefer nature when it is unthreatening, and on that count, we have had our wish. The second point is that we nonetheless have a deeply embedded psychological attachment to the living world. Having lost our daily communion with that world, our modern spiritualization of it can be seen as a kind of prosthetic — or, if you prefer, a way of turning up the volume on a signal that is increasingly faint. We have created an imaginary connection with nature because we lack a tangible one, and we carry that connection in spirit because we no longer follow it in body. The sense of the divine that many feel in wild places is less a bond with nature than it is another symptom of the absence of that bond.
Ecologically speaking, this sanctified nature is not nearly enough. “We live more and more in an enchanted illusion of what nature is, which I think is counterproductive to conservation,” says the Cornell University biologist Harry Greene. It’s the back half of that statement — counterproductive to conservation — that contains surprises. At the time, Greene was responding to the movement that seeks, in effect, to protect feral mustang horses in the American West from natural life and death, permitting neither human culling nor wild predation nor starvation from drought or harsh winters, and instead using pharmaceutical contraceptives to control the population. This approach falls close to the farthest end of the spectrum of enchantment, where we find “end of suffering” activists who see a high moral calling in technocratic intervention against every cruelty that regulates natural systems: no more frogs swallowed alive by snakes, no more calf elk gored by grizzlies in front of their mothers’ eyes, no more exhausted hummingbirds drowned during their arduous migration across the Gulf of Mexico. “Let’s aim to be compassionate gods,” concludes one essay from the end-of-suffering sect, “and replace the cruelty of Darwinian life with something better.”
But such extreme examples aren’t necessary. We might instead simply reflect upon the ecological consequences of our having created a wild world that has, for the most part, liberated us from fang and claw and distanced us from unseemly reality. Writing in the 2010 book Trophic Cascades, editors John Terborgh and James Estes, both prominent ecologists, describe the simplification of nature’s architecture by human actions as a crisis “every bit as serious, universal, and urgent as climate change.” When fishermen’s nets fill not with fish but jellyfish; when pestilent tsetse flies spread with the scrublands once held in check by browsing elephants; when overpopulating deer eat the flower gardens of suburban America — all of these bear the markings of the ecological cascade. Here’s one example that hints at the scale of the losses: The best available estimate suggests that whales before whaling ate up nearly 65 percent of the energy — as transformed into living things — produced yearly in the world’s oceans. Paradoxically, however, the same seas that teemed with ravenous whales also brimmed with other creatures great and small, from swordfish to shad to oysters. They did so, paradoxically, in seas that despite the whales’ ravenous appetites would have seemed nearly to burst with creatures great and small, from swordfish to shad to oysters. “We know very little about the direct and indirect effects of reducing whale populations by more than 90 percent, but they must be substantial,” note Terborgh and Estes, with the typical restraint of lifelong scientists. It’s knowledge that could be of some use to us right now. By conservative estimates, a single animal — us — now consumes at least a quarter of the annual productivity of the planet, with the critical difference that our myriad hungers are satisfied only at enormous expense to the abundance and variety of species.
Are we to blame a global society’s accumulating insults against the biosphere on people who meditate in the desert or find divinity beneath the redwoods? No. But the way you see the world determines much about the world you are willing to live in, and the spiritual lens has failed us as a tool for seeing clearly. Here are Terborgh and Estes again: “There is little public awareness of impending biotic impoverishment because the drivers of collapse are the absence of essentially invisible processes... and because the ensuing transformations are slow and often subtle, involving gradual compositional changes that are beyond the powers of observation of most lay observers.” Our collective response to these shifts in our surroundings, as Michael Soulé, a founding figure in conservation biology, puts it, is to “excuse, permit, and adapt.” The romanticization of a denatured living world is one such adaptation. We have turned a fierce and ambiguous nature into a place of comfort, and if we embrace the result as a sanctuary of the soul, to be visited every second or third long weekend, then we may ultimately see little purpose in returning to a deeper and more risky engagement. We’ll end up with the twin faces of Janus both looking the same direction, having found all the wildness we need in the tamed.
Every year, I try to return to that cabin where the bears roam and the salmon spawn and die, and the baby bats risk their new lives in fragile flight. There is no road; the access is by train, or by boat across a river of terrifying cold and current. I once told people that I went there for the peace and quiet, to escape into the sublime, and that was not entirely a lie. But I have to admit that I often feel a growing dread as the moment of entry into that wilderness approaches. It’s not the solace of mountain and forest that keeps drawing me back. It is something more demanding.
Every day in that wild place is an opportunity to pass time with eagles, ravens, toads, snakes, moose, grouse, salmon, and the year’s local black bear, which somehow always seems to be everywhere at all times. I often find myself filled with wonder, but the challenge of living nearer to nature will never be having to cope with more beauty, or that our hearts may explode from so much swelling. Instead, the challenge comes from the wilderness’s countless mortal shocks, from maggots teeming in the brainpan of a dead deer, to the steady watchfulness required of life among large predators, to weirdly disturbing realizations such as that adult mayflies have no mouths, no digestive tracts, no anuses. Yet another memory from this past year’s visit leaps to mind: a strange preponderance of bleeding tooth fungus, Hydnellum peckii, which weeps transparent beads of red liquid across the white pulp of its mushroom cap. If the bleeding tooth fungus is the answer to any question, that question could only be, “Why?”
If the modern spiritualization of nature is the product of distance and diminishment, observations such as these are the opposite, the outcome of muddy hands and scratched skin, of having time to waste in places where our species is a curiosity and potential source of protein. Slowly, haltingly, I am coming to see the community of species around my cabin with the same eyes with which I have come to see other communities — to the extent that even that word, community, sounds clinical and precious to my ears. Think instead of your friendships, or your neighborhood, those fragile constructions of toleration and embrace, of the heartwarming and the bleak. We understand our friends and neighbors as imperfect, even essentially tragic, and yet, at our best, we know that they are a part of us — that we are enriched when they are enriched, impoverished when they are impoverished. I am still new to the neighborhood of salmon, cedar, and raven, and I won’t claim any insight into their world that is more profound than this: I feel their absence when I leave, and it’s their presence that always draws me back again.
It hasn’t been my experience that full-force nature directs the mind toward thoughts of positive vibrations or divine master plans. Nature itself is enough, its stories written in blood and shit and electrons and birdsong, and in this we may ultimately find all the sacredness we seem to need.
One final story: Several years ago, I interviewed a woman named Sally Mueller who had moved with her family from New Mexico to the remote Tatlayoko Valley of British Columbia. She had, in effect, made the decision that I have never found myself quite ready to make — to seek a life in the wilderness. There, many happy years later, she was charged by a sow grizzly protecting her cubs. The animal stopped only inches away and, roaring, swiped with a paw, slicing through two layers of clothing and the flesh of Mueller’s thumb. Only then did the mother bear’s fury drain away. The grizzly retreated; the scales of life and death tilted back into balance; the crawl of time returned to its regularly scheduled programming.
“It was really a highly spiritual experience for me,” Mueller said. She shared that revelation cautiously, aware that it would be difficult to understand. But in those terrible instants, she said, she knew that the bear was only doing what it must, and so was she, and so, too, were even the meadow grasses and the trees, the earth and the sky, and all of it was blurred into a pattern too infinite and ancient to explain. At last, Mueller found the words for the feeling: “It was just like coming home.”For the past two months on AMC they have been airing episodes of Breaking Bad every Sunday. Like a fool I got sucked into binge-watching it and now currently have 49 episodes marinating on my DVR. When I am through this will be my second run watching the greatest show ever. My initial watching of Breaking Bad started in 2008 with the first season. I didn’t have Netflix and I still don’t, so like a pilgrim I watched each episode of Breaking Bad live at 9 o’clock every Sunday during its original run.
If you’re reading this and haven’t finished the show, then stop right now. When the final episode rolled around it was a bittersweet feeling; the roller-coaster ride that was the second half of Season Five almost made you want the show to end just so you could start the process of putting your life back together. From Hank getting killed to Walt telling Jesse he watched Jane die, I couldn’t take anymore. Oh, and those two things happened in a five-minute span….ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? How do you move on from a show like that?
A lot of you reading this probably watched the show on Netflix before the last season started, so you missed out on the torture of waiting a year between seasons. When Hank was on the toilet and realized that Walt is Heisenberg, I had to wait a year for the next episode. Just take a second and sympathize with me…all right, thanks. What amazed me most with this show was the transformation we all witnessed Walt undergo, from being a total dweeb in the earlier seasons to completely losing himself in his Heisenberg identity by the end of the show’s run. It is my belief that we will never see anything like this again on television.
The aftermath of this show for me was like a bad breakup: You cry, you look for answers, you eat too much pizza, you don’t want to talk to anyone about it, and you gain 15 pounds…probably from the pizza. Eventually you try to move on, but that doesn’t work when we are talking about the best show ever. I can’t just turn on the TV and put on Big Bang Theory and be satisfied, partly because that show is terrible, partly because Breaking Bad was too good. That’s right—it was too good. I feel sorry for people who are in the process of watching it right now, because nothing will ever live up to it again. It would be like dating [insert your celebrity crush] for five years and then having to suddenly go and date a normal person—gross.
Breaking Bad also has a sentimental value for me. I watched every episode of it with my dad. I can’t say that for many shows. I haven’t watched a show with him since Breaking Bad ended, partially because he is usually snoring by the time anything worth watching happens to be on, and partially because there is nothing worth watching anymore. And it isn’t as if I haven’t tried to move on, I currently watch Homeland, Mad Men, Tyrant, Ray Donovan, and Halt and Catch Fire. All of them are good—Homeland and Mad Men are great—but none of them leaves me with the same feelings that Breaking Bad did.
So here I am, a shell of a man, watching Breaking Bad all over again, trying to relive the days when I knew full well that what I was watching was as good as it gets. I tried to get my mom to watch all the episodes with me since she missed out on the first run; she didn’t want to. It is probably for the best; I wouldn’t want to ruin the rest of her TV-viewing years. You can only set the benchmark so high before you can’t reach it again. So to Vince Gilligan and all the other writers on Breaking Bad, I would like to say thanks for ruining my enjoyment of TV.'Bridgegate' was cast in a whole new light today when emails came to light showing a high-level official in the Chris Christie administration knew about lane diversions at the George Washington Bridge before they were implemented. The revelations move the controversy out of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and into the statehouse, where Democrats, smelling blood in the water, are circling like sharks.
What's next as the largest scandal of Christie's tenure in Trenton unfolds? Here are four questions that as yet remain unanswered.
1. Who in the Christie administration knew of the lane diversions before they happened?
Emails that came to light today show it's clear that at least some in the Christie administration were aware of the local lane diversion before it happened and the trouble it would cause in Fort Lee as it unfolded. At least one email shows Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly telling a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," one month before the lanes were diverted.
But is Kelly the only administration staffer who knew? Later emails revealed today show Bill Stepien, who was Christie's campaign manager during his bid for reelection and served as the governor's in-house political guru, was brought into the loop after reporters began to ask questions, but Kelly is the only staffer who appears to have engaged with Port Authority officials prior to the lane closures.
During his four years in office, Christie has shown a penchant for micro-management. The mantra is, nothing goes on without the big man's knowledge. But the governor has denied having any knowledge of the controversy before reading about it. Can those denials stand up in light of the new revelations?
2. Who is next to resign?
Clearly Bridget Anne Kelly has some employment issues today and it would be shocking if she wasn't looking for work by day's end. But who else in the administration will take a fall? In one particularly telling email, Director of Interstate Capital Projects David Wildstein informs Kelly that Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye pulled the plug on the lane diversions.
"The New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning," Wildstein wrote. "We are appropriately going nuts. Samson helping us to retaliate."
Christie confidant David Samson is the chairman of the Port Authority board of commissioners. Samson has so far been mum on the controversy, refusing to answer questions about it, even as two top officials at the agency resigned. Can he weather the coming storm?
The flap has already claimed the job's of Wildstein and Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni. Will there be others?
3. What's next for David Wildstein?
Wildstein has been subpoenaed to testify before the Assembly Transportation Committee and his appearance will no doubt set off a media circus. Based on the emails released today, Wildstein seems to hold the answer to the question on everyone's mind: Who ordered the study?
During his initial emails over the lane diversions and in later testimony before the Transportation Committee, Foye claimed that the diversions may have violated the law. Is the email chain enough to make a case against Wildstein? Baroni? Kelly? It's unlikely that given the opening, Democrats are going to let the flap go without looking for more scalps. If there is indication that the governor knew more than he said, will Democrats make a move on Christie? This one is far from answered.
4. How does this affect the Christie "brand"?
Polls show that Christie is the (very) early front-runner for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination and some polls even show him in a dead heat with potential Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Christie has to date been shown to sport a Teflon exterior when faced with any of the minor flaps that have enveloped him during the past four years.
But this one plays directly into the narrative Democrats have been trying to build of Christie as a bully, unafraid to use power to punish opponents. His early glibness over the issue and assurances that nobody in his administration knew anything about the lane diversion are likely to be revisited, while Democrats and the media alike will hammer at the issue for as long as it draws eyes.
Can the carefully cultivated Christie mystique survive the onslaught? We may not know the answer to this one for some time.In the heart of Clapton, East London, you’ll find this sleek warehouse conversion from the architects at Sadie Snelson. Previously divided into separate small rooms that let in little natural light, the fresh open-plan update is dressed in black and creamy pale timber to create the ultimate photographer’s work and living space.
Unpainted walls expose the plaster finish, accentuating the industrial theme that continues throughout the steel-beamed residence. Meanwhile, a white-tiled kitchen sits underneath the mezzanine level, while a staircase made from welded steel leads up to the cosy master bedroom and tadelakt shower.
Finally, with no shortage of space, the living area opens out onto a small wooden terrace — something that can be hard to find in London’s eastern quarters.
For one place not short on space, take a look inside some of Dubai’s ridiculously luxurious fashion hotels.
SubscribeMark Finnigin just couldn’t leave that particular Emprise Bank location alone.
On Wednesday, for the second time, the 52-year-old was sentenced to federal prison for robbing the Emprise Bank at 2323 S. Hydraulic in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. Finnigin pleaded guilty to first robbing the branch in 2007 and had been sentenced to 51 months in prison, he said.
Then, last July 22, he walked into the same branch and struck again – this time ordering a clerk to hand over $10,000.
Finnigin got away with some cash that the clerk had placed on the counter but was captured on a nearby store’s surveillance camera fleeing the bank in a minivan. He was jailed July 24, according to a Sedgwick County booking report.
Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle
Finnigin will serve another 63 months in federal prison on his latest robbery conviction, Grissom said. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery in the case.As the 50-year anniversary of his famous 16-inning duel against Warren Spahn approached, Giants Hall of Famer Juan Marichal was reluctant to directly criticize today’s cautious approach to pitcher care.
But it’s not hard to read between the lines.
“There are more players on the disabled list than when we played. I don’t know why,” said Marichal, now 75. “Maybe they don’t know how to use those expensive (exercise) machines that they have in the clubhouse.”
He smiled.
“Pitch counts? You’re not going to have a strong arm if you don’t throw. That’s why I think I threw so many complete games, because I used my arm. I loved to throw. The only way you can get a strong arm is by throwing. Today, 70, 80 pitches and you’re out.”
Marichal threw 227 pitches in beating the Braves 1-0 on July 2, 1963. Spahn threw 201, with Willie Mays blasting the last offering into the Candlestick Park seats.
Such pitch counts are impossible to fathom today. In a story for Grantland.com, writer Rany Jazayerli noted that “there have been fewer 130-plus pitch outings over the past 12 years combined than there were every single season before the 1994-95 strike. This is the single greatest change in the way baseball is played in the 21st century, and it isn’t close.”
But in 1963, even a pair of 200-plus pitch outings hardly turned the world upside down.
“No, because it was normal,” Orlando Cepeda, the Giants’ Hall of Famer, recalled. “The pitchers went all the way whether it was 12 innings or 14 innings. Now you look back and you realize (Spahn-Marichal) was something special. But back then, we’d seen that many times.”
Indeed, Marichal racked up several career marathons. In 1966, the Giants’ right-hander went 14 innings to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. In 1969 he carried a shutout into the 14th at Shea Stadium before Tommy Agee came to the plate with one out and crushed the winning home run.
“Sometimes when I’m dreaming,” says Marichal now, “I still see that ball.”
The Giants’ Matt Cain understands that pitching 16 innings is a pipe dream, but he’s curious. He said it would be “kind of fun to go longer just to see what you have left. You do kind of wonder.”
Don’t expect to see it. Giants manager Bruce Bochy would be fired on the spot.
“Oh, there’s no question about that,” said Denis Menke, a former teammate of Spahn’s. “They don’t even think about it anymore. Now, they’re lucky if they get six or seven innings out of a pitcher and that’s about it.”
Marichal once threw 30 complete games in a season. Last year’s sparkling Giants rotation, the one that led the team to the World Series, combined for five complete games. Cain and Madison Bumgarner shared the staff lead with two apiece.
Marichal, meanwhile, recalled only one time in his 16-year career that he wanted to come out of a game. He was slogging his way through the late innings when manager Herman Franks came to the mound to ask how he felt.
“Bad,” Marichal replied.
“Then Herman Franks told me to turn around and look behind me in the bullpen. There was no one there. He said, ‘Feeling bad, you’re still better than anyone I have.’
“As soon as he told me that, my fastball came back. I threw nothing but bullets over the last two innings because my confidence was back.”
Spahn, too, was a well-established iron man by the time he carried his shutout into the 16th inning at Candlestick Park. The left-hander led the National League in complete games nine times over his career, including three straight times after his 40th birthday.
“I can remember Spahn and (Lew) Burdette both in Milwaukee: If they got into the ninth inning and the score was tied, you better not take him out,” recalled second baseman Frank Bolling, who played for the Braves from 1961-66.
“They’d want to go after you. They’d come after the manager. They were real competitors and they believed in finishing the game — which they could. Gawd, they knew how to do it.”
Follow Daniel Brown on Twitter at twitter.com/mercbrownie.Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man reboot has swung past both of Sony’s doomed The Amazing Spider-Man movies at the domestic box office.
After 20 days of domestic release since its July 5th opening, Spider-Man: Homecoming webbed up $2.787 million on Wednesday, bringing its North American earnings to $262.131 million. Without adjusting for inflation, Homecoming has beaten the $262 million pulled in domestically by The Amazing Spider-Man in July 2012.
Spider-Man: Homecoming, creatively produced by Marvel Studios but backed and distributed by Sony Pictures, cost Sony $175 million to produce — much cheaper than the $235 million and $255 million they spent on The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, respectively. The Amazing Spider-Man, which followed five years after Sam Raimi’s critically derided Spider-Man 3, earned $757.930 million worldwide, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 bringing in just $708.982 million globally, placing it below all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies.
Marc Webb’s pair of films, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, launched in 2012 with its sequel, 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the only Spider-Man movie to receive a “rotten” rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. (Spider-Man 2 is the highest rated with 94%, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming with 92%).
The now defunct duology largely received a mixed to poor reception from fans and audiences, in part lending to Sony’s 2015 decision to team up with Marvel Studios, allowing Spider-Man to take part in the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers. Spider-Man: Homecoming reaching $292 million domestically would make it the biggest-grossing straight reboot domestically (bypassing Man of Steel’s $291 million), and surpassing The Amazing Spider-Man’s $757 million global total will make Homecoming the biggest-grossing straight reboot globally. (Spider-Man: Homecoming’s current worldwide total stands at $582.147 million.)
Domestically, Spidey’s Marvel reboot has already overtaken The Incredible Hulk ($134 million), the first two Captain America movies ($176 million and $259 million), the first two Thor movies ($181 million and $206 million), Ant-Man ($180 million), and Doctor Strange ($232 million), leaving the wallcrawler behind only the Iron Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy films, as well as the billion dollar grosser Captain America: Civil War in which Spider-Man made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.Why are these great white sharks swimming in tandem?
The waters off Mexico's Guadalupe Island are visited by some of the largest great white sharks on earth, so divers flock here for exciting encounters. Just recently, two great whites in the area put on a more subtle show for onlookers – but this bout of tandem swimming is actually an interesting glimpse at shark behaviour.
Guadalupe is a hotspot for shark diving, so it's possible that the allure of hang bait brought these two animals together. Areas of high human activity can create false aggregations as the animals temporarily group around food – so the behaviour we're seeing in this clip may not occur naturally. Still, the interaction is unique enough to have sparked curiosity among experts.
In some cases, sharks that come in to investigate the same site will battle for dominance – we've seen this play out in South Africa's Neptune Island – but great white communication isn't all tooth and tussle. They do send out more subtle warning signals, too.
If you look closely at the shark on top, you'll notice a behaviour known as "gaping" (not to be confused with spy-hopping). This underwater opening of the mouth is thought to be an agonistic display, a way for sharks to tell each other to back off. Diver Julian Gunther has seen this on numerous occasions, and likens it to a dog's warning growl.
By drawing water quickly into the mouth, sharks can force water over the gills at a faster rate than normal. This causes the
|
repeal the CPP with the help of a GOP Congress, or try to undo or weaken it through executive action. Either course of action would undermine our international credibility and imperil global efforts down the road.
It’s conceivable, of course, that a Republican president might decide against wasting political capital by taking on the difficult task of rolling back the CPP when it’s already being implemented. But that would likely mean ignoring a campaign promise and risking the wrath of the right. Republican presidential candidates have already condemned the plan as “lawless” (Ted Cruz), “unconstitutional” (Bush), and potentially “catastrophic” (Rubio). The hyperbole will likely ratchet up if an international deal is reached in Paris, shining a sharper light on Obama’s climate actions among conservatives. A global deal, after all, provides a rich buffet of red meat to the base—it features energy mandates, U.S. cooperation with Euro-weenie bureaucrats, and a need for trust in China.
It’s Grade A fodder for demagoguery. “Republican voters, by and large, are skeptics on climate change, and anything that Obama does, a Republican primary voter basically hates,” GOP consultant John Feehery told me recently. “For Republican primary voters, China is a bogeyman. They will look favorably on any candidate who attacks an agreement with the Chinese that was negotiated by Obama.”
Thus, the Republican candidates—even those who aren’t climate skeptics or deniers—will remain unremittingly hostile toward Obama’s plans for domestic and international action. And if one of them lands in the White House, she or he will then be in a position to set us back years. The election forecasters tell us the chances of that are close to 50-50.
And yet, little by little, though it may be as imperceptible as the moment-to-moment melting of a polar icecap, you can see signs of a thaw in the GOP’s climate intransigence. The most significant sign: While Republican candidates and members of Congress continue to rail against the CPP, other GOP officials are already beginning to cooperate with it behind the scenes. And that cooperation could ultimately prove more important, and a stronger portent of what’s to come, than the bluster in Washington.
When it comes to climate, there are essentially two Republican parties. The first is the more nationally visible one dominated by congressional Republicans, presidential contenders, and figures throughout the conservative media entertainment complex who play to a right-wing audience. This Republican Party will likely remain hostile to the science and to most government climate solutions for years.
The second Republican Party is made up of governors, state government officials, and energy regulators in states—and this is where the thaw is taking place. Even as attorneys general in many states are suing the EPA, officials in some of the very same states are simultaneously gearing up to comply with it. Michigan’s attorney general has signaled intent to join the lawsuit, for instance, but Republican Governor Rick Snyder has announced that the state will draw up its own plan.
Several administration officials I spoke to said they have been quietly meeting with officials and regulators from a number of other red states about setting up their own plans. In these conversations, according to one senior official, there has been “near zero political posturing”; these are no-nonsense career government insiders who are “exclusively looking at this as just the next thing they have to implement.” As a result, the Obama administration is increasingly confident that even conservative states, such as Wyoming, Nevada, and Arizona, will comply. New Mexico has already said that it will, and officials in Arkansas, Georgia, North Dakota, and Utah have reportedly been considering it as well. The rationale is clear: If the CPP survives in court, these states will be better off if they develop their own plans in cooperation with local utilities and energy companies.
Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., a Democrat who now directs the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, has been holding talks with Western governors’ offices to concoct a way for their states to jointly comply with the CPP after the lawsuits run their course. “There are governors and attorneys general in the West who are suing to undo the Clean Power Plan, but those states have still participated in our process of convening 13 Western states,” Ritter said. “It’s a hedge strategy if the rule is upheld. If the plan survives the litigation, those states prefer drafting their own plan rather than deferring to the EPA to write it. Even with the states suing the EPA, we have had constructive discussions about how we might establish a pathway to regional implementation.”
It isn’t strictly essential that red states comply, since the feds will enforce a plan if they don’t. But it would be good news for the CPP’s prospects if some do, in part, because state officials have direct relations with utility companies, which will have to do much of the innovating required to reduce carbon emissions. Indeed, if the lawsuits fail, you might, in turn, see some electric utilities push red-state officials to set up their own plans, because they’d rather work with their partners at the state level than deal with the EPA. “The level of cooperation from the utilities will be a big factor,” said Michael Bradley, the founder of energy consulting company M.J. Bradley & Associates. “Once the litigation is over, and once the utilities realize this is the new reality, we’ll move forward.”
Which brings us to my wildly optimistic scenario for the not-so-distant future. As more red states than expected end up complying with the CPP—and send the world a signal that the United States isn’t quite so polarized on climate as the House GOP and Republican presidential candidates would suggest—Republican politicians will increasingly acknowledge the science as they’ve already begun to do. That will set them on the path toward seeking solutions.
The most ominous threat to climate progress may be a Republican taking the White House in 2016 or 2020.
Inglis, the former representative who now evangelizes to fellow Republicans about climate science, sees signs that it’s coming. “In the depths of the Great Recession, Republicans said they didn’t believe in climate change,” Inglis told me. “Then, in the 2014 cycle, they said, ‘I’m not a scientist,’ an agnostic position. Now we’re somewhere in the next phase. I see a trend line toward a solutions-based conversation. We’re changing the question from, ‘Do you believe in climate change?’ to ‘Can free enterprise solve climate change?’ A candidate in front of a conservative audience can answer that in the affirmative.”
You can see hints—albeit vague ones—of this change on the campaign trail. Bush rails against Obama’s climate plans as catastrophic for the economy, but he also calls for private, “game-changing innovations.” Similarly, Carly Fiorina recently argued that “the answer is innovation. And the only way to innovate is for this nation to have industry strong enough that they can innovate.”
There is a powerful incentive for Republicans to keep evolving. Remaining trapped in an anti-science posture risks sidelining them entirely from a policy argument that is inevitable, whether they like it or not. “The debate Republicans should want is over what government should do about climate change,” said Jonathan Adler, a Case Western Reserve University law professor who regularly discusses climate with GOP lawmakers. “The debate over the science is a sideshow,” he said, with the result that Republicans “are essentially conceding the policy argument.”
Having Republicans join the debate won’t miraculously pave the way to harmonious cooperation, of course. Most will remain hostile to government “mandates” like the CPP for some time to come, and will push instead for private sector fixes. They will shun government-mandated limits on carbon, advocating for a revenue-neutral carbon tax and a government role confined to incentivizing private development of low-carbon technologies and alternative energy. But simply having them more meaningfully engage the climate consensus and offer their own fixes is something Democrats and liberals should welcome. It could boost the prospects for bipartisan cooperation over time. And after Obama has moved on to private life, the culture-war cachet of climate science may also ease, leaving more room for Republican lawmakers to take a constructive approach.?
There is every chance, of course, that this rosy scenario may prove to have been cockeyedly, absurdly, delusionally optimistic. If Hillary Clinton is elected president, for instance, she could become the next Great Satan of environmental overreach—leading many Republicans to sit out the debate into the next decade, when we’ll be face to face with more enormously consequential decisions. But hey, no worries: If worst comes to worst, maybe the world can still find a way to solve the problem behind their backs.Axonius, an Israeli startup that’s working to secure businesses in the age of the Internet of Things, has announced $4 million in seed funding.
The startup’s software is designed to help businesses address a pair of important questions. How many devices are on their corporate network? And, more importantly, are they all secure?
To answer these questions, Axonius has developed a platform to monitor and manage the security of every connected device on a company’s network, with the goal of protecting them from hackers.
Enterprises can unknowingly put themselves at risk when they introduce new tech, like IoT products, into their corporate networks. As a case in point, an internet-connected fish tank at a North American casino was discovered to have been hijacked and used as a launching point to steal data from the casino, security firm Darktrace said back in July.
Security researchers have all been warning that similar attacks will continue to occur, given that smart device adoption is set to soar.
For businesses, the danger is that they’ll have thousands of unmanaged devices running on their network, creating a huge blind spot for a possible attack, Axonius said. It doesn’t help that many of these IoT products are designed without enough consideration given to security.
The startup’s technology is built to address the problem by giving a company’s IT staff one central platform from which to manage the different devices.
Any kind of machine, from Windows laptops to Linux servers, smartphones, and new IoT products, can work over the platform, said Dean Sysman, CEO of the startup and a former Israeli intelligence officer. The technology does so without the need to install software on each individual device, he said in an email. Instead, it relies on software interfaces, like APIs already built into each machine, to communicate with the devices. The Axonius platform is also designed to work with the software tools a business may already have in place to control their IT assets.
Backing Axonius is YL Ventures, which led the $4 million seed funding round, along with Vertex Ventures and Emerge Capital.
Axonius competes with other security vendors, like Tanium and ForeScout, which are also helping businesses remotely manage all their machines over a corporate network.
The startup is currently offering its Axonius Platform in limited availability but will open it to general release early next year.Paris: Earthworms happily munch through leaves that are toxic to other plant-eaters — and how they do it has always been a mystery.
But researchers said Tuesday that the worms produce special compounds in their gut to counteract plant toxins created precisely to repel hungry herbivores.
“Earthworms possess a class of unique surface-active metabolites in their gut, which we term ‘drilodefensins’," a team reported in the journal Nature Communications.
The slimy creatures’ long-kept secret has been uncovered through molecular microscopic analysis of their gut fluid.
Plants produce chemicals known as polyphenols, which act as antioxidants and give plants their colour, but also act as a shield by inhibiting digestion in many herbivores.
Earthworms are recycling specialists, eating fallen leaves and other plant material and returning the life-giving carbon locked up in the waste back to the soil.
But how they tolerate polyphenols has long left specialists scratching their heads.
A team led by Jake Bundy and Manuel Liebeke from Imperial College London found drilodefensins in the guts of 14 earthworm species, but not in other closely-related groups like leeches and sewage worms.
“For every person on Earth there is at least one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of drilodefensins present within the earthworms that populate the world’s soils," Imperial said in a statement.
“Without drilodefensins, fallen leaves would remain on the surface of the ground for a very long time, building up to a thick layer," it quoted Bundy as saying.
“Our countryside would be unrecognisable, and the whole system of carbon cycling would be disrupted."
The compound’s name was derived from the Latin name for the order of invertebrates containing earthworms: Megadrile.Nothing gets less respect than incremental change.
Opponents attack it as only the first step in your plan to remake the world, and supporters attack it as, well, the only step in your plan that doesn't actually remake the world. And so the truth gets forgotten somewhere in the middle.
Take the Dodd-Frank financial reform. If you listen to Republicans, it's a job-killing overreach that —did I mention? — has killed jobs, killed banks and killed lending. And if that doesn't scare you enough, they also say it's institutionalized bailouts and will send a robot back in time to retroactively lay you off by destroying wherever you work. (Okay, that last part might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one.) If you listen to Bernie Sanders, though, Dodd-Frank has been borderline ineffectual since it "did not end much of the casino-style gambling" and let the big banks stay even bigger than they were before the crisis. Or, as he has put it over and over again, it hasn't changed the fact that "the business model of Wall Street is fraud."
So there you have it. Dodd-Frank has either done so much that it's crippled the economy or done so little that it's barely clipped the banks. But what does the actual evidence say? Well, first off, the idea that we should go back to the way things were before Lehman became a four-letter word ignores a lot of easy-to-remember history. The fact, as Barry Ritholtz points out, is that it was the big banks, not mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who started making so many of the subprime loans that ultimately doomed the economy. So sure, Dodd-Frank has probably slowed the economy down a tad, but for the good reason that it's trying to keep the banks from loaning money to people who can't afford to pay it back.
Indeed, if Dodd-Frank hasn't changed Wall Street, somebody forgot to tell Wall Street that. You can see that in the chart below. It shows how much the financial system as a whole has borrowed the past 35 years. The simple story is that the more debt the banks have, the more vulnerable they are to even small losses. Think about it like this: If you have $10 and borrow $90 more, it'd take a 10 percent loss for you to be bankrupt, but if you only have $3 and borrow $97 instead, then it'd just take a 3 percent loss for you to be wiped out. Bankers, though, love leverage, because it supercharges their returns —and, as a result, their bonuses. That's why banks have borrowed more and more and more whenever the economy was good, and sometimes even when it wasn't.
Until now, that is.
Source: Absolute Return Partners
Now, on the one hand, it's not surprising that bank borrowing crashed during the, well, crash. But on the other, it's at least a little surprising that leverage has continued to contract since then despite the fact that the economy's been expanding and there hasn't been another crisis. That hasn't happened at any other time in recent memory. So why do I say that's only a little surprising? Because that's what you would expect when you tell banks that they can't borrow as much — which is part of what Dodd-Frank did. It increased capital requirements, and, lo and behold, banks are reducing their leverage. Wall Street, in other words, isn't allowed to take as many or as big risks as before. The result is a smaller financial system — the big banks cut another 100,000 jobs last year — and a safer one, too.
But does safer mean safe enough? Maybe not. The big banks, after all, are even bigger than they were in 2008 because of all the shotgun marriages back then between banks that were failing and banks that were about to fail. Sanders, for his part, thinks that the best way to deal with this is to break them up based on what kind of business they're in. So instead of having megabanks that take in deposits and sell stocks and bonds, you'd have commercial banks that just did the first part and investment banks that just did the second. That's the same system we had between 1933 and 1999 — what's known as Glass-Steagall — a time when we had precisely zero financial crises. So wouldn't it work again?
Not if we leave the financial system so susceptible to runs. The easiest way to think about this is to realize that there are really two kinds of banks. First, there are the regulated ones that are actually called "banks" and have a safety net to stop any runs from starting. And second, there are the unregulated ones that are called other things — money-market funds, hedge funds, private equity funds and broker-dealers — that are one self-fulfilling panic away from losing your money. The 2008 crisis, then, was the result of a run on this so-called shadow banking system that turned into a run on the regular banking system. Glass-Steagall wouldn't have prevented that. Indeed, it was standalone investment banks such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers that almost dragged down everyone else.
That doesn't mean breaking up the big banks isn't a good idea. It might be — but only insofar as that keeps them from having the clout to roll back other reforms. It's about power, not economics. If we want to make banks safe enough to fail, though, we should do more of what's already working. That might mean bigger capital requirements for bigger banks — which might persuade them to break themselves up — or telling shadow banks that they have to play by the rules, too, and hold more capital themselves. But to do any of that, we have to admit that what's already working is, in fact, working.
What do we want? Incremental change. When do we want it? As soon as there's a president and Congress to give it to us.Page McConnell, The Avett Brothers and The Bluhms Join Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Photo by Dean Budnick
Last night Grace Potter & The Nocturnals closed out their Grand Point North festival at Burlington’s Waterfront Park. The band‘s set put an exclamation point on a day that also saw rousing music from the Avett Brothers, Galactic, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers and Waylon Speed. Over the course of the GPN performance, which featured music that spanned the group’s career, Potter repeatedly offered thanks to the hometown crowd. Midway through her set, she then brought a fellow Green Mountain State resident to the stage as Phish’s Page McConnell appeared on keyboards for a cover of ZZ Top’s “Tush.” Shortly after the song, Potter queried the various band members as to how many Phish shows they had seen. Scott Tournet answered 19, Grace herself said 40 and Benny Yurco responded he had seen too many to count. A while later the evening closed out with a sing-along take on the Beatles “All You Need Is Love,” in which the group was joined by the Avett Brothers, Nicki and Tim Bluhm, former bassist Bryan Dondero and eventually many of the band’s friends and family. Potter also told the audience that the event would return for a third installment in 2013.Advertisement
Two local hockey leagues, the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League and the Carillon Senior Hockey League, will kick off their 2015-16 campaigns this weekend.
The HTJHL will get things going with two games on Saturday as Springfield hosts Lorette and the defending champion Grunthal Red Wings host the Mitchell Mohawks, with both games getting underway at 8:00 p.m.
The league is down one team this year as Niverville has taken a leave of absence for one year due to a shortage of players. Rounding out the league this year are the Steinbach Huskies and Red River Mudbugs.
In the CSHL, two teams have dropped out for this season as both the Grunthal Red Wings and Springfield 98s have taken a leave of absence, leaving only five teams in the loop this season. Both teams have also cited a shortage of players.
Springfield finished first in the regular season last year while Grunthal made it to the league finals.
There are also two games on tap on Saturday to kick off the CSHL schedule as La Broquerie hosts Red River at 7:00 p.m. and St. Malo is at Ste Anne at 8:00 p.m.
The defending champion Steinbach Huskies will open their season at home on Oct. 21 as they entertain the Red River Wild.A murky money-lending nexus that would shame Shylock, shady land deals and clandestine conspiracies to buy police officers and circumvent the judicial process. Transactions in a range of financial instruments worth hundreds of crores. Investments in little-known American companies. Suspect foreign currency transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Allegations of rape and witness intimidation, it seems, are not the only crimes self-styled holy man Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai are in the dock for.
As Asaram and Sai cool their heels in Jodhpur and Surat jails, and a trial court is set to begin hearing the rape case against Asaram, Gujarat police allege they have unearthed a string of highly lucrative illicit busies ventures, all piggybacking on the unquestioning faith of millions. And the details-contained in reams of documents police say they seized from an ashram aide's apartment-read like the laundry list of a small-town businessman who has come into enormous wealth:
- Benami property deals and financial transactions-many of them allegedly in cash-adding up to more than Rs 2,200 crore.
- Cash loans totalling Rs 1,635 crore given to more than 500 beneficiaries in exchange for equally fat interest rates.
- Rs 156 crore invested in shares of two obscure US companies-Soham Inc and Costas Inc-suspected to be in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as resident Indians are barred from making any direct investment abroad.
- Rs 8 crore allegedly earmarked to bribe police, judicial and medical officers linked to the rape investigations against Asaram and Sai.
On paper, the total comes to a mindboggling Rs 4,500 crore. But investigators say the worth of Asaram's shady empire will cross the Rs 10,000-crore mark if the land and real estate are valued at market rates instead of the old circle rates used by the police to value them.
ALSO READ: From rags to riches to infamy
Sai's counsel, however, rubbishes the allegations. "Narayan Sai and the others have been falsely implicated in the case with the aim of targeting him and Asaram Bapu," Kalpesh Desai, the defence counsel in the bribery case, told india today, referring to the financial wrongdoing alleged by the police following seizure of what they call "highly incriminating documents". Desai refused to discuss the details saying the case is sub judice.
Smoking guns
It all started in 2013, not long after Asaram was arrested in Indore in a rape case. Surat Police was in the middle of a nationwide manhunt for Narayan Sai, who had disappeared after being accused of rape by a former devotee from the Surat ashram. While he was eventually nabbed in December that year, on October 26, a police team had raided an apartment in Ahmedabad's plush CG Road following a tip-off. It was owned by a builder and long-time Asaram devotee Prahlad Kishenlal Sewani. Unwittingly, the police had chanced upon a treasure trove of documents-hastily stashed away in 42 large sacks, hard disks and computers.
Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana and a team of officers spent months collating and deciphering the information contained in volumes of paper and terabytes of computer files. Once collated, they literally blew the lid off a suspected network of deceit and crime centred around Asaram and his network of ashrams, police claim. "The documents and data in the hard disks seized show large-scale tax evasion and malpractices by Asaram and Narayan Sai and also (names) a large number of traders, businessmen and real estate dealers across India. They used black money thus generated for professional and personal gains. Since the matter has national and international ramifications it should be thoroughly investigated under the Income Tax Act," Asthana wrote early in 2014 in his covering letter forwarding the case for further scrutiny by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department.
The labyrinth of intrigue can be gauged from details jotted down by Surat Police while forwarding the case: Asthana's cover letter was followed by seven volumes of documents adding up to 900 pages. But 18 months on, income tax authorities seem to have little to show as progress. Benjamin Chettiar, assistant commissioner of income tax, who is investigating the details found in the hard disks forwarded by the Surat Police, however, insists the probe is on track. "We have made progress in the case and the order for attachments has been issued. The results will be in public domain soon," he told india today.
However, investigations by india today, based on information gleaned from the seized documents, reveal the seemingly dark underbelly of the empire Asaram and his son built over four decades. For starters, the moneylending operation, seen to be funded almost exclusively through devotee donations and profits from the sale of ashram merchandise, was run on the scale of a midsized banking set-up.
Besides the money lending operations, the seized documents reveal scores of evidently dubious land deals. Real estate is shown to have been acquired at several locations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh as well as several central and north Indian states-nearly everywhere Asaram and his followers opened their 400-odd ashrams and religious centres. The dubious money trail, according to investigators, involves as many as 800 bank accounts.
Religion and riches
Much of the land owned by Asaram's ashrams are illegal, alleges Surat Police Assistant Commissioner Mukesh Patel, who is leading the probe into the rape case against Narayan Sai. "They were acquired by enticing devotees with improper documents and through encroachments," he says. In Gujarat alone the ashram was forced to vacate unlawfully occupied land following administrative and police action around Pedhmal Ashram in Sabarkantha district and the Asaram centres in Motera (Ahmedabad) and Surat.
Nainesh Shah, 54, who is fighting a court case against Asaram for years, illustrates the alleged modus operandi. According to his charges, back in 1978, Asaram had persuaded Shah's father, Rajnikant Shah, a then follower, to "gift" 15,300 yards he owned near the Ahmedabad ashram. The land then cost Rs 20 lakh. After a few years, when Shah senior thought he had been swindled as he was still paying the land revenue while the ashram was occupying the plot, he wanted it back. Thirty-seven years on, Shah senior is long gone, the piece of land is now valued at Rs 100 crore and houses the ashram's women's unit. "He played on my father's emotion to part with the land through a gift deed. But we pay revenue and tax on the land even today and are fighting a case to get it back," Shah junior says.
This, investigators allege, is just one of several examples of the fraud the godman and his associates are accused of.
Asaram, according to investigators, controls his empire through 400-odd trusts, of which the two most important ones-Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Trust and Sant Shri Asaramji Mahila Utthan Trust-are run from Ahmedabad. Investigators and the documents seized from Sewani's apartment indicate huge amounts of money came into the ashrams' coffers also from the sale of merchandise including magazines, prayer books and CDs; ayurvedic products such as soaps, incense and oils; donations by devotees; and farming on land acquired or often usurped by the ashram.
A lot of this money, earned by legitimate means, was meant to be reinvested in ashrams or in the welfare of devotees and residents. But investigators allege that large sums of money were instead used to fund dubious land deals and a massive money-lending racket in which cash was loaned at exorbitant interest rates.
Insiders allege that ashram authorities manipulated records to avoid paying taxes. "The annual contract with an Ahmedabad firm, for packaging products marketed by the ashrams, was worth Rs 350 crore," says Surat CP Rakesh Asthana. "Imagine the actual turnover."
Until Asaram's arrest in 2013, two magazines published by his ashram-Rushiprasad, a monthly in several languages, and a fortnightly Lok Kalyan Setu-sold more than 1.4 million copies every month, netting around Rs 10 crore annually, police say. The bigger grosser was said to be the 50-odd satsang discourses delivered to followers-each two- or three-day talk reportedly netted Rs 1 crore through sales of associated products-and what Asaram received from the organisers. The biggest money spinners were reported to be three or four annual Gurupurnima functions, during which Asaram's organisation was said to receive donations worth crores.
"For him, every activity was a money-making activity-be it bhandaras meant to distribute free food to the poor, relief work during natural calamities such as floods, or even gau seva (cow welfare). In fact, the figure of Rs 1,650 crore (extended in loans) seems small; I wouldn't have been surprised had it been even Rs 5,000 crore," says Rahul Sachan, a key Asaram aide until he parted ways with the 'guru' a decade ago and who is now a witness in the Asaram rape case.
People close to Asaram say anything between 10 and 20 bhandaras were held every year, fetching Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore in donation. As against that, the money spent on preparing the food and distributing it was minuscule. Showcasing his intricately linked business model, the donation for these programmes were collected through 11,000 Yog Vedant Seva Samitis that Asaram had set up across the country, and the publicity for the collection of donations was done through his magazines.
The inner circle
Although still under the scanner, Prahlad Sewani insists that he was not personally involved in shady dealings orchestrated from Asaram's ashram. The builder has told police that he had merely handed over the keys to his flat following "urgent summons" from Asaram's ashram in Motera, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, when Narayan Sai was on the run. Sewani claims a circle of Asaram's closest followers, fearing a large-scale crackdown, moved the documents, hard disks and computer CPU to his CG Road apartment in an attempt to keep them away from the police.
Seizure of the documents during the raid prompted a frenetic response, with ashram functionaries allegedly attempting to bribe police officers involved in the investigations.
Early in 2014, a senior Surat police officer was allegedly promised Rs 100 crore to help switch the documents and hardware, then in police custody, and render other favours. When this failed, ashram associates are said to have managed to lure an inspector, C. Kumbhani, associated with the probe, to make further inroads. Surat Police Commissioner Asthana's reader, Abdul Rahman Zabha, an officer widely respected for his integrity, was approached with a similar proposition. The police then used Zabha as bait, and Kumbhani and Uday Sanghani, an old associate of Asaram, were arrested in a subsequent entrapment operation on charges of delivering bribe money to Zabha. Sanghani was allegedly key to the conspiracy aimed to bribe police officers.
Narayan Sai being taken to jail by the police in Surat. Narayan Sai being taken to jail by the police in Surat.
Following Sanghani's interrogation, Rs 8 crore was recovered in raids across the city. Sanghani, officials say, had revealed that the cash was to be used to bribe junior police, judicial and medical officers associated with investigations into the charges of rape against Narayan Sai and his father.
Income tax officials tracking Asaram's wealth say the probe has been somewhat stymied by the unexplained disappearance of Kaushik Popatlal Wani. Acknowledged as the brains behind Asaram's rapidly expanding financial empire, the 45-year-old from Nagpur, who has spent most of his adult life alongside Asaram, went missing in November 2013. This was shortly after the raid on Sewani's apartment.
Investigators say questioning Wani is crucial to the probe. A computer expert known for his business and marketing skills, Wani is said to have had the final word on most of Asaram's financial dealings-from endorsing borrowers for loans to finalising land deals. He is said to be gifted with a photographic memory, and Rahman Zabha believes he "possesses intricate details of deals that even Asaram may not be fully aware of". Officers say Asaram trusted Wani implicitly-so much so that their close relationship is said to have been the cause of many differences and misunderstandings between Narayan Sai and his father.
The documents seized show that Wani helped Asaram in real estate investments through sharply structured deals based on a common modus operandi: he would look for joint deals with followers and then loan them money to buy particular pieces. He would then allegedly fix a deadline for the land to be sold and bring in a preset price-if it could not fetch that money due to fluctuation in rates or for some other reason, he would charge the follower only bank interest on the money. But if it did manage to sell at the fixed price or over it, the follower had to share 50 per cent of the profit.
Shortly after Narayan Sai's arrest in December 2013, Wani allegedly handed Sanghani a handwritten note. In it, he is said to have directed the manager of the Surat ashram, Rupabhai, to organise cash for bribes to Surat police, medical and judicial officers. Police say the money was arranged through Ketan Patel, the owner of Sahaj, a Surat-based chain of grocery stores. While the police apprehended Rupabhai and Patel, Wani hasn't been seen or heard of since.
It's been a long pursuit for the police, and an equally long wait for the IT and ED officers to join the dots. Not just the charges of rape and assault, the Godman will have to also defend himself against charges that have clouded the forecast for Asaram Inc, whose tentacles spread far and wide.
- Follow the writer on Twitter @UdayMahurkarHundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces across east Jerusalem on Tuesday in the worst rioting in years as a senior Hamas leader called for a new "intifada," or uprising.
As the unrest rocked Jerusalem, US Middle East envoy George Mitchell delayed a visit to the region amid the most severe diplomatic row in decades between Israel and the United States, which has been struggling to revive peace talks.
Israeli soldiers run across a street as they clash with Palestinian youths (background) at the the Qalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem. Credit:AFP
Police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at protesters who hurled stones and set up barricades with dumpsters and burning tyres in several neighbourhoods.
In at least one neighbourhood undercover Israeli police officers disguised as protesters wrestled demonstrators to the ground and handcuffed them.Allegri to leave Juventus?
By Football Italia staff
It’s reported that Max Allegri and Juventus agreed in January to part ways at the end of the season.
Rumours have been growing in recent weeks that the Coach will leave after this season, and last night he refused to confirm or deny that he could move to Arsenal.
Now calciomercato.com is reporting that a mutual decision was taken in January for Allegri to leave the Bianconeri this summer.
The website notes that there has been no falling out or bitterness, but both the club and the Coach feel that the current cycle is coming to an end.
Since Marcello Lippi’s first spell on the bench, no Juve Coach has gone beyond three seasons in Turin.
Fiorentina’s Paulo Sousa is a candidate to replace him, while there are even sensational rumours Luciano Spalletti could leave Roma in order to take over.
Spalletti's contract is up at the end of the current campaign, and so far he has not signed a new deal.When was the last time you used a government “service”? Maybe you went to the DMV to get a new driver’s license, or maybe you signed up for new healthcare plan using Healthcare.gov (you’d better — or else!). Whatever transaction it was, there was a government employee on the other end — or as some like to call them, a public servant.
Though the public’s perception of the Federal government is near rock bottom, there is still a generally positive view of government workers. A recent post from the official White House blog asks citizens to consider “making a difference as a public servant,” knowing that your work would help “make someone’s life just a little bit better.” (Presumably, those who are not public servants do not perform work that “makes a difference” or makes anyone’s life better.)
There’s even a Public Service Recognition Week every year during May. From the president's proclamation on public service this year:
A Government of, by, and for the people is sustained only through the hard work and extraordinary sacrifice of millions of citizens willing to serve the country they love.
I am not interested in judging the hearts of government employees, but do public servants in reality make “extraordinary sacrifices” compared to everyone else?
Compensation
A study by the government’s own Congressional Budget Office (CBO) claims public sector employees earn more money and benefits than private sector employees, with the exception of those with a doctoral degree:
The study says Federal workers with a professional or doctoral degree make up 7 percent of the Federal workforce. Therefore, 93 percent of Federal workers earn higher salaries plus benefits than comparable workers in
|
groups of up to 20 people.
Please respect our wishes by contacting us on the following:
Call Cheryl McCormack on +353 87 4048475
Between 6 and 8pm Monday to Friday. Due to popular demand and limited space in our family home Cheryl is only able to respond on a first come, first served basis, so do book early to avoid disappointment.Image copyright SPL Image caption Obesity is affecting children as well as adults in the developed world
The number of people in the world who are obese or overweight has topped 2.1 billion, up from 875 million in 1980, the latest figures published in the Lancet show.
And not one country is succeeding in treating it, said the research.
US, China and Russia had the highest rates and the UK was third in Western Europe, the 188-country study said.
Experts said the rise was due to the "modernisation of our world", causing "physical inactivity on all levels".
It takes a little bit of time to see success stories Prof Ali Mokdad, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Gender split
Researchers across the world were led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Washington, in a study they said is the most comprehensive to date.
Scientists analysed data from surveys, such as from the World Health Organization, government websites, and reviewed "all articles" about the numbers of obese or overweight people in the world.
The study said rates of obesity were rising across the world, although the rates in developed countries remain the highest.
More than half of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries, ranked in order:
US
China
India
Russia
Brazil
Mexico
Egypt
Germany
Pakistan
Indonesia
Source: The Lancet
The UK has the third highest rates in Western Europe, with 67% of men and 57% of women overweight or obese, it said.
The study called for "urgent global leadership" to combat risk factors such as excessive calorie intake, inactivity, and "active promotion of food consumption by industry".
Prof Ali Mokdad, of the IHME, said no country was beating obesity as it was a relatively new problem.
Obesity is a complex issue that requires action at national, local, family and individual level Prof John Newton, Public Health England
"It takes a little bit of time to see success stories," he said.
The study reported more obese women than men living in developing countries.
Rates tended to be higher for women in developing countries as they were multi-tasking, looking after the family and working, said Prof Mokdad, so did not have the time to dedicate to managing their weight.
But more obese men than women lived in developed countries, said the study.
'Classical eating' loss
Prof Mokdad said rates were higher for men in developed countries because of longer commutes to work, fuelled by a move to the suburbs, and spending more time inactive, using computers, he said.
Prof Hermann Toplak, at the University of Graz, in Austria, said: "Over the past decades the modernisation of our world, with all the technology around us, has led to physical inactivity on all levels."
Inactivity caused self-control to spiral, he said.
Children and adults were not building up enough functioning muscle mass, and "classical eating" had been replaced by "uncontrolled food intake" spread over the day. he said.
Britain's action
Prof John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said poor nutrition and lack of exercise were a big risk factor in Britain's most deprived areas.
PHE ran campaigns to help families be healthy, more active, and cut down on fat and sugar, he said.
He added: "Obesity is a complex issue that requires action at national, local, family and individual level; everyone has a role to play in improving the health and well-being of the public, and children in particular."#63: Eat a Picnic on the Lawn
by
When the weather is warm, and you want have a fun, relaxing time, eating a picnic on the lawn is a great outdoor activity! On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, my boyfriend and I packed a blanket, grabbed some sandwiches, and headed to the lawn.
And we weren’t the only ones with this idea:
The lawn was filled with people playing game, eating, just hanging out/talking. This picture was towards the end of the day, but there was a lot more people earlier on.
We set up a blanket and broke out the chips, drinks, and sandwiches.
And some friends joined us!
Want to have a picnic on the lawn also? Here’s what you’ll need:
A large blanket If you’re unsure what size to bring, err on the side of caution and bring the bigger of the two. Food I recommend sandwiches because they are easy to eat, relatively mess-free, and portable. There are a bunch of awesome sandwich places on the corner too, like bodos and take it away. Snacks are a good picnic choice. We opted for chips, pirates booty, and cookies, but it’s really about your own preferences. Drinks Just don’t forget the solo cups! Things to do The 7 box (of the Seven Society) and 21 box (of the 21 Society) both have fun lawn activities for you to use freely, but you’re on your honor to return the items after you’re finished with them. It’s a great idea because you don’t have to remember to bring Frisbee or footballs with you! But if you’ve got something particular in mind, or would prefer to bring your own, you definitely can do that. Camera Bring a camera for the memories.
Happy picnic-ing!
AdvertisementsPre-heat the oven to 180C (350F)
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Take the Quest bar out the wrapper and place it in a micrwave safe bowl and zap on high for about 45 seconds.
Pour the soy milk into the bowl and stir well until the bar is dissolved. There will be chunks left, but most of the bar should be dissolved. If needed, zap again for a few seconds.
Add the egg-whites and Quest bar mix to the dry ingredients and stir well.
Transfter the mixture in to a donut pan and bake for abut 5-6 minutes until brown.
In all honesty, Quest protein bars have lost a bit of their magic for us, now that MusclePharm has released the amazing Combat Crunch bars with similar macros and far better taste & texture.Turns out you can use Quest bars in many different ways, so after the successful Fit Crunch Donut, it was time for the Quest donut! Quest bar (in this case Peanut Butter & Jelly)35 grams of whey protein 40 grams of a Protein Pancake Mix 120 ml of unsweetened soy milk80 ml of egg-whites15 grams of coconut flourTexas leads nation in prison sex abuse Texas has worst record of prison sex abuse
State has 5 of the 10 U.S. facilities with the highest sexual assault rates
More than a quarter of those letters come from one state: Texas.
Sexual abuse is a problem in prisons from Rikers Island to Albany. But even when adjusted for the number inmates in a given prison system, Texas still stands out as the state where sexual assault in prison is most prevalent.
Five of the 10 prisons with the highest rates of sexual abuse in the country are in Texas. That includes the top two, Estelle Unit and Clements Unit.
Garrett Cunningham was an inmate at the Luther Unit in Navasota in 2000, when he says a corrections officer twice his size accosted him on his way to the shower, handcuffed him, raped him and then forced him into the shower. Cunningham said the officer threatened to have him transferred to “a rougher unit where I would be raped all the time” if he told anyone.
Cunningham told his story to a panel of congressmen investigating sexual abuse in prisons in 2005.
“Many men and women in Texas experience sexual abuse at the hands of officer and other prisoners,” Cunningham said. “Their pleas for help go unanswered by administrators and staff.”
While sexual abuse in prison is not a problem that is unique to Texas, federal statistics suggest that it's most pervasive in the Lone Star State.
New federal standards
Now, the federal government is implementing new standards for prisons, jails and other lockups in what advocates and the Department of Justice call a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end sex abuse behind bars.
“This is something that I think needs to be done, not tomorrow, but yesterday,” Attorney General Eric Holder told the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies last month.
New standards were proposed last June by a commission formed after passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act in 2003. Facilities will have one year to implement the final recommendations, due this year and subject to federal approval.
“Protecting prisoners from sexual abuse remains a challenge in correctional facilities across the country,” the commission for the new law stated in its 259-page report. “Too often, in what should be secure environments, men, women and children are raped or abused by other incarcerated individuals and corrections staff.”
The alarming rank of the Estelle Unit, on FM 3478 in Huntsville, came after the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics surveyed inmates in hundreds of state and federal prisons, as well as county lockups, for the new law.
Nationwide, the rate of inmates reporting sexual victimization within a prior 12-month period was 4.5 percent. At Estelle, it was 15.7 percent.
Four other Texas prisons were in the top 10, including the Clements Unit in Amarillo, the Allred Unit near Wichita Falls, the Mountain View Unit near Gatesville, and the Coffield Unit near Tennessee Colony. Those prisons had rates of abuse from 9.3 to 13.9 percent.
Texas ‘at forefront'
Texas officials say that the rates of abuse reflected in that report may have been artificially inflated by the report's methodology, which recorded inmates' complaints without attempting to verify their validity.
State prison personnel say they've already made progress in educating prisons' employees and inmates alike about the need to combat sexual abuse and the options that are available to them if they've already been attacked.
Texas is the only state in the country to have a special prosecution unit that specializes in crimes committed in prisons. And the state has implemented the Safe Prisons Program, designed to educate inmates about sexual assault and separate likely abusers from potential victims.
“Texas is actually at the forefront of trying to stop sexual violence in prisons,” prosecutor Gina DeBottis said.
The inmate protection unit, which DeBottis now heads, was launched in the 1980s to cope with a rash of gang-related murders in Texas prisons. But now, the organization's nine prosecutors and seven investigators handle prison-crime cases involving everything from murder to contraband.
They also prosecute sexual abuse cases, both when inmates assault other inmates and corrections officials attack inmates.
Linda McFarlane, deputy director of Just Detention, said there are many individuals within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice who are committed to fixing the problem. But she says the sprawling system, with its huge numbers of prisons and prisoners, is hard to police.
“What I've picked up is that the culture in those prisons is that each one is sort of entity unto itself,” McFarlane said. “That makes it very difficult to make and enforce policy that is consistent across the entire system.”
Some sex not coerced
Nationwide, inmates report more sexual abuse at the hands of guards than fellow inmates. The same is often true in Texas prisons. At Clements Unit, 5 percent of inmates said they'd been pressured or forced into sex with other inmates, while 11 percent of them reported being pressured or forced into sex with prison staff. The Prison Rape Elimination Act commission report said the young, mentally disabled, those with small stature and lack of experience in jails, and gay prisoners all appear to be at increased risk of sexual abuse by other prisoners.
Not all sex between corrections officers and inmates is coerced; 6 percent of Clements inmates reported consensual sex with staff. But even if an inmate is willing to have sex with a corrections officer, it is illegal.
Because of guards' position of power over their charges, prisoners cannot legally consent to sex with corrections officers. In Texas, corrections officers can be — and DeBottis says often are — prosecuted for any sexual contact with an inmate, including kissing.
Holder has until June to act on the commission's recommendations, which include use of video to prevent sex abuse; housing changes and transfers for victims; sanctions for any inmates or staffers engaging in abuse and written agreements with outside law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to investigate allegations of sex abuse.
Meredith Simons reported from Washington. Robert Gavin reported from Albany.
[email protected] this evening, I tweeted a screencap of NeoGaf user Nanashrew, who had high hopes that Breitbart.com journalist Milo Yiannopoulos would be jailed for his efforts in uncovering corruption among the video game press. On one hand, it was funny, like Milo himself told me on Twitter. But, on the other, it sends chills down the spine. It confirms what I, and many others on our side of this battle have said. These people want to censor dissenting voices at all costs, and the evidence proves it. It’s not just Leigh Alexander. This is how they all think.
After I tweeted it out, I was sent some very sensitive information by a source with intimate knowledge of NeoGaf operations. If true, this goes directly to the character of Tyler Malka and Kotaku. We can say one thing for certain: they stole user content and let Kotaku use it without paying the author of it anything. Whether or not Tyler Malka was paid, he and Kotaku still screwed this user.
In October 2011, NeoGaf took a post from user ScOULaris and, without his permission, had it published verbatim on the website Kotaku. He wasn’t asked previously. He also did not receive payment for his efforts. Kotaku ran ads on this story, and presumably profited off of his unlicensed work. Classic Gawker Media: they tout progressive ideals when it suits them, but want to gain access to someone else’s work without paying for it.
Since it wasn’t expressly articulated in their terms of service that they had the right to appropriate user content, NeoGaf changed it after the fact. Many users complained about this arrangement, so much so that Malka opened another thread for them to bitch about it. On page 5 of this thread, he claims that he did not receive payment from Gawker Media, and dismisses the idea as utter fantasy. Why he didn’t just say that from the beginning isn’t addressed. The source has told me the reason is because Tyler Malka is lying, and he did in fact receive payment from Gawker Media. That might explain why he’s so protective of them and their interests lately, as they would pretty much have him by the balls from then on out. It looks at lot worse for him than it would for Kotaku. Even though the source has told me that the payment wasn’t substantial, this is a very serious transgression, if true.
I have tried to convince this person to speak out on the record, but they rightfully fear retaliation by the NeoGaf and the industry insiders who frequent the site. They’ve given me enough information and detail to where I can say that I believe their allegation to be truthful. But the rest of you will simply have to look at this story, use your best judgement, and decide for yourselves.
I have been told by an attorney friend of mine, within the last hour that I have to throw the word allegedly into all this. Malka claims that he didn’t take the money, and due to the fact that my source will not come forward publically, I can’t say it here in the story that Malka for certain received payment from Gawker Media. So, I’ve had to change the title from the one I sent out on Twitter earlier. To be clear, this is the official story that should be credited to my name, not the Twitter headline. The attorney said I needed to say that as well. I’ve also included links to Malka’s denials in the text above.
So, to recap: A source with deep knowledge of NeoGaf affairs has alleged to TheRalphRetort.com that Tyler Malka and NeoGaf stole user ScOULaris’s work, and sold it to Kotaku for profit. Malka has denied receiving payment from Gawker Media. He did take the work without permission, and then change the terms of service after the fact. That is beyond denial. I’m not sure why he would do that, other than for legal protection. And why would he need legal protection if he didn’t sell the content? I guess only Mr. Malka can say.
SHARE AREA:No other animal has mastered camouflage like the octopus. The mightiest of these morphing creatures, the mimic octopus, contorts its body into a thin ribbon and adopts the colors of a venomous sea serpent to scare predators away. Divers have seen mimic octopuses masquerade as lion fish, sea stars, shrimp and anemones. When peckish, the octopus takes the form of a lusty crab. Crustaceans fooled by the display end up eaten.
Materials scientists and engineers also have fallen under the octopuses' spell. A team of Cornell University researchers, with the aid of octopus expert Roger Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., successfully mimicked the mimic using sheets of rubber and mesh.
As they report in a study published Thursday in the journal Science, the researchers created a thin membrane that contorts into complex 3-D shapes — much like the shape-shifting skin of an octopus. The membranes can inflate in seconds to the shapes of everyday objects, such as potted plants or a cluster of stones.
Octopuses are covered in muscly bundles called papillae, Hanlon and his colleagues documented in the Journal of Morphology in 2014. The papillae go slack when an octopus wants to decrease the drag of water against skin, allowing it to speed away in a hurry. Contractions cause fleshy nubs to appear, and the skin bulges. Octopuses can match the texture of seaweed so closely they become almost invisible.
Itai Cohen, a materials expert at Cornell and an author of the new study, said he was awed by videos of the shape-shifters. (Such a scene, filmed by Hanlon and posted to YouTube, is described as the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory scientist's “most famous underwater video clip.")
“You are staring at this coral reef. You have no idea [an octopus] is there.” And then: “It changes color. It changes texture. It appears out of nowhere.”
Cohen was impressed and inspired. “That is just awesome,” he thought. “How the heck do we do that?”
He and fellow Cornell researcher Robert Shepherd assigned James Pikul the grunt work of figuring it out. “For a few decades, scientists and engineers have been trying to control the shape of soft, stretchable materials,” said Pikul, a postdoctoral researcher at the time of this study and now an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. But cheaply fabricating these materials proved difficult.
Success brought together two concepts: the musculature of the octopus with the mechanics of blowing up a balloon. The trick was to cut concentric rings into a thin surface of silicone rubber and mesh. Inflating the rubber caused the membrane to contort following the shape of the cuts.
“The width of the concentric rings determine how much radial stretch there is in the membrane,” Pikul said. The wider the rings, the less stretch it had. “This stretch is directly related to the slope of the inflated shape, so if you know your final shape, you can calculate the slope and match the ring patterns to that slope.”
Programming the laser cuts in just the right way enabled the rubber to inflate not only outwardly, like a kickball, but as a 3-D structure with concave regions. It's a bit like the sculptures made by twisting together sausage-shaped balloons. Except, in this case, it's all one membrane.
To show their membrane in action, the researchers had it take the shape of river stones, collected in Ithaca. During demonstrations of their work, Shepherd begins with the inflated membrane tucked among real stones. “Many times people are surprised that they weren't actually rocks,” he said.
The team also picked a succulent with spiral leaves — Graptoveria amethorum — to show that the membrane can mimic lifelike shapes. “And succulents are pretty cool plants,” Pikul said.
Theirs is the latest invention in the field of soft materials to borrow ideas from the cephalopods. Researchers at Harvard University announced in August 2016 that they'd created the first autonomous soft robot, patterned after the eight-legged creatures.
“I have been thinking about octopuses for a while,” Shepherd said. In previous research, he and his colleagues created flexible, color-changing robots also inspired by octopus skin.
The Army Research Office provided funding for the recent work. “You could imagine shipping out camouflage sheets,” Cohen said. Once delivered to the field, an inflated sheet might obscure a location from the enemy.
“We didn't go into this with an application in mind,” Shepherd said. But he envisions creating touch mechanisms used in concert with virtual reality. A person running a finger along a morphing membrane might feel something like gravel suddenly switch to a glassy surface — or a virtual-reality octopus that goes from nubby to smooth in the blink of an eye.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to James Pikul as a graduate student at the time of this study. He was a postdoctoral researcher.
Read more:
With artificial ‘octopus skin,’ robots can bend and stretch while changing color
Scientists want to send a fishlike ‘soft robot’ to swim the oceans of Europa
Octopuses and squids can rewrite their RNA. Is that why they’re so smart?A giant hole the size of Maine or Lake Superior has suddenly appeared on the surface of Antarctica and scientists are not quite sure how it came into being. “It looks like you just punched a hole in the ice,” said atmospheric physicist Kent Moore, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus. The sudden emergence of this hole, for the second year in a row, has confounded scientists, whose access to the site is limited. “This is hundreds of kilometers from the ice edge,” said Moore. “If we didn’t have a satellite, we wouldn’t know it was there.”
Known as a polynia, the observed phenomenon occurs when open ocean water is surrounded by solid sea ice, leading to changes in the surrounding ice and below. This particular polynia has been known to scientists since the 1970s, though they were unable to fully investigate in the past. “At that time, the scientific community had just launched the first satellites that provided images of the sea-ice cover from space,” said Dr. Torge Martin, meteorologist and climate modeler. “On-site measurements in the Southern Ocean still require enormous efforts, so they are quite limited.”
Related: New Antarctic farm will grow produce despite temperatures of -100 degrees F
This is the second year in a row in which the reported polynia hole has opened in Antarctica, “the second year in a row it’s opened after 40 years of not being there,” according to Moore. While some may feel that climate change is behind this unusual occurrence, Moore cautions further study before drawing any conclusions. However, climate change certainly can influence the structure of sea ice and polynia. “Once the sea ice melts back, you have this huge temperature contrast between the ocean and the atmosphere,” said Moore explained. “It can start driving convection.” This can result in polynias, fueled by warmer water rising to the surface, lasting longer than previously observed.
Regardless of its origins, the reported polynia offers additional information for the study of climate. “For us, this ice-free area is an important new data point which we can use to validate our climate models,” said Moore. “Its occurrence after several decades also confirms our previous calculations.”
Via Motherboard
Images via meereisportal.de, Jeff Schmaltz/LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response/Jesse Allen/NASA, and MODIS-Aqua via NASA Worldview; sea ice contours from AMSR2 ASI via University of BremenSome conservative bloggers are up in arms that the White House has invited a number of prominent Catholics of whom they disapprove to a large reception at the White House greeting Pope Francis next week, including Sister Simone Campbell, leader of the “Nuns on the Bus” social justice group; Mateo Williamson, a transgender man with the Catholic LGBT group Dignity USA; retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the denomination; and Aaron Jay Ledesma, a gay Catholic activist.
Today, Newsmax host Steve Malzberg asked Rick Santorum about the “scandal,” which the former senator said “shows the contempt that the president has for people of faith.” Apparently Santorum thinks that liberals or members of the LGBT community cannot be true people of faith.
Santorum insisted that Obama would never invite gay Muslims or Muslims who support gay rights to the White House. “As you know, under Sharia law, they throw gays off buildings and kill them,” he said, alluding to ISIS’ barbaric executions of gays. “But you won’t see the president standing up to the Muslim community, the radical Muslim community, and having gay Muslim activists out there. But when it comes to the Christian faith, then all bets are off. You’re allowed to impose and try to influence as best you can the spin on these meetings and that is what the president is doing.”
While Santorum is denigrating Obama for his supposed “contempt” for people of faith, Santorum said back in 2008 that mainline Protestants are under the influence of Satan.Speaking UNIX
Stayin' alive with Screen
Create and manage multiple shells on your console
Content series: This content is part # of # in the series: Speaking UNIX Stay tuned for additional content in this series. This content is part of the series: Speaking UNIX Stay tuned for additional content in this series.
Harry Potter may have his wand, Thor may have Mjöllnir, and Buckethead may have his axe, but all those gizmos pale in power to the QWERTY. With a few taps at the command line, you can launch a Web site, recruit legions to your cause, or vanquish a marauding thunder lizard.
Alas, even the mighty QWERTY has a fatal weakness: It succumbs easily to a cut connection. A noisy phone line, a lost cellular or wireless connection, or a network time-out spells certain death for a remote shell. If you've spent hours on a task, such as debugging an application, it can be frustrating and maddening to lose your work in an instant.
But don't smash Mjöllnir into your head. Instead, adopt GNU Screen. Screen creates and manages multiple shell windows within a console (say, a dumb terminal physically connected to the host), an xterm window, or a Secure Shell (SSH) login. You can switch from one shell window to another in a flash, and you can leave shells running perpetually and reconnect at any time. Effectively, Screen provides many virtualized consoles.
Figures 1 through 5 picture the features and operation of Screen. Looking at Figure 1, assume that you have used SSH to log in to a remote host. Initially, you have your original shell on your local host (say, your laptop or desktop) and a remote shell. As usual, you can use the remote shell to run commands on the remote host; output is encrypted and sent over the SSH connection to your local shell. (In the figures, blue highlights the shell output that is currently visible.) As lamented above, if your local shell or the remote shell or the connection between the two is terminated, the remote shell is terminated, taking your work to the big bit bucket in the sky.
Figure 1. A typical SSH connection
Figure 2 depicts state after you launch Screen on the remote host. The Screen utility launches and in turn spawns a new shell window, A, in which you can run commands. The output of A is visible, as connoted by blue; the output comes from the shell, traverses through Screen, goes through the remote login, and over the SSH connection, arriving at your local login.
Figure 2. Screen manages shell windows
Screen does not have a presence per se; it's a proxy to select among the available and running windows it manages. Screen can only show the output of one window at a time. Think of Screen as a virtual keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch.
But you can also detach from Screen, as shown in Figure 3. The Screen proxy persists, as do all windows it controls, but the connection to Screen is temporarily severed, returning you to the prompt of your remote login shell.
Figure 3. You can detach from Screen and its windows persist
Figure 4 shows a possible, eventual scenario. The connection to Screen has been reestablished, and two additional windows—B and C—have been created. Windows A and B continue to run a shell and any subordinate jobs, yet only the output of C is visible. Of course, you can switch among the windows to monitor the state of your varied jobs.
Figure 4. Screen can manage multiple windows
Finally, Figure 5 captures conditions if you detach from Screen and terminate your remote login. Screen and its windows persist. You can log in anew, reconnect to Screen (and by proxy to its windows), and carry on unperturbed.
Figure 5. You can detach and reattach to Screen at will
If you regularly access a remote server to perform maintenance or develop software, GNU Screen is indispensable.
Building and installing Screen
The original version of Screen was released more than 10 years ago, so chances are your system has the utility—typically named /usr/bin/screen. However, if your system lacks Screen, it is easily installed from your distribution's package manager. For example, if you use a variant of Debian Linux®, such as Ubuntu, you can install Screen in one step with apt-get :
$ sudo apt-get install screen
Alternatively, if you prefer to build from source, visit the GNU Screen project page (see Related topics for a link), and download the latest code bundle. As of this writing, the most recent release of Screen is version 4.0.3, posted just months ago, in August 2008. To build and install from scratch, download and extract the code, change to the resulting source directory, and run the typical./configure, make, and sudo make install sequence:
$ wget http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/screen/screen-4.0.3.tar.gz $ tar xzf tar xzf screen-4.0.3.tar.gz $ cd screen-4.0.3 $./configure this is screen version 4.0.3... $ make CPP="gcc -E " srcdir=. sh./osdef.sh... $ sudo make install... You may also want to install./etc/etcscreenrc in /usr/etc/screenrc. $ sudo cp./etc/etcscreenrc /usr/etc/screenrc
Screen is now installed and ready to use. Type man screen to view the utility's man page.
Getting started with Screen
To use Screen, just launch it. When the license message appears, click Return; you should now see a new login shell prompt. (In the transcripts below, a nickname has been artificially added before each shell prompt to differentiate between the numerous shell instances and to draw parallels with Figures 1 through 5.)
Local $ ssh remote.example.com Last login: Sun Dec 21 17:23:16 2008 from local.example.com Remote $ hostname remote.example.com Remote $ screen A $ top
Your state now mirrors that of Figure 2. A Screen session is running (albeit unseen), and window A is active, running the top system monitor, which refreshes system performance information every few seconds.
To temporarily detach from the Screen session and all its windows, click Ctrl-a, then d (lowercase D for "detach"). Ctrl-a is the Screen command prefix, and d is the specific command to detach. You are now in the scenario shown in Figure 3. The Screen session and window A remain alive. To verify, run screen -list :
$ screen -list There is a screen on: 21020.pts-2.remote (Detached) 1 Socket in /tmp/screens/S-strike.
The screen -list command shows all available screen sessions. (As an aside, you can have multiple screen sessions running simultaneously, each with its own set of concurrent windows. This is shown in Figure 6. Each screen instance tracks its own current window. Some tips on the advanced use of Screen such as this are presented later.) The session numbered 21020 is detached and marked accordingly. Because only one screen session exists, you can reattach to it directly with screen -r. Oblivious to Screen's machinations, top continues uninterrupted.
Figure 6. Screen provides multiple sessions, each with multiple windows
To recreate Figure 4, reattach to the current session, then click Ctrl-a, then c (lowercase C for "create") to create a new window. Next, click Ctrl-a, then c again. You now have one Screen session managing three windows.
To view the available windows in a session in a menu-like interface, click Ctrl-a, then the double quotation mark ( " ) key in the current window:
Num Name Flags 0 bash $ 1 bash $ 2 bash $
By default, the name of a window is taken from the first command it launches—commonly, a shell. Hence, there are three bash windows in the menu above. To navigate the window menu, use the arrow keys to move up and down the list; to choose a window, simply press Return.
To dispose of the current window, type exit at the window's shell prompt, or click the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-a, then k (lowercase K for "kill"). If you use the latter method, an alert appears at the bottom of the window to confirm that you want to kill the window. Click y (lowercase y for "yes") to acknowledge or n (lowercase n for "no") to reject the command. If you kill all the windows running under a Screen session, the originating screen command prints a message and is terminated:
Remote $ screen... Create and manipulate windows...... Exit from all windows... [screen is terminating] Remote $ screen -list No Sockets found in /tmp/uscreens/S-supergiantrobot.
If you're following along and have killed all the open windows, the screen -list command yields No sockets..., indicating that no screen sessions are available.
Smarter screens
So far, you've seen how to create multiple windows within a Screen session. Alone, this is enough to persist your command-line work and never lose work again.
Admittedly, however, managing seemingly identical, concurrent windows can become confusing; it would be superior if you could easily differentiate between one window and another without opening each one, especially if any amount of time passes between a detach and a reattach.
Indeed, Screen provides a number of options and tools to customize your work environment. You can name each window, and you can place a status bar at the bottom of each window to differentiate one from another.
To name a window, activate the window. Click Ctrl-a A (uppercase A, for "Annotate"), click Backspace as needed to elide any existing moniker, then type a meaningful name at the prompt:
Num Name Flags 0 Window A $ 1 Window B $ 2 Window C $
This is shown in Figure 7, where a window is tagged Window A. A window nickname need not be unique.
Figure 7. You can assign a descriptive name to each window
You can provide yourself additional visual cues to distinguish among windows with a status bar. Launch your favorite text editor, and create the file.screenrc in your home directory with the following lines:
hardstatus on hardstatus alwayslastline hardstatus string "%{.bW}%-w%{.rW}%n %t%{-}%+w %=%{..G} %H %{..Y} %m/%d %C%a "
With such a.screenrc configuration file in place, each new window displays a status line, including the window's name. Figure 8 shows a window with a status line.
Figure 8. Use the status line to help identify each window at a glance
Helpful Screen tips
Screen has too many features to list in a brief introduction, but fluent use requires just a modicum of know-how and a few helpful options. Here are some additional pointers:
Type screen without any arguments in any window to open a new window. Clicking Ctrl-a, then c and typing screen are synonymous, except that the latter provides command-line options to immediately configure the new session.
Clicking, then and typing are synonymous, except that the latter provides command-line options to immediately configure the new session. You can name a window when you create it with screen -t name. For instance, to create a new window and tag it debugger, go to a Screen-managed window, then type screen -t debugger. If you open the window menu, one of your options should be marked debugger.
For instance, to create a new window and tag it debugger, go to a Screen-managed window, then type. If you open the window menu, one of your options should be marked debugger. If you've detached from a Screen session, you can reattach to a specific window with screen -p ID, where ID is a number or a name. Let's try it: Local $ ssh remote.example.com Remote $ screen -t ghost Ghost $ screen -t new New $... Press Control-a d to detach... Remote $ screen -r -p ghost Ghost $
Let's try it: You can log the output of every window with screen -L. Each window has its own log file, typically named ~/screenlog.n, where n is the window number shown in the window menu. This is another fantastic feature to record complex steps—say, when a system is being reconfigured.
Each window has its own log file, typically named ~/screenlog.n, where n is the window number shown in the window menu. This is another fantastic feature to record complex steps—say, when a system is being reconfigured. See the Screen documentation for a complete list of accelerator keys. Some of the most useful combinations are Ctrl-a, then 0 (the digit zero) through Ctrl-a, then 9 to switch immediately to a specific window; Ctrl-a, then C (uppercase C for "Clear") clears a window; Ctrl-a, then H toggles logging on and off; Ctrl-a, then Ctrl-a flip-flops
|
given two hours to play four demos - one featuring Aqua in the Castle of Dreams, one featuring Sora in Traverse Town, and two featuring Riku in La Cité des Cloches and The Grid respectively (the same demos that have been taken around to game shows worldwide).
I was able to capture myself playing the game and upload it for all of you to view. We had planned a special surprise to showcase the demos for Dream Drop Distance HD but unfortunately my capture didn't turn out quite as expected (there's no visual, just audio) so unfortunately I do not have anything to show in regards to that title at this time. We're working avidly to solve this problem so fingers crossed!
KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2 BIRTH BY SLEEP - A FRAGMENTARY PASSAGE -
I was so excited to get to try this title. Naturally, out of the demos available this is the first one I jumped into because I was so excited to see what the future of the Kingdom Hearts franchise looked and played like. One of the things that really impressed me was that even though the graphics have evolved from what we've been use to for 15 years now, it still looked exactly like a Kingdom Hearts game. Even further than that, it felt exactly like a Kingdom Hearts game should. The gameplay was fun, there were a lot of elements to master, and the enemies were tough as well! I absolutely love that the Shadows now actually become shadows when they go into the ground as opposed to becoming a flat texture on the ground.
I also found myself using magic more than I ever have in the series. For the first time, it actually felt fun to mix magic into my combos. Thunder was perfect to use on a crowd, and Blizzard worked a treat on flying enemies (since it forces them to fall to the ground). Unfortunately there were times in my time with the game where the frame rate went down, notably when there were a lot of effects on screen such as when I was using Spell Weaver or fighting the Devil Wave but as this was the Paris Games Week build I have hope they have improved on it since then.
KINGDOM HEARTS DREAM DROP DISTANCE HD
This is how Dream Drop Distance should have been when it released in 2012. I'm a bit biased as I prefer console gaming to handheld gaming but exploring Traverse Town or racing at The Grid felt oh so right on a big screen in crisp HD. I admit that the 60fps took me back initially as I'm not use to it in this series but it grew on me and my time with the demo proceeded and now I'm very excited to explore the previous Kingdom Hearts titles in 60fps.
I had trouble with the camera and menu as it was inverted so there was a bit of fumbling around as I got use to the controls again. I was also use to the left D-Pad button being a shortcut to a chosen command so I was taken back a few times as the system has been revamped so pressing left and right moves you through two other menus (swapping out your Dream Eaters and selecting them for a special attack).
I absolutely adored this game on the 3DS and experiencing it again in HD on a television was just magical. The unique gameplay was whimsical and I didn't realise how much I missed Flowmotion and my Dream Eater pals!
Kingdom Hearts is definitely back, and better than ever. The series is kicking off it's 15th anniversary in such a big way next year with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and I'm so excited to see where the rest of the year takes us.Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames.
Hello, “Steve Gates.” While Rep. Michele Bachmann may have trouble living that blooper down, here are some of the more dubious assertions and facts we heard at the fascinating CNN debate Tuesday night, organized with the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation. We examine 15 statements in all, and as is our practice, may come back to do a deeper look in the coming days.
“This is one thing we know about Barack Obama: He has essentially handed over our interrogation of terrorists to the ACLU. He’s outsourced it to them. Our CIA has no ability to have any form of interrogation for terrorists.”
— Rep. Michele Bachmann
Bachmann’s rhetoric is over the top here. The American Civil Liberties Union has actually been critical of President Obama for continuing many Bush-era anti-terror policies. On the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the ACLU issued a report entitled, “A Call to Courage: Reclaiming Our Liberties Ten Years after 9/11.”
The report noted: “President Obama claimed the unchecked authority to use lethal force against a United States citizen, far from any battlefield, on the basis of his own unilateral determination that the citizen poses a threat to the nation.”
Bachmann, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, is also incorrect to say the CIA cannot interrogate terrorists. The CIA is part of the High Value Interrogation Group, established by Obama in 2009, which brings “together the most effective and experienced interrogators and support personnel from across the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense and law enforcement.”
The Washington Post reported earlier this year that intelligence officials for more than two months interrogated a suspect on a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of Somalia before indicting him.
“But here’s the other issue that I think we’ve really failed at, and that is in our ability to collect intelligence around the world. And this administration in particular has been an absolute failure when it comes to expending the dollars and supporting the CIA and the military intelligence around the world to be able to draw in that intelligence that is going to truly be able to allow us to keep the next terrorist attack from happening on American soil.”
— Texas Gov. Rick Perry
We’re not quite sure what Perry is saying here, but he appears to be saying the military intelligence budget had not grown. The Washington Post examined this question last year and concluded the publicly announced budget is 2 ½ times larger than the size before the Sept. 11 attacks. But the figure doesn’t include many military activities or domestic counterterrorism programs.
Here are some other facts from the Post investigation:
* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.
* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.
*In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings — about 17 million square feet of space.
“Until Pakistan clearly shows that they have America’s best interests in mind, I would not send them one penny, period…. absolutely we need to be engaged in that part of the world. I never said for us not to be engaged. I just said we need to quit writing blank checks to these countries and then letting them decide how these dollars are going to be spent. We’ve got Afghanistan and India working in concert right now to leverage Pakistan. I think if we would create a trade zone in that part of the world, where you have all of those countries working together, that may be the answer to getting Pakistan to understand that they have to work with all of the countries in that region.”
— Perry
Another confusing statement by Perry, in which he first suggested the U.S. should not be engaged in South Asia (cut off aid to Pakistan) and then said it should be engaged. And he said that Afghanistan and India were trying to “leverage” Pakistan, when in fact India and Pakistan are trying to leverage Afghanistan.
As Bachmann pointed out during the debate, Perry is wrong to say the U.S. is writing “blank checks” to Pakistan. The United States gets things in return for the money, much of which is simply underwriting Pakistan’s military expenses in the fight against al Qaeda. Moreover, the Obama administration has already suspended and threatened to cancel aid to punish Pakistan for lack of cooperation.
“Israel has 200-300 nuclear missiles.”
— Rep. Ron Paul
Israel’s nuclear capability is shrouded in mystery but it clearly has nuclear weapons, with an average estimate of perhaps 200 warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists. (The Defense Intelligence Agency thinks it is closer to 80.) But estimates of Israel’s missiles capable of carrying such warheads generally do not top 100.
“When you sanction the Iranian central bank, that will shut down that economy.”
— Perry
In foreign policy, if there are really such easy solutions, they would have been tried already.
It is not so simple to sanction the Iranian central bank. Such a move could also harm allies such as Japan, which gets oil from Iran, or countries such as Russia and China with substantial investments in Iran, thus harming other U.S. foreign-policy interests. Taking this step could also push oil prices higher, potentially harming the U.S. economy. Our colleagues at PolitiFact have a comprehensive look at the potential pitfalls in this approach.
“Almost every decision that the president has made since he came in has been one to put the United States in a position of unilateral disarmament, including the most recent decision he made to cancel the Keystone pipeline.”
— Bachmann
This is wrong. Obama did not cancel the Canadian oil pipeline. The State Department delayed the decision until after next year’s election, purportedly to consider alternative routes. The move meant the president did not have to choose between environment groups opposed to the project and labor groups pushing for it because of the jobs it supposedly would create — at least until after 2012.
“It’s because Iran has announced they plan to strike Israel. They’ve stated as recently as August — just before President Ahmadinejad came to the U.N. General Assembly, he said that he wanted to eradicate Israel from the face of the Earth. He has said that if he has a nuclear weapon, he will use it to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth, he will use it against the United States of America.”
— Bachmann
Bachmann is again overstating the case here. Iran appears to be pursuing a nuclear weapons program, but Iranian officials have never said they have a nuclear weapon. In fact, they have repeatedly denied having such a program.
Moreover, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has never said he would use a nuclear weapon against Israel and in fact, as we examined recently, he may not have ever said he wanted to wipe Israel off the map. There is substantial dispute on whether this was actually a mistranslation of his words.
“What they’re doing is cutting a trillion dollars out of the defense budget. They’re cutting a trillion dollars out of the defense budget, which just happens to equal the trillion dollars they’re putting into ‘Obamacare.’”
— Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney
“They’re nibbling away at baseline budgeting.”
— Ron Paul
This is a classic Washington dispute. Romney is talking about cuts from anticipated budgets which would go up over time to account for inflation and population growth. Paul is talking about cuts in real dollars.
There is no easy answer here, but it is simplistic to only look at real numbers.
Defense spending, for instance, remained constant from 1987 to 1994 — $282 billion a year. In other words, using the preferred lexicon of someone like Ron Paul, defense spending wasn’t cut at all. But look what happened to the military during those seven years: The number of troops fell from 2.2 million to 1.6 million, the number of Army divisions was slashed from 28 to 20, Air Force fighter wings dropped from 36 to 22 and Navy fighting ships declined from 568 to 387. That’s because inflation over time ate away at the value of those dollars.
At same time, Romney likely overstates the case when he asserts that the defense cuts — which would take effect because of the failure of the debt supercommittee to agree to a plan — would irrevocably harm the military. Pentagon spending has been inflated by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many experts think there is excessive spending that can be reined in.
Of course, Democrats might also argue that additional tax revenues would certainly help deal with any Pentagon budget crunch.
Romney’s jab at Obama’s health-care plan conveniently only looks at the cost equation ($1 trillion), ignoring the fact that the bill included new taxes and spending cuts to eke out a small reduction in the deficit, at least as scored by the Congressional Budget Office.
“The first 350 billion [dollars], what did they cut? They stopped the F- 22.”
— Romney
Actually, funding for the F-22 fighter was cut in 2009, two years before the debt ceiling deal was reached that would cut the Pentagon budget.
“The result is, in Chile, for example, they have 72 percent of the GDP [gross domestic product] in savings.”
— Former House speaker Newt Gingrich
In making the case for private Social Security accounts, Gingrich pitched the Chilean model with a figure that on the surface, appears astonishingly high. In fact, as far as we can determine, it is three times too high. The country’s second-quarter report for 2011 said that nominal gross savings accounted for 24.5 percent of GDP. That is also in line with historical figures for the country.
UPDATE: Our colleagues at PolitiFact originally reached the same conclusion we did but on Nov. 28 noted that Gingrich would have been more or less correct if he had said “the savings held in the Chilean accounts are equal to 72 percent of the nation’s GDP.” That’s different than suggesting the savings rate is equal to 72 percent of GDP, which is how we interpreted his remarks.
“I think their [Iran’s] largest embassy in the world is in Venezuela.”
— Perry
This is a dubious statement, especially since Iran has much deeper interests in countries closer to Tehran, such as Iraq and Syria. After all, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was embarrassed in 2009 when it turned out her claim that Iran was building a mega-embassy in Nicaragua was untrue. The extent of Iranian influence in Latin America is often overstated.
“We know that terrorists have come into this country by way of Mexico.”
— Herman Cain
Cain is wrong. The Houston Chronicle looked closely at this question and found that no one arrested at the border has faced terror-related charges or carried out a terrorist act.
“President Obama apologizes for America.”
— Romney
No matter how many times Romney makes this claim, it is still a Four-Pinocchio whopper. Unfortunately, he appears determined to keep saying it, no matter how many times we call him on it.
“I’m Mitt Romney and yes, Wolf, that’s also my first name.”
— Romney
Hmmm, possibly the strangest comment of the night. Romney’s full name is Willard Mitt Romney. But “Wolf” is really Wolf Isaac Blitzer’s first name.
(About our rating scale)
Check out our candidate Pinocchio Tracker
Follow The Fact Checker on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.
Read more at PostPolitics.com
The Fix: GOP debate winners and losers
GOP rivals spar on national security
Have the GOP debates jumped the shark?I’ve never been good at carving pumpkins. Even as my deftness and skill with knives has increased over the years, I find that my attempts to competently carve a pumpkin tend to always come off looking more like an elementary school project rather than a piece of art.
Instead, I typically get relegated to all of the other tasks that take place on pumpkin carving day — cleaning, picking out the seeds, and reserving parts of the pumpkin for later use in risottos, soups, and pies. Though I don’t get the artistic satisfaction of seeing my jack-o-lantern lit up to frighten the masses, I typically enjoy hearing the mmms and ahhs as folks savor my pumpkin’s culinary delights.
Roasting pumpkin seeds has always been a tradition in my family. It’s a healthy snack alternative that can satiate a Halloween appetite that’s typically fueled by sugar and sweets. Eating roasted pumpkin seeds is particularly beneficial to us men. They’re rich in zinc, magnesium, and healthy fat, making them one of the best foods to naturally boost testosterone. Preparing, roasting, and eating them is also a simple and fun activity enjoyed by couples and families alike.
To add in some variety, I’ve created 5 special seasoning blends to make the most out of this year’s pumpkin seed roast.
Boo!
MM
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
The process for cleaning and roasting pumpkin seeds remains straightforward and simple. Follow the steps below to get that perfect roasted flavor – regardless of your choice of seasoning. Take note that the recipes below assume you will yield approximately 2 cups of clean seeds per pumpkin, which is typical from a large pumpkin. Adjust times and/or seasonings if your yield varies significantly.
5 Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Blends
Try the following seasoning blends to punch up the deliciousness of your roasted pumpkin seeds.
Kosher Salt + Cracked Black Pepper + Olive Oil – a kicked-up version of the traditional plain salted variety. I use good quality olive oil to ensure a fruity, nutty flavor.
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet toss together seeds, seasoning, and oil – arrange into a single layer. Roast seeds uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely, enjoy.
Sweet & Salty – a savory and sweet variety that’s sure to be a hit with kids.
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil/Melted Butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a non-stick, or parchment lined baking sheet toss together seeds, seasoning, and oil or melted butter – arrange into a single layer. Roast seeds, uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely, enjoy.
Creole Blend – take note that the quantities listed below will yield several more servings than needed. Due to the variety of ingredients, I’ve provided a recipe blend that you can reserve for later use on meats, fish, eggs, and vegetables. For seasoning purposes, shake this blend on the seeds as you would salt and pepper, toss with oil, and roast. Reserved seasoning will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place.
3 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 ½ Tablespoons Cracked Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together seasonings until well combined. On a non-stick, or parchment lined baking sheet toss together seeds, desired amount of seasoning, and oil – arrange into a single layer. Roast seeds, uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely, enjoy.
Southwest Blend – smokey with a hint of heat. This is one of my favorite varieties.
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together seasonings until well combined. On a non-stick, or parchment lined baking sheet toss together seeds, seasoning, and oil – arrange into a single layer. Roast seeds, uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely, enjoy.
Parmesan + Basil – this is a play off one of my favorite French fry seasonings. Simply roast the seeds in salt and oil, and when the seeds come out of the oven, toss them in the cheese and oil to finish. Outstanding.
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Teaspoon Dried Basil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a non-stick, or parchment lined baking sheet toss together seeds, salt, and oil – arrange into a single layer. Roast seeds, uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with grated cheese and dried basil. Serve.
_________________
Editor’s Note:
If you share Matt’s love of chomping on pumpkin seeds, but not his indifference to carving, and have been pondering how to slice up your jack-o-lantern this year, look no farther than this free Art of Manliness pumpkin stencil we put out last year. No one’s probably seen a fisticuffer carved into a pumpkin before — you’ll definitely have the manliest pumpkin on the block!
If you use the stencil, upload your pumpkin to the Community photo album. I’d love to see it!
Happy carving!Borini's Roma dream come true
By Football Italia staff
Fabio Borini is now owned outright by Roma after a blind auction with Parma and this represents “a dream come true.”
The striker was part of a co-ownership deal, but the Giallorossi won the blind auction with an offer of what is believed to be between €4.9m and €5.3m.
“We are very happy, because finally Fabio has made a dream come true, which is to become a Roma player completely,” said agent Marco De Marchi on TMW.
“We hoped the two clubs would reach an agreement so we wouldn’t have the adrenaline rush of the auction, but that’s the way it went.
“We’re aware that Roma sent an important signal in making the move permanent and consequently the lad is truly happy with this ending.
“He will do everything to repay the Giallorossi for their faith in him and become an important element for Roma.”
It was widely reported that if Parma had won the auction, they would’ve sold Borini on to either Liverpool or Inter.
“When players like Fabio, Mattia Destro, Marco Verratti and others make their mark, it’s obvious that other clubs are going to pay attention.
“You’d have to ask Parma. Their President Tommaso Ghirardi confirmed some offers arrived, but we were focused on the move to Roma right to the end and are happy with the outcome.”Google recently released an algorithm that will make JPEGs up to 35% smaller with less artifacts. As the creator of an open source image hosting platform I wanted to test its performance in the real world.
Guetzli in action. Left: Original, Center: libjpeg, Right: Guetzli. You can see that Guetzli has less artifacts
Note: Google says the ideal way to use Guetzli is on uncompressed and really large images. On image hosting sites users upload usually only small(er) images so the results will probably not go up to 35% but let's find out.
Let's convert all images on PictShare
PictShare uses a smart query system so by changing the URL to an image, it will automatically resize, add filters, etc. So PictShare creates a copy for each modified image. I will include all commands I used so all other PictShare admins can test it for themselves.
# Get all JPEGs and save the list in a file cd /path/to/your/pictshare/upload; find. -mindepth 2 | grep '.jpg$' > jpglist.txt
Let's just see how many images we have and how large they are now
cat jpglist.txt | wc -l #10569 du -ch `cat jpglist.txt` | tail -1 | cut -f 1 # 3.7G
So we have 10569 JPEG images in total 3.7G large
Let's convert them and see what happens
mkdir /tmp/guetzli tmp="/tmp/guetzli" while read path do b=$(basename $path) guetzli $path "$tmp/$b" done < jpglist.txt
What they don't tell you: Guetzli is slow
For now, Guetzli only uses one CPU thread and is very slow. Even small images with 800x600 pixels take about 10-20 seconds on an i7 5930K @4GHZ. It also uses up to 6 gigabytes of RAM per image.
Almost 6G RAM on Windows
I split the conversion script in 9 parts (so the system still has some threads left) and let my spare server run the conversion exclusively.
The Results
Converting 10569 images with Guetzli took my Xeon Server with two physical CPUs and 16 threads 50 hours.
With the following script I tested if all images were valid images. Interestingly, 72 of the Guetzli images (less than 1 percent) were not. Most of them were not created or hat 0 bytes because guetzli crashed. I re-ran all missing images, crashed again.. odd.
orig_failed=0 converted_failed=0 while read path do orig="toconvert/$path" out="converted/$path" if [[! $(file -b $orig) =~ JPEG ]]; then orig_failed=$((orig_failed + 1)) echo "[$orig_failed] $orig is not a valid JPEG" fi if [[! $(file -b $out) =~ JPEG ]]; then converted_failed=$((converted_failed + 1)) echo "[$converted_failed] $out is not a valid JPEG" fi done < jpglist.txt echo "" echo "Results:" echo "$orig_failed of the original images are not valid JPEG images" echo "$converted_failed of the converted images are not valid JPEG images"
The original 10569 images had a size of 3.7G (3915306882 Bytes). Average 361KiB per image
per image The guetzli images have a size of 1.8G ( 1908475014 Bytes). Average 176.34 KiB per image
Screenshot of the end result
Guetzli images were in total a whooping 51% smaller
Examples
Some images were even more impressive than that.
The original version of this image went from 2.3M to 644K. 71% smaller
This was not an isolated case, I used the following script to analyze the images and the results were amazing.
In the end 18% (1940 of 10569) of the converted images were 60% (or more) smaller than the original files. I'm beginning to think this might have something todo with the phpGD library, which creates the JPEGs on PictShare.
# Note you'll need "identify" first. # Install with: apt-get install imagemagick while read path do orig="toconvert/$path" conv="converted/$path" echo > conversionlist.csv if [ -f $orig ] && [ -f $conv ]; then orig_size=$( du $orig | cut -f1 ) conv_size=$( du $conv | cut -f1 ) percent=$( echo "scale=2;100 - (($conv_size / $orig_size) * 100)" | bc -l ) percent=${percent%.*} dimensions=$( identify -format '%wx%h' $conv ) if [[ $percent -gt 60 ]]; then #only print if the new image is 60% smaller than the original printf "$path is $percent%% smaller\t$conv_size instead of $orig_size\t Dimensions: $dimensions
" echo "$path;$percent;$dimensions" >> conversionlist.csv fi fi done < jpglist.txt
Conclusio
Since not all images could be converted, we have a 1% error margin.
The computation time is massive but if done in background it might be not a problem. I have no idea why Guetzli works better than Google promised even though most images were not high quality images, but the results speak for themselves.
If you are a image hoster and you have spare CPU cycles (lots of them), Guetzli can save you good money in storage and it seems if your images were created with PHPgd your images will get much smaller.A question on the minds of commentators has been how India coped with the withdrawal of Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes in November, which reduced the stock of currency in circulation by a third. By the end of December, going by data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the stock of currency in circulation had fallen to nearly half of what it was before the currency withdrawal (figure 1).
Last week, RBI finally released November data for “payment systems indicators" (a data set available on its website which is updated monthly), which can help throw light on how the way India transacted changed following the withdrawal of the high-value currency notes.
As expected, people reacted to the withdrawal of cash by swiping their cards more often. Debit cards were swiped at points of sale 234 million times in November, nearly twice the monthly average for the first nine months of the calendar year (figure 2). Interestingly, the increase in the use of credit cards at points of sale wasn’t as spectacular (figure 3). What is notable, however, is that people used their credit cards for smaller transactions, with the average ticket size of a credit card sale falling to about Rs2,700 for November, down from over Rs3,000 over the first nine months of the year (figure 4).
As expected, the use of prepaid payment instruments (which includes mobile wallets, prepaid vouchers, etc.) also went up. In November, people made 169 million transactions using these instruments, more than double the average in the first nine months of the year, 77 million transactions per month (figure 5).
The average value of such transactions had already been falling, and it dipped significantly following the currency withdrawal—indicating people used these methods for small transactions (figure 6).
In the wake of the withdrawal of currency notes, Indians also wrote more cheques. The total number of cheques written had been falling steadily over the years (March is an aberration due to the financial year end), but saw a small revival in the wake of demonetisation (figure 7).
What this also tells us is that while the banking system was crippled due to the focus on currency exchange, it wasn’t to the extent that it hindered the cheque clearance process. Interestingly, people used cheques for smaller amounts following the note withdrawal, with the average amount written on a cheque falling to Rs63,000, compared to Rs73,000 earlier in the year.
Mainstream electronic payments, surprisingly, showed a negative trend. Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) all saw a drop in the number of transactions in November (compared to October), which is surprising since one would have expected people to use these electronic transactions more. The total value transacted using RTGS (mostly used for business payments) went up, though. Elsewhere, ATM withdrawals expectedly dropped in terms of the number of transactions and value significantly, given the cash shortage and withdrawal limits.
Overall, while the currency withdrawal did result in a sharp change in the use of payment mechanisms, it is not clear how much of this change is transient, and how much is a permanent impact. We will need to wait for the data for January, or maybe even February, to see if the note withdrawal has had a “permanent impact" on the way Indians transact.After injuring his back while working as an elevator mechanic, Wayne Skinner suffered from chronic back pain for more than six years. After he found relief through prescribed medical marijuana, he asked his union, through its trust fund, to cover the costs. Skinner fought for what he saw as his rightful coverage, but was turned down three times.
Some believe it’s only a matter of time until medical cannabis coverage becomes a normal part of health insurance in Canada.
Skinner’s odyssey finally ended earlier this year when a human rights board in his home province of Nova Scotia determined that the fund should cover his costs. In January, the board ruled that denial of his request for coverage amounted to a prima facie case of discrimination.
Skinner, 50, was elated. “Hopefully this will help other people in similar situations and eliminate the fight that myself and my family have had to endure, and the hardship that this has resulted in,” he told the CBC.
A number of medical marijuana advocates see the ruling as a bellwether. They believe it’s only a matter of time until broad-ranging coverage of medical cannabis becomes a normal part of every health insurance policy in Canada.
In fact, an enormously symbolic change occurred just last week. Loblaw Companies, which owns the supermarket chain Loblaws and the drug store chain Shoppers Drug Mart, announced that employee benefit plans would include coverage for medical marijuana. Loblaw Co. and its various subsidiaries employ nearly 200,000 Canadians. The announcement represents the largest corporate acceptance of medical cannabis in North America.
The announcement by Loblaws was a major policy change but it wasn’t completely surprising. Galen G. Weston, Loblaws president and executive chairman, said last year that he could envision his company’s retail outlets dispensing medical marijuana in the near future. “We’re an industry that is extremely effective at managing controlled substances,” Weston said after the company’s general meeting in May, 2016.
Canada’s publicly funded health care system provides individuals with preventative care and medical treatment from primary care physicians along with access to hospitals and important medical services. In some cases, coverage for prescription medication is available through public programs. But the vast majority of Canadians must pay for it out of pocket or through private health insurance. About two-thirds of Canadians have some form of private health insurance.
Waiting for a DIN for Canadian cannabis
Health Canada allows certain companies (known as licensed producers) to grow medical marijuana and distribute it to individuals who have prescriptions from their doctors. But the agency hasn’t given cannabis a Drug Identification Number (DIN), which means it isn’t considered a fully approved medicine, and isn’t automatically included in drug formularies. The DIN functions as the government’s seal of approval, and without it a drug is not regarded as legitimate by insurers.
Insurance companies already provide some coverage of medical marijuana through Health Care Spending Accounts — accounts in which a set amount of money is provided to an employee for coverage of medical and dental expenses. But only a small minority of the population maintains those accounts.
The majority of Canadians can’t get reimbursed for the cost of medical marijuana because insurance companies don’t cover it as standard practice.
Growing Interest and Receptiveness
Advocates are making inroads, however. As evidence of marijuana’s medicinal value mounts, a growing number of patients see it as a viable alternative to traditional medication and, consequently, an increasing number of plan sponsors and insurance companies are looking into it.
Some of them have been considering medical marijuana claims on a case-by-case basis in recent years, and a handful of individuals have been granted coverage.
Jonathan Zaid, a student at the University of Waterloo, made national headlines in 2015 when he persuaded his student union, which sponsored his health insurance plan, to ask insurance underwriter to change its position and cover the cost of the cannabis he had been using to treat a neurological condition that causes constant headaches. Sun Life Financial ultimately agreed to reimburse him $3,000 to cover the costs of the prescribed cannabis and a vaporizer.
Zaid’s experience led him to become a medical marijuana advocate. He launched the non-profit organization Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana, and he took a seat on the patient advisory board of a licensed producer.
“My case was one of the first [in which an insurance provider agreed to cover medical marijuana]. After that we started to see more openness to it,” he told Leafly. “Mr. Skinner’s case was a human rights issue. That speaks to how seriously employers and other plan sponsors need to consider covering medical marijuana.”
Zaid takes the Loblaws/Shoppers Drug Mart announcement as a sign of that seriousness. “Seeing a large, respected employer take proactive steps to include medical cannabis on the employee benefits plan further demonstrates how medical cannabis can be covered and speaks to the legitimacy of its use as a medicine,” he said.
‘Smooth System’ Ahead
Deepak Anand, executive director of the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association (CNMMA) says that at least a dozen individuals have reached out to his organization in the past three months. The CNMMA has provided them with information about regulations and, in some instances, has spoken to their employers.
The CNMAA has also provided information to about two dozen employers in the past three months, seeking input on matters related to marijuana coverage.
Joan Weir, director of health and disability policy at Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), says her organization is now providing members with a steady stream of information about medical marijuana. “All our members are interested in examining the subject,” she says. “They are expecting more of their sponsors to request that medical marijuana coverage be included in their plans.”
Anand, Weir and others close to the subject believe it’s only a matter of time before Canadians commonly secure coverage of medical marijuana through insurance providers. As researchers learn more about cannabis, and more clinical trials indicate that it has medicinal value, more physicians and government officials will get onboard — and Health Canada will give medical marijuana a DIN. When that happens, advocates say, Canadian insurers will add some formulation to their drug benefit plans.
“I see a fairly smooth system of supply and demand five or ten years down the road,” says Weir. “I suspect that will lead to medical marijuana being added to plans as a standard benefit.”This summer I was overseeing a three week university programming practical focussed on the topic of databases. My group’s task was “simple”: build your own SQL database. Considering the complexity of database systems (with SQL parser, network interface and storage engines), one might say that this was already an insane idea. But wait, there’s more! We used the language Rust for every part of the software although none of my team had even heard of the language before. This post describes what happened and what my students think of Rust after working with it for three weeks.
Starting with Rust
Sadly, pretty often programming practicals at my university are chaotic in the beginning: the students show up unprepared on the first day; their programming experience varies widely and is often limited to Java. Therefore we usually start with a quick introduction to git, which is used extensively throughout the practical. My group obviously needed an introduction to Rust as well.
My Rust introduction on the first day took about 90 minutes and covered only what’s really necessary: basic syntax, the surface of ownership and borrowing, struct and enum types as well as a hint to the standard library. That’s hardly enough to write professional Rust software but enough to take in on the first day. After having practised the language with some exercises in the afternoon I explained a few more concepts on the second day, including traits, closures, generics and… how to deal with those
|
integration here seemed good and the bass coming from these little boxes was impressive.
Revel
This is it, the top of the top. The Revel Salon Ultima 2 powered by big Mark Levinson Monoblocks.
Honestly the best sound at the show so far, very smooth more warm than I expected and the only down side is that they are too tall for my room. You really need to be at least 10 feet back to listen to these properly.
That other speaker is the Revel F208 which is a proper sized little brother to the Ultimas, but sadly was not hooked up.
Tekton
Visited the Tekton room and it was a mess while they were setting up. Not only that they were only using vinyl only, so I could not get a good indication of tone.
This tripple nipple tweeter is here because the photo I took of the Pendragon towers came out like shit. I'd like to review the Pendragon or other type speaker from these guys, so I'll probably hit them up again before the end of the show to see if that's in the cards.
Vanatoo
I was looking forward to meeting with the Vanatoo Boys, they are the ones that got me started on this journey 3 years ago. They sent me a pair of Vanatoo Transparent Ones to review based on a post on Reddit. These little powerhouses are still the best desktop speaker I've heard.
Finally get to see inside the box... damn that's stuffed!
The XBL woofer was on display as well.
These guys are fine American engineers with the guts to dive into the speaker market with thier retirement savings. I'm sure that we will have more great products to hear from them in the future.
Well Rounded Sound
Well Rounded Sound is a new player in the desktop game, I checked out the WRS RDM 2 which provided punchy bass with an AMT that seemed pretty well integrated. These speakers were pushed by a very clean digital setup running off of a phone as the source.
These somewhat comical full range singe driver speakers where not hooked up for auditioning, only for display.
These prices are low for the show.
Westone Laboratories
I was invited to be a panelist to directly compare a two channel system from GamuT with top of the line Westone W60s. They gave me a sandwich and a beer sat me next to 5 other "journalists," and in return I was honest. The in-ear's were lacking in detail, they sounded muffled with a massive hump in the midbass, and not much top end or deep bass to speak of.
On the other hand the GamuT speakers sounded amazing. This is a top down system from them and I'm sure it was high dollar as it was running the same midrange I have as my ash tray holder at home. The best in the business, the Scanspeak Revelator 7 inch. The tweeter was another Scanspeak piece, a Illuminator ring radiator. Sounds was smooth and damn near as good as the Revel Ultimas.
Other content you may like:Driven by a deep-seated need to belong, Americans are increasingly segregating themselves into ideological enclaves. You're from Liberalville, I'm from Conservative Corners.
Does your next-door neighbor vote the same way you do? How about the couple who live across the street, or your friends on the next block?
The odds you answered “yes” or “probably” to those questions have increased dramatically in recent decades. Forget red states and blue states: We’re increasingly living in red or blue counties, cities, even neighborhoods.
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
This phenomenon has been widely cited as one reason behind our current political polarization: It allows strident voices on the right and left to fairly insist they’re fairly representing their constituents. But why exactly are we engaging in this sort of ideological segregation?
Newly published research suggests this double-edged dynamic is driven by a basic psychological pull.
"When people feel like their values match their environment, they experience greater subjective well-being and increased self-esteem."
“Individuals choose to live in communities with ideologies similar to their own to satisfy their need to belong,” writes a research team led by social psychologist Matt Motyl of the University of Virginia. That deep-seated desire is a major factor driving this migration, he and his colleagues write in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
Unfortunately, this appears to be a clear case where individual contentment and the national interest are at odds. While “This homogenization of communities may promote greater personal well-being,” the researchers write, “it may also foster increased partisan hostility” by minimizing our contact with people on the other side of the ideological divide.
Motyl and his colleagues describe a series of studies providing evidence that the strong pull of belongingness plays a huge role in our desire to move to ideologically cohesive areas.
The first study featured a huge sample of just over one million U.S. residents who visited the Project Implicit website. The researchers focused on their responses to three items on the site’s questionnaire: their political ideology (on a one-to-seven scale from liberal to conservative); the zip code “where they resided for the greatest length of time;” and their current zip code.
Their responses were analyzed in the context of a “social climate data base” that included the percentage of people in each zip code who voted for President Obama or John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
The results: “Partisan participants who previously lived in communities with values different from their own were more likely to migrate than those who lived in communities with values similar to their own.” Moreover, those who moved tend to do so to zip codes that better matched their political ideology.
“The likelihood of migration was particularly large among strong liberals and strong conservatives,” they write. “Moderates were less likely to migrate at all.”
The second study directly addressed the importance of feeling a sense of belonging. The participants—1,236 people who registered with the research website yourmorals.org—responded to statements such as “I feel like I belong in my current city/town.” They estimated the percentage of residents in their area who shared their political values, and gave their zip code information as in the first study.
Not surprisingly, the researchers found “the greater ideological fit people perceive in their community, the more they feel like they belong in that community.” More importantly, they also found a relationship “between sense of belonging and the desire to migrate.”
The third study looked at this issue still more directly. Participants—102 University of Virginia undergraduates—reacted to a news article about “the changing political landscape of colleges.” Some read a version that said their school was “increasingly attractive to conservatives.”
All were then asked a series of questions describing their satisfaction with the university, and whether they felt they belonged. Researchers report those in the “ideological misfit condition”—that is, liberals who were informed their student body was becoming more conservative—reported “a reduced sense of belonging and a greater desire to transfer to another school.”
Motyl and his colleagues note that relocating to a place where you feel comfortable has a wide range of psychological benefits. “When people feel like their values match their environment, they experience greater subjective well-being and increased self-esteem,” they write. “Without fear of reprisal for expressing one’s values, one may be able to more easily form strong interpersonal bonds and accumulate social capital.”
But then there’s also a larger societal cost. “Ideological segregation necessarily leads to reduced contact between members of the segregated groups,” they add. “There is a long history of research demonstrating that reduced intergroup contact lays the foundation for future conflict and prejudice.
“Ideological migration might increase ‘bonding’ with similar others, but decrease ‘bridging’ with dissimilar others.”
Of course, the choice to move to a specific city or neighborhood is based on many factors, including “good job opportunities, safety, and clean air,” Motyl and his colleagues concede. So while the desire to be surrounded by like-minded people clearly matters, the opportunity to buy the home of your dreams at a price you can afford may be strong enough to override it.
But even if you live in a “mixed neighborhood” (that is, liberals and conservatives), there’s another way to stay comfortably in your bubble and feel a sense of community. You can always smile and wave at your crazy neighbor, close the door and turn on your favorite partisan cable news channel.FLINT, MI - In a back room Wednesday morning at Good Beans Cafe in Flint, residents voiced their continued frustration over the city's water crisis during a brief visit by Green Party vice presidential nominee Ajamu Baraka.
Baraka, a long-time human rights activist, listened and spoke with around 20 residents as they filled him in on their continued issues with bottled water and growing angst of feeling the issue has gone back underground after the national spotlights disappeared.
He promised the prospective voters he'd fill in Jill Stein, the Green Party's presidential nominee, on what he learned from the room before campaign handlers packed up T-shirts, fliers, and leftover muffins in boxes prior to heading to stops at a prison in Muskegon and Grand Rapids Community College.
Urging residents to continue having their voice heard over the water issue, Baraka also directed them to seek groups inside the United State that connect with international human rights advocacy "because the U.S. is in clear violation of treaties that they signed."
"There's clear discrimination taking place here," said Baraka, founding director of the U.S. Human Rights Network, of potential environmental injustice in the Flint. "There's some emergency procedures that folks in Flint can appeal to."
Polling numbers for Stein have been hovering in the single digits for weeks, trailing behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson, with roughly three weeks left before the Nov. 8 election.
Baraka offered a quick response when asked how soon a third party candidate could become a legitimate contender to fill the Oval Office - 2020 - if they are able to gain access to the American people.
Candidates must poll at 15 percent in "five selected national public opinion polling organizations" to be included as part of the presidential debate, according to The Commission on Presidential Debates.
"We think by 2020 we're going to be in the position to really challenge, if we can get access to the American people," Baraka said. "This phony democracy that we have in this country, people are finally waking up to the fact if we are going to be able to move forward as a country, as a nation, we've got to address the democracy deficit here in this country with this two-party monopoly representing the same elite interest."
Stein is scheduled to make appearances on Friday, Oct. 28 at the Redford Theater in Detroit and Bowen Field House on the campus of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.Emperor of the North, the classic 1973 film directed by Robert Aldrich, details the dysfunctional relationship between train-hopping hobos and the railroad men who kill them. It’s the kind of totally unique “70s film that could not get made today, a film in which the male leads are masculine, violent, and ass-ugly, and there’s not a skirt in sight. Lee Marvin plays the Depression-era hobo who squares off against sadistic conductor Ernest Borgnine. Most viewers assume that the “North” in the title comes from the fact that the film is set in the Pacific Northwest, but that isn”t the case. The film was originally called Emperor of the North Pole, but the studio feared that audiences might think the film dealt with Christmas or Santa Claus. So “Pole” was dropped, much to Marvin’s chagrin, because he knew the significance of the original title.
It was a common joke among hobos in the 1930s that to be crowned “king of the hobos” was, in effect, to be emperor of the North Pole”in other words, the king of nothing. Ruler of a wasteland, with subjects of no significance. Last week, I was reminded of those hobo kings by an outwardly insignificant little episode involving, of all things, a frog on a unicycle.
“Dat Boi” is an Internet meme that sprung up randomly, as so many memes do, about two months ago. It’s a low-resolution frog riding a unicycle, with the caption “Here come dat boi!” Don”t try to overthink it. It’s (supposedly) funny because it’s silly and random. A frog, retro low-res graphics, a unicycle, and slang for “that boy.” If you insist on knowing more, there’s no shortage of Dat Boi explanatory articles. But really, all you need to know is that it’s arbitrary on purpose, a non sequitur, a head-scratcher for “noobs”…everything that makes a good meme.
Except that according to black social justice warriors, it’s a bad meme. A very bad meme. Because it’s racist (you expected a different reason?). Yes, the frog on the unicycle is racist. According to a May 25 piece in PAPER magazine, proud African-American warriors have decided that Dat Boi is yet another case of “cultural appropriation,” as well as “white privilege and the Internet’s casual appropriation of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE).” Over the course of three days, the influential, 40,000-person meme-appreciation Facebook group Post Aesthetics experienced a mutiny of sorts as black members demanded that posts featuring Dat Boi be censored, and that Dat Boi be banned from ever showing its froggy face again. The moderators agreed, and the frog on the unicycle was banished, along with many group members whose racism was so severe that they were blinded to the obvious fact that the unicycle frog was a greater menace to black people than a thousand noose-wielding Klansmen.
“If you”re comfortable with your own identity, “appropriation” shouldn”t bother you.”
One anti”Dat Boi group member actually put the time into crafting a six-point itemized list explaining why the meme must be banned. Reason No. 1 was “People who are not black don”t get to decide what is and isn”t antiblack, or what is and isn”t AAVE.” In other words, my opinion is more valid than yours because my skin is different. That’s what passes for “antiracism” these days. Post Aesthetics mod Tamia Thompson explained to PAPER mag that Dat Boi represents “the commodification of black culture on the Internet,” adding, “we try to quell instances of appropriation in the group.” So sayonara, Dat Boi (wait…did I just culturally appropriate from Asians?).
Black social justice warriors won the battle. But what did they win? A fucking frog on a fucking unicycle. They got a meme banned from a meme appreciation group. Big victory. Get some plastic crowns, we have new emperors of the North Pole. As SJWs continue to micromanage every perceived microaggression on the part of whites, we see black person after black person fighting inconsequential battles in the name of combating “cultural appropriation,” celebrating their victories as though they”ve actually accomplished something of value. “I yelled at a white slacker for wearing dreads!” “I got a professor fired for tweeting about Halloween costumes!” “I got a music video banned for shooting in Africa!” “I attacked a fashion designer for using an African pattern!”
For a people who like to boast about being descended from kings, this is most surely an ignominious reduction in influence. “My ancestors ruled over a vast, fertile kingdom and commanded an army of warriors. I got a frog on a unicycle banned from a Facebook group.” From Zulu emperor to hobo emperor. It would be funny if not for the fact that the black community in the U.S. can ill afford such stupidity from its leaders and activists. Stoners wearing dreadlocks and frogs on unicycles…these are the worst problems black Americans face?
As a Jew, this whole cultural appropriation thing befuddles me. When I see black people getting so anal-retentive over whites “usurping” their culture, I want to scream from the top of my Hebraic lungs, “You morons”you”re doing it wrong!” Jews are where we are in the West because we invite cultural appropriation. Hell, we insist on it. We want the host culture to use our words and phrases, adapt our influences, adopt our faith, flock to our causes, and believe that our suffering is theirs. We want you to co-opt our culture. When we see Christians quoting from the Old Testament more often than the New, we don”t think, “Hey, stop appropriating our faith,” but just the opposite”we love it when white European Christians claim a chunk of Hebrew history for themselves. We look at it as a safety net, for us.
In the same way, we want Christians to appropriate Israel. We want them to think that Israel’s existence and security are actually important Christian matters (you know, “prophecy” and such). When we see Christians championing Israel as though it’s their homeland, too, we don”t think, “Damn that dreaded appropriation of our blessed land.” We think, “Bravo”this is supremely good for our security.”
Note how Jews aren”t upset that y”all get your sons” penises clipped. It’s supposed to be something holy, a covenant between us and our God. Hey, black folks, circumcision is a lot holier to us than your filthy dreads are to you. But guess what? We absolutely love the fact that Christian whites embrace the practice, because now it’s a covenant between us and the dominant culture.
Jews embrace the fact that Yiddish has subtly infiltrated the English language. We don”t get pissed when we hear a gentile say klutz or shtick or schmuck or schmooze, or adopt Yiddish phraseology like “such a deal” or “you think maybe?” We don”t view it as linguistic genocide. And speaking of genocide…
As for the Holocaust”the thing that is more important to American Jews than God Himself (sadly, that’s not hyperbole)”we have done everything we can to give goys a stake in Holocaust suffering. You know that “five million non-Jews killed in the Holocaust” thing? Entirely fabricated, invented, concocted…fantasized for our protection. As Holocaust maven Deborah Lipstadt wrote in the Jewish Review of Books (winter 2011):
In the 1970s, [Simon] Wiesenthal began to refer to “eleven million victims” of the Holocaust, six million Jews and five million non-Jews, but the latter number had no basis in historical reality…. Nevertheless, Wiesenthal’s contrived death toll, with its neat almost-symmetry, has become a widely accepted “fact.” When Israeli historians Yehuda Bauer and Yisrael Gutman challenged Wiesenthal on this point, he admitted that he had invented the figure of eleven million victims in order to stimulate interest in the Holocaust among non-Jews. He chose five million because it was almost, but not quite, as large as six million.
Pay to Play - Put your money where your mouth is and subscribe for an ad-free experience and to join the world famous Takimag comment board.This responsive HTML template is best suitable for personal portfolio, small business websites, freelancers, creative studio and product launch websites. Freelancer Coder one page responsive portfolio template is based on 12 column responsive Bootstrap grid. It is made for those in need of a professional looking website for their business.
This is a creative yet modern and professional design to make a stand out the site and you can present your established or startup business with ease. This template is specially built for personal portfolios having features including About, Services, Blog, Team, Testimonials, Work process, Portfolio, Skills, and Contact.
Hope that this theme can be used to build a stand out a site for your need.
Template Features:
12 different color schemes Built on Bootstrap 3.3.6 Clean and well commented code Owl carousel slider Contact form with AJAX and PHP mail Semantic coding style jQuery and CSS3 Animation Unlimited Font awesome Icons 12 different color schemes Prepared with Boxed and Wide layout SEO Friendly html code Super easy for customization Smooth Scrolling for One Page Sites And much more
14 HTML files with necessary assets PSD files of design with help Email-mailer.php Documentation/Help file
Overview of template
Sources and Credits
Free patterns from http://subtlepatterns.com Images in preview are used from https://picjumbo.com and https://pixabay.com (Available freely)
Notes
Any images, logos, icons or media used in previews are not included in this item. In case you want to use them in your commercial or noncommercial site then you will need to contact their authors/owners to grant permission for that (Although all assets including fonts and images are available for free download using links provided in above section – Source and Credits). After purchasing template please read help file for more details.
Thank you
Thank you so much for your interests. Your comments and ratings would be much appreciated. If you purchase this template and have any troubles then please feel free to connect with me from my profile here. I will update this template time by time and I want to hear your wishes for the future updates or for new templates.HUMAN language is the subject of endless scientific investigation, but the gestures that accompany speech are a surprisingly neglected area. It is sometimes jokingly said that the way to render an Italian speechless is to tie his wrists together, but almost everyone moves their hands in meaningful ways when they talk. Susan Goldin-Meadow of the University of Chicago, however, studies gestures carefully—and not out of idle curiosity. Introspection suggests that gesturing not only helps people communicate but also helps them to think. She set out to test this, and specifically to find out whether gestures might be used as an aid to children's learning. It turns out, as she told the AAAS, that they can.
Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks.
The experiment she conducted involved balancing equations. Presented with an equation of the form 2 + 3 + 4 = x + 4, written on a blackboard, a child is asked to calculate the value of x. In the equations Dr Goldin-Meadow always made the last number on the left the same as the last on the right; so x was the sum of the first two numbers. Commonly, however, children who are learning arithmetic will add all three of the numbers on the left to arrive at the value of x.
In her previous work Dr Goldin-Meadow had noted that children often use spontaneous gestures when explaining how they solve mathematical puzzles so, to see if these hand-movements actually help a child to think, or are merely descriptive, she divided a group of children into two and asked them to balance equations. One group was asked to gesture while doing so. A second was asked not to. Both groups were then given a lesson in how to solve problems of this sort.
As Dr Goldin-Meadow suspected, the first group learnt more from the lesson than the second. By observing their gestures she refined the experiment. Often, a child would touch or point to the first two numbers on the left with the first two fingers of one hand. Dr Goldin-Meadow therefore taught this gesture explicitly to another group of children. Or, rather, she taught a third of them, taught another third to point to the second and third numbers this way, and told the remainder to use no gestures. When all were given the same lesson it was found those gesturing “correctly” learnt the most. But those gesturing “incorrectly” still outperformed the non-gesturers.
Gesturing, therefore, clearly does help thought. Indeed, it is so thought-provoking that even the wrong gestures have some value. Perhaps this helps to explain why the arithmetic-intensive profession of banking was invented in Italy.Obamacare is still not ready for primetime, more than six weeks after its exchange website went live, in spite of the administration's urgent efforts to make it work.
Henry Chao, deputy chief information officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Tuesday that 30 percent to 40 percent of the entire Obamacare system still needs to be built, including a payment system. That's right: you can currently find an insurance plan — if you can get past the ongoing website glitches — but there's no way to pay.
Americans are required to have health insurance come January 1, 2014, but in order to be covered by that date, insurers must receive payment by December 15, 2013.
Chao, testifying before a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, was responding to questions from Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., about how much of healthcare.gov website still needed to be built.
“How much do we have to build today still?” Gardner asked. “What do we need to build – 50 percent? 40 percent? 30 percent?”
Chao thought for a moment before estimating. “I think it’s – just an approximation – we’re probably sitting somewhere between 60 and 70 percent because we still have to build the..."
At first, it seemed like Chao was saying 60 percent to 70 percent still needed to be built. But in another line of questioning, Chao said "you mean the remaining 30 to 40 percent?" which seems to hint at initial confusion on his part.
But Chao kept responding to Gardner's questions as if the 60 percent to 70 percent number was correct.
“Sixty to 70 percent that needs to be built still?” Gardner asked.
“Because we still have to build the payment systems to make payments to the issuers in January,” Chao responded.
“The entire system that the American people are being required to rely upon is 60 to 70 percent...” Gardner began before Chao interrupted.
Chao made clear that while a major percentage of the entire Obamacare infrastructure still needed to be built, healthcare.gov, despite its problems, is complete.
“The online application, verification, determination [of eligibility], plan compare, getting enrolled, generating enrollment transaction – that’s all 100 percent there,” Chao said.
Pressed further by Gardner about the 60 percent to 70 percent number, Chao listed what still wasn’t built.
“There’s the back office systems, the accounting systems, the payment systems,” Chao said. “They still need to be built."
Obamacare was signed into law March 23, 2010.LA VERNE, California-- A family dog bitten by a snake is alive, thanks to a La Verne police officer who went above and beyond his call of duty.
About 4:20 p.m. Monday, Officer Chris Dransfeldt responded to a 911 call from a frantic teenage girl, who reported that her 11-year-old chocolate lab named Bailey had just been bitten by a rattlesnake while playing in the back yard, reports CBS Los Angeles.
When the officer arrived, he saw the snake before it slithered away. He also noticed that Bailey had been bitten near his right eye, and his face was starting to swell up.
The 17-year-old girl did not have a car, and her mom was at work. By the time she got home, it might have been too late for Bailey.
That was when Dransfeldt put the dog in his police cruiser and drove to the nearest animal hospital in La Verne, which did not have antivenin. As Bailey sat in the backseat whimpering from pain, the officer drove to the VCA Central Animal Hospital in Upland, where veterinarians gave the pet antivenin, along with fluids.
Bailey spent the night at the hospital and was released Tuesday morning. He is back home recovering from his near-death experience.
The teen said the reptile was about 4 feet long and was rattling. "I was panicked. I just remembered feeling like such a great relief" to see the officer.
"I didn't do anything that I wouldn't expect somebody else to do," Dransfeldt said.The Pro-Assad regime, Syrian hackers Syrian Electronic Army today hacked the official website of Reuters. Reuters is a international news agency which is headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom and it transmits news in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese to almost all parts of the world. The hack came into public notice after several of the visitors who tried to access the articles on the Reuters website were redirected to a deface page saying,
Hacked by Syrian Electronic Army Stop publishing fake reports and false articles about Syria! UK government is supporting the terrorists in Syria to destroy it, Stop spreading its propaganda.
The Syrian Electronic Army later confirmed the attack from their official Twitter account.
All @Reuters articles links were redirected to a message from the Syrian Electronic Army #SEA #Syria pic.twitter.com/QBHwHZE4UD
— SyrianElectronicArmy (@Official_SEA16) June 22, 2014
Earlier this week Syrian Electronic Army hacked Two other U.K’s prominent news agencies website, “The Sunday Times and The Sun”.
However experts says that it was not that the Reuters web servers which were breached in this hack. According to the sources, the Reuters website is managed by a third party ad provider Taboola and it is Taboola who is to be blamed.
Many visitors who used adblockers on their browsers were not redirected, which meant that one of the code inserted from Taboola was poisoned by the Syrian Electronic Army. This makes it difficult to pin the blame on Taboola, because one of the admin’s account who managed the ads code on the website may also be responsible. Neither Taboola, nor Reuters have commented over the matter yet but a press release is soon expected.
It is not the first time when Syrian Electronic Army has targeted a western media group, they keep doing it all the time as they believe that the Western world and media are pro rebels and against the Assad regime in Syria. Their official statement however always states that they do it when any media group makes any fake news about Syria or poke them about their ways.
We have already contacted the Syrian Electronic Army for more information on the hack and will update you with one.
UPDATE: Adam Singolda Founder & CEO of Taboola confirmed the breach in a blog post and said the attack was carried out using Phishing attack.
The Company has changed all its access passwords and will continue to investigate the attack for next 24 hours, he said.
Syrian Electronic Army too confirmed that the attack was carried out using Taboola.
A tweet tweeted earlier today shows the screenshot taken by the SEA from Taboola’s Paypal account.The president is 'averse to conflict with corporate power,' Nader wrote in a recent op-ed. Nader: Pressure Obama with primary
Ralph Nader is convinced that Barack Obama will win reelection in 2012, but that won’t stop him from trying to organize a slate of Democrats in the coming months to challenge the president in party primaries next year.
Nader told POLITICO on Wednesday that he is working on bringing together about half a dozen presidential candidates who could “dramatically expand a robust discussion within the Democratic Party and among progressive voters across the country.” Each would focus on a specific issue where the far left says Obama hasn’t done enough, including the environment, labor and health care.
Story Continued Below
Nader, who has run for president five times as an independent or third party candidate — including his 2000 run on the Green ticket, which some Democrats say cost Al Gore the election — said that for next year, he believes an ideologically based, multi-candidate primary challenge would be the best way to pull Obama to the left ahead of the second term he believes Republicans will not be able to stop.
In an op-ed published Wednesday morning by Bloomberg News, Nader laid out the argument that Obama will be reelected due to weakness and confusion in the Republican field and because he’s kowtowed to corporations and others who can help him win a second term. “Obama is averse to conflict with corporate power and disarmingly expedient in compromising with Republicans, leaving the latter to argue largely among themselves,” he wrote.
Obama is “really in a very, very powerful position” to win reelection, Nader told POLITICO, and the slate of candidates wouldn’t be meant to give Obama a serious challenge for the Democratic nomination, but instead to “structurally pull him in the opposite direction” than he’s taken since his 2008 campaign.
If there was a group of people from the president’s own party geared up to debate him in Iowa and New Hampshire, “it is harder for him to say no,” Nader said. “His strategists can say, ‘Don’t fight it, Barack; use it, revel in it; you’re good on your feet.”
Nader suggested that Jim Hightower, a liberal commentator and a co-chairman of his 2000 presidential campaign, could be one candidate but didn’t offer other names. The ideal candidates, he said, would be people who have a history of progressive positions and who have specific knowledge or credibility in a certain policy area.
But Nader, a registered independent, wouldn’t be one of them, he said, since all the candidates would be dedicated Democrats who could benefit from party infrastructure. “This isn’t like a third-party or independent candidacy,” he said. “This is different; it’s simple: They’re inside the party, they can certainly raise enough money for legal assistance filling out forms, they support Obama, but want him to keep his 2008 promises.”
Just because he won’t be running doesn’t mean Nader’s planning to vote for the president himself.
“I’d never vote for him,” he said. “I will never vote for anybody who has a terrible record like that, who’s done what he’s done for Wall Street and turned his back on the people who need him.”
So, who will Nader vote for? A candidate from the Green Party or another progressive group. But that’s as far as he would go. “I never indicate who I vote for,” he said. “Unless I’m running.”Philosophers are drawn to causation like moths. The reason seems to be that causation is one of the precious few relations fit to serve as explanation; in many domains, to understand a phenomenon just is to know its cause. How much better, then, to understand causation itself! The problem -- well, one problem -- is that there are so very many wildly disparate cases that are thought to be instances of causation. Here's where moth meets flame. An account of causation in general must, on the face of it, be able to handle all of the many kinds of causation. A pool ball strikes another, causing it to move; my failing to water the plant causes it to wilt; your willing to imagine an elephant causes your imagining of the elephant; and on and on.
Many metaphysicians see in this a reason to seek a conceptual analysis of causation. There is something that unifies what David Lewis calls the "gruesomely disjunctive miscellany" of cases of causation, and conceptual analysis is required to identify that unifying factor.[1] Historians of philosophy, by contrast, may suspect that miscellany gives us reason to try to understand causation not by way of analysis, but by way of genealogy. Indeed (our historians might suspect) the genealogy of our concept of causation is likely to have involved so many circuitous twists and turns, taken for reasons that we would consider metaphysically irrelevant or arbitrary, that we might well find ourselves disenchanted with the project of analyzing it. Still, even in the absence of a satisfying conceptual analysis, a conceptual genealogy could provide us with a deeper philosophical understanding of the target concept.
Efficient Causation is a genealogy of this sort -- a history of the concept of causation as it finds broad use today, and an attempt to cultivate a deeper understanding of that concept without any pretense at analyzing it. The guiding thought behind the volume is that there is a developmental story to tell here that is both philosophically informative and surprisingly nuanced. For instance, although it would be a mistake to "identify Aristotle's own concept of efficient causation with the concept of this sort of causality that emerged during the High Middle Ages", nevertheless we may "see the latter as deriving in a crucial sense from the former" (6). Working out this developmental story is a way of getting at one sort of explanation (a causal explanation!) of the miscellany of cases we today count as instances of causation. Toward that end, the volume includes eleven essays about the concept of efficient causation -- or what we now simply call "causation" -- as it figured in different periods in the history of philosophy.
As the flagship entry in the Oxford Philosophical Concepts series, another feature bears mention. Aside from the scholarly essays on different historical periods, the volume also includes four relatively brief "Reflections," short essays on the notion of efficient causation as it pertains to art, science, and culture, broadly construed. According to the series editor, Christia Mercer, the aim of the Reflections is to "display the benefits of using philosophical concepts and distinctions in areas that are not strictly philosophical, and encourage philosophers to move beyond the borders of their discipline as presently conceived" (xiv).
The volume's goals are thus quite broad. On the one hand, it is intended to set out a genealogy of a concept that continues to occupy a central role in a wide range of philosophical debates, and to do so in a way that serves to inform such debates going forward. On the other hand, it is also intended to spark philosophical interest in (traditionally) non-philosophical uses of the concept of efficient causation. Does the volume achieve these big-picture goals? Yes, for the most part. The quality of the scholarship is very high without being unapproachable, the volume lays out a detailed and insightful history of its target concept, and the Reflections are engaging and thought provoking. The volume's primary flaws are only those endemic to any project with so broad a purpose: in telling such a grand story in such a small amount of space, some philosophically interesting parts of the story get short shrift.
|
.
El representante de la alianza opositora también resaltó que no existe ninguna denuncia para inhabilitar al partido Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD).United Airlines barred two teenage girls from boarding a flight on Sunday morning and required a child to change into a dress after a gate agent decided the leggings they were wearing were inappropriate. That set off waves of anger on social media, with users criticizing what they called an intrusive, sexist policy, but the airline maintained its support for the gate agent’s decision.
The girls, who were about to board a flight to Minneapolis, were turned away at the gate at Denver International Airport, the company said on Sunday. United doubled down on that decision, defending it in a series of tweets on Sunday.
The incident was first reported on Twitter by Shannon Watts, a passenger at the airport who was waiting to board a flight to Mexico. In a telephone interview from Mexico on Sunday afternoon, Ms. Watts said she noticed two visibly upset teenage girls leaving the gate next to hers. Both were wearing leggings.
Ms. Watts went over to the neighboring gate and saw a “frantic” family with two young girls, one of whom was also wearing leggings, engaged in a tense exchange with a gate agent who told them, “I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.”By Heather Yundt
Coal — not oil sands — is the largest threat to the world’s climate.
Still, that’s no reason to endorse the Keystone XL or Northern Gateway pipelines, say two Canadian climate experts in a provocative study released on the weekend.
Neil Swart and Andrew Weaver, researchers at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, estimated the potential for global warming of oil, gas, and coal based on their carbon emissions.
If all of the Alberta oil sands were burned, the average global temperature would rise by 0.36 C based on the carbon emissions alone, Swart and Weaver suggest. That is a greater impact than the burning of every drop of conventional oil, which would increase global temperatures by 0.34 per cent.
In another report, Swart and Weaver suggest that if all the emissions that result from the process of oilsands extraction are considered, exploiting all of Alberta’s oilsands — about seven times the size of Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves — would raise the average global temperature by 0.42 C.
But Swart and Weaver found the fossil fuel with the greatest potential to drive global warming is coal. If the global supply of coal were burned, the global temperature could rise by an estimated 15 C.
The global temperature has increased 0.76 C in the past 100 years.
Though carbon emissions from oilsands are less than from coal, Swart says the numbers must be considered in a global context.
“If only Canada had this resource and it was utilized then it’s true that the impact on the global climate would be fairly small,” he said Monday. “However, we have to realize that many other countries also have large fossil fuel resources and if these countries follow Canada’s example in exploiting their fossil fuel resources to a large extent then the amount of warming that you’ll have will be very large.”
Swart said North Americans emit more than their share of carbon based on the 2009 Copenhagen agreement to limit global warming to 2 C above pre-industrial times.
By only using the available oilsands, Swart said, North Americans would use up about 75 per cent of the global emissions allowable in order to stay within that 2 C increase in global temperatures.
Canada, he said, should be working toward switching over to low-carbon alternatives in order to set an example for other countries — not increasing oilsands exploitation.
“It’s chance that Canada happens to have oilsands but Colombia or South Africa or China have large coal resources,” he said. “The equivalent of Canada digging into the oilsands is China, Colombia and South Africa going full scale on their coal.
“Making long-term commitments to fossil fuel usage and committing ourselves to that through large infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL pipeline is inconsistent with that goal of transitioning to a low-carbon society.”
Mike Hudema of Greenpeace Canada weighed in on the issue, emphasizing the importance of shifting away from fossil fuels altogether.
“While coal is a huge global emissions problem, the dirty tarsands remain Canada’s largest climate challenge,” Hudema said in a statement Monday. “Tar sands development is the fastest rising source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The bottom line message for the Harper government is that, as Professor Weaver says, we need to transition away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible. That includes coal, unconventional natural gas and, of course, tar sands.”
Swart and Weaver’s commentary, published in the scientific journal Nature, comes as the European Union is getting ready to vote on a draft law that would penalize the Canadian oil sands and label the resource one of the dirtiest crude sources on Earth.
In an interview with Postmedia News, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver called the draft law a “discriminatory approach that would single out the oil sands” without scientific evidence.
“Having a measure that provides for more onerous treatment for the oil sands relative to other crudes which haven’t been analyzed is discriminatory and it potentially violates the European Union’s international trade obligations,” Oliver said at a news conference in October.
The EU will vote on the draft law Thursday.Tom Thibodeau always believed he could lure free agents to the Los Angeles Lakers, that the proper structure and vision still makes that franchise the ultimate superstar destination. Thibodeau always had his eyes on the most glamorous job in basketball, but the Lakers hesitated and missed the chance to recruit him.
Tom Thibodeau will be running the show in Minnesota. (AP)
Once Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor understood the greatness of Karl-Anthony Towns, had grown weary of missing the playoffs year after year, Thibodeau had his market and his match: total control, a $40 million-plus contract and a chance to construct a championship contender.
Scroll to continue with content Ad
To suggest it would’ve been an easy choice to choose the Lakers over the Timberwolves for Thibodeau is naïve, but make no mistake: It would’ve been a choice for him. Thibodeau uses his USA Basketball coaching job to build relationships with the best players in the world, potential free agents including Kevin Durant and James Harden, Russell Westbrook and, yes, LeBron James, too.
LaMarcus Aldridge was dying for the Lakers to blow him away in a free-agent presentation on July 1 and left the room deflated over the parade of marketing and partnership suits that sold him on the residual impacts of playing for the Lakers. Had that been a Tom Thibodeau basketball presentation to Aldridge, there are those who believe Aldridge would’ve been swayed to sign there.
For all the possibilities that could’ve existed with the Lakers – who are still debating coach Bryon Scott’s future – the Timberwolves offered Thibodeau a sure thing: Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s 20 years old, a perfect gentleman, a relentless worker and the best young big-man talent in the world.
Story continues
Thibodeau has deep admiration for the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick and has studied him and his program long and hard. Now, Karl-Anthony Towns has a chance to be Thibodeau’s Tom Brady. Thibodeau still marvels over a trip to Foxboro for OTA’s, watching Brady’s fervor in repeating a fundamental footwork drill over and over and over. All those Super Bowls, and Thibodeau couldn’t get over Brady’s obsession with dominating that exercise on a springtime morning.
The Timberwolves coaching staff marvels over Towns’ tenacity and character, his obsession with becoming one of the great ones. Kevin Garnett told him that if he wanted to be the leader of the franchise, he needed to be the first one to practice and the last to leave – and Towns did it. Before every game, Towns did a hard 20-25 minute workout on the floor, working up a sweat and bringing it into the game. There is strong talent on these Wolves, including Andrew Wiggins and an unselfish point guard, Ricky Rubio, who defends the way that Thibodeau demands.
Karl-Anthony Towns has the desire to be a special player. (AP)
Thibodeau does have a big ego, and yes, the bright lights of the Staples Center, the Lakers’ prestige, intrigued him. To win a title is most important, yes, but to win with the Lakers would’ve been historic, and Thibodeau cares about his place in history. Nevertheless, the Buss family is too fractured to turn power over to one person – never mind an outsider – and maybe Thibodeau and the Lakers were never made to work.
For now, Spurs assistant general manager Scott Layden is the perfect complement for Thibodeau with the Wolves because he’ll do the job of general manager quietly, efficiently and thoroughly. San Antonio president R.C. Buford loved his meticulousness in the scouting and evaluation of players, and Layden has strong relationships and respect throughout the league for the purpose of making deals. He’s done the GM job twice – with Utah and New York – and learned the Spurs’ way the past four years in San Antonio.
There is a reason why a lot of NBA executives and owners would’ve never ceded this kind of power to Thibodeau: They wonder if he can properly handle it all. When the business side needs the franchise’s president to help them sell tickets and sponsorships, it’ll be interesting to see how motivated Thibodeau will be to take on the broader duties of his title. Nevertheless, winning sells – and Thibodeau will win basketball games.
For all the blame that Chicago management deserved for the dysfunction of the Thibodeau era, the coach was never blameless. Yes, he was right to fight for the drafting of Gorgui Dieng over Tony Snell in 2013, but becoming obsessed with whom had the job of assistant weight coach was often misplaced frustration.
Now, Thibodeau is accountable. Now, everything’s on him. He wanted big power and big money and it belongs to the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is everything Tom Thibodeau wanted, everything he’s chased, and most of all, Tom Thibodeau can never say there’s someone holding him back again.
More NBA coverage from The Vertical:Sunday News via NateArticle talks about 'akgae fans' or fans of an individual member instead of the entire group and how they tend to start fandom fights. Also includes a chart that lists the characteristics of akgaes:1. They always think their bias doesn't get enough support2. They think the group is holding their bias back3. They don't believe anyone is actually a fan of the whole group and considers anyone who likes the whole group fake4. They think their bias has it the worst in the world/victimizes their bias5. They think troll bait posts are written by other member akgaes6. They don't think of themselves as akgaes1. [+715, -36] ㅋㅋㅋ Why are you ATMs fighting with one another?2. [+573, -23] 7. You're all a mess3. [+511, -24] And one day you will all grow up and realize that all of this was useless4. [+33, -0] Being a fan isn't bad but is it really worth fighting with other people over?5. [+33, -3] Ugh... They'll grow up later and look back on all this and wonder why they even bothered6. [+31, -3] Whenever I listen to stupid fangirls talking to each other, they sound like they have mental issues7. [+26, -3] You fools, these celebrities won't take responsibility for your lives... so stop wasting money on them8. [+26, -8] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Such stupid, pathetic fangirls ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Please realize that all of you are nothing but wallets and idiots ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ9. [+21, -2] I once liked a specific member instead of her entire girl group but why would you ever want to fight over that??? Do you really have nothing else to do with your time???10. [+20, -2] I understand liking a specific member instead of the entire group but why stir trouble by picking fights? Do they really think that that's what's best for their favorite member?11. [+19, -3] I remember it was really bad with the TVXQ fandom. I wonder if Park Yoochun fans and Kim Junsu fans are still on bad terms.12. [+17, -2] It got worse with EXO... before EXO came around, most fandoms were fans of the entire group13. [+15, -6] The biggest victim in any of this isn't your bias but your parentsLotus
Ladybug
companion piece tosince I showed you Artemis' royal guards, i thought i'd also show you iridescence'sI believe that Queen Chrysalis largely created her existing changeling hive through asexual reproduction. She just lays clutches of eggs that hatch into swarms of cute little grubs. She can magically 'customize' her brood based on how much love she is able to consume beforehand....when she's hungry for love, she can't create more than the basic small black buggy ghangelings we see on the show. But if Chrysalis absorbs a lot of love, she can spawn bigger, stronger, faster changelings....and that is exactly what she does, once she's settled comfortably into Canterlot as Celestia's wedded consort.These two are a special type of changeling that Chrysalis refers to as the Imperial Guard class. The changeling queen spawned them for the sole purpose of protecting and attending to her daughter,, heir to the Sun.Imperial Guards are much bigger and stronger than the average changeling, and more "regal" in appearance, resembling beautiful jeweled beetles more than the typical black buggy changeling drone. But don't let the pretty exterior fool you, these gals have hidden jaw mandibles that can crush bone, as well has the ability to spit gobs of acid from a remarkable distance. Here we have:A high-ranking changeling, and leader of Iridescence's ladies-in-waiting. Lotus has a kind, motherly personality and has doted over Irie since she was a grub. She claims to have also lost a number of years off her life chasing after the wild, spitfire of a princess, making sure kid Irie didn't do things like try to fly off Canterlot Castle before her wings had finished growing, or making sure Irie didn't eat fifteen pounds of jellybeans while Lotus' back was turned. Lotus is quite a loving, maternal changeling to those she cares about, and flawlessly performs orders given by her princess and Queen, but to the creatures she views as her lessers, she can seem quite snobby and monstrous, barking orders and hurling about her fellow changelings with reckless abandon. She is aperfectionist, and you'd better not goof up and accidentally put out the wrong salad fork for the royal dinner table, unless you want Lotus to bodily throw you through a stone wallNamed by Princess Celestia herself, and quite proud of it. Ladybug is a guard and servant to Iridescence, albeit a lower ranking one than Lotus. Ladybug is sweet, positive, and perky, in a way that Irie finds refreshing, and in a way that really grates on Lotus' nerves. Ladybug has a beautiful voice and loves to sing, and can sometimes be convinced into allowing Irie to raid the pastries in the castle kitchens. But for as sweet as she is, Ladybug too is a bit snobby (she's proud of her rank and status), and tends to boss around ordinary changelings and castle workers if she feels it's in the best interest of the castle Royals. Ladybug, like Lotus, enjoys adorning herself in fancy jewels and fabrics, indulging in the finer things in life, and absolutelythe other royal guards in sparring practice.to be clear, in the pandoraverse, the events of the season six finale (the changelings are transformed by love) are not canon and don't happen in this timeline. Instead, Queen Chrysalis proposes political marriage to Celestia:She, along with the existing changelings (including Thorax), remain unchanged in physical appearance. From Celestia's love, Chrysalis has spawned her daughter Iridescence, as well as the unique imperial guards.COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Four inmates were found dead Friday morning in a dorm at one of South Carolina’s maximum-security men’s prisons, authorities said.
The inmates were found at Kirkland Correctional Institution in the capital city, Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling told The Associated Press. Stirling did not say how they died.
Denver Jordan Simmons, 35, and Jacob Theophilus Philip, 25, were each charged with four counts of murder, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said in a statement early Saturday.
Department spokeswoman Sommer Sharpe identified the four inmates in a news release as John King, 52; Jason Kelley, 35; Jimmy Ham, 56; and William Scruggs, 44.
Autopsies on the inmates will be conducted Saturday, WLTX reports.
King was serving time for a variety of crimes and had a projected release date of October 2020. Kelley was serving 15 years for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. He was scheduled for release in August 2020.
Ham was scheduled for release this November after serving a sentence for a variety of offenses. Scruggs was sentenced to life in prison for murder and first-degree burglary.
Stirling said he asked the State Law Enforcement Division to assist Corrections police with their investigation.
Kirkland operates a specialized housing unit for the state’s most dangerous inmates, an assessment and evaluation center for new inmates sentenced to more than three months, and a 24-bed infirmary, according to the Corrections website.
The prison has been the scene of previous violence. In 2015, two inmates held two nurses hostage with homemade knives for seven hours after forcing their way into a nursing station where prescription drugs were kept. One nurse’s throat was cut, but she survived.
Last year, three corrections officers at Kirkland were fired after officials said they tried to kill an inmate in their care. Authorities said the officers, who were charged with attempted murder and misconduct in office, stabbed an inmate while he was handcuffed.
Their cases are still pending.(Photo from MSNBC by Kenneth Libbrecht)Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics was announced for important discoveries in the field of quantum physics. Yoichiro Nambu at Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago, US, shares the prize with Makoto Kobayashi at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan, and Toshihide Masukawa at the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP), Kyoto University, Japan. Together, their discoveries about "symmetry breaking" and quarks, lead to a deeper understanding of our universe.
What is symmetry breaking? One useful example is the snowflake. How does the oxygen and hydrogen of water form such a wide variety of (beautiful) patterns when forming the simple snowflake? To understand this, we need very complex mathematical models, derived from the years of study of elementary particles and quantum physics.James Trefil explains the Snowflake like this:
Both the hydrogen and oxygen molecules are quite symmetric when they are isolated. The electric force which governs their actions as atoms is also a symmetrically acting force. But when their temperature is lowered and they form a water molecule, the symmetry of the individual atoms is broken as they form a molecule with 105 degrees between the hydrogen-oxygen bonds. When they freeze to form a snowflake, they form another type of symmetry, but the symmetry of the original atoms has been lost. Since this loss of symmetry occurs without any external intervention, we say that it has undergone spontaneous symmetry breaking.
I'm always inspired by these great minds who continue exploring the origins of our universe. Want to read more about symmetry breaking and quantum physics? Here is a (short) list of books:
Richard P. Feynman: Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
James Trefil: The Moment of Creation: Big Bang Physics from Before the First Millisecond to the Present Universe
Fritjof Capra: Tao of Physics
Gary Zukav: The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics
Suggestions for further reading? I'm hoping you'll add them in the comment section!
More Nobel Prizes at Treehugger:
Al Gore And IPCC Panel Win The Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in (Green) Chemistry
Grameen Bank Founder Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (Muhammad Yunus)
Nobel Peace Prize Goes Green (Wangari Maathai)
Spotted by Martin Frid at greenz.jpAPRIL 9--In a desperate effort to explain away his work as a paid government informant, the Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday claimed that he first ran into the FBI’s arms after his life was threatened by gangsters, an incident that prompted him to then record 10 face-to-face encounters with one of those dangerous hoodlums.
That story is a lie.
In fact, Sharpton’s fabricated tale is belied by FBI records that provide a clear account of when and why he began working as a cooperating informant. After unveiling his fable at a morning press conference, Sharpton repeated his claims last night at the close of his “PoliticsNation” show on MSNBC, where fact checkers and bosses alike do not appear concerned with the truthfulness of the host’s off- and on-air pronouncements.
By tampering with the chronology of--and motive for--his enlistment as an FBI informant, Sharpton is furiously attempting to cast that cooperation in the most favorable light possible. He was not a rat or a snitch, Sharpton protests. In fact, the reverend contends that he was not even aware the FBI considered him an informant. The money he was paid by his FBI handler? Well, that was just reimbursements for carfare, Sharpton claims. As he explained to MSNBC viewers, Sharpton was just a victim looking for Uncle Sam’s protection and intervention.
Sharpton contends that he first contacted the FBI in early-1984, immediately after his life was threatened by Salvatore Pisello, a wiseguy with music industry connections. As Sharpton tells it, Pisello was incensed that the activist was threatening to stage boycotts and demonstrations unless black promoters were given a piece of the upcoming “Victory Tour” featuring Michael Jackson and his brothers.
At a press conference yesterday at his Harlem headquarters, Sharpton claimed that Gambino soldier Joseph “Joe Bana” Buonanno set up the meeting at which Pisello threatened his life. In his autobiography, Sharpton reported that Pisello traveled from Los Angeles to New York to threaten him. The book, however, makes no mention of Buonanno, who is deceased, or his purported role in facilitating Pisello’s alleged death threat.
Sharpton did not bother to tell reporters how he knew Buonanno in the first place. Buonanno had been involved in the record industry for decades, and was business partners with Robert Curington, a convicted felon who also happened to be a close associate of Sharpton’s (and a vice president of the reverend’s not-for-profit National Youth Movement).
Concerned for his safety, Sharpton claims that he called the FBI in early-1984 and reported the Pisello encounter. In short order, the reverend began cooperating with federal agents. Spurred by the threat, Sharpton says he taped a series of ten face-to-face meetings with Buonanno--but not Pisello, the hoodlum who allegedly threatened the activist’s life.
Those Sharpton recordings--made with an FBI-issued briefcase containing a hidden recording device--spanned a three-month period beginning in April 1984, according to FBI records.
As Sharpton spun out this tale Tuesday, he claimed to have detailed the Mafia death threat in his 1986 book “Go And Tell Pharaoh.” He dismissed TSG’s review of this period of his life as “old news” since he had purportedly already written the story himself years ago.
However, while Sharpton’s book does refer to a menacing gangster named “Sal,” Buonanno does not rate a single mention. Additionally, Sharpton’s problems with “Sal” appear to have been settled quickly--and in the activist’s favor, according to the book.
So, if Pisello was the hood who purportedly threatened Sharpton’s life, why did the FBI direct the reverend to surreptitiously record Buonanno on 10 separate occasions? Because those recordings had nothing to do with the alleged Pisello threat, according to several law enforcement sources. In fact, two investigators said they could recall no connection between Buonanno and Pisello (who was never charged with threatening Sharpton).
Sharpton’s story, built on a narrative conflation, is preposterous. He wants viewers and journalists to believe that the FBI, upon being told about Pisello’s death threat, sent the reverend out wired to record another guy. Ten times.
Here is what actually happened:
Sharpton began cooperating with the FBI in mid-1983. So he had actually been working as a confidential informant for about nine months before Pisello’s purported threat, an encounter that Sharpton now falsely claims prompted him to first contact federal agents (and subsequently begin recording Buonanno).
The reverend was “flipped” by FBI agents three months after he was filmed in March 1983 (during a bureau sting) talking cocaine with an undercover agent. On a Thursday afternoon in June 1983, Sharpton showed up at a Manhattan apartment expecting to meet again with the undercover agent, who was posing as a former South American druglord seeking to launder money through boxing promotions.
Instead, Sharpton was confronted by FBI agents who showed him the “cocaine” videotape. The panicked reverend agreed--on the spot--to cooperate with federal agents, according to sources familiar with the contents of Sharpton’s FBI informant file.
At the direction of his FBI handlers, Sharpton initially recorded conversations with boxing promoter Don King, who was the principal target of “Crown Royal,” the FBI undercover operation that had ensnared Sharpton in March 1983.
The date that Sharpton began cooperating is further fixed in a July 1984 draft of a wiretap affidavit. That document, sworn by an FBI agent, referred to Sharpton as “CI-7,” short for confidential informant #7. The description of “CI-7” noted that he had been providing information to the bureau for “in excess of one year.” “CI-7,” the document reported, had made a series of surreptitious recordings of Buonanno discussing a variety of Mafia business.
Sharpton wants the public to believe that he used his FBI valise to secretly record a wiseguy---over and over and over again--because another wiseguy threatened his life. Oh, he has also claimed that these mafioso were allegedly oppressing black recording artists, too.
So, that being the case, the FBI summaries of Sharpton’s meetings with Buonanno must be filled with references to threats directed at the civil rights leader. Surely Sharpton would have asked Buonanno something like, “Joe, why does your friend Sal want me dead?” Or even, “Joe, when you set up that meeting with Sal, did you know that he was going to threaten to clip me?” Maybe Sharpton would even take the opportunity to try and extract details of the mob’s pernicious influence on minority performers.
Strangely, though, the bureau summaries contain no such information. In fact, they read as if the two men were old friends, amiably discussing topics like extortion, murder, “made” men, and a guy named “Chin.” Buonanno even told Sharpton about his eighth-grade education and his birthday. Somehow Sharpton--who appeared remarkably comfortable with the wiseguy--was able to hide any signs of duress, despite that supposed death threat hanging over his processed head.
As TSG reported earlier this week, Sharpton’s involvement with Buonanno--a supposed facilitator of Mafia death threats--did not cease after his briefcase was switched off.
In fact, several years later, when Sharpton and Curington were seeking to collect a six-figure consulting fee owed to them by Joe Robinson, founder of Sugar Hill Records, “Joe Bana” was one of several hoodlums who showed up unannounced at the label’s New Jersey office. The hoodlums threatened Robinson over the money owed to Sharpton and Curington, whom the Drug Enforcement Administration once termed a “Class 1” narcotics trafficker.
After Robinson complained to police about the mob muscle pressuring him, a local cop kept an eye out for wiseguys arriving at Sugar Hill’s headquarters. One day, Detective Edward Stempinski of the Englewood Police Department caught Buonanno and a Genovese crime family figure at Sugar Hill. Stempinski, now retired, recalled that the wiseguys “didn’t look like they should be going into a rapper’s studio.”
So while Sharpton now links Buonanno to Pisello, “Joe Bana” was apparently an acceptable debt collector even after supposedly helping expedite a Mafia death threat. Perhaps the reverend consulted the Bible (Colossians 3:13), which advises, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
As he closed his “PoliticsNation” show yesterday, Sharpton claimed that he approached the FBI to “try to protect myself and others,” adding that, “I was an American citizen with every right to call law enforcement.” He also declared, “We must live in a country where people can call law enforcement and not be castigated.” (1 page)Looking like the world’s worst superhero, professional rock climber Sierra Blair-Coyle scaled a 140 metre tall building using two vacuum cleaners strapped to her back.
If you’re justifiably asking “why?” right about now, it was a promotional stunt for the vacuums themselves. LG was behind it, showing off their new “CordZero” battery-powered units.
If, again justifiably, you’re not convinced, check out the video:
So, that was impressive, right? A vacuum (or two) running on battery alone was able to get a human being to look a lot like Spider-Man. But, there were some concessions.
First of all; the suction cup head for the vacuum. We’re pretty sure that isn’t a standard head you’ll get when you buy one of these. Also: the choice of Blair-Coyle gave this stunt the best chance of happening.
But those are more niggles and nit-picking. While the entire climb only took 30 minutes, one stop was had. Not because the impressive climber was exhausted, but because the vacuums were. At the stop the vacuums were replaced for a fresh pair, presumably because the 80V lithiu m-ion batteries were dead.
But we may be too harsh, this is still really impressive and it helps break the stereotypes that battery-powered appliances are a step-down from their corded brethren.
Hey, LG, if you’re reading, could we test out your next vacuums by putting them in reverse and trying to fly? We’re tired of waiting for Elon Musk to invent the Iron Man suit.Donald Trump addressed crowds at a town hall event in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Friday, responding to attacks launched at him over the course of the Democratic National Convention and inciting cheers of "build a wall!"
In his speech, which was livestreamed on The Hill, Trump attempted to explain some of his most controversial remarks — the jab about Megyn Kelly's menstrual cycle, mocking a disabled reporter — as well as his recent comments about foreign policy.
Trump doubled down on calls to use NATO to fight ISIS, "make people [ie. countries included in the alliance] pay" and addressed his critics.
"They said he doesn't know foreign policy," Trump complained.
Then something funny happened: he sort of admitted that they were right.
"NATO was not high on my list," the Republican candidate said.
"In all fairness I am a business person building buildings, and doing things all over the world," Trump explained. "And I am doing things! I built a great company."
Over the course of the bizarre town hall, he referenced numerous anecdotes from construction deals, at one point proclaiming, "I was right about everything!"
Even if the skills required of a business tycoon were identical to those required in foreign policy negotiations, Trump's business record makes it very clear that he has been wrong about quite a lot.
Wikimedia Commons/Nightscream - wikimedia.org
His business failures in Atlantic City and elsewhere are somewhat well known, and were mentioned frequently at the DNC, but you can learn more about them on a comprehensive list reported by Gawker's Ashley Feinberg.
He suggested that it was very unfair of reporters to him about the alliance, and proceeded to claim that he could basically learn on the job.
"In like 10 minutes, I know a lot about NATO," Trump said.
"I can learn, I'm a really fast learner," he said.
Despite Trump's professed lack of knowledge about foreign policy, he still had rather strong opinions about it.
He referenced trade deals with Japan, and said, "You have to always be prepared to walk, NATO, too. "
"This isn't 40, 50 years ago, OK — we [could] end up in World War III over a country we’ve never heard of.”
You can watch the full speech on YouTube below.
[h/t the Hill]BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Syrian government forces killed at least 100 people on Tuesday in assaults on villages and an artillery barrage in the restive city of Homs, activists said, and the Red Cross called for daily ceasefires to allow in urgently needed aid.
Washington, which is preparing for a “Friends of Syria” meeting of Western and Arab states opposing President Bashar al-Assad, declined to rule out eventually providing arms to rebels seeking to overthrow him.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he was searching for a candidate to name as a humanitarian coordinator for Syria, whose role could evolve into seeking a political solution to the conflict.
Security forces killed at least 100 people in attacks on Homs and raids on villages and towns in the province of Idlib near Turkey, the Local Coordination Committees said.
Ten children and three women were among the dead, the opposition activists’ organization, which documents what it describes as killings and human rights abuses by security forces, said in a statement.
In Damascus, security forces opened fire on demonstrators overnight, wounding at least four, activists said. Violence has hit the capital over the past week, undermining Assad’s assertion that the 11-month-old uprising against his rule is limited to the provinces and the work of saboteurs.
Activist accounts of the violence could not be confirmed. The government bars most foreign journalists from Syria.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had asked authorities and rebels to agree daily ceasefires so life-saving aid can reach civilians in hard-hit areas including Homs.
“It should last at least two hours every day, so that ICRC staff and Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have enough time to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded and the sick,” ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said.
Western and Arab powers that are openly seeking Assad’s downfall are preparing for the inaugural meeting of a “Friends of Syria” contact group in Tunisia on Friday.
Asked about the prospect of arming the rebels, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: “We don’t believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarization of Syria.”
But she added: “That said... if we can’t get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures.”
Russia and China back Assad’s own program for reforms, which includes plans for a referendum on Sunday on a new constitution which would lead to elections in 90 days. Assad says this should satisfy demands for more democracy; his opponents say the proposals are a sham.
Russia said it would not attend the “Friends of Syria” meeting because the Syrian government would not be represented. Lebanon, which has tried to distance itself from the turmoil across its border, will also stay away from the Tunis meeting.
Russia and China have faced Western and Arab criticism for blocking U.N. action against Syria. A former Syrian Defence Ministry auditor who defected in January told Reuters Moscow’s arms sales to Damascus - nearly $1 billion last year - had increased sharply since the start of the uprising.
In an interview with Reuters, U.N. chief Ban said he was urgently contacting prospective candidates for the role of U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Syria. The U.N. General Assembly asked Ban last week to name someone for the job. Russia has said it would support a U.N. humanitarian envoy.
ARTILLERY ATTACK
Activists said government forces launched the artillery attack on Homs after rebel fighters holding the opposition Baba Amro district blocked troops from entering.
“Several shells are falling each minute,” activist Nader al-Husseini told Reuters from the district.
The British-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces had stormed villages in Idlib province in the north of the country.
Activists in Homs said government forces backed by armour have been closing in on Baba Amro, a mainly Sunni Muslim neighborhood, since the offensive on the city began on Feb 3.
Much of the opposition to Assad comes from the Sunni majority, while much of his support comes from minorities including his Alawite sect, raising worries that violence could take on a sectarian slant and draw in neighboring countries.
A damaged armoured vehicle belonging to the Syrian army is seen in the Syrian district of al-Khalidya in Homs February 20, 2012. Syrian government forces killed at least 16 people and wounded some 340 on Tuesday when they unleashed a heavy artillery barrage on a rebel-held district of the city of Homs, activists said. Picture taken February 20, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer
Tanks are deployed in the Inshaat district next to Baba Amro, opposition sources said. The Observatory said a convoy of more than 50 armored vehicles was seen heading from Damascus towards Homs.
A city of one million people on the Damascus-Aleppo highway, Homs has been at the heart of the uprising against Assad’s 11-year rule. Residents say they are running short of medicine and food, and are massed together in crowded homes to seek shelter.
Government curbs on access make it hard to verify details of fighting there but international rights and aid organizations
|
$2,000 for two years.
The city also would reduce the minimum distance a gun range would have to be located from homes, parks and houses of worship to 500 feet from 1,000 feet.
The changes would make it easier to put a gun range in Chicago, but another provision of the ordinance would complicate record keeping at such facilities.
It would require gun range owners keep records of everyone who used their facilities after ensuring each patron had a state firearm owner’s identification card and city firearm permit.
Aldermen are retooling the gun-control ordinance they approved a year ago under Mayor Richard Daley. The measure outlawed shooting ranges within city limits, even as it required firearm training for people before they could get a gun permit.
In July, the council approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to allow the gun ranges as the city tried to get out front of an anticipated federal appellate court ruling striking down ban on such facilities. Gun ranges had to be confined to manufacturing areas and meet a slew of other restrictions.
But the appellate court ruling forced further changes, said M. Rose Kelly, senior counsel at the city Law Department.
“We were trying to anticipate how the court would rule,” Kelly said. “But now that we have been able to review the ruling and the court’s decision, we’ve looked at the shooting range ordinance and feel that it needs some tweaking in some areas to come into compliance.”
Attorney Walter Maksym, who sued the city on behalf of people who want to sell guns in Chicago, said he believed even the revised shooting range restrictions would be too onerous to pass court muster.About 200 square miles of Alaska backcountry terrain where a California hiker was mauled to death by a grizzly bear remained closed Sunday as investigators continued to piece together what happened.
Weather permitting, rangers at Denali National Park were planning to recreate the steps taken by 49-year-old Richard White, of San Diego, before he was attacked Friday afternoon near the Toklat River, park officials said. Before the attack, White photographed the male bear for at least eight minutes from a distance of 50 to 100 yards.
The weather was poor Sunday, with low clouds and rain contributing to low visibility. Park spokeswoman Kris Fister said that when the weather allows visibility, park pilots will fly over the area to look for other backpackers believed to still be in the general vicinity or heading in that direction. Fister said rangers might also go on foot to alert -- not evacuate -- the party believed to still be there.
The photographs in the recovered camera show the bear grazing and not acting aggressively. Spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin said the bear did not even appear aware of the hiker until the final photos, which show the animal looking toward the camera.
A few hours after the attack Friday, hikers stumbled upon White's backpack roughly 150 yards from his remains, McLaughlin said. The hikers also spotted blood and torn clothing, and immediately hiked back and alerted staff park.
Rangers in a helicopter spotted a large male grizzly bear sitting on the hiker's remains, which they called a "food cache" in the underbrush.
A state trooper fatally shot the bear Saturday. The bear's stomach contents were examined and found to contain remains and clothing that confirmed it was the animal that killed White, Fister said Sunday.
White's remains were recovered Saturday evening and were sent to the state medical examiner's office in Anchorage.
There's no indication that the man's death was the result of anything other than a bear attack, according to investigators. The attack is the first known fatal mauling in the park's nearly century-long history.
White had been in the Denali backcountry for three nights under a five-night permit and may have recently hiked in other areas of Alaska, park officials said. It was unknown if he had previous backcountry experience in Denali, but he indicated he had multiple years of backpacking experience, Fister said.
UT San Diego reported Sunday that White was the director of exploratory pharmacology at Ferring Pharmaceuticals until last year and was switching to a new job, according to the hiker's father, Byron White. The father, who could not be reached by The Associated Press, said his son liked hiking alone in remote places and enjoyed the wilderness. Byron White said his son had been to Denali at least once before.
Richard White is survived by a wife and young daughter, his father said.
Fister said overnight permits are not being issued for about 200 square miles in the area of the attack, where about a dozen different bears have been spotted over the summer. She said rangers personally delivered the news about the closure to others in the area who might not have heard about the attack. Day backpackers, who do not need a park permit, also are being notified as they arrive, and there are closure signs in the area, Fister said.
Before backpackers obtain a permit, they receive mandatory bear awareness training that teaches them to stay at least a quarter-mile away from bears, and to slowly back away if they find themselves any closer. Richard White had received that training, according to investigators.
Denali is located 240 miles north of Anchorage. It spans more than 6 million acres and is home to numerous wild animals, including bears, wolves, caribou and moose.CuriosityStream, the over-the-top subscription VOD service from Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks, has expanded on the device front with the launch of a channel for Roku players and integrated Roku TVs.
CuriosityStream launched on March 18 and currently offers a “Basic” standard-definition tier for $2.99 per month, and a “Standard” offering in HD that runs $5.99 per month. When plans for the CuriosityStream first came to light in January, it also announced that it would eventually offer tiers that deliver content in the 4K format.
Support on the Roku broadens the service’s access to TV-connected platforms, as Roku has shipped more than 10 million players in the U.S., and was the top seller in the category in 2014, according to Parks Associates.
CuriosityStream, which also supports Web browsers, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, the Google Chromecast adapter (for its Android apps), and the Apple TV (via AirPlay). Per the CuriosityStream site, the service is also considering expansions on smart TVs and Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Earlier this month, CuriosityStream announced to subs that it had launched a new video player that uses HLS streaming and features shortcuts users can tap into when hovering over the player (for example, the space bar can play/pause video, and the “m” button mutes the stream’s audio).
CuriosityStream has not released subscriber numbers, but the service seeing 20% sub growth week-over-week, according to a spokesperson, noting that the service has also doubled its library since launch.
CuriosityStream came online in March with a library of more than 800 titles in categories spanning science, technology, civilization and the human spirit. Titles offered include A Curious World, Destination Pluto, Age of Robots, Mars: The Journey, and Dark Secrets of the Cosmos.
“Making CuriosityStream available on the Roku platform is an exciting next step in our evolution as a service, captivating curious minds with quality nonfiction programs,” said CuriosityStream president Elizabeth Hendricks North, in a statement. “Since launching just a few short months ago, our growing media library continues to enchant our subscribers with meaningful documentaries on the topics that matter. We look forward to an equally engaging relationship with millions of Roku customers.”
For more about John Hendricks’s vision and expectations for the service, please see this Multichannel Newscover story (subscription required)Experimental results
Figure 1 shows a representative image of our granular flock. Despite their low concentration the rods display a high degree of orientational order. This and further results emerge from our experiments on a mixture of stepwise tapered rods and spherical beads confined between surfaces subjected to rapid vertical vibration (see Fig. 2a and Methods). The system is initialized by introducing the beads into the sample cell and distributing the rods amidst the beads, to yield a homogeneous rod–bead monolayer. We then study the nature of the statistically stationary state of the vibrated rod–bead mixture as a function of the area fractions Φ b and Φ r, defined as the fraction of the surface covered by the two-dimensional projections of the beads and rods, respectively. We monitor the centroid positions r i of all the particles and the tail-to-head unit vectors n i, where i labels the particle in question, and all vectors lie in the horizontal plane.
Figure 1: A granular flock. A monolayer of millimetre-sized tapered brass rods align spontaneously on a vibrating surface amidst a background of aluminium beads. Bead and rod area fractions are 0.51 and 0.16 respectively. Full size image
Figure 2: Structure and kinetics of the disordered and ordered states. (a) Dimensions and confinement geometry of the polar rod used in the experiment, with arrow indicating direction of self-propulsion. (b–e) Typical configuration and corresponding time-evolution of polar order parameter in the disordered phase, bead and rod area fractions Φ b =0.41, Φ r =0.05 (b,c), and in the ordered phase, Φ b =0.68, Φ r =0.05 (d,e); for the simulation in the flower geometry: (f) rod used in simulation, (g–j) as in (b–e): Φ b =0.48, Φ r =0.06 (g,h), Φ b =0.66, Φ r =0.06 (i,j); for the simulation with periodic boundary conditions, configuration and order-parameter evolution for the disordered phase, Φ b =0.20, Φ r =0.11 (k,l) and the ordered phase, Φ b =0.60, Φ r =0.11 (m,n). Full size image
With increasing Φ b (or, less surprisingly, Φ r ) the system is seen to undergo a phase transition from a disordered state to one in which the rod orientation vectors are aligned. Correspondingly, the rods move in random directions in the low-density state (Fig. 2b and Supplementary Movie 1) and coherently at high densities (Fig. 2d and Supplementary Movie 2). At long times the global movement in the ordered phase is a clockwise or anticlockwise circulation with equal probability (Supplementary Fig. 1), with the orientation vectors aligned parallel to the boundary. The direction of circulation once selected does not change for the duration of the experiment.
We have checked that neither crystalline order nor mechanical rigidity of the bead bed is an essential ingredient in promoting the flocking of the rods. For example, the flock in Fig. 1 is on a liquid-like bead background. Further, rods in an amorphous bead bed, generated by using a mixture of bead sizes, are also seen to self-organize into a flock (Supplementary Fig. 2 and Supplementary Note 1). Creating and maintaining a homogeneous state in bidisperse systems is complicated by size-segregation effects, which is why we have continued to work with beads of a single size. The rich physics that enters when the bead medium is a single- or multidomain crystal requires a separate study, now underway.
In a confined geometry the simplest flock consists of particles globally circulating around a common centre, which is the motion seen in our experiments. Accordingly, we resolve n i into local polar-coordinate components, which we use to evaluate the order parameter P≡‹p i › distinguishing isotropic and oriented states, and G(r)=‹p i ·p j › r −P2, which measures correlations of orientational fluctuations about the mean for pairs i, j of rods with separation |r i −r j |=r. The instantaneous in-plane bead-velocity unit vectors u i, transformed to the local polar frame to give, provide another measure of flocking, v≡‹v i ›. The averaging denoted by the angle brackets is carried out over all rods and over all times in the steady state for P, about 100 statistically independent images for G(r) and 25 frames for v (frame rate=40 s−1, and the plate is vibrated at 200 Hz).
The disordered and ordered phases are most clearly distinguished by growth kinetics. Figure 2c shows a typical disordered state with the magnitude P(t)≡|P(t)| of the instantaneous order parameter, averaged over rods but not over time t, fluctuating just above zero, and Fig. 2e presents an ordered state where P(t) grows and saturates to a value close to 1, which implies that polar rods are now moving parallel to the boundary. We construct a phase diagram based on the steady-state value of P as shown in Fig. 3a. For Φ r >0.025 we find that P increases abruptly across the line Φ b +kΦ r ≃0.65, k≃2. We identify this line, provisionally, as the location of the nonequilibrium phase transition between the disordered and ordered states, bearing in mind the effects of finite size and the sample boundary. Correspondingly, Fig. 3c shows the experimentally measured polar order parameter as a function of Φ b for Φ r =0.08. At the smallest values of Φ r the phase boundary bends sharply upwards, possibly implying a true lower limit to the Φ r required to produce a flock regardless of Φ b. At the highest densities arrested states are observed, where rods either jam against the particles of the bead medium or cluster along the boundary (Supplementary Fig. 3a). Figure 3e reports the variation of the steady-state orientational correlations G(r) (scaled by its value at the smallest r) of the rods as the system approaches and then crosses the phase boundary. For Φ b =0.45, spatial correlations consistent with a power-law are seen, while for larger or smaller Φ b, safely within the ordered or the disordered phase, correlations decay more rapidly. These observations can consistently be interpreted as pretransitional fluctuations in the vicinity of a nonequilibrium phase transition, although the system sizes explored are too small to permit a claim about the order of the transition. As effects of finite size limit the accuracy of our estimates of the value of the order parameter and the location of the phase transition, we present in Supplementary Fig. 4a the correlation functions of the orientation without the mean subtracted. The flocking of the polar rods is accompanied by coherent motion of the beads (Fig. 4a) as well, as measured by the bead-velocity order parameter v, which shows the same growth kinetics as P (Fig. 4b).
Figure 3: Flocking phase transition and growth of correlations. (a) Experimental phase diagram in the Φ b −Φ r plane, showing the phase boundary between the isotropic phase and the flock. Clustering at the sample boundary sets in at high concentration. (b) Simulation phase diagram in the flower geometry reproduces the flocking transition. We have not explored concentrations at which boundary clustering is expected. Increase in polar order parameter P as function of Φ b for experiments (c) and simulations (d). The error bars correspond to the standard deviation of P. Orientational correlation function from experiments (e) and simulations in a 55.1-rod-length periodic box (f) at various Φ b at a fixed Φ r. A considerable range of power-law correlations is seen as Φ b increases. Full size image
Figure 4: Correlation between the dynamics of the polar rods and the bead medium. (a) Arrows in the zoom show the coherent velocity field of the bead medium in the ordered phase with Φ b =0.66 and Φ r =0.06. Blank regions are occupied by polar rods. (b) The ordering kinetics of the bead velocity field tracks that of the polar orientation. Full size image
Simulation results
To understand the physics underlying this novel realization of a flocking transition, and to explore which of the many possible control parameters are essential, we create a computer model of tapered rods and spherical beads. For convenience in simulation the rods are constructed by joining overlapping spheres in a straight line (Fig. 2f), but their shape is chosen to resemble as closely as possible the stepwise tapered rods in the experiment. We have also tried other shapes such as a uniform taper and find qualitatively similar results which we do not present here. We carry out two types of studies, one in an enclosure constructed to imitate the experimental geometry, the other with periodic boundary conditions in the horizontal plane. In both cases the simulations, like the experiments, are three-dimensional, with a base and a lid permitting tightly confined motion in the third dimension. The energy input, precisely as in the experiment, is through vertical agitation of the container. The particles move according to the laws of Newtonian mechanics. Collisions of the particles with each other and with the bounding surfaces are governed by inelasticity and static Coulomb friction. We add a small rotational noise to the dynamics of individual rods. This improves the fidelity of our imitation of the experimental system, in which minute imperfections in particle shape and base or lid topography endow each rod with rotational diffusion even when no beads or other rods are present.
Our simulation results can be seen in Figs 2g–j,k–n. In the ‘flower’ geometry we find precisely the behaviour seen in the experiment. Random motion at low area fraction (Supplementary Movie 3) gives way to an ordered, circulating flock at high area fraction (Supplementary Movie 4), and a phase diagram broadly corresponding to that in the experiment is obtained. The numerical experiment, moreover, can be performed in a periodic simulation box, eliminating the effects of sample boundaries. Figure 2k,l (Supplementary Movie 5) and Fig. 2m,n (Supplementary Movie 6) show that the order parameter, now measured in a global Cartesian frame, remains at values consistent with zero for all times at low Φ b, while at high Φ b it grows to saturation. Clear evidence of a flocking transition around Φ b ≃0.35 is seen in Fig. 3d showing polar order parameter as a function of bead area fraction. Consistent with these findings and with the experiments, Fig. 3f shows evidence of power-law correlations for Φ b =0.4, but appreciable curvature on a log–log plot for Φ b well in the ordered or the disordered regime. Increasing Φ b serves to promote orientational correlations for Φ r as low as 0.03 (Supplementary Fig. 5). As in the experiments, we present the ‘unsubtracted’ correlation functions in Supplementary Fig. 4b. For good measure, we also investigate and rule out, in Supplementary Fig. 6 (and Supplementary Note 2), the possibility that the only role played by the beads is to reduce the rotational diffusion of rods. These simulation results establish beyond reasonable doubt that the phenomenon we observe is a phase transition, with the beads playing a direct role in mediating an aligning interaction among the rods.
Finally, on theoretical grounds, in particular because the suspending medium of beads is compressible16, we expect large number fluctuations in our system as in standard flocking models of the Toner-Tu type2. In such systems, large-scale correlated particle currents arise as a result of the coupling to easily excited and slowly decaying variations in the orientation field, both in the ordered phase2 and in the isotropic phase near onset22. In Methods we show that the separate conservation of rods and beads leaves unaltered the arguments2 for anomalously large number fluctuations. We have carried out a limited set of numerical studies of fluctuations in the number density of rods in the ordered and disordered phases, and find an excess in both cases (Fig. 5). Our simulation measurements of the standard deviation ΔN in the number of polar rods in regions containing ‹N› particles on average show that grows with ‹N›. However, more extensive simulations or experiments are required for a useful fit to a power law or other dependence on ‹N›, and to probe the relation of this phenomenon to known sources2,5,22,23,24 of enhanced density fluctuations in active systems.
Figure 5: Enhanced density fluctuations. (a) The scaled standard deviation in the number of polar rods, for regions containing ‹N› rods on average, is seen to grown with ‹N› for area fractions in the ordered (labelled O) and disordered (D) phases. (b) and (c) Representative images from the two phases. Full size image
Theory
We now integrate the insights gained from experiment and simulation to construct a theory. The sequence of events in Fig. 6 also seen in simulation studies, shows that coherently moving polar rods are able to entrain a stray rod initially moving in the opposite direction, through the bead flow they generate, as seen in Supplementary Movies 2, 4 and 6. These observations suggest that the coupling of flow and orientation lies at the heart of the phenomenon of flocking at a distance, as we now show through a minimal, universal hydrodynamic theory whose parameters and their dependence on Φ b are measured in our simulation. We also discuss the connection to the particular case of Bricard et al.16
Figure 6: Flowing beads reorient polar rods. A series of experimental images showing a stray polar rod brought into alignment with the rest of the flock as a consequence of bead flow. Full size image
As we are concerned with large-scale ordering, we work with coarse-grained fields. Our system is a suspension of polar rods in a compressible two-dimensional fluid of beads on a substrate. The variables of interest are therefore the local order parameter P(r, t), given by the average of the orientation vectors p i of the polar rods, and the number densities ρ and σ of beads and rods, respectively, in a small neighbourhood around point r at time t. Below, for simplicity, we consider the limit of small rod concentration, and so treat only the bead density ρ(r, t). A treatment with both densities is in Methods. In addition, we include v(r, t), the average bead-velocity vector in the neighbourhood, as it has a crucial role in mediating the interactions that lead to order. In the dilute-rod limit v can be viewed as the total velocity field of both species.
The equations of motion follow from a few general principles and some key elements of the dynamics of the system. Conservation of particles is embodied in the continuity equation
Newton’s second law locally reads
where we present only the leading-order terms in an expansion in powers of gradients and fields. In (2), Γ>0 damps motion with respect to the substrate and lid, the term in B can be viewed as describing pressure forces, driving flow downhill in density for B>0, and α measures the degree to which orientation of the polar rods gives rise to propulsive flow. We note in passing here that such a term was argued to arise25 in the two-dimensional projection of the three-dimensional hydrodynamics of a suspension of motile organisms confined to a thin layer of fluid. We discuss below the somewhat different origin of the term in the case of our monolayer system. The viscosity η describes transmission of momentum in the plane of the system. The local order parameter P, again to leading order in gradients and fields, obeys
where a measures the rate at which an initial polarization relaxes, presumably through rotational diffusion, and the magnitude and sign of A characterize the tendency of rods to orient parallel or antiparallel to concentration gradients2,26. The parameter λ determines the rate at which a uniform velocity (with respect to the confining walls) aligns the polarization. The parameter K governs spatial variations in the direction and magnitude of the order parameter. The ellipsis in (2) and (3) denotes contributions2 at higher orders in p, v and ∇, discussed in Methods.
The terms with coefficients α and λ are the key players in (2) and (3). No symmetry rules out their existence; a phenomenological theory must therefore include them. However, the physics underlying these terms, especially as regards their signs, merits some discussion. Recall that p i for the ith rod points from the thick to the thin end. Depending on the detailed contact mechanics with the vibrating base, the rod could propel itself on average parallel or antiparallel to p i. Friction would cause the bead medium in the vicinity to be dragged in the direction of motion of the rod. A collection of such rods thus generates a force proportional to the mean polarization P. The parameter α measures the strength of this forcing. The magnitude of α should grow with the mean rod concentration and propulsion speed, and should further depend on the surface characteristics of a rod, which influence its ability to carry the ambient medium with it, by dragging or pushing. A rod with spontaneous motion parallel (antiparallel) to p i has α>0 (α<0). By suitably engineering the geometry, mass distribution, surface properties and contact mechanics of a rod, and exploring a range of vibration parameters, it should be possible to make polar rods with a range of magnitudes and either sign of α; the rods we work with here have α>0.
The mechanics underlying λ is reminiscent of the interaction of wind with a weathercock. Imagine a single tapered rod lying athwart a uniform flow of particles over a surface. Although the momentum transfer is distributed uniformly across the rod, its mass is concentrated, and hence its pivot point shifted, towards one end. This leads to a net torque due to the flow, and a consequent rotation as shown in Fig. 7a. Geometrical arguments alone cannot determine the sign of λ and hence the sense of rotation, and self-propelling activity could influence its value. It should be possible to engineer λ<0 by using intrinsically higher-density material at the thin end, or a hollow interior at the thick end.
Figure 7: Weathercock effect and location of the phase transition. (a) The direction in which the polar rod is rotated by a flow depends on its natural pivot point. (b) α/Γ is seen to grow and a/λ to decrease with increasing Φ b. Thus the flow velocity generated by a local polarization as well as the aligning power of bead flow grow with increasing bead concentration. The mean-field estimate of the flocking transition corresponds to the intersection of the two curves, marked by stars, where ā in Equation (4) changes sign from positive to negative as Φ r +Φ b is increased. Full size image
The availability of a numerical simulation model provides independent measurements of all phenomenological parameters of importance to our theory. To measure λ, we place a single polar rod initially pointing in the x direction, and impose a flow of beads with velocity v in the y direction (see Supplementary Movie 7). By measuring the initial growth rate we estimate the parameter λ in (3), which we average over 50 such trials. Independently, by measuring the rotational relaxation of a single rod, we infer a. In a separate simulation, we impose a nonzero mean P by applying an orienting field on a collection of rods. Measuring the saturation value of the resulting macroscopic velocity yields α/Γ in (2). The damping Γ is readily estimated from the relaxation of an imposed initial velocity. Figure 7b shows the dependence of these key parameters on area fraction ρ 0. We comment in Methods on the parameter A, which has only a minor role in our analysis.
We ignore density variations in (3) and (2), replacing ρ by its mean value ρ 0, which we treat as a parameter on which the coefficients depend. Working with the spatial Fourier components v q and P q of the velocity and order parameter at wavevector q, (2) then tells us that, on timescales long compared to ρ 0 /Γ, v q →αP q /(Γ+ηq2). Substituting this value for v in (3) we obtain, to order q2,
where ā=a−λα/Γ and. The mechanism for spontaneous ordering now becomes clear. As λ is an increasing function of ρ 0, ā can turn negative even if a is positive. The state P=0 is then linearly unstable, and a state with nonzero P on macroscopic scales will set in. Let us now test our theory using our simulation measurements of the parameters. First, for the proposed mechanism to work, ā must be less than a, that is, we predict λα/Γ>0. Our simulations show that a rod drags beads in the direction of its own motion and that the flow of beads rotates neighbouring rods to point in, and thus move in, the direction of the flow. Thus α and λ have the same sign, confirming the prediction. Second, Fig. 7b shows that as Φ r +Φ b is increased, α/Γ (for three values of Φ r ) increases and a/λ decreases, and the two quantities cross (that is, ā crosses zero) at a value of Φ r +Φ b, which decreases with increasing Φ r. Therefore the theory predicts a phase transition to an ordered phase with increasing area fraction, and negative slope to the phase boundary in the Φ r −Φ b plane, both of which are borne out by experiment. The intersection points in Fig. 7b, corresponding to the mean-field estimate of the threshold area fraction, are, not surprisingly, somewhat lower than the measured values in the simulation, Fig. 3b.
Within our mean-field treatment ((4) or the parent equations (3) and (2)) it is straightforward to see that the transition has a continuous onset and a diverging correlation length. Our limited observations in experiment and simulation show an increasing correlation length upon approach to the transition. Experience with standard flocking models would suggest27 instead a discontinuous transition, albeit with appreciable pretransitional fluctuations. Larger-scale simulation studies including finite-size scaling analyses, now in progress, will determine the character and spatial structure of the onset of order for our rod–bead flock. Note that orientability, motility and coupling to flow, rather than specifics of shape, were the essential ingredients of our theory. On symmetry grounds one cannot therefore rule out the possibility that the self-propelled disks of ref. 10, in a background of non-motile particles, could flock through the mechanism reported here—provided flow can reorient the disks in the manner required.ISLAMABAD: Iran is desirous of participating in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is one of the greatest projects in the history of the region, Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoust said on Friday.
During a visit to the capital office of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the Iranian envoy said his country has the capability to help the development of Pakistan’s economy through energy supply and construction of roads, railways dams and others area.
“At the same time, Pakistani textiles, rice, surgical goods, sports goods and agricultural products are in great demand in Iran,” he added.
However, Mr Honardoust acknowledged that trade and commerce between the two countries has been restricted due to lack of banking channels.
“Bilateral trade will get a boost after resolution of problems regarding banking which would disappear soon,” he added.
During his first visit to the FPCCI’s Islamabad office, the Iranian ambassador was welcomed by President FPCCI Abdul Rauf Alam, VP FPCCI Zafar Bakhtwari, former presidents ICCI Khalid Jaweed, Ijaz Abbasi, Chairman Coordination FPCCI Malik Sohail and others.
Mr Honardoust said that Iranian gas is the cheapest, fastest and most dependable source of energy for Pakistan.
“This project should be initiated at a fast track and soon Iran would complete its part of the pipeline at the cost of $2 billion,” he said.
Mr Honardoust dispelled the impression that international sanctions would restrict the IP gas pipeline project and said that many countries including China, India, Turkey, Japan and South Korea continued to buy energy from Iran during and after sanctions.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Alam said Pakistan and Iran has already decided to increase annual trade volumes between the two countries to $5bn by 2021 for which efforts are needed.
Gwadar and Chabahar Ports are not rivals but they would supplement each other making the region centre of maritime trade, he said.
“Besides Pakistan can increase electricity imports from Iran but for which Tehran must reduce the price to make it competitive and attractive,” he added.
Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2016Tournament schedule here:
http://briananim.webhop.net/websites/ALP/disp_schedule.php
Prizes donated from Quixby.com
Case badges
Mionix Propus 380 Mousepad
Razer DeathAdder Black Edition
Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600
Open play games we are most likely to play during non-tournament times:
Games you would have to already own to play:
Battlefield 3
Monday Night Combat
Call of Duty - Black Ops
Call of Duty - Modern Warfare
Call of Duty - World @ War
Left for dead 2
Supreme Commander 2
Free Games:
World Of tanks
Team Fortress 2
Gotham City Imposters
Games we have extra copies of / loaner copies:
Supreme Commander - Forged alliance
Demigod (League of Legends / DoTa clone)
Blur
Unreal Tournament 3
Star Trek Bridge Commander
Newcomers welcome - we are very friendly and we always balance the teams so no one feels really bad about them.
Remember to bring Headphones, Ethernet cable, Power Strip, your Computer/Monitor etc....... If we get enough people we will do some team battles for competition play.
We're going to be running ALP to keep track of wins, in the tournaments. http://www.nerdclub.net/alp/
Feel free to bring a tent / sleeping bag to post up in the back yard if you don't want to sleep on the floor, sleeping space will be available in the RV, first come first served. There is also a pool if you want to swim.In politics, as in war and sports, offense is the best defense—and the latest practitioner of the age-old art is Councilmember José Huizar.
It hasn't even been a week since Huizar's former deputy of chief of staff Francine Godoy sued him for alleged sexual harassment, prompting the East L.A. native to admit that he did have an affair with her but that it wasn't illicit and that Godoy's allegations of harassment are "absolutely false and malicious."
But instead of hiding in the shadows, as some might expect the councilmember to do, Huizar is coming out into the open—literally into the public sphere.
On Tuesday, Huizar is scheduled to launch his 2015 reelection campaign for Council District 14, which he has represented since 2005 and which includes much of Northeast L.A. and most of Downtown. If reelected, this will be Huizar's last and final term on the city council because of term limits.
According to Southern California Public Radio blogger Alice Walton, Huizar will begin his campaign with a fundraiser in downtown L.A. Tuesday that will be attended by Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson.
A graphic included in Walton's blog post (see attached image) indicates that the fundraiser is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Exchange Los Angeles, a nightclub on 618 S. Spring St.
Requested contributions include $700 for friends, $500 for supporters and $250 for individuals.<br>
If you've been paying attention to our TV and digital video content, this shouldn't come as a surprise.
Ravens Productions has been nominated for a record 12 Emmy Awards this year – double its previous high.
The Ravens have won 20 Capital Emmys over the years, and stand to haul in a whole bunch more. The winners will be announced at the awards presentation June 24 in Bethesda.
“The Emmy nominations are an honor and a testament to the talent and dedication of our entire Ravens Productions team,” said Vice President of Broadcasting Jay O’Brien. “The Ravens' commitment to producing unique, compelling content for our fans has never been stronger. The number of nominations is particularly gratifying because it recognizes not only the breadth of our content, but the incredible talents of our producers, photographers, editors, and animator.”
The Ravens Productions crew included in nominations is Executive Producer/Writer O’Brien, Director/Technical Director Steve Groff, Senior Producer Matt Brevet, Photographer/Editor/Producer Eddie Coughlan, Photographer/Editor Phil Cunningham, Producer/Editor Jessie Knaak, Photographer/Editor Nick Modisett, Photographer Jeff Atkinson, Animator/Production Assistant Brittany Jorge, Production Assistant Jack Dana, Production Assistant Mackenzie Smith and host Keith Mills.
Please check out the nominations:
Sports – News Single Story/News Series: Steve Smith Sr. Goes to PromA Northwest Arkansas sheriff's deputy was fatally shot Wednesday morning and a local police chief was injured while responding to a disturbance call.
Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper, who had been shot in the neck, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith. A visibily emotional Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck described Cooper, a 15-year veteran and former U.S. Marine, as "dynamic."
"He loved his job," Hollenbeck told a news conference. "He could've retired years ago. He loved this community so much he stayed on."
Hackett Chief of Police Darrell Spells earlier was treated and released from the hospital after being grazed in the forehead by a bullet.
Billy Monroe Jones, 34, was identified as the accused gunman and taken into custody shortly before noon, nearly five hours after the shooting at Jones' home east of Hackett, near the Oklahoma border
"We have limited information as to why this has happened," Hollenbeck said, adding that investigators are "looking into" the possibility that this was a planned attack.
My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers shot in Sebastian County, Arkansas. #LESM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2016
Hollenbeck said Jones had gone to his father's house earlier Wednesday to take some tools. At some point, Jones pointed a gun at his father, who called 911. The sheriff added that Jones was due to appear in court today for a hearing on whether a previous suspended sentence should be revoked.
"Jones wanted to cause what was told to us as a 'ruckus,'" Hollenbeck said. Cooper and Spells were among officers who found Jones with a rifle and body armor when they went to his home.
PHOTOS: bullet holes in windows of Hackett PD vehicle from today's shootout. Photos/info credit @5newsjo @5NEWS pic.twitter.com/r29ga9shpK — Dillon Thomas (@5NEWSDillon) August 10, 2016
KHBS, citing court records, reported that Jones was arrested in February on charges of gun possession after having been previously convicted of a felony, and of possession of Oxycodone. NEWS5 listed multiple prior offenses for Jones, including a 2007 conviction for manufacture and possession of a controlled substance and a
|
the overall alcohol amount consumed is less than those of more continuous drinking patterns. Long-term studies in humans have confirmed that children of binge-drinking mothers exhibited especially severe cognitive and behavioral deficits. Binge drinking may be particularly harmful because it results in high BACs, may occur during critical periods of brain development, and may be associated with repeated withdrawal episodes. Key words: fetal alcohol syndrome; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; binge AOD ( alcohol or other drug) use; AOD use pattern; AOD use frequency; pregnancy; animal model; human study
Alcohol abuse during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in offspring in the United States. The most severe consequences of maternal alcohol abuse are fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) ( see Stratton et al. 1996) both of which are associated with substantial cognitive and behavioral deficits. The number of women who engage in heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy, however, surpasses the total number of children diagnosed with either FAS or ARND, meaning that not every child whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy develops FAS or ARND. Moreover, the degree to which people with FAS or ARND are impaired differs from person to person. Several factors may contribute to this variation in the consequences of maternal drinking.
These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
· Maternal drinking pattern
· Differences in maternal metabolism
· Differences in genetic susceptibility
· Timing of the alcohol consumption during pregnancy
· Variation in the vulnerability of different brain regions
All of these risk factors are important when assessing the effects of alcohol exposure on fetal brain development. Nevertheless, those factors that alter the peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) experienced by the embryo or the fetus ( e. g., maternal drinking patterns and maternal metabolism) are most likely to affect the occurrence and severity of alcohol-induced developmental brain injury. This article explores the consequences maternal drinking patterns have on prenatal alcohol exposure. After defining a commonly used measure to record alcohol consumption ( i. e., a standard drink ) and drinking patterns, the article reviews animal studies that have analyzed the effects of different alcohol consumption patterns. The article then discusses evidence from human studies indicating that a certain drinking pattern ( i. e., binge drinking) is particularly harmful to the fetus and presents some of the factors that may contribute to binge drinking s adverse effects.
Defining Alcohol Consumption and Drinking Patterns
Determining the level of alcohol consumption that is dangerous to a developing embryo or fetus is a complex issue that requires researchers to define the factors influencing peak BACs after any given alcohol consumption. These variables include both the amount consumed and the pattern in which the amount is consumed.
Determining the Amount of Alcohol Consumed
Historically, part of the problem in determining what level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is harmful has been related to how to define consumption levels. The conventional method for measuring alcohol consumption in humans has been through interviews in which the participants are asked to recall their alcohol consumption ( e. g., the number of drinks consumed) during a specific time period ( e. g., a week). Researchers then use the information from those interviews to convert the reported alcohol consumption into quantifiable measures, such as total grams of alcohol or ounces of absolute alcohol consumed per week. To facilitate this conversion and generate a standardized measure for reporting and analyzing alcohol consumption, regardless of the type of alcoholic drink consumed, investigators must define a standard drink that contains a specific, standardized amount of absolute alcohol regardless of the type of beverage. A standard drink frequently is defined as 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 fluid ounces of wine, or 1.5 fluid ounces of hard liquor. Using this measure, investigators can categorize subjects into groups based on their amount of alcohol consumption, then allows for hypothetical statistical tests relating maternal alcohol consumption to deficits in the offspring.
Determining Drinking Patterns
Although information about standard drinks is suitable for calculating the amount of alcohol consumed, this knowledge yields limited information about the pattern of alcohol drinking. A drinking pattern is characterized by the amount of alcohol consumed and the time during which it is ingested. For example, a given amount of alcohol may be consumed in a continuous pattern. In that instance, the total amount of alcohol consumed is spread over a long duration ( e. g., 1 week or 1 month) and individual drinks typically are spaced consistently ( e. g., 2 drinks per week or 1 drink per day). Conversely, the same amount of alcohol may be consumed in a binge like pattern. This means that total alcohol consumption is compressed into a short time period ( e. g., 1 evening or 1 day) and the time between consumption of individual beverages is short and possibly inconsistent ( e. g., a steady consumption of beer interspersed with liquor shots) during that binge. Thus, a woman who reports consuming 7 drinks per week may consume all 7 drinks in 1 evening ( i. e., binge) or consume 1 drink per day ( i. e., not binge).
These differences in drinking patterns can be crucial in determining the effects maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy have on the offspring. For example, assume that one pregnant woman reports consuming five drinks per week and another woman reports consuming seven drinks per week. At first glance, one would assume that the women consuming five drinks would do less harm to her fetus than the woman consuming seven drinks. Now assume that the first woman consumes all her drinks on one occasion ( i. e., exhibits binge drinking), whereas the second woman consumes one drink per day ( i. e., exhibits a continuous drinking pattern). In this scenario, the first woman actually exposes herself ( and her fetus) to considerably higher peak BACs than the second woman and, thereby, increases the risk of alcohol-related damage to her fetus.
Researchers and clinicians are particularly concerned about women who consume alcohol in a binge like pattern before they realize that they are pregnant (referred to as pregnancy recognition) as well as during early pregnancy. The reason for this concern involves the relationship between the timing of these binge like episodes and the timing of critical periods of fetal brain development. Although heavy alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy leads to a significant risk of brain injury to the developing fetus, the fetus is especially vulnerable to alcohol-induced brain injury during specific stages of brain development, many of which occur early during pregnancy ( Ikonomidou et al. 2000; West 1987). If a woman binge drinks during such a critical stage, significant harm may be inflicted on the developing fetal brain. The resulting deficits can range from gross structural abnormalities, such as small brain size (i. e., microencephaly) with significantly altered brain circuitry ( e. g., shrinkage or even complete absence of the corpuscallosum 1 ) (1 The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain.), to the more subtle, but nonetheless significant, loss of specific nerve cells ( i. e., neurons) in a particular brain region. Not surprisingly, such alterations in the normal development of the structural and neurochemical composition of the brain can have deleterious behavioral consequences ( e. g., learning or attention deficits) that may not manifest until a later age.
To address these issues and more accurately determine pregnant women s amount and pattern of alcohol consumption, clinical researchers more recently have begun to ask women about the number of drinks consumed per occasion and the maximum number of drinks on any one occasion. This change in focus about how alcohol consumption should be measured and reported rein forces pregnant women s recognition that binge drinking is a significant risk factor for fetal development.
Animal Studies of Consequences of Maternal Drinking Patterns
For many reasons, it is neither ethical nor practical to give alcohol to pregnant women in order to evaluate dose-response effects of alcohol exposure on the developing fetus. In contrast, animal studies enable researchers to control fetal alcohol exposure in terms of size, number, pattern, and timing of alcohol doses given to the mother. Thus, researchers can assign experimental animals ( e. g., rats, mice, sheep, and nonhuman primates) to particular groups and administer alcohol to them at specific doses ( measured in grams per unit of body weight, such as grams per kilogram [ g/kg ] ) and in specific patterns. This practice ensures uniform dosing (i. e., equal amounts and patterns) for all animals included in the research and, therefore, rats is suitable for examining issues related to the effects of alcohol exposure on the developing fetal brain, including threshold levels and differences between exposure patterns.
Extrapolating Animal Studies to Humans
Many animal studies have been undertaken using the basic methodology described in the preceding paragraph, and the results have provided a wealth of information about the adverse effects of alcohol exposure on brain development. To what extent, however, are the results of those studies directly comparable to humans and can, therefore, they provide a basis for counseling pregnant women? To be able to draw meaningful conclusions, researchers must choose measures that apply equally to experimental animals and humans. For example, the alcohol dose administered is not a good measure for extrapolating results of animal studies to humans, because alcohol metabolism differs among various species. Consequently, the same alcohol dose in terms of grams of alcoholper unit of body weight may have vastly different consequences for the human fetus than for an animal fetus.
Behavioral expression of alcohol intoxication is an equally unreliable measure, because even among humans, the level of intoxication following a given alcohol dose can differ vastly. For example, it is well known that chronic alcoholics can have BACs well over 200 milligrams per deciliter ( mg/dL) ( i. e., 0.20 percent 2 )(2 People with a BAC of 0.08 percent to 0.10 percent are considered legally intoxicated) and still appear sober, because they have developed tolerance to alcohol' s effects. In one study, a sample of people who used emergency room services after confirmed alcohol consumption but who appeared sober ( i. e., based on four different criteria, these people did not look or act inebriated) actually had BACs averaging 268 mg/ dL (Urso et al. 1981). Consequently, the precision of behavioral measures of sobriety or intoxication is questionable, because these measures can be influenced heavily by behavioral tolerance to alcohol s intoxicating effect.
The most direct method to evaluate the amount of alcohol given to a subject and to compare the effects of different doses or among different individuals is to measure the BAC. The BAC precisely reflects the amount of alcohol that is present in the subject' s bloodstream at a given time after alcohol administration. Although this measure is difficult to glean from human subjects in clinical studies, in which researchers ask women to recall their level of alcohol consumption over a given time period, it is the preferred method when evaluating the effects of alcohol on brain development in experimental animals. Nevertheless, the BAC can be influenced by several factors other than the alcohol dose administered. These factors include the alcohol concentration of the beverage ( Maier et al. 1995) ; concurrent use of other drugs ( Chen et al. 1999) ; gender (Freeza et al. 1990) ; and the amount of time elapsed between eating and drinking, which influences how quickly the alcohol passes through the stomach and is absorbed in the intestine. Because these factors are similar for both humans and animals, however, the BAC has been adopted as a reliable method to equate alcohol effects between animals and humans and is the measure least open to problems in interpretation.
Another factor to consider when extrapolating results of animal studies to humans are species differences in the timing of various developmental stages. For example, the equivalent of the brain development found in human fetuses during the third trimester occurs in rats after birth, roughly between postnatal days 1 to 12 ( Dobbing and Sands 1979). Accordingly, researchers often use newborn rats ( i. e., at postnatal days 4 to 10) to examine alcohol' s effects on brain development in order to derive a direct correlation between BAC and subsequent brain injury from individual rats. Nevertheless, researchers have found that both the rat fetus ( Maier et al. 1996) and the sheep fetus ( Cudd et al. 2001) exhibit the same BACs as the mother during various trimester equivalents. Therefore, the relationship between BAC and brain injury can be determined regardless of the timing of alcohol exposure in relation to the trimesters.
Results of Animal Studies on the Effects of Maternal Drinking Patterns
Animal models have been used extensively to investigate the relationship among alcohol levels, drinking patterns, and brain damage. Several noteworthy studies have systematically examined these research questions using both rats and nonhuman primates. Some of those studies have demonstrated a clear relationship between the alcohol dose and the severity of gross brain growth restriction. In one study that used artificial rearing methods 3 (3 The term artificial rearing methods means that newborn rats are raised away from their mothers, in climate-and humidity-controlled environments, and fed a nutritionally adequate diet similar to that found in rat mothers milk. Alcohol can be added to that diet to generate groups of rat pups exposed to various alcohol doses and exposure patterns) ( Bonthius and West 1988), groups of newborn rats were exposed daily during the early postnatal period to a wide range of alcohol doses ( i. e., 2.5 to 7.5 g/ kg/ day). The peak BACs ranged from 30 mg/ dL to 525 mg/dL 4 (4 On average, and if all variables are experimentally controlled, a 120-lb woman may achieve the range of BACs discussed in this article if she consumes approxi mately the following number of standard drinks in a binge-like manner: 49 mg/ dL = 1.5 drinks; 195 mg/ dL = 6.25 drinks; 223 mg/ dL = 7.5 drinks; 270 mg/ dL = 8.75 drinks; 365 mg/ dL = 11.5 drinks; 525 mg/ dL = 15+ drinks) for the various alcohol-treated groups. The investigators found a near-linear inverse relationship between alcohol dose and total brain weight that is, higher alcohol doses resulted in lower brain weight. Thus, for a given exposure pattern, higher alcohol doses resulted in both higher BACs and more severe injury to the developing brain.
Other findings from the same research group support the hypothesis that binge-like alcohol exposure is more harmful than non-binge exposure. In that study, Pierce and West (1986) compared the effects of equal total amounts of alcohol administered in different exposure patterns on brain growth in rats. Using artificial rearing methods, the researchers exposed groups of neonatal rats to a total alcohol dose of 6.6 g/ kg/ day, which was administered in two patterns: one group was exposed continuously ( i. e., 24 hours perday) to alcohol for several days, resulting in an average peak BAC of 49 mg/ dL. The second group received condensed exposure ( i. e., only 12 hours per day) for the same number of days, resulting in an average peak BAC of 270 mg/ dL. At the end of the treatment period, the brain weights of the rats in the condensed exposure group were significantly lower than those of the continuously exposed group, demonstrating that brain growth is impaired more by bingelike patterns of exposure to alcohol than by continuous exposure. A subsequent study tested the hypothesis that a lower daily dose of alcohol can result in greater brain growth restriction and cell loss in various brain regions than will a higher daily dose if the lower dose is administered in a binge-like pattern (Bonthius and West 1990). The researchers compared the following three groups of alcohol-exposed neonatal rats:
· One group was exposed to 4.5 g/ kg/ day in a condensed pattern
( i. e., for 4 hours per day) ; the result ing peak BACs averaged 365 mg/ dL.
· A second group was exposed to the same dose administered in a less
condensed pattern ( i. e., for 8 hours per day), resulting in peak BACs
averaging 195 mg/ dL.
· A third group was exposed to a higher dose of alcohol ( i. e., 6.6 g/ kg/ day)
administered in a continuous pattern ( i. e., for 24 hours per day) ; the resulting peak BACs averaged 45 mg/ dL.
When the brains of all animals were weighed at the end of the study, the brain weights of the animals in the group receiving 4.5 g/ kg/ day over 4 hours were the lowest, followed by the brain weights of the animals receiving 4.5 g/ kg/ day over 8 hours ( see figure). The animals receiving 6.6 g/ kg/ day administered continuously had the highest brain weights. These results clearly demonstrate that a lower daily dose consumed in a bingelike pattern can be more harmful than a higher daily dose consumed in a continuous pattern. The reason underlying these results is that the condensation of the alcohol administration into progressively shorter periods generated correspondingly higher peak BACs.
This relationship between pattern of alcohol exposure ( and, consequently, peak BACs) and brain growth restrictions also has been observed in studies using nonhuman primates as experimental subjects. In an extensive and elegant series of experiments, researchers exposed nonhuman primates to alcohol in a bingelike pattern during different times of fetal brain development. The investigators administered alcohol to pregnant monkeys during gestation using 3 different administration periods: ( 1) the first 3 weeks, ( 2) the first 6 weeks, or ( 3) all 24 weeks of the gestation period ( Astley et al. 1999). The monkeys received the alcohol in a binge-like pattern for 1 or 2 days per week ( corresponding to a weekend binge), resulting in average peak BACs of 223 mg/ dL. The study found that on several indices of gross brain development and cognitive functioning, no difference in the severity of the deficits existed among the infants of monkeys from the three timing groups. Thus, a similar amount of gross brain damage and impairment in cognitive function occurred if the fetuses were exposed to alcohol only during the early part of gestation, rather than throughout gestation.
Similar studies conducted on non-human primates demonstrated a variety of possible outcomes from alcohol exposure during early gestation. These outcomes included the loss of certain neurons ( i. e., Purkinje cells) in the Cerebellum 5 (5 The cerebellum is a region located at the base of the brain that is involved in motor and cognitive functions) ( Bonthius et al. 1996), loss of certain neurons in the eye ( i. e., retina ganglion cells) combined with various eye malformations ( Clarren et al. 1990), and facial abnormalities similar to those seen in FAS children ( Astley et al. 1999). Viewed together, these findings clearly demonstrate the vulnerability of the fetal brain to alcohol-induced damage from exposure during early gestation. Clinicians should emphasize these results, as well as those of the rat studies, when informing women of childbearing age about the harmful effects of binge-like alcohol exposure on fetal brain development during the first 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. These animal studies undeniably demonstrate that drinking cessation only after a pregnancy is realized may not spare the fetal brain and other organs from harm, including eventual behavior impairments.
Results of Human Studies on the Effects of Maternal Drinking Patterns
Limited information exists on binge drinking and fetal outcome among humans in the clinical literature. One reason for this gap is the way that the information gathered from the human population is measured and categorized ( e. g., see Gladstone et al. 1996). For example, measurements often focus on the average or total amount of alcohol consumed, rather than on drinking patterns or the maximum alcohol dose consumed on a single occasion. For example, as mentioned earlier, binge drinkers may consume lower total alcohol amounts than do continuous drinkers, because in actuality, binge drinkers consume fewer drinks. Thus, if consumption is averaged over time ( e. g., 1 week or 1 month), a binge drinker s consumption may be classified as light or moderate, suggesting little risk. Furthermore, some alcohol-intake questionnaires inquire about the typical alcohol intake per occasion, rather than the maximum alcohol intake on a single occasion. Averaging the typical amount of alcohol consumed per occasion during a period of 1 month or 1 year may seriously underestimate the maximum amount of alcohol consumed in a single episode of binge drinking. Averaging may lead to particularly ambiguous results, because some animal studies have reported neuronal loss in the developing brain even after only a single episode of binge exposure ( Goodlett and Eilers 1997; Pauli et al. 1995).
Nevertheless, several studies have assessed the effects of maternal drinking patterns on the outcome of human off-spring. Some of those studies have failed to find a relationship between binge alcohol consumption and adverse off-spring outcome; however, such studies are typically plagued with methodological problems ( e. g., see Gladstone et al. 1996).
One detailed series of studies examining the effects of binge exposure on off-spring development has been conducted by researchers in the Seattle Longitudinal Prospective Study on Alcohol and Pregnancy under the direction of Dr. Ann Streissguth. In this study, pregnant women were asked to estimate their alcohol consumption in terms of quan tity ( i. e., how much alcohol they drank), frequency ( i. e., how often they drank alcohol), and variability ( i. e., when they drank alcohol relative to the stages of pregnancy) for two time periods at midpregnancy and during the month prior to pregnancy recognition ( Streissguth et al. 1989). This approach enabled the researchers to calculate scores that reflected both the level and pattern of alcohol consumption. Then, the children of those women were followed for at least 14 years and were assessed at specific ages on several different tasks that reflected learning, memory, and various forms of cognitive processing.
When the children were studied at age 7.5, maternal binge drinking ( i. e., consumption of five or more drinks per occasion) in the month prior to pregnancy recognition was the best predictor of neurobehavioral deficits in attention, memory, and cognitive processing as well as inflexibility in problem-solving. Moreover, the children exposed to binge drinking before their mothers realized that they were pregnant were more likely to be rated by their parents as having learning problems, being below average academically, and being hyperactive and impulsive. The children also were more likely to be rated by teachers as expressing behaviors that were incompatible with learning (Streissguth et al. 1990). It is particularly important to note that the commonly used measure of alcohol consumption average ounces of alcohol consumed per day and frequency of drinking did not predict these neurobehavioral outcomes.
When the children were studied again at age 11, children of binge-drinking mothers were still classified as having problems with distractibility, restlessness, and lack of persistence ( Olson et al. 1992). Finally, when the children reached age 14, the variable number of drinks per occasion still significantly predicted some critical neurobehavioral measures (i. e., problems with response inhibi tion and fluctuating attention span) (Streissguth et al. 1994 b ). Thus, one common theme emerged from this comprehensive data analysis the greater the average number of drinks that the pregnant women consumed per occasion, the worse her children later performed on measures important for reading and arithmetic skills (Streissguth al. 1994 a ).
The harmful effects of bingelike drinking patterns were confirmed with more recent data from a sample of mothers and their infants studied in Detroit, Michigan ( Jacobson et al. 1998). The investigators found that infants born to mothers who consumed at least five drinks per occasion and, on average, at least once per week, had clearly definable functional deficits as measured by birth weight, the Bayley Mental and Psychomotor Developmental scales, the Elicited Play test, and tests of processing speed. The researchers calculated that the threshold for these effects was an average consumption of 0.50 ounces of absolute alcohol per day when the alcohol was consumed in a bingelike fashion. The functional deficits were not observed, however, in the offspring of women who reported drinking frequently but not in a bingelike pattern.
Why Is Binge Drinking More Harmful Than Other Drinking Patterns?
Several factors may help explain why binge drinking is particularly harmful to fetal brain development. First, the peak BACs achieved with this drinking pattern are higher than the peak BACs achieved with more continuous drinking patterns. In turn, a high BAC is a critical factor in producing fetal brain injury. Researchers do not yet know the minimum amount of alcohol that is harmful to the developing brain. It is possible that the fetus can tolerate a certain level of alcohol exposure with no ill effects, and that only by binge drinking, a woman would risk exceeding such a threshold for alcohol-induced fetal brain injury. Another consequence of higher peak BACs is prolonged alcohol exposure. The rate of alcohol breakdown ( i. e., metabolism) in the body remains the same regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed. As a result, the higher the BAC is, the longer it takes the body to metabolize all the alcohol. Accordingly, binge-drinking episodes produce longer periods of alcohol exposure for the developing fetal brain than do consumption and metabolism of a single drink.
Second, the timing of binge-drinking episodes relative to key stages of brain development may influence the extent of its adverse effects. Binge drinking may be particularly harmful if it occurs at a point in development that is critical for some specific developmental brain event. Because some of these developmental events are of short duration, a single binge-drinking episode might overlap with one of these events. Unfortunately, the prevalence of bingelike alcohol consumption is particularly high among women (and men) of reproductive age; moreover, researchers have found a strong association between binge drinking and unplanned or unprotected sexual activity (Wechsler et al. 1994; Parker et al. 1994). Consequently, binge drinking may increase episodes of unprotected sexual intercourse and, thus, increase the risk of alcohol exposure near conception. Third, alcohol consumption in a bingelike pattern exposes the developing fetal brain to not only high peak BACs, but also to periods of withdrawal from alcohol. The effects of multiple withdrawal episodes may be a potentially important risk factor for developmental brain injury. To date, no comprehensive studies have examined in detail the effects of oral, bingelike alcohol exposure and the resulting withdrawal during key stages of fetal brain development. Some of the deficits in brain function observed in affected children, however, may be related to severe physiological responses to the withdrawal from alco hol as well as to the exposure to alcohol. This hypothesis is an underrepresented and important area of research that requires further attention.
Conclusions
The evidence presented in this article allows for two critical conclusions. First, the data from the comprehensive series of studies performed on humans, as well as on nonhuman primate and rodent experimental models, clearly show that binge drinking is more harmful to fetal brain development than is non-binge drinking. Second, early alcohol expo-sure ( i. e., during the first few weeks of gestation in humans) may have as much adverse effect on fetal brain development as would alcohol exposure throughout pregnancy. Based on these findings, one might argue that women who engage in binge drinking during the early part of their pregnancy could continue to drink without further consequence. This assumption is incorrect, however, because some aspect of development or cognition that is not measured in the cited studies would most likely be impaired to a greater extent by continuous alcohol exposure throughout pregnancy than by limited exposure during early pregnancy.
Because no threshold for alcohol s detrimental effects on the developing fetal brain has been established, women should cease to consume alcohol immediately upon learning that they are pregnant. It would be best ( i. e., safest), however, that women who are contemplating pregnancy consider changing their drinking habits even before conception. Accordingly, appropriate educational efforts should be directed especially toward young women, who may engage in binge-drinking patterns that can lead to unprotected sexual intercourse and unplanned pregnancies ( although men may be held equally accountable for the prevention of unplanned pregnancies). Fortunately, most women reduce or stop their alcohol consumption as soon as they realize that they are pregnant; in some cases, however, some injury to the fetal brain may have already occurred. Even if a mother drank heavily during parts of her pregnancy, abstinence during the remainder of the pregnancy is likely to have beneficial effects on the developing fetus.
References
ASTLEY, S. J. ; MAGNUSON, S. I. ; OMNELL, L. M. ; AND CLARREN, S. K. Fetal alcohol syndrome: Changes in craniofacial form with age, cognition and timing of ethanol exposure in the macaque. Teratology 59: 163 172, 1999.
BONTHIUS, D. J., AND WEST, J. R. Blood alcohol concentration and microencephaly: A dose response study in the neonatal rat. Teratology 37: 223 231, 1988.
BONTHIUS, D. J., AND WEST, J. R. Alcohol-induced neuronal loss in developing rats: Increased damage with binge exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 14: 107 118, 1990.
BONTHIUS, D. J. ; BONTHIUS, N. E. ; NAPPER, R. M. ; ET AL. Purkinje cell deficits in nonhuman primates following weekly exposure to ethanol during gestation. Teratology 53: 230 236, 1996.
CHEN, W. -J. A. ; PARNELL, S. E. ; AND WEST, J. R. Effects of alcohol and nicotine on developing olfactory bulb: Loss of mitral cells and alterations in neurotransmitter levels. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 23: 18 25, 1999.
CLARREN, S. K. ; ASTLEY, S. J. ; BOWDEN, D. M. ; ET AL. Neuroanatomic and neurochemical abnormalities in nonhuman primate infants exposed to weekly doses of ethanol during gestation. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 14: 674 683, 1990.
CUDD, T. A. ; CHEN, W. -J. A. ; PARNELL, S. E. ; AND WEST, J. R. Third trimester binge ethanol exposure results in hypercapnea and acidemia but not hypoxemia in pregnant sheep. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 25: 269 276, 2001.
DOBBING, J., AND SANDS, J. Comparative aspects of the brain growth spurt. Early Human Development 3: 79 83, 1979.
FREEZA, M. ; DIPADOVA, C. ; POZZATO, G. ; ET AL. High blood alcohol levels in women. The role of decreased gastric dehydrogenase activity and first pass metabolism. New England Journal of Medicine 322: 95 99, 1990.
GLADSTONE, J. ; NULMAN, I. ; AND KOREN, G. Reproductive risks of binge drinking during pregnancy. Reproductive Toxicology Review 10: 3 13, 1996.
GOODLETT, C. R., AND EILERS, A. T. Alcohol-induced Purkinje cell loss with a single binge expo-sure in neonatal rats: A stereological study of temporal windows of vulnerability. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 21: 738 744, 1997.
IKONOMIDOU, C. ; BITTIGAU, P. ; ISHIMARU, M. J. ; ET AL. Ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration and fetal alcohol syndrome. Science 287: 1056 1060, 2000.
JACOBSON, J. L. ; JACOBSON, S. W. ; SOKOL, R. J. ; AND AGER, J. W., JR. Relation of maternal age and pat-tern of pregnancy drinking to functionally significant cognitive deficit in infancy. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 22: 345 351, 1998.
MAIER, S. E. ; STRITTMATTER, M. A. ; CHEN, W. -J. A. ; AND WEST, J. R. Changes in blood alcohol levels as function of alcohol concentration and repeated alcohol exposure in adult female rats: Potential risk factors for alcohol-induced fetal brain injury. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 19: 923 927, 1995.
MAIER, S. E. ; CHEN, W-J. A. ; AND WEST, J. R. Prenatal binge-like alcohol exposure alters neurochemical profiles in fetal rat brain. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 55: 521 529, 1996.
OLSON, H. C. ; SAMPSON, P. D. ; BARR, H. M. ; STREISSGUTH, A. P. ; AND BOOKSTEIN, F. L. Prenatal exposure to alcohol and school problems in late childhood: A longitudinal prospective study. Developmental Psychopathology 4: 341 359, 1992.
PARKER, D. D. ; HARFORD, T. C. ; AND ROSENSTOCK, I. M. Alcohol, other drugs and sexual risk taking among young adults. Journal of Substance Abuse 6: 87 93, 1994.
PAULI, J. ; WILCE, P. ; AND BEDI, K. S. Acute expo-sure to alcohol during early postnatal life causes a
deficit in the total number of cerebellar Purkinje cells in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology 362: 283 292, 1995.
PIERCE, D. R., AND WEST, J. R. Blood alcohol concentration: A critical factor for producing fetal alcohol effects. Alcohol 3: 269 272, 1986.
STRATTON, K. ; HOWE, C. ; AND BATTAGLIA, F. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention and Treatment. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, 1996.
STREISSGUTH, A. P. ; BARR, H. M. ; SAMPSON, P. D. ; BOOKSTEIN, F. L. ; AND DARBY, P. L. Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal alcohol: Part 1. Research strategy. Neurotoxicology and Teratology 11: 461 476, 1989.
STREISSGUTH, A. P. ; BARR, H. M. ; AND SAMPSON, P. D. Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure: Effects on child IQ and learning problems at age 7.5 years. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 14: 662 669, 1990.
STREISSGUTH, A. P. ; BARR, H. M. ; OLSON, H. C. ; ET AL. Drinking during pregnancy decreases word attack and arithmetic scores on standardized tests: Adolescent data from a population-based prospective study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental
Research 18: 248 255, 1994 a.
STREISSGUTH, A. P. ; SAMPSON, P. D. ; OLSON, H. C. ; ET AL. Maternal drinking during pregnancy: Attention and short term memory in 14 year old offspring a longitudinal prospective study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 18: 202 218, 1994 b.
URSO, T. ; GAVALER, J. S. ; AND VAN THIEL, D. H. Blood ethanol levels in sober alcohol users seen in an emergency room. Life Sciences 28: 1053 1056, 1981.
WECHSLER, H. ; DAVENPORT, A. ; DOWDALL, G. ; MOEYKENS, B. ; AND CASTILLO, S. Health and behavioral consequences of binge drinking in college: A national survey of students at 140 campuses. Journal of the American Medical Association 272: 1672 1677, 1994.997 SHARES Share Tweet
10. First to leave the country
Roosevelt was the first president to travel outside of the continental United States while in office. In 1906, he traveled to Panama.
9. Church and State
Although Roosevelt had been a Sunday school teacher, he believed strongly in the separation of Church and State. While taking the oath of office during his inauguration after McKinley’s assassination, he did not swear on the Bible.
When the $20 gold coin was designed in 1907, the words “In God We Trust” were not present. In a letter written by Roosevelt, he said it was irreverent to have the words printed on the coins because the money was used to buy worldly goods and services. After public outcry, Congress passed legislation requiring “In God We Trust” be restored to all U.S. coins which it had been previously printed on.
8. Nobel Peace Prize
In 1906, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role of negotiator in the Russo-Japanese War. He was the first American to win the Nobel Prize.
7. A multitasking homeschooler
Roosevelt’s education was mostly homeschooling by his parents and tutors. He was an avid reader and developed a photographic memory. It is said he was a great multitasker, able to dictate letters and memos to two separate secretaries while browsing through a book at the same time.
6. Just call me TR
President Roosevelt was the first president to be commonly known by his initials.
5. Boxing injury
Roosevelt was blind in his left eye, the result of a boxing injury he sustained while in office.
4. Skinny-dipper
Roosevelt was known to go skinny-dipping in the Potomac River during the wintertime.
3. First in flight
On October 11, 1910, Roosevelt took a four minute flight in a plane built by the Wright brothers, making him the first president to fly in an airplane.
2. Youngest President
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president, assuming the office at the age of 42 after President McKinley was assassinated. John F. Kennedy was the youngest president to be elected to office. He was 43 when he became president.
1. You can’t kill a Bull Moose
On October 14
|
protein carbonylation with CR and RP in both young and old animals after 10 weeks of treatment (Fig. 4 A). Autophagy is a major proteolytic system involved in protein quality control and degradation that is regulated by mTORC1. To examine the effects on autophagy, we measured the content of several autophagy markers with age and treatments. A significant decrease in p62 with aging was reversed by ORP ( P < 0.01, Fig. 4 B). Beclin‐1 levels decreased with OCR ( P < 0.01, Fig. 4 B), and LC3 II/I ratios did not alter with aging or treatments. Collectively, these markers are consistent with a decline in autophagy in old mouse treatment groups, which is also consistent with reduced turnover (longer HLs) associated with OCR and ORP (Fig. 1 C–F).
It is interesting to note that despite the similarities in lifespan and healthspan benefits of CR and RP, the effects on hepatic proteome dynamics are dramatically different between the two treatments. In young livers, the magnitude of the change induced by RP is about 40% smaller than CR (Figs. 1 C and 3 B), and in old livers, the direction of change was often opposite to that of CR (Fig. 3 C; negative Spearman's ρ = −0.17, P < 0.0505). Moreover, whereas CR in old liver lysates had an effect that was generally toward making the HLs more similar to those of young livers (Fig. 3 D, significant positive correlation shown by Spearman's ρ = 0.5, P < 0.0001), RP produced effects that were highly variable, but often in an opposite direction to that of young control livers (Fig. 3 E, many proteins in the lower right and upper left quadrants). It is also apparent that while RP treatment in young and old mice visually resembles one another and correlate well in the heatmap (3A), the magnitude of the changes induced by RP in old mice is smaller than the response from young mice. Consistent with this, blood levels of rapamycin (Fig. S11) were found to be lower in old mice compared with the young cohort. Thus, diminished bioavailability of the drug in old mice likely explains part or all of the difference.
In almost all pathways and both ages, CR globally extended protein HLs (decreased turnover) compared to controls, as demonstrated by consistent red colors (log 2 ratios>0) of the CR/CL ratios in the total (Fig. 3 A) and mt protein (Fig. S6) heatmaps. The only exceptions to this phenotype are eIF2 signaling and regulation of eIF4 and p70S6K signaling pathways (Fig. 3 A) where young, but not old HLs were increased by CR compared to controls. Notably, these are the pathways most directly downstream of mTORC1 and include many large and small ribosomal proteins. Although fewer than 12% of the total proteins included in the heatmap had HLs that were shorter in OCR than OCL (blue colors in Fig. 3 A), 45% of all observed ribosomal proteins in old livers had shorter HLs after CR. RP treatment increased mean HLs 5–15% in nine of 19 pathways in young and old groups.
Of the significantly changed protein HLs in the liver proteome, the majority (81%) belonged to metabolic pathways, including energy, amino acid, hormone, and intermediary metabolism. Other functional groups included signaling, transcriptional regulation (i.e., PXR/RXR activation), and biosynthetic pathways. Mitochondrial dysfunction (defined in the supplementary methods) is the top pathway significantly altered by the 10‐week intervention. As noted above, HLs from total and mt fractions were highly concordant, and the mt fraction HL heatmap (Fig. S6) is very similar to the total protein heatmap.
Heatmap of protein half‐life differences and scatter plots of top pathway HL ratio comparisons. (A) Total proteins that were significantly altered ( q < 0.05) were categorized into the top 19 canonical pathways using IPA. Red indicates longer half‐life in the numerator, and blue indicates longer half‐life in the denominator. Ratio values ranging from log 2 ‐3 to +4 are depicted in a color gradient from blue to red. BCAA, branched‐chain amino acid degradation; FAO, fatty acid beta oxidation; Keto, ketogenesis; and acetone (to MG), acetone degradation to methylglyoxal. (B–E) Scatter plots of log 2 ratio comparisons of top metabolic pathways for (B) YRP/YCL vs. YCR/YCL, (C) ORP/OCL vs. OCR/OCL, (D) OCR/OCL vs. YCL/OCL, and (E) ORP/OCL vs. YCL/OCL. (D,E) If changes with aging are reversed, those proteins are located in the top right or bottom left quadrants of the scatter plots. The number of significantly changed proteins that mapped to each pathway is listed in parenthesis in panel (B). All heatmap proteins and their half‐life log 2 ratios are listed in Table S2 (Supporting information). Values and summary statistics for all other proteins, in addition to these, are in Table S4 (Supporting information).
We also compared protein HLs in several cellular compartments as shown in Table S1C (Supporting information) and Fig. 2 C. Of these, peroxisomal proteins had the shortest HLs (ranging from 1.8 to 3 days) and ribosomal proteins had the longest HLs (ranging from 6 to 8.4 days) that were extended by ~40% in young RP‐treated mice ( P < 0.0001). RP did not have nearly as large nor as significant an effect on ribosomal protein half‐lives in old mice (Fig. 2 C). Mt proteins were the second longest lived category after ribosomal proteins and the only cellular compartment to have a significant increase in HLs with CR in both young and old groups (Table S1C, and Fig. 2 C).
The protein pathways with the longest HLs are shown in Table S1B, ordered based on the YCL average half‐life, which ranged from 5.55 to 11.89 days. The longest lived proteins belonged to amino acid metabolism, intermediary metabolism, and energy (ketolysis, acetyl‐CoA biosynthesis, fatty acid beta oxidation) pathways. Pathways of these three categories are shown in Fig. 2 B. The average half‐life of a majority of these pathways was significantly extended by CR in old mice ( P < 0.05, Table S1B).
Box plots of liver protein half‐lives of CR and RP by pathway and location. (A) Three representative IPA canonical pathways that are among the top fastest turnover (shortest half‐lives). Boxes represent the interquartile range for protein HLs, and whiskers extend from 5 to 95% of the data. (B) Three representative canonical pathways with the longest living proteins. Most pathways were metabolic indicating less turnover and higher stability of the metabolic proteins. BCAA, branched‐chain amino acid degradation. Old CR extended median HLs of all shortest and longest living pathways except the eIF2 signaling pathway that contains a majority of ribosomal proteins (ribosomal protein HLs shown in panel 2C). (C) Protein HLs by cellular compartment. Peroxisomal proteins were shortest lived, while ribosomal proteins were longest lived. Statistical significance tested with one‐way anova, * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, and **** P < 0.0001. Numerical detail and HLs for these pathways are in Table S1 (Supporting infomation).
The top 20% of shortest and longest living proteins in the YCL cohort were analyzed for enrichment of canonical pathways, as defined by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA, Tables S1A,B). The shortest lived protein pathways (Table S1A) had mean HLs of 0.894 to 1.524 days in YCL livers and were predominantly signaling pathways, including LXR/RXR activation, acute phase response signaling, and LPS/IL‐1‐mediated inhibition of RXR function; these three examples are illustrated in Fig. 2 A. CR extended the mean half‐life of a majority of the short‐lived protein pathways significantly (Table S1A). Even though YRP increased the mean half‐life of most pathways, none of these changes was statistically significant (Table S1A, Fig. 2 A).
HLs of mt proteins from purified mitochondria behaved similarly to total proteins, with median HLs decreasing significantly with age, from median 3.5 (YCL) to 3.3 (OCL) days ( P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 E). For proteins in common between total and mt extracts, the protein turnover rates were in high agreement (Fig. S5, Spearman's ρ > 0.65 with P < 0.001 for all slope comparisons), demonstrating the high reproducibility of the turnover rate measurements. Mt protein turnover was altered to a greater extent with CR than was that of total proteins, increasing HLs by ~85% to 6.4 days ( P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 E) in YCR and by 59% to 5.0 days in OCR ( P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 F). RP increased young mt protein HLs by 12% (3.9 days, P < 0.0026) and old HLs by 7% (3.4 days, P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 E, F). These changes indicate that the CR effect on protein HLs is considerably larger than that of RP at the 14 ppm dose and that the mt proteins have preferentially slower synthesis (longer HLs) after CR.
Protein HLs were seen to have a broad distribution, ranging over at least two log 10 orders of magnitude, as shown in Fig. 1 B. While differences between groups are evident in these histograms, a more sensitive analysis is to compare HLs of the same protein in two groups (pairwise analysis of HL ratios, Fig. 1 C–F). Total proteome median HLs decreased from 3.1 (YCL) to 2.8 (OCL) days and the mean ratio of OCL/YCL is significantly less than 1.0 by ~20% ( P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 C), suggesting a small overall increase in hepatic protein turnover rates with age. CR induced an increase in both total and mt fraction protein HLs in both young (Fig. 1 C,E) and old (Fig. 1 D,F) livers. CR significantly increased young total proteome HLs by ~60% (to median of 4.9 days, P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 B,C) and old HLs by ~44% (to 3.7 days, P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 B,D) compared to their respective controls. Rapamycin treatment increased total proteome HLs modestly but significantly by 15% for young mice (to 3.3 days, P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 B,C) and 15% for old mice (2.8 days, P < 0.0001, Fig. 1 B,D).
Tissues harvested over time were analyzed by shotgun nLC/MS‐MS followed by protein turnover and abundance measurements using the software topograph (Hsieh et al., 2012 ). We identified an average of 3110 peptides per sample in total lysates that mapped uniquely to one of 950 proteins and an average of 4001 peptides in purified mt fractions that uniquely mapped to 750 proteins. At each of four time points following the switch to heavy‐labeled diet, the percent of newly synthesized protein was determined. The rate of synthesis followed first‐order kinetics (Fig. S2A), and the turnover rate constant was calculated (Hsieh et al., 2012 ). Old mouse weights were essentially constant during the time period of heavy labeling and young mouse weights varied by less than 1% per week (Fig. S3), suggesting a condition of steady state where protein synthesis and degradation rates would be approximately equal. Furthermore, the abundance of all peptides identified did not change significantly over the labeling period (Fig. S4, regression slopes centered over zero), also confirming that proteins were at steady state. We therefore refer to the half‐time of appearance of newly synthesized protein as the protein half‐life (HL).
Subacute treatment of CR and RP prolong liver protein half‐lives. (A) Summary of experimental design showing young (3 months at the start of treatment) and old (25 mo at the start of treatment) C57BL/6 female mice started on an ad libitum, encapsulated RP (14 ppm)‐containing or CR (40% restricted) diet for 10 weeks. Livers were harvested and frozen for polysome analyses from five mice per cohort at the conclusion of 10 weeks, and the rest were switched to the same diets except that leucine was replaced with 3 H 2– leucine. Mice were euthanized 3, 7, 12, and 17 days post‐ 3 H 2– leucine diet feeding. Liver tissue was harvested and LC‐MS/MS performed on tryptic peptides of total and mt proteins. Topograph software enabled the calculation of protein half‐lives. (B) Protein half‐life density plot illustrates the distribution of half‐lives of young (dashed) and old (solid) control (CL), calorie restricted (CR), and rapamycin (RP) cohorts. Median half‐life in days is indicated on the right of the legend. Protein half‐life ratio histograms for two group comparisons: (C,D) total protein half‐lives as ratio to those same proteins in YCL (C) or OCL (D). (E,F) Mt protein half‐lives as a ratio to YCL (E) and OCL (F). All comparison mean ratios were significantly different from 1.0 with a P < 0.01 by z‐test for proportions. OCL/YCL < 1.0, P < 0.001, and all others > 1.0 P < 0.01.
To investigate the effects of CR and RP on hepatic protein turnover rates in vivo, we performed stable isotope metabolic labeling in mice with a synthetic diet containing 3 H 2 –leucine (Fig. 1 A). CR was a 40% reduction in total calories introduced over 3 weeks, and RP was delivered using the dose (14 ppm) and formulation previously shown to extend mouse lifespan (Harrison et al., 2009 ) and healthspan (Miller et al., 2011 ). Both CR and RP are known to inhibit mTORC1 (Johnson et al., 2013 ), which is suspected to mediate much of their longevity and healthspan benefits. Immunoblotting showed that CR and RP both substantially decreased S6 ribosomal protein phosphorylation in both young and old livers (Fig. S1A,C), but only RP significantly increased eEF2 phosphorylation (Fig. 4 C,D) and only young RP showed a significant reduction in phosphorylation of 4ebp1 (Fig. S1B). The absence of a chronic effect of RP on 4ebp1 phosphorylation has been previously reported (Choo et al., 2008 ).
Discussion
In this study, we sought to investigate the hepatic proteome dynamics associated with two well‐established longevity interventions, CR and RP, in young and old mice. To measure dynamic changes, we utilized whole‐body stable isotope labeling and a new software tool to calculate protein turnover rates and relative protein abundances in vivo. While both CR and RP are lifespan‐extending interventions with a mechanistic link in the mTOR pathway, our results provide insight into distinct differences (especially in protein abundances), as well as similarities (especially in protein HL changes) after subacute treatment. In particular, the highly opposing effects of these treatments on mt protein abundances (Fig. 5A) suggest that these interventions have a different effect on cellular energetics in liver. The effects of RP on protein half‐lives, although positively correlated in many pathways, are generally much smaller than those of CR (Fig. 1C–F). While this might suggest that the ITP dose of RP is suboptimal as a CR mimetic, it is notable that the effects on altered protein abundance were qualitatively different, rather than just quantitatively different. We would not expect that a higher dose of RP would reverse the direction of abundance changes seen in Fig. 5A and D. Furthermore, RP was equally effective as CR in slowing turnover of ribosomal proteins in the eIF2, eIF4, and p70S6K pathways in young mice (Fig. 3A), in accordance with the hypothesis that RP has a subset of specific overlapping targets with CR that are sufficient to promote health. These data are consistent with a recent study that suggests that 20 weeks of RP treatment inhibited pS6 but not 4EBP1, and thus, there is little inhibitory effect on cap‐dependent translation by RP (Fang et al., 2013). This is in agreement with our observations (Fig. S1B,C) and another report that RP differentially inhibits S6Ks vs. 4EBP1 (Fang et al., 2013). One may therefore speculate that the beneficial effects of RP track less with inhibition of cap‐dependent initiation of translation and more closely with inhibition of ribosomal protein synthesis, reducing translation elongation and improving translational fidelity (see summary Fig. 7 and discussion below).
Figure 7 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint A summary model of the effects observed in this study. With aging, we observed an overall increase in turnover and translation with a concomitant decrease in mt protein HLs and abundance. In combination, these factors can result in increased ROS and the formation of error‐prone polypeptides and oxidized proteins, thereby disrupting protein homeostasis. CR reversed these changes effectively recapitulating a more youthful proteome, while RP changes were more subtle but indicated decreased oxidative damage and changes that improved translational fidelity. Short‐term CR and RP can both restore protein homeostasis to promote more healthy aging.
Our approach to define proteome dynamics with CR and RP in vivo used novel software that is able to deconvolute complex isotopomer distributions and calculate amino acid precursor pool enrichment levels. This is key to accurate calculation of protein turnover rates; other heavy isotope labeling approaches require complex calculations to indirectly estimate and compensate for changes in precursor pool enrichment (Price et al., 2010, 2012; Kim et al., 2012). With this novel platform, we were able to determine the precursor pool‐adjusted turnover rates of over 900 proteins in mouse liver. Previous reports on the effect of CR on protein turnover suggest an increase in protein synthesis and degradation (Lewis et al., 1985; Goldspink et al., 1987; Merry et al., 1987). In contrast, we observed a large global increase in HLs (decreased synthesis) following 10 weeks of CR, a reversal from the slightly lower HLs seen in old control livers (Fig. 1C OCL/YCL). Consistent with our data, Price et al. reported prolonged HLs in over 80% of liver proteins with chronic CR (Price et al., 2012). We believe an important part of this apparent contradiction with previously published turnover data relates to differences between acute, subacute, and chronic CR treatments.
The global decline in protein synthesis rates observed with subacute CR, and to a lesser extent with RP, is consistent with the hypothesis that with longer treatment times, CR is switching cells to an energy conservation state, decreasing the energetically expensive process of protein synthesis. After subacute or chronic treatment, these longer lived proteins may have higher quality and less damage; this is supported by our observation of lower levels of protein carbonyls (Fig. 4A) and a recent report that showed increased protein translation fidelity in RP‐treated liver MEFs (Conn & Qian, 2013). Consistent with this interpretation, acute RP treatment (1–2 weeks) caused insulin resistance and lower glucose tolerance (Lamming et al., 2012), while a longer treatment (20‐week) reversed the insulin resistance with better lipid profiles and increased oxygen consumption (Fang et al., 2013). Our results are also disparate to two recent reports using metabolic labeling that showed no change in overall protein synthesis in the liver, heart, or skeletal muscle with CR and RP (Drake et al., 2013; Miller et al., 2013). We and Price et al. show substantially reduced global turnover with CR, and we observed a reduction in turnover after RP. A plausible explanation for the difference from Miller et al. is that they measured ‘bulk’ protein synthesis that can be dominated by the synthesis rates of a few highly abundant structural proteins, while our and Price's measurements of large numbers of individual proteins are not skewed by the most abundant proteins.
Whereas there is an abundance of evidence that acute CR and RP treatments increase autophagy (Hansen et al., 2008; Alvers et al., 2009), our data are contrary to this: LC3‐II/I levels are unchanged and beclin‐1 only decreased with OCR, while p62 only increased with ORP (Fig. 4B). Measurement of autophagic flux will be needed to conclusively determine the status of autophagy; however, this disparity may be due to the majority of prior studies reporting changes after acute CR and RP treatments. In order for protein turnover rates to have decreased after 10 weeks of CR and RP, as we observe, elevated rates of autophagy cannot be maintained.
An unanticipated finding of this study was the increased polysome loading observed with young and old RP treatments (Fig. 6B,C; Fig. S10A,B). This might seem to be inconsistent with reduced protein turnover and a previous report of a reduction in cap‐dependent translation by RP (Beretta et al., 1996). This dichotomy is resolved by noting that RP treatment reduces eEF2 phosphorylation (Fig. 4C,D), which will lead to a reduced elongation rate of ribosomes; this can result in increased polysome loading, even if initiation is decreased. This condition has been shown to enhance translation fidelity (Conn & Qian, 2013), keeping proteins in good quality with longer half‐lives (Hipkiss, 2007). Thus, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced rates of translational elongation and reduced rates of protein synthesis after 10 weeks of RP facilitate production of error‐free polypeptides that are longer lived.
In agreement with our observation of differential mt protein abundance (Fig. 5C), Zid and colleagues demonstrated preferential translation of mt proteins after CR in Drosophila (Zid et al., 2009) and CR has also been shown to increase mt gene expression and respiratory capacity in multiple murine tissues (Dani et al., 2010; Cerqueira et al., 2012). In contrast, acute RP has been shown to suppress mt biogenesis (Cunningham et al., 2007) and decrease mt respiration in cultured cells (Schieke et al., 2006; Ramanathan & Schreiber, 2009). Surprisingly, carbonylation, an indication of oxidative protein damage, was significantly lower in RP compared to CR in both young and older livers (Fig. 4A). We believe this is best explained by our observation of differential mt respiratory dynamics, as indicated by increased protein abundances (Fig. 5A) and higher levels of aconitase activity in CR compared to RP (Fig. S7A). Increased mt respiration with CR may be producing more carbonyl‐inducing ROS, while decreased mt activity in RP results in less carbonylation. Interestingly, these differences in mt occurred without a change in mtDNA copy number and mt biogenesis (Fig. S8). The 10‐week treatments also made no impact on the elevated mitochondrial deletion frequency seen in old mice (Fig. S9).
Consistent with differences we observe in treatments, two recent reports have highlighted the distinctive effects of RP and CR in the liver after a 6‐month treatment (Fok et al., 2014; Yu et al., 2014). CR had a larger and mostly opposite effect on the transcriptome compared to RP. Genes associated with mt function and antioxidants were among the top upregulated with CR, while most transcripts changed with RP were downregulated. No significant change was observed in the liver metabolome by RP, but CR had a larger effect changing metabolites associated with energy status. Compared to CR, RP showed no protective effect on fat mass, insulin sensitivity, redox status, or the fatty acid oxidation in liver. These results track with our observations of distinctive differences in mt protein abundance (Fig. 5A,B), polysome loading (Fig. S10 A,B), and ~40% lower effect on protein half‐lives (Fig. 3A,C) by RP compared to CR.
A cautionary note is that the effects of CR and RP on the proteome appear to be different depending on the tissue examined. We have recently reported that short‐term CR and RP in the heart produced similar proteome effects, both treatments restoring proteins involved in mitochondrial function, electron transport chain, fatty acid oxidation, and TCA cycle into youthful levels. Furthermore, both treatments reversed age‐dependent cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction to the same extent (Dai et al., 2014). The magnitude of change in protein HLs by OCR in the heart was similar to liver (~45% longer than OCL), but ORP induced a bigger change in the heart (27% longer compared to only 15% in the liver). Overall, the changes in proteome turnover and abundance were highly similar in both treatments, including effects on mt proteins, in contrast to our observations in the liver. Therefore, these treatments, especially RP, appear to have much different effects on the proteome and physiology depending on the tissue type, with heart and liver perhaps lying at extremes, considering their disparate function and energetics.
In summary, we investigated the effect of CR and RP in parallel on young and aged mouse protein turnover, abundance, and polysome loading. Our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the idea that CR's beneficial effect on lifespan is mediated to a large extent by a restoration of a more youthful proteome: A majority of the metabolic pathways were significantly altered by aging, and this was reversed in OCR. The effects of RP in liver are complex and, in many cases, dissimilar to those of CR, but nevertheless indicate a large impact on proteome dynamics. Ribosomal and mt proteins in particular behaved very differently in OCR and ORP (Fig. 3A,C‐E, Fig. 5A,C‐E). Increased HLs after RP and decreased relative protein abundance in many key metabolic pathways in old mice, coupled with increased polysome loading (most likely due to a reduction in elongation rate), suggest a slowing of protein synthesis with production of higher quality, longer lived proteins after RP. Overall, our data provide the first comprehensive analysis of proteome dynamics with aging and subacute CR, and RP and underline a functional connection between protein homeostasis and longevity.After reviewing the charges against three former members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign — the first charges to come from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — I have reached the following conclusion: LOCK HER UP!
By “HER” I mean Hillary Clinton, and by “LOCK” and “UP” and the exclamation point I mean put Clinton — aka, “HER” — behind bars.
The indictments of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates, along with a guilty plea by former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos show the obscene lengths Clinton went to in an effort to make Trump look bad.
Honestly, it’s shameful. Not only is she responsible for this entire “witch hunt,” as Trump calls the Mueller investigation, but now she’s seeing to it that actual witches get caught, a move that GREATLY LESSENS the dismissiveness of calling something a witch hunt.
LOCK HER UP! LOCK HER UP!
Manafort and Gates are charged with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money and acting as unregistered foreign agents, among other things. The charges largely revolve around work they did for a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine.
Papadopoulos, a 2009 graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of a deal. According to court documents, he had multiple interactions during the campaign with an overseas professor he believed to be connected to the Russian government and was told the Russians had “thousands” of Clinton’s emails. The documents say Papadopoulos tried to arrange a meeting between Russian government officials and members of the Trump campaign.
In response to these developments, Trump sensibly tweeted: “But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????”
That is such a good question, and it truly merits five question marks.
If there’s one thing we know, Crooked Hillary is to blame for everything. Why? Because Republicans want her to be, and it’s not possible to believe in two controversies at the same time.
Christopher Katsarov / The Canadian Press Hillary Clinton speaks to an audience as she promotes her new book "What Happened", Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 in Toronto. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Hillary Clinton speaks to an audience as she promotes her new book "What Happened", Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 in Toronto. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) (Christopher Katsarov / The Canadian Press)
You might say, “Gee, couldn’t it be true that Clinton engaged in some dodgy behavior AND people around Trump also engaged in dodgy behavior?”
No. The answer is no. It was decided years ago that there can only be one dodgy person, and it’s Clinton. I don’t make the rules. (Fox News does.)
Knowing that, here’s what we know based on what we have been programmed to think we know:
When she wasn’t busy killing people or loading our precious uranium supplies into Russian nuclear warheads in exchange for money she used to fund a pizza parlor that served as a front for a child sex ring, Clinton convinced Trump’s adult children to advise Trump to hire Manafort to run his presidential campaign.
She even bribed Trump advocate Newt Gingrich to glowingly tweet: “Nobody should underestimate how much Paul Manafort did to really help get this campaign to where it is right now.”
For years before that, Clinton forced Manafort and his business associate Gates to make bazillions of dollars doing political work for Putin-hugging politicos in Ukraine. She then forced them to launder much of that money, setting them up for future charges.
Paying attention even to tiny details, Clinton had the Trump campaign encourage only one change to the GOP platform at its 2016 convention: the removal of language that suggested the United States arm Ukrainians to help them push back against Russian aggression. Clever move, Clinton.
It’s clear from Mueller’s court documents — if you read between the lines with your head in a microwave — that the Russia-connected “overseas professor” who met Papadopoulos was actually Clinton wearing a costume. She is known as a master of disguise, which explains how she hid her identity while shooting President John F. Kennedy, raiding the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and being Charles Manson.
During the presidential campaign, she covertly started chants of “LOCK HER UP!” at Trump rallies, knowing that people who wanted her to go to prison for violating government email rules might later look silly when they shrugged off 12-count federal indictments against Trump supporters as “nothing burgers.”
These facts I’m highlighting should be more than enough to show that Clinton was involved in a wide-ranging conspiracy to create a conspiracy against Trump, one that he and his followers would believe is a conspiracy for which she was to blame. (That woman is devious!!)
But the icing on the Clinton-baked cake is this: Months after she purposely lost the election, she got Mueller — a lifetime Republican highly respected by members of both political parties — to convince a federal judge to convene a grand jury. Then she managed to get her Clinton tentacles on each member of that independent grand jury and force them — presumably under threat of death by uranium poisoning — to indict Manafort and Gates.
And in an act of mercy, she allowed Papadopoulos to cut a plea deal, presumably because she felt bad that she fooled him with that professor costume.
It’s sinister. It’s telling.
And it’s the only possible explanation.
Because Hillary Clinton has to be blamed for everything.
Rules are rules.
[email protected]
Related: Trump's reckless style just caught up with him »
Donald Trump is done »
If Trump seems hysterical now, just wait. »
Where will Robert Mueller's investigation go next? »Wesley Worrell stepped out of his large pickup truck in front of his local post office, which is open just four hours a day, in Newton, an incorporated area in Virginia's King and Queen County.
He took a moment to vent his frustration against the ruling class. "I don't trust the government," said Worrell, a 54-year-old father of five who grew up in the county, a two-and-a-half hour drive south of Washington, DC. "All politicians do is fatten their pockets.”
Because of his distrust, Worrell does not plan to vote in Virginia's gubernatorial election on Tuesday, which is generally viewed as the first major opportunity to take the temperature of the electorate in the era of Donald Trump.
Virginia is considered a swing state, which means that neither Democrats nor Republicans have a clear majority. The state voted twice for both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In last year's presidential election, Hillary Clinton carried Virginia by a 5 percent margin against Donald Trump.
In this election, the candidates are the Republican loyalist and lobbyist Ed Gillespie and the Democrat Ralph Northam, the current lieutenant governor. Worrell said he wouldn't give either one his vote because neither would bring real change.
Worrell voted for Trump last year, but he questions the president's intellect now
'Not very intelligent'
Worrell considers Barack Obama the worst US president in history, saying he believes that Trump's predecessor had "socialist ideas." Though he originally supported Trump because "he had said some things I agree with," he has soured on the real estate mogul since he became president.
"He is a liar," Worrell said. "And you can't trust a liar." He believes that Trump is incapable of changing things, which he blames partly on Congress and partly on the president. Worrell laments that lawmakers can't make compromises anymore and that Trump cannot delegate and wants to do everything himself.
"He is not very intelligent," Worrell said. "You can see that the way he talks." Still, he added, Trump is a billionaire who ran a big company.
Making life worse
Worrell spends months away from home constructing sawmills for lumber companies across the United States. He said working people "don't get any relief from the government."
Though his business was good in the 1980s and 1990s, Worrell said, it went downhill at the beginning of the 2000s and has not recovered.
Worrell blames the government, not just in Washington, but also in Virginia, for making life not better, but worse for people.
A state divided
Worrell's general sentiment — a negative view of Trump coupled with a limited interest in Virginia's election or knowledge about its candidates — was shared broadly by half a dozen people in King and Queen County who recently offered their opinions on the state election and President Trump. King and Queen County is sometimes viewed as a swing county in a swing state.
Virginia is generally divided between its southern and more rural parts, which tend to vote Republican, and the area bordering the Washington metropolitan area, which leans Democratic. King and Queen County has flipped in recent presidential elections.
Though it is located in an otherwise traditionally Republican-voting region, the small county, which has a sizable African-American population, voted for Obama in his first election, but four years later went for his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, and last year voted overwhelmingly for Trump.
The Trump referendum?
Phyllis Scott, a 58-year old mail carrier and a Democrat, voted for Clinton last November. On Tuesday she will vote for the Democrat, Northam, even though she is not particularly excited about him or against his Republican opponent. When the conversation turned toward Trump, Scott was more outspoken.
"He is just trying to burn everything up that all the presidents before him built up," she said outside Bradley's Convenience Store, which, with its small restaurant inside and its gas station outside, serves as one of the county's major gathering points. She hopes that Northam, if elected, will act as a check on Trump.
No one here cares much about the state election at all, said Eric Phipps, a mechanic who was taking a break at Bradley's. Phipps, who is 38, said he would vote for Northam, but expressed no excitement for the Democratic candidate, who, like his Republican opponent, represents the party's traditional establishment.
Phipps is much more animated about the Trump presidency: He used an expletive and called the administration a "circus." He said he would love it if Trump were impeached and forced to leave the White House so long as Vice President Mike Pence, a conservative evangelical, did not automatically become Trump's successor. "I don't want to have a theocracy either," Phipps said.
Pining for Reagan
Evelyn Taylor, a 69-year-old Republican retiree, said she would vote for Gillespie on Tuesday. She is lukewarm at best in her support for her candidate. Taylor said Northam was "against gun rights," but would not go into specifics.
Like the others, she is no fan of Trump. "I don't think he has class," Taylor said. "We need to have a president we can be proud of," she added citing Ronald Reagan as the US's model chief executive.
Ed Gillespie
The attitudes expressed by residents of King and Queen
|
right)
Although they are in the very early stages of examining the house interior, the quality and quantity of what has been uncovered so far has left archaeologists "very excited".
The site has the "potential for more uncommon household objects including tools, cutlery and even furniture," they said.
The excavation is being jointly funded by Historic England and quarry owner Forterra.
Pompeii, in ancient Rome, was hit by a volcanic eruption in AD 79.
Tonnes of ash fell, preserving much of the city for thousands of years.
Bronze Age Europe and Britain
Image copyright British Museum Trustees Image caption Gold cape discovered in Mold, north Wales - a supreme example of Bronze Age art
The Bronze Age in Britain lasted from between 2500 and 2000BC until the use of iron became common, between 800-650BC
It came after metalworkers discovered that adding tin to copper produced bronze, used for tools and weaponry which were much more hard-wearing
The Greek poems of Homer - though composed later - look back to a time when bronze weapons were used
Classic Bronze Age remains include sophisticated axes, precious gold objects, and round burial mounds or "barrows" of which many can still be seen in Britain
BBC History - Bronze Age Britain
BBC Bitesize - What was Bronze Age life like?Advertisement
The typical refrain you hear when some introduces a new transistor design or material goes something like: “Let me know when you make a simple logic circuit.”
Okay, researchers at Harvard University, led by Charles Lieber, would like to let you know that they have used nanowires to create for the first time programmable logic “tiles”. The researchers dubbed the term “tiles” with the idea that each tile, which would have up to eight distinct logic gates, could be connected to other tiles to execute more complex logic functions.
An article here on the pages of Spectrum online has more on this breakthrough and the background research developments that led to it.
Just a personal note to this thorough article and the research, I have often gone back to an article penned by Professor Lieber back in 2007 for Scientific American entitled The Incredible Shrinking Circuit to inform my understanding of nanowire research, so I am always intrigued to see what he and his team are doing in this field.
While Lieber concedes that these nanowire-based logic tiles will not replace CMOS, since the transistors operate at comparatively slow speeds of only 10 to 100 megahertz, their high density and low power consumption could make them attractive for a “controller for some microelectromechanical device.”
Application possibilities are intriguing, but what is most appealing about this breakthrough to me is that it seems to be a major step in the process of leading us further down the road of the incredible shrinking circuit.When we hear accounts of film producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexually predatory behavior, it’s natural to want to punish him, to focus on the evil that resides in the few “bad apples.” But my research into the social psychology of power suggests that — without exculpating corrupt individuals — we need to take a hard look at the social systems that give rise to their actions. Power makes ordinary citizens behave like Weinstein, a phenomenon that might be called the banality of the abuses of power. People who feel powerful are prone to two shortcomings: They develop empathy deficits and they behave in impulsive fashion. Our research shows that these two tendencies manifest in inappropriate sexual behavior in male-dominated contexts. The challenge, then, is to change social systems in which the abuses of power arise. First, we need to hear tales from those abused by the powerful, as these tales galvanize change. We also need more women in power, as greater numerical balance between people of different groups constrains the abuses of power. Finally, we need to take on the myths that sustain the abuses of power, such as the belief that women are aroused by men in power; research shows the opposite is the case.
Stockbyte/Getty Images
When I first heard accounts of film producer Harvey Weinstein’s predatory behavior, my mind devised punishments fitting for Renaissance Europe or the film A Clockwork Orange: Cover his face with a shame mask widely used centuries ago in Germany; shock his frontal lobes so that he’d start empathizing with the women he’s preyed on. When we learn of injustice, it’s only human to focus on how to eliminate or punish the person responsible.
But my research into the social psychology of power suggests that — without exculpating corrupt individuals — we also need to take a hard look at the social systems in which they commit their abuses.
For 25 years, I and other social scientists have documented how feeling powerful can change how ordinary citizens behave — what might be called the banality of the abuses of power. In experiments in which one group of people is randomly assigned to a condition of power, people in the ”powerful” group are prone to two shortcomings: They develop empathy deficits and are less able to read others’ emotions and take others’ perspectives. And they behave in an impulsive fashion — they violate the ethics of the workplace. In one experiment, participants in power took candy from children without blinking an eye.
Our research also shows that these two tendencies manifest in inappropriate sexual behavior in male-dominated contexts, echoing the accounts of the women assaulted by Weinstein. Powerful men, studies show, overestimate the sexual interest of others and erroneously believe that the women around them are more attracted to them than is actually the case. Powerful men also sexualize their work, looking for opportunities for sexual trysts and affairs, and along the way leer inappropriately, stand too close, and touch for too long on a daily basis, thus crossing the lines of decorum — and worse.
These findings from laboratory studies tell us that abuses of power are predictable and recurring. So too does a quick reflection on history. While I’ve been studying power, each year there’s been a new example of a powerful man sexually abusing others, and in every imaginable context — religious organizations, the military, Capitol Hill, Wall Street, fraternities, sports, the popular media, tech, labs, and universities.
We should also take a lesson from the now-canonical studies of Stanley Milgram on obedience to authority. Those studies, inspired by Milgram’s quest to understand the conditions that gave rise to Nazi Germany, showed that authoritarian contexts can prompt ordinary, well-meaning citizens to give near-lethal shocks to strangers off the street. In a similar fashion, contexts of unchecked power make many of us vulnerable to, and complicit in, the abuse of power. We may not like what’s going on, but many of us wouldn’t do anything to stop it. This doesn’t excuse the rest of us any more than it excuses the powerful for their crimes, but it should prevent us from telling ourselves the comforting lie that we’d behave better than the people in The Weinstein Company who reportedly knew what Weinstein was doing and failed to put a stop to it.
The challenge, then, is to change social systems in which the abuses of power arise and continue unchecked. And on this the social psychology of power offers some insights.
First, we need to hear tales from those abused by the powerful, as difficult and unsettling as it can be to share these stories. Kudos to the brave people who are calling out the bullying and sexual abuse of Weinstein and others. These tales galvanize social change. For example, when English citizens started to hear the stories about the treatment of slaves on slave ships in the 1700s, the moral calculus of the slave trade started shifting, and antislavery laws followed. Telling such stories also functions as a means by which those with less power construct the reputations of those in power and constrain their impulsive tendencies.
We are also learning of the many benefits of women rising to positions of power, from lower rates of corruption to more-profitable bottom lines. Hollywood is one of the most male-dominated sectors, where only 4% directors are female; more female directors and producers would change the balance of power in filmmaking. Studies show this kind of systemic change will reduce the likelihood of sexual abuse. For example, ethnic minorities are more likely to be targeted in hate crimes as the numerical advantage enjoyed by whites increases. Greater numerical balance between people of different groups constrains the abuses of power: Those from less powerful groups have more allies, they are more likely to be watchfully present in the contexts in which the powerful abuse power, and they are more likely to feel empowered to speak truth to power.
Finally, we need to take on the myths that sustain the abuses of power. Social scientists have documented how coercive power structures sustain themselves through social myths, which most typically justify the standing and unfettered action of those at the top. We’ve heard them before: “Women aren’t biologically equipped to lead.” “African Americans aren’t worthy of the vote.” “He may scream at people and cross some lines, but he’s a genius.” And a favorite in Hollywood: “Women are turned on by men with power like Weinstein.” Actual scientific studies find something quite different: When women (and men) are placed into positions of less power, their anxiety, self-consciousness, and worry rise dramatically, and their pleasure and delight, including sexual, are turned off.
This moment has the potential to become a tipping point in the fight against systemic sexual assault. For it to live up to the promise of this billing, we have to recognize the banality of Harvey Weinstein, and turn our attention to changing the social context in ways that make the human tendency to abuse power a thing of the past.“This path should lead us straight to the grave.”
From Earth to Mars and everywhere in between, join Guardians Leah and Karl, with guests CJ Black (@CoffeeJezus) and Paddy Smith (@PaddyStardust) along with contributions from our fantastic community as they tackle Bungie‘s epic multiplayer space shooter, Destiny.
http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_284.mp3
Music used in this issue:
1. The Tower by Michael Salvatori, C Paul Johnson, Martin O Donnell & Paul McCartney
2. Hope for the future by Michael Salvatori, C Paul Johnson, Martin O Donnell & Paul McCartney
Cane and Rinse 284 was edited by Jay Taylor (@JaySevenZero).
The OH THE HUMANITIES podcast CJ references at the end of the podcast can be found HERE
Do you have an opinion about a game we’re covering that you’d like read out on the podcast? Then venture over to our forum and check out the list of upcoming games we’re covering. Whilst there you can join in the conversations with our friendly community in discussing all things relating to videogames, along with lots of other stuff too. Sound good? Then come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forumImage copyright AFP Image caption Conflict has blighted northern Mali for decades
The Malian government has signed a ceasefire deal with rebels in a bid to end long-running unrest in the country's north.
As part of a UN-sponsored peace process, both sides agreed to an "immediate cessation" of hostilities.
The deal was signed during talks that began in Algeria on Monday.
French and African troops intervened in Mali in January 2013 to stop the southern advance of al-Qaeda-linked fighters on the capital, Bamako.
They were eventually expelled from towns across the north, but both nomadic Tuareg rebels and other Islamist militant groups have remained active.
The deal signed on Thursday was agreed between the Malian government and an alliance of six armed groups.
According to the terms of the truce, both sides agreed to "tackle the causes of lasting tensions in the region", the AFP news agency reported.
Rebels are seeking more autonomy for the north, a region they call Azawad.
Mali's leaders have rejected autonomy but say they are willing to consider devolved local powers.
Analysis: Alex Duval Smith; BBC News, Bamako
The agreement to cease hostilities was the last chance to save the Algiers talks. It came after the United Nations security council threatened Arab and Tuareg rebels and pro-government militias with sanctions.
The talks in Algiers, already in their fifth round, have lost meaning amid intensifying fighting in the past few months. Forty UN peacekeepers have lost their lives in northern Mali - most of them since the talks began in July 2014.
The test of the truce will be whether it is respected on the ground even though none of the fighting parties have been disarmed.North Queensland Toyota Cowboys hooker Jake Granville has returned to the training field but his off-season break was no holiday, as he works to complete his carpentry apprenticeship.
His off-season days involved rising at 5am most days to head to the construction site with Cowboys corporate member, Martin Locke Homes.
Jake worked in the construction industry before joining the NRL in 2009 and came close to finishing his trade qualification with only five training modules to complete.
“I did my apprenticeship for about three years and it got put on the backburner, but I spoke to Lockie [Locke] one day that I was pretty keen to get it done,” he said.
Jake is a firm believer in pursuing a career path for life after football and was keen to take the opportunity to sharpen up his tradie skills towards completing his qualification.
“I’d love to play footy forever, but unfortunately I don’t think that’s possible, so I see completing my apprenticeship as very important for the future,” he said.
“It's something I enjoy and it’s good to be back on the tools.”
Locke, director of Martin Locke Homes, played 54 first grade games for the Cowboys, and understands the challenge of juggling work with football.
“I remember working one Saturday morning and playing that night, but you can’t do that any more,” Locke said.
“It’s hard to do these days, pro football is all consuming so credit to Jake for wanting to finish his apprenticeship.”
Opportunities for personal development and career planning are a priority for the Cowboys, with fifteen current players, including Jake, also studying to complete a double-diploma in Hospitality Management and Business Management with major partner, Allara Learning.
The club's official tertiary education partner, James Cook University, also provides study options for a number of Cowboys players to help them prepare for their off-field careers after retirement from rugby league.A cup final, a top of the table(-ish) clash and loads of other goodies this week involving clubs from the SSE Airtricity League. Here's the 5 most interesting things to look out for;
1) Who'll win the Setanta Sports Cup?
The Setanta Sports Cup has lost a bit of it's lustre in recent years but tomorrow's final between Sligo Rovers and Dundalk gives both clubs a chance to win the competition for the first time. Sligo have won everything else in recent times (including at least one major trophy in each of the past 4 seasons) but this is their first Setanta Cup final (they lost in the semi-finals 4 consecutive years). Dundalk will see winning this trophy as another important step on their recovery as a club. From relegation play offs in 2012 to league runners up last season was a huge step and they're the best side in the league not to win something over the past couple of years. Both sides like to play quick, attacking football and the game should be a cracker. Kick off is 4pm on Saturday and it's live on Setanta Sports Ireland.
2) Will Pats or Cork be top tonight?
Advertisement
With Dundalk not in action, the battle of 2nd v 3rd in Richmond Park will see the winner go top of the league. The sides played out a one-one draw at the start of the season which saw Cork complain about card-happy referee Padraigh Sutton sending off their captain John Dunleavy. Sutton has reffed both teams once since. He sent off Darren Dennehy for Cork (v UCD) and Greg Bolger and Killian Brennan for Pats (v Dundalk). When he reffed this tie last season he sent off Kalen Spillane for Cork and awarded an injury time penalty to Pats to set up a late, late winner. Cork are looking to bounce back from last week's thrashing away to Dundalk while Pats are looking for their 4th straight win at home. Let's hope the game isn't decided by the officials
3) Can Rovers get back to winning ways?
Only a 96th minute equaliser last week in Tallaght stopped Shamrock Rovers dropping to a shock defeat at home to Limerick. They lacked creativity in midfield last week without Stephen McPhail and Ronan Finn but both aare expected to return tonight. They'll need all they can to breakdown Roddy Collin's Derry City. They mightn't be the most exciting team to watch but they're looking pretty solid at the back. A draw in Inchicore and a Rovers win will see them go top of the table.
Advertisement
4) Any team going to put a gap between them and the bottom 2?
With Athlone struggling, the battle to avoid that relegation play off is pretty tight. 2 points cover the 6 teams from 6th to 11th position and 4 of them play each other tonight. Bray Wanderers have looked the best of these sides early on and they host Limerick hoping to widen that gap to 5 points. Bohs host UCD looking for only their 3rd home win in the league in the last 12 months. They'll have been buoyed by beating St Pats in the League Cup during the week.
5) How many points will Shels lead the First Division by this weekend?
Troubled Waterford United host Shelbourne tonight and it remains to be seen how focussed they are on beating the league leaders. A win for the Blues may bring them back into play off contention but Shels will be looking to extend their lead. 2nd place Wexford Youths travel to the disappointing pre-season favourites Longford Town with a 5 point gap between the sides. A win for Wexford could see the end of Tony Cousins' reign in Longford.
Whatever happens, enjoy the games!USAA lawyer accused of seeking sex with minor
USAA attorney Robert Michael Bohanek was released from Williamson County Jail after posting bail. USAA attorney Robert Michael Bohanek was released from Williamson County Jail after posting bail. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close USAA lawyer accused of seeking sex with minor 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
A USAA attorney expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl whom he'd allegedly propositioned online was arrested by the car wreck attorney Crimes Unit over the weekend.
Robert Michael Bohanek, 44, had been communicating with an undercover officer posing as a teen for less than a week when they'd arranged to meet at a movie theater in Cedar Park, according to the attorney general's office.
He was arrested on one count of online solicitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and was released from Williamson County Jail after posting $20,000 bail.
“Like all of our other cases, if we would not have shown up, [Bohanek] would have sexually assaulted a young child,” said Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the unit. “These predators can be from any walk of life. Anybody who has a moral compass would look at a 44-year-old man trying to assault a 14-year-old girl and be surprised.”
A LinkedIn profile attributed to Bohanek states that he is the executive director of USAA's communications and mobile counsel unit and that he joined the company as a Florida patent attorney in 2007.
Jen Becker, a spokeswoman for USAA, confirmed that Bohanek is an employee and that the company is “aware of the situation and cooperating fully.” She declined to comment further.
According to a news release from the AG's office, Bohanek initiated and then participated in “sexually graphic online chats with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl” but who was really an undercover cyber crimes officer.
The release says Bohanek and the “girl” also exchanged text messages and emails and that he sent her text messages with photographs of women's clothing.
The release says that after Bohanek propositioned the undercover officer, the two arranged to meet Saturday in Cedar Park. There, officers arrested Bohanek and found a bag of women's clothing identical to the garments shown in the texts.
Officers also searched his vehicle, the release states, and a home in San Antonio where he lives with his wife.
Online solicitation of a minor is punishable by two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Bohanek's arrest marked the 140th for the Cyber Crimes Unit, which was developed in 2003 to target online sexual predators.
Strickland said Bohanek's professional background wasn't surprising, explaining that there is no prototype for cyberpredators.
“We realized very quickly that there is no one set profile for someone who would take their online activity and use it to exploit children sexually,” Strickland said.
“We've seen professionals, police officers, unemployed people, teachers, lawyers — it really has opened our eyes. The stranger profile no longer exists, and parents need to be more aware than ever.”Image copyright Department of Regional Development Image caption One of the designs for the proposed new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Lagan
The public is being asked for views on a proposed new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the River Lagan in south Belfast.
If the project goes ahead, it will link the Gasworks business park with Ormeau Park.
Nine designs have been drawn up and will be put on display at three venues in Belfast.
Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said initial work on a feasibility study was due to be completed next month.
'Iconic landmark'
Public information days are being held in Belfast City Hall on Thursday, the Ozone leisure complex on Monday, and Shaftesbury community and recreation centre on Tuesday.
Mr Kennedy said he intended to develop "an iconic, landmark pedestrian and cycle bridge which will connect two of the city's key assets".
"The existing paths within Ormeau Park are widely used for walking and cycling, while the recent introduction of woodland bicycle trails in Ormeau Park make it an attractive green space in the city centre," he said.
"Importantly, the proposed bridge will build on my commitment to promote and develop cycling as it will provide a quiet route for cyclists and pedestrians to and from the city centre."The world’s largest wind facility, called the London Array, which uses Siemens equipment and cost almost $3 billion, was recently inaugurated off Britain’s east coast. With 630 megawatts of capacity, it is comparable to or bigger than conventional generators.
Far larger projects, like one called East Anglia, which might be more than 10 times the size of the London Array, are under discussion for off the British coast.
Siemens figures there are about 3.3 gigawatts of offshore wind power connected to the grid in Europe. That is similar in size to a large contemporary nuclear power station. The company also expects the global market to grow 20 percent a year for the next few years, but that will depend on many factors, including costs and government support.
Offshore wind has advantages beyond the presence of sea breezes. The seabed is relatively cheap real estate, and much larger wind farms can be built there than on land. The vast expanses available at sea allow economies of scale that may bring down costs.
In addition, sea-based wind farms are less likely to set off aesthetic or environmental objections than land-based ones. Although there is worry that their fast-turning rotors may put seabirds at risk, particularly on foggy days, and grumbling that the big white pinwheels spoil views, they are being placed farther and farther out to sea to partly quell the complaints.
Siemens acquired a foothold in the industry by buying the Danish company Bonus Energy in 2004. Since then, it has been scaling up the turbines and trying to streamline their installation. The company is a global leader in the offshore business, with 1,200 turbines fully installed and another 1,200 on order, costing several million euros each. Major competitors include General Electric, Vestas and Chinese companies.
On an installation called Riffgat that Siemens is now finishing off Borkum, Germany, one of a chain of sandy islands that run along the German and Dutch coastlines, it managed to cut turbine installation times to 14 hours — no small feat for units that have rotor diameters of 120 meters and weigh 250 tons.Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement The US military has joined efforts to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico as fears rise about its scale. Five times as much oil as previously thought could be leaking from the well beneath where a rig exploded and sank last week, the US Coast Guard says. Rear Admiral Mary Landry said 5,000 barrels a day were thought to be gushing into the sea off Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security has designated the spill as one of "national significance". Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who is to go to Louisiana to oversee operations, told reporters in Washington that this designation would allow resources to be ordered in from other areas of the US. At the same briefing, a coastguard official said the oil slick was expected to wash ashore on the Gulf Coast on Friday. And Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior David Hayes said the US government had ordered inspections of all deep-water oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico to see if anti-spill regulations were being followed. ANALYSIS Andy Gallacher, BBC News, Venice, Louisiana The newly-discovered leak and the news that up to five times as much oil is now leaking from the sunken rig have given a new sense of urgency to the situation here on the Gulf Coast. The huge slick is now close to reaching land and if the weather turns as forecasters predict, the oil may reach the coastline sooner than thought. Attempts at controlled burns may be inevitable but Louisiana is now asking for outside help to try to stem the flow of oil. There is some dispute as to how much oil is now spewing from the sunken rig but all along this delicate coastline, officials are preparing themselves for what could be a huge environmental disaster. The oil slick caused by the leak is 45 miles by 105 miles and is heading towards the coast. If the coastguard estimate is correct, within two months the spill could match the 11 million gallons spilt from the Exxon Valdez tanker off Alaska in 1989. Oil giant BP operated the Deepwater Horizon rig. Its chief operating officer of exploration and production, Doug Suttles, welcomed the US military's offer of help. He said the company was using remote operative vehicles (ROVs) to try to find out how much oil was leaking into the sea. "This is very, very difficult to estimate," Mr Suttles told reporters. "Down below the surface we actually can't meter this oil so we can just observe it... what our ROV pictures show to us on the sea floor hasn't changed since we first saw the leak... but what we can say based on what we're picking up on the surface it looks like it is more." Mr Suttles estimated something between 1,000 and 5,000 barrels a day was leaking. Meanwhile, a firefighting expert said the disaster may become the biggest oil spill ever. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Mike Miller, head of Canadian oil well firefighting company Safety Boss, told the BBC World Service: "Probably the only thing comparable to this is the Kuwait fires [following the Gulf War in 1991]. "The Exxon Valdez is going to pale in comparison to this as it goes on." Scientists say only a quarter of local marine wildlife survived the Exxon Valdez disaster. Controlled burn The scale of the operation to contain the oil spill and protect both the US coastline and wildlife is unprecedented, with the military and other government agencies collaborating with BP - which had hired the sunken rig - and industry leaders. How the oil has spread
Approximate oil locations 22 April - 15 May Efforts to stem the flow are being complicated by the depth of the leak at the underwater well, which is about 5,000ft (1,525m) beneath the surface. A coastguard crew has set fire to part of the oil slick in an attempt to save environmentally-fragile wetlands. A "controlled burn" of surface oil took place in an area about 30 miles (50km) east of the Mississippi River delta. But Mr Miller warned that burning off leaking oil was not a long-term solution. "The object of this game is to shut off the flow," he said. Relief well Engineers are working on a dome-like device to cover oil rising to the surface and pump it to container vessels, but it may be weeks before this is in place. OIL SPILL DISASTERS 1991: 520m gallons were deliberately released from Iraqi oil tankers during the first Gulf War to impede the US invasion 1979: 140m gallons were spilt over nine months after a well blow-out in the Bay of Campeche off Mexico's coast 1979: 90m gallons leaked from a Greek oil tanker after it collided with another ship off the coast of Trinidad 1983: 80m gallons leaked into the Gulf over several months after a tanker collided with a drilling platform 1989: 11m gallons were spilt into Alaska's Prince William Sound in the Exxon Valdez disaster
Richard Black's blog In pictures: Efforts to contain leak Send us your comments It is feared that work on sealing the leaking well using robotic submersibles might take months. BP is also working on a "relief well" to intersect the original well, but this is experimental and could take two to three months to stop the flow. Seventy vessels - oil skimmers, tugboats barges and special recovery boats that separate oil from water - as well as five aeroplanes, were working to spray dispersants and round up oil, BP said. Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead after the worst oil rig disaster in almost a decade. Louisiana's coast contains some 40% of the nation's wetlands and spawning grounds for countless fish and birds. AFP news agency reports that two Louisiana shrimpers have filed a lawsuit accusing the operators of the rig of negligence, and seeking at least $5m in damages plus undetermined punitive damages.
Bookmark with: Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionThe bodies of eight officials and journalists who went to a remote village in Guinea to dispel rumors about the deadly Ebola outbreak gripping the region were discovered after a rock-hurling mob attacked the delegation, claiming that it had come to spread the illness, a government spokesman said Thursday.
The delegation had left for the village on Tuesday for what was supposed to be a community event to raise awareness about the Ebola virus, said the spokesman, Albert Camara Damantang. When the angry crowd descended on them, he said, several officials managed to escape and alert their colleagues in Conakry, Guinea’s capital, who sent out a search party.
“They went on a mission to try to sensitize the local population about Ebola, but unfortunately they were met with hostility by people throwing rocks,” Mr. Damantang said.
In the delegation was a sub-prefect, a regional health director and a pastor “who came to offer solace, as well as several journalists from communal radio stations,” Mr. Damantang said. “Among the only survivors we found of those who tried to hide in the bush was the 5-year-old son of the sub-prefect, who was left hiding in the wild.”Share. ''I think you’re going to be really pleased with what they’ve come up with.'' ''I think you’re going to be really pleased with what they’ve come up with.''
CW’s recently-launched The Flash TV has been including a lot of respectful nods to the short-lived 1990 CBS incarnation of DC’s scarlet speedster, in terms of casting. John Wesley Shipp, who played the title role on that series, now plays Henry Allen, Barry’s father. And we recently were introduced to Amanda Pays, who actually played the same role on the new series as on the previous version of The Flash - DC Comics’ Dr. Tina McGee. On top of that, it was recently announced that Shipp and Pays will soon be joined by another notable alum from the show, as none other than Mark Hamill returns to play the Trickster, the villain he portrayed on the 1990 series.
Mark Hamill on Reaction to The Force Awakens Teaser
When I spoke to Hamill recently, I asked him about going back into the world of The Flash - and how it will be interesting playing a new version of the character, unlike, say, his upcoming return as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he’s returning to the same continuity as before.
Said Hamill, “Well listen, it’s really in the embryonic stages. We discussed it over the phone. I like these guys, what they’ve already done with the show. I’m a fan. I had watched all seven or eight episodes that they had at the time.”
Hamill explained that he was approached to appear on The Flash before he knew what character they wanted him to play. “When they asked me to be a part of it, the last thing I was thinking was that I would be returning to that specific role, but I think you’re going to be really pleased with what they’ve come up with. It was totally unexpected.”
Exit Theatre Mode
As for how he felt about returning to the world of The Flash, Hamill remarked, “I said this before [about Luke Skywalker]. It’s like putting on an old pair of pants in the back of the closet and finding out there’s a 20 dollar bill in the pocket. It’s like ‘Oh, wow! I forgot all about this!’ And it’s more enjoyable because it’s so unexpected.”Scattered across the Pacific Ocean, they were some of the last places on Earth to be populated by humans around 3,000 years ago.
Now a genetic study has raised intriguing new insights into who the pioneering sea-going people who first arrived on the remote South Pacific Islands were.
The findings suggest that the first inhabitants on the Polynesian islands did not come from New Guinea as originally thought.
The first people to reach Tonga and Vanuatu in the south Pacific, descended from a mystery group from East Asia (illustrated)
Instead they appear to have come from another mysterious Neolithic East Asian population that is thought to have originated in Taiwan.
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of four individuals of the Lapita culture who lived between 2,300 and 3,100 years ago on the islands of Vanuatu and Tonga.
They compared these to DNA from 778 people who currently live on the islands as well as elsewhere in East Asia and Oceania.
They found that Pacific islanders have a mix of ancestry from Papuan people of New Guinea and the ancient East Asian population.
The scientists say there was almost no Papuan ancestry in the genomes of the four ancient remains they analysed.
The researchers took DNA from the remains of three ancient members of the Lapita culture that lived in Vanuatu. These included a 3,000-year-old skull (pictured) which was found buried in an ancient pot after having being separated from the rest of the skeleton
This suggests that the Papuan people must have arrived on the islands at a later date and mixed with the people who were already living there around 500 to 1,100 years ago.
ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIANS DID NOT EXIT AFRICA EARLY In the first major genomic study of Aboriginal Australians, researchers have confirmed that along with European and Asian ancestral groups, Papuan and Australian genomes too can be traced back to this migration. The new evidence supports the idea that there was just 'one exit event'. However, once out of Africa, the Papuan and Aboriginal ancestors branched off early on, with some eventually reaching Australia, where they would remain isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. A second study looking at the genomes of indigenous Papua New Guineans found they can trace 2 per cent of their genomes to an earlier but now extinct group of Homo sapiens that left Africa around 120,000 years ago. This suggests the ancestors of those living in Papua New Guinea may have met and bred with these earlier pioneers before they died out. However, most populations living outside Africa appear to not have encountered these earlier Homo sapien migrants.
Writing in the journal Nature, Dr David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, said: ‘Our study has shown that many of the first humans in remote Oceania had little, if any, Papuan ancestry, in stark contrast to the situation today.
‘The scenario emerging from ancient DNA analysis is radically different from that suggested by previous genetic studies, which have generally posited that the first people in Remote Oceania and Polynesia had substantial Papuan ancestry.’
The first modern humans who are thought to have spread from southeast Asia to the islands of Indonesia, New Guinea and then onto Australia around 40,000 years ago.
However, outlying islands in the Pacific remained uninhabited until around 3,000 years ago. These people are thought to have used the first boats capable of long distance sea travel.
They also brought several species of domesticated animals and plants to the islands. Distinctive earthenware pottery has been found at many sites inhabited by these pioneers.
It has been previously assumed that these people who formed the Lapita culture were part of the Papuan people of New Guinea – who are descendants of the first wave of humans who spread from southeast Asia 40,000 years ago.
But modern people living in the Pacific islands owe just 25 per cent of their genetic heritage to the Papuans of New Guinea.
Dr Reich and his colleagues analysed DNA from the remains of three skeletons found in a large cemetery on Efate Island in Vanuatu and one from the Talasiu site on Tongatapu island, Tonga.
Pictured is a skeleton from Vanuatu's oldest cemetery outside the capital Port Vila. Ancient DNA has revealed the first inhabitants of Vanuatu and Tonga came from Asia, not other Oceanic populations as has long been assumed
The Lapita culture made distinctive earthenware pottery (pictured) and were thought to have originally been descended from the Papuans from New Guinea, but the new research suggests they were actually formed from a separate wave of migration of Asia
They found that the ancient skeletons were not have any ancestry from the Papuans and instead appear to descend from another unknown group from East Asia.
Traces of these people can still be found today in the genomes of nearly all Pacific Islanders today - from Vanuatu to Hawaii..
Professor Matthew Spriggs, an archaeologist at the Australian National University who was one of the co-authors of the research, said it provides new insights into these people’s ancestry.
He told MailOnline: ‘In this new paper we have basically cracked the problem of the origin of Pacific
|
> perRolePermissions = policyConfiguration.getPerRolePermissions(); for (String role : getRoles(domain.getPrincipals())) { if (perRolePermissions.containsKey(role)) { collectPermissions(perRolePermissions.get(role), permissions, excludedPermissions); } } return permissions; } @Override public PermissionCollection getPermissions(CodeSource codesource) { Permissions permissions = new Permissions(); TestPolicyConfiguration policyConfiguration = getCurrentPolicyConfiguration(); Permissions excludedPermissions = policyConfiguration.getExcludedPermissions(); // First get all permissions from the previous (original) policy if (previousPolicy!= null) { collectPermissions(previousPolicy.getPermissions(codesource), permissions, excludedPermissions); } // Secondly get the static permissions. Note that there are only two sources possible here, without // knowing the roles of the current user we can't check the per role permissions. collectPermissions(policyConfiguration.getUncheckedPermissions(), permissions, excludedPermissions); return permissions; } private boolean isExcluded(Permissions excludedPermissions, Permission permission) { if (excludedPermissions.implies(permission)) { return true; } for (Permission excludedPermission : list(excludedPermissions.elements())) { if (permission.implies(excludedPermission)) { return true; } } return false; } private boolean isUnchecked(Permissions uncheckedPermissions, Permission permission) { return uncheckedPermissions.implies(permission); } private boolean hasAccessViaRole(Map<String, Permissions> perRolePermissions, List<String> roles, Permission permission) { for (String role : roles) { if (perRolePermissions.containsKey(role) && perRolePermissions.get(role).implies(permission)) { return true; } } return false; } /** * Copies permissions from a source into a target skipping any permission that's excluded. * * @param sourcePermissions * @param targetPermissions * @param excludedPermissions */ private void collectPermissions(PermissionCollection sourcePermissions, PermissionCollection targetPermissions, Permissions excludedPermissions) { boolean hasExcludedPermissions = excludedPermissions.elements().hasMoreElements(); for (Permission permission : list(sourcePermissions.elements())) { if (!hasExcludedPermissions ||!isExcluded(excludedPermissions, permission)) { targetPermissions.add(permission); } } } /** * Extracts the roles from the vendor specific principals. SAD that this is needed :( * @param principals * @return */ private List<String> getRoles(Principal[] principals) { List<String> roles = new ArrayList<>(); for (Principal principal : principals) { switch (principal.getClass().getName()) { case "org.glassfish.security.common.Group": // GlassFish case "org.apache.geronimo.security.realm.providers.GeronimoGroupPrincipal": // Geronimo case "weblogic.security.principal.WLSGroupImpl": // WebLogic case "jeus.security.resource.GroupPrincipalImpl": // JEUS roles.add(principal.getName()); break; case "org.jboss.security.SimpleGroup": // JBoss if (principal.getName().equals("Roles") && principal instanceof Group) { Group rolesGroup = (Group) principal; for (Principal groupPrincipal : list(rolesGroup.members())) { roles.add(groupPrincipal.getName()); } // Should only be one group holding the roles, so can exit the loop // early return roles; } } } return roles; } }
Summary of JACC's problems
Unfortunately we've seen that JACC has a few problems. It has a somewhat arcane and verbose API which easily puts (new) users off. We've also seen that it puts too much responsibilities on the user, especially when it comes to customizing the authorization system.
A fatal flaw in JACC is that it didn't specify how to access roles from a collection of Principals. Since authorization is primarily role based in Java EE this makes it downright impossible to create portable JACC policy providers and much harder than necessary to create vendor specific ones.
Another fatal flaw of JACC is that there's not necessarily a default implementation of JACC active at runtime. This means that general Java EE applications cannot just use JACC; they would have to instruct their users to make sure JACC is activated for their server. Since not all servers ship with a simple default implementation this would not even work for all servers.
On the one hand it's impressive that JACC has managed to integrate so well with Java SE security. On the other hand it's debatable whether this has been really useful in practice. Java EE containers can now consult the Java SE Policy for authorization, but when a security manager is installed Java SE code will consult the very same one.
Java SE permissions are mostly about what code coming from some code location (e.g. a specific library directory on the severer) is allowed to do, while Java EE permissions are about the things an external user logged-in to the server is allowed to do. With the current setup the JACC policy replaces the low level Java SE one and thus all Java SE security checks will go through the JACC policy as well. This may be tens of checks per second or even more. All that a JACC policy can really do is delegate these to the default Java SE policy.
Conclusion
The concept of having a central repository holding all authorization rules is by itself a powerful addition to the Java EE security system. It allows one to query the repository and thus programmatically check if a resource will be accessible. This is particularly useful for URL based resources; if a user would not have access we can omit rendering a link to that resource, or perhaps render it with a different color, with a lock icon, etc.
Although not explicitly demonstrated in this article it shouldn't require too much imagination to see that the default implementation that we showed can easily do something else instead and thus tailor the authorization system to the specific needs of an application.
As shown it might not be that difficult to reduce the verbosity of the JACC API by introducing a couple of convenience methods for common functionality. Specifying which principals corresponds to roles would be the most straightforward solution for the roles problem, but a container provided role mapper instance that returns a list of group/role principals given a collection of strings representing application roles and the other way around might be a workable solution as well.
While tedious for users to implement, container vendors should not have much difficulties implementing a default JACC policy provider and activating it by default. Actually mandating providers to USE JACC themselves for their Servlet and EJB authorization decisions may be another story though. A couple of vendors (specifically Oracle themselves for WebLogic) claim performance and flexibility issues with JACC and actually more or less encourage users not to use it. In case of WebLogic this advice probably stems from the BEA days, but it's still in the current WebLogic documentation. With Oracle being the steward of JACC it's remarkable that they effectively suggest their own users not to use it, although GlassFish which is also from Oracle is one of the few or perhaps only server that in fact uses JACC internally itself.
As it stands JACC is not used a lot and not universally loved, but a few relatively small changes may be all that's needed to make it much more accessible and easy to use.
Arjan Tijms
Further reading:Long-held feelings among many Iraqis that their parliament is both ineffective and self-serving has been boosted by recent corruption allegations against the speaker of the house and some lawmakers (AFP Photo/Sabah Arar)
Baghdad (AFP) - As Iraq faces jihadists, financial woes and endemic corruption, parliament -- the heart of its government -- has been mired in turmoil and failed to address the country's problems.
Persistent paralysis and other issues -- most recently corruption allegations against the speaker and some lawmakers -- also bolster long-held feelings among many Iraqis that the legislature is both ineffective and self-serving.
"All of our problems are because of them," Ali Majeed al-Saadi, 26, told AFP on a main commercial street in Baghdad.
Saifeddin Khazali, 33, was also sharply critical when asked what he thought of the legislature, saying: "They don't represent the people."
"I have absolutely no confidence (in parliament)... I don't have any confidence in any MP," Khazali said.
The most recent trouble in parliament began when Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi accused speaker Salim al-Juburi and several lawmakers of corruption and blackmail.
The minister's accusations led to a judicial investigation and resulted in Juburi and two MPs being barred from travelling, while the speaker filed suit against Obeidi, alleging defamation.
Earlier this year, parliament was deadlocked over Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to replace current ministers with technocrats -- a move opposed by powerful parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.
Sessions were repeatedly overshadowed by antics in parliament, including a sit-in by MPs, verbal and physical altercations, and a vote to sack the speaker that resulted in two rival claimants to the post.
Protesters angered by lawmakers' inaction eventually broke into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone area, stormed parliament and temporarily occupied the building.
Zaid al-Ali, a constitutional expert and the author of "The Struggle For Iraq's Future", said the latest problems would not necessarily further reduce confidence in parliament, as it cannot get much lower.
- Parliament considered 'a joke' -
"Ordinary Iraqis already consider the institution to be a joke," Ali said.
The deadlock and chaos in parliament in recent months comes as Iraq faces some of the most dangerous and pressing problems in its recent history -- issues an effective legislature could play a role in addressing.
The country is fighting to push back the Islamic State group, which overran large areas in 2014, and the United Nations has warned that political turmoil in Iraq ultimately benefits the jihadists.
Iraq also faces a major financial crisis caused by slumping oil prices combined with years of mismanagement and graft, and there is widespread anger over rampant corruption and abysmal services.
While there have been frequent problems in parliament of late, ineffectiveness in the legislature is far from new, and what is meant to be one of Iraq's key government institutions is not performing its role.
"Iraq's parliament is and has been one of the most ineffective institutions in the Iraqi state since 2005," said Ali.
"That is very problematic because our constitution establishes Iraq as a parliamentary democracy, and places the Iraqi parliament at the centre of all state activities," he said.
Lawmakers working for their own enrichment or for parties, sects or ethnicities instead of broader national goals are the cause of some of the problems in parliament, and of the widespread anger against it.
There is also no official opposition, and all major parties have ministers in the cabinet -- a situation that emphasises consensus and gives all sides a voice, but also makes it extremely difficult to pass and implement controversial measures.
"On vital issues like security, the parliament has been incapable of passing virtually any legislation," Ali said, and "major reform is impossible in Iraq, because the parliament is an incompetent institution".
New MPs could improve the situation, but the next election is not until 2018, and even then, change is not guaranteed.
In the interim, Iraqis will have to live with a parliament they neither believe in nor trust.
Iraq's parliament is an "unnecessary institution", journalist Ali Hassoun told AFP in Baghdad.
"If it was cancelled, it would be better," he said.On Jan. 20, Jhieriel Rosario posted photos of policemen distributing copies of the Bible to commuters. At first, Rosario found it strange. A policeman, along with someone who was not in uniform, was stopping cars and even jeepneys. He thought it was against the law for civilians to operate checkpoints.
When the policeman gave him a New Testament Bible from Gideons International, Rosario was pleasantly surprised. He praised the men who were distributing Bibles despite the afternoon heat, and shared the good news on Facebook.
ADVERTISEMENT
At this writing, his post had been shared over 24,000 times and had received over 96,000 comments. Most of the comments were like Rosario’s: in praise of the men for their good deed, calling the act a breath of fresh air amid all the bad news usually associated with the police.
But some of the comments were critical. Wasn’t what the men were doing a violation of the separation of church and state? Why didn’t they do it in their private time? How would everyone react if copies of the Koran were distributed instead? Did their superiors know and approve of their act?
I’ll answer these questions in reverse.
I don’t know whether the men had official permission from the Philippine National Police leadership. But if the PNP authorities didn’t know about the issue before, they certainly know about it now. In case the original post did not reach them, I think it’s safe to assume that they follow their own Facebook page, which shared the post the following morning thus: “One PNP good deed this morning.”
If I had to, I’d guess that the men’s superiors didn’t mind their initiative, especially since it resulted in some good publicity.
But what if copies of the Koran were distributed instead? I think it’s fair to assume that a lot of commuters (and commenters) wouldn’t be as pleased. They’d ask the same questions that critics had been asking: Since when have the police been in the business of proselytizing? Why would the police risk delaying traffic to offer commuters a book that they might not want?
I’m sure a lot of commuters and commenters would not mind receiving a Koran—a gift that is arguably more useful to many, as presumably more Filipinos would already have a Bible at home. But what if the book were from a less popular religion, like Hinduism, or even Satanism? What if the book criticized Christianity or promoted atheism?
I suspect that overnight, there would be thousands of experts on the separation of church and state. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, for one, would be all over the news denouncing this blatant violation of religious freedom. It would call the distribution an obvious violation of secularism.
And it would be right.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted our Charter, would agree. In 2013, he wrote in his Inquirer column on secularism in the context of Carlos Celdran’s case: “Nonestablishment of religion is violated when the state shows preference for one religion over others or prefers religion to no religion.”
These policemen, whose authority to represent the state is symbolized by their uniforms, showed preference for Christian religions (particularly Gideons International’s Protestant denomination) when they distributed their Bibles. According to Bernas, the distribution of any religious book by the state is a violation as it shows preference for “religion to no religion.”
Some apologists for the Bible distribution brought up the case of Estrada vs Escritor, one of the precedents for the Philippines’ benevolent neutrality toward religion. In 2006, the Supreme Court decided that Soledad Escritor could not be fired from the government for “disgraceful and immoral conduct.” Escritor was living with her partner without being married to him, which her employers found immoral. But her church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, approved of their relationship, making her dismissal a violation of her religious freedom.
Does preventing policemen from distributing Bibles violate their religious freedom? It depends. If they’re banned from doing so even when they’re off-duty, then yes. But while they’re on duty and paid to do police work, then no.
Not only would the distribution be tantamount to the state showing preference for certain religions (and religion in general), it would be wrong in the sense that any unofficial activity would be. No one would question why it’s wrong for an on-duty policeman to hold a placard in protest of the government or to join a rally in support of a presidential candidate.
Instead of Estrada vs Escritor, the more relevant case here would be Aglipay vs Ruiz. In that case, the court ruled that the stamps printed to commemorate the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress in Manila did not violate secularism because the primary purpose was to promote Manila and attract tourists.
Just last year, the Court of Appeals ruled similarly when it held that the stamps printed to commemorate the 100th founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo was not a violation because its primary purpose was to “generate income for the State, rather than bestow any grant or aid to the INC.”
The principle in both cases is clear: It is okay for the state to do things that benefit religions as long as the benefit is secondary to a primary, secular purpose.
What secular purpose was primarily served by the policemen distributing New Testament Bibles made by Gideons International? None.
The separation of church and state enshrined in our Constitution promises freedom of religion for all. What the policemen did betrays the reality that in the Philippines, some believers are freer than others.
Red Tani is the founder and president of the Filipino Freethinkers.
Read Next
LATEST STORIES
MOST READA treat today for aspiring writers, poets, and Cartoon Caption Contest contestants—a guest post by the writer, poet, and past winner of the New Yorker Caption Contest Cody Walker.
Cody teaches courses in writing, literature, and comic theory at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He’s the author of the poetry collection “Shuffle and Breakdown” and the co-editor of “Alive at the Center: An Anthology of Poems from the Pacific Northwest.” After many years of trying, he won the Caption Contest, in 2010, with this entry:
He also wrote an essay about the trials and tribulations of being fixated on the contest, and how, once he became a finalist, his obsession went from “something that occupied maybe ten minutes of a typical Sunday to something that haunts my days and chills my dreaming nights.” Uh, did I mention that Cody’s a poet? Anyway, the trials and tribulations did eventually result in triumph, which I assume ended the haunting and the chilling.
For me, the most interesting part of the essay was Cody’s use of the Caption Contest in his writing courses. Cody’s winning caption is an excellent example of not only a good joke but also a good sentence. His idea was not unique; there were other captions with the same basic concept:> “Well, the treatment is seventeen light-years away, but that’s what you get for having universal health care.”
“The good news is that I have a cure for what ails you, the bad news is that it’s ten thousand light-years away.”
But these entries, nevertheless, are… light-years away from Cody’s concise setup and punch line.
Anyway, I thought Cody might have more to say about the intersection of good caption writing and writing in general, so I’ve asked him to say more.
Take it away, Cody.
Around eight years ago, when I was teaching a writing course at the University of Washington, I made a change to my syllabus: students would be required to read each week’s
New Yorker, cover to cover. We pored through the letters, the Profiles, the television reviews. No Critic’s Notebook went unnoted, no shout (or murmur) unheard. I asked everyone to bring in several sentences (a John McPhee scale-balancer, a Hilton Als dart) that they wished they had written themselves. All of this reading and highlighting (along with the discussion that followed) proved useful: my students’ writing soon displayed more of the “snap, go, fling” that Whitman praised (he was talking about baseball, but it applies to essay writing as well). But the most important addition to the class was the request that the students try their hand at the cartoon-caption contest—a seemingly fun assignment, but one with serious consequences. As I’ve now preached to countless students (first in Seattle and, more recently, in Ann Arbor), working on captions will make you a better writer.
Inexperienced writers sometimes imagine that good writing comes from good ideas. But that’s not right: good writing comes from good sentences. It comes from caring about sentence construction: the rhythm of the clauses, the placement of the predicate. And working on captions—fiddling with punctuation and modifiers—reinforces this lesson wonderfully. Any sentence that aspires to artfulness—that is, any sentence that you might want to read out loud or share with a friend—makes a kind of gesture (and, in this way, distinguishes itself from the dead-on-arrival sentences often found in textbooks and, I’m sorry to say, student essays). The sentence may raise its (figurative) arms; it may shrug; it may snarl. Whatever the case, it captures an attitude—and it does so efficiently and memorably. Just as good captions do.
Running an in-house (or, rather, in-classroom) Caption Contest at the end of each week provided us with the perfect laboratory in which to discuss these all-important issues of pacing, music, and weight. Plus, we had prizes! After submitting their entries, the students voted for the best of the bunch; then a pair of students tallied the class votes and gave a gift to the winner: a Sonics bobblehead doll, maybe, or twenty dollars’ worth of coffee. Many of the entries struck me as brilliant—though none actually made it into the magazine’s finalists’ circle. (I encouraged the students to submit to the New Yorker contest—and, when they didn’t place in the top three, I told them, “You finished fourth! Fourth is good! Out of five thousand weekly entries: fourth!”) Occasionally, someone’s entry matched the entry of one of the magazine’s finalists, which resulted in the student learning a hard but useful truth:
I also participated in the class contest, but my syllabus disclaimer—“You’re ineligible to collect the prize if you’re absent, if you vote for yourself, or if you have a Ph.D. in comic theory”—proved largely unnecessary. When I finally did win the in-class version of the contest, I let out a “Yes!” that my students reacted to with a mix of surprise and pity. The following semester, I won the in-class contest during the first week and thought, O.K., order restored—maybe I’ll run the table. The weeks wore on; I never won again.
As I’ve continued to use the Caption Contest as a teaching tool, I’ve marked the many ways in which my students’ sentences have improved in the course of each semester. Gone are those too-fancy words that scream “thesaurus”; gone are those unnecessary modifiers. (We consider carefully Mark Twain’s half-serious advice: “When you catch an adjective, kill it.”) Students allow themselves to be bold, to be bracing—to sharpen their font edges. The old Will Rogers line—“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else”—liberates them.
Though I’ve called on the Caption Contest most often in my creative-nonfiction classes, I’ve also sprung it on my fiction and poetry students. In my fiction workshop, we begin with stories as short as a single sentence—from Hemingway’s famous downer (which he may not have written): “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” to Amy Hempel’s magnificent “Housewife”: “She would always sleep with her husband and with another man in the course of the same day, and then the rest of the day, for whatever was left to her of that day, she would exploit by incanting, ‘French film, French film.’ ” The Caption Contest forces students to weigh the value of each word and to consider where the stresses should best fall (Hempel ends her short-short with a double-trochee hammer-blow).
In his essay “Bottom’s Dream: The Likeness of Poems and Jokes,” Howard Nemerov notes that poetry and jokes both find “fault in this world’s smooth façade,” and they do so with an “economy of materials,” a “sudden reversal of the relations of the elements,” and “an apparent absurdity [which], introduced into the context of the former sense, makes a new and deeper sense.” My poetry students and I often wind up talking about the structural similarities between poems and jokes—and here the study of captions again proves useful. Consider the following poems, quoted here in their entirety:
“The Party” Invite Don Rickles.
(By Loren Goodman, from “Famous Americans.” )
“Twenty Questions, the Advanced Edition” “Is it retromingent?”
(By Jason Whitmarsh, from “Tomorrow’s Living Room.”)
Goodman and Whitmarsh each explore the poem-joke nexus, and in doing so they meet Ezra Pound’s challenge to “keep the language efficient.” They also traffic in what Freud, in his book on jokes, calls “bewilderment and illumination”—that state of being pleasantly perplexed until the light bulb switches on. At first, one might ask, “Are these even poems?” But the answer quickly becomes clear. The world of capital-P Poetry itself has a too-smooth façade; these poems crack it. Each poem uses great “economy of materials”: three words. But sometimes three words are all a poem or a caption needs.
A clue that a guest blog post is nearing its end: the writer sends in the funny-sad clowns. I’ll close with my favorite winning caption from the history of the Caption Contest, Jacqueline Tager’s entry from contest No. 10:
The whole history of a relationship pulses in those nine short words. And the gesture is unmistakable: the hesitation at the start (marked by the “well” and the two pauses), followed by the light music of the three “m” words and the devastating final you-asked-for-it wallop. Isn’t this the meanest thing you could possibly say to a clown? I’ve treasured Tager’s triumph for eight years. Write like this, I tell my students. Write like this.
Thanks, Cody. Very well-written, as befits a writer, poet, and, of course, winner of the Caption Contest.My latest commission, the indelible Alfred Pennyworth. Much more than just Batman’s butler, Alfred’s back story has been fleshed out and given more weight over the past few years. We now know a bit more about his military background, and the role he has played in forming Bruce Wayne into the man he is today. I especially love some of the character moments he had in the wake of Damian’s death.
I think as a figure Alfred can come across as a bit bland, so I wanted to give him a unique flavor that would show off him a bit more of his tough side. I used a Lex head because of the gruff expression, and sculpted with hair and stache. His body was Joker, and his bow tie was from fodder. I gave him some gloss and matte highlights, and the coup de ga’ce are his accessories! I made him a silver tray of food as a meal to serve to young Master Bruce, all custom made, even the tray. And, on occasion, Alfred has been known to pack some heat, so I gave him a sawed off shotgun for when guests of Wayne Manor become “a little worse for wear.” I hope the new owner enjoys him as much as I did making him.
See you in the future!
ACThe visuals all across the NFL, from Lambeau Field to London, declared an unemployed quarterback named Colin Kaepernick as the biggest winner of the day. He started this movement by sitting next to some Gatorade buckets 13 months ago during a preseason playing of the national anthem, and it is possible he paid for that protest with the rest of his NFL career.
But this was Kaepernick's defining moment Sunday, far more significant than his two playoff conquests of Aaron Rodgers and his NFC Championship Game victory over Atlanta in 2013. Dozens of NFL players took a knee during the anthem -- Kaepernick's revised form of protesting police brutality and racial inequities in society -- and at night, around the bend from the White House, a whole procession of Raiders took a seat before playing Washington. The Steelers, Titans and Seahawks declined to take the field for the anthem. Scores of players, coaches and owners stood on two continents with arms locked in a show of unity after President Donald Trump profanely called for the firings of men who had peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights.
Professional football players weren't alone in expressing their dissent over the weekend. Bruce Maxwell, Oakland A's catcher, became the first MLB player to drop to a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner." The entire Garfield High football team took a knee in Seattle. Stevie Wonder, legendary singer, took two knees at a New York music festival. Rico LaVelle, national anthem singer at the Falcons-Lions game in Detroit, took a knee at the close of the song and then raised his right fist in the air.
"If we don't protest, how are we going to get our voices heard?" Marlin Briscoe, the first African-American to start a pro football game at quarterback, told ESPN.com by phone. "I've supported everything Kaepernick and those who followed have done."
Nicknamed "The Magician," Briscoe was busy in his Long Beach, California, home on Sunday watching Deshaun Watson, Houston's rookie quarterback, take on Tom Brady in New England. Briscoe thinks Watson plays his style of football, but the rules of engagement have dramatically changed for black quarterbacks over the past five decades. In 1968, after the Denver Broncos of the old American Football League drafted him as a defensive back, Briscoe had to insist on a three-day tryout at quarterback, his position at Omaha University.
Briscoe aced the tryout, ultimately set a Broncos rookie record with 14 touchdown passes in only five starts (Joe Namath threw 15 that year in 14 starts) and then wasn't even allowed to compete for the starting job the next year. A quarterback since his Pop Warner days, Briscoe was forced to leave Denver and switch to wide receiver, a position he'd never played, because of the color of his skin. He became a star receiver for the Buffalo Bills and a two-time champion with the Miami Dolphins.
"Athletes were always supposed to be barefoot and pregnant in my time," Briscoe said. "We weren't supposed to express our views outside of going on the field and playing football. When I was coming up, you couldn't have a black quarterback, center or middle linebacker -- all the thinking positions. When you were in school and a teacher asked what you wanted to be when you grew up, a white kid would say, 'I want to be president of the United States.' You would never hear a black kid say that, including myself.
"Racism has softened over time, but it hasn't been eradicated. And to have some of the same concerns and experiences for African-Americans in 2017 that we had in 1968 is amazing. For African-Americans who can't throw or catch a football, or shoot baskets, or get their music out, there's a helplessness that they feel as a people."
A retired director of a Boys & Girls Club in Long Beach and a former financial broker, Briscoe said he has been sober 25 years after battling a drug addiction that left him, at times, homeless and in jail. He said his white offensive linemen in Denver, most from the South, all rallied around him and told each other, "Don't let them touch The Magician." As proud as he is of Watson, Cam Newton and other black quarterbacks who followed his lead, Briscoe is encouraged by the support offered to today's protesters by their white teammates and co-workers. "It's not just African-Americans speaking out; it's society as a whole," he said. "Back in the day we were alone in our protests and in our pain."
Not this Sunday. This show of solidarity was a blowout victory for Kaepernick, absent in body but so present in spirit. Trump's attack was countered by criticism from an unlikely group, NFL owners ("They're friends of mine," the president said), including one of the seven who contributed $1 million to his inauguration committee (and the only one to gift him a Super Bowl ring), New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. At a political rally Friday night in Hunstville, Alabama, Trump didn't just call your average peaceful protestor a "son of a bitch" who deserved to be terminated; he claimed highly compensated NFL players had forfeited the right to "disrespect" the flag.
People don't disrespect the flag when giving a public voice to the voiceless they believe have been oppressed. They are actually respecting what that flag is supposed to represent.
Colin Kaepernick first started protesting last season by sitting down during the national anthem before a preseason game, and then kneeling during the anthem in Week 1 and throughout the season. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
"Nonviolent protest is as American as it gets," the Ravens' Terrell Suggs said after Jacksonville's 44-7 victory in London, where he took a knee for the anthem. "We knelt with them today and let them know we are a unified front. There is no dividing us."
Put aside your personal feelings about what you witnessed Sunday, pro or con, and review this fundamental concept of American democracy: Freedom of expression is a constitutional right. Many men and women have died protecting it.
Protesting players have not broken any league or team rules. They have done nothing to disrupt the games they're paid handsomely to play, or to prevent teammates from standing and honoring the anthem as they see fit.
And frankly, they've really done this country a big favor. Millions of people who go about their daily lives rarely thinking about systemic imbalances were likely inspired by the NFL protests to at least think and talk about them. In the end, thought and dialogue can bridge even the most stubborn divides.
Not that everyone inside an NFL stadium Sunday was supportive of the cause. Some fans in Indianapolis and New England were among those heard booing players who didn't stand for the anthem. Denver's Derek Wolfe sent a statement to ESPN's Josina Anderson saying, in part, he feels a protest during the anthem is "disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their lives and it's the wrong platform." And that's perfectly fine. Wolfe and the booing fans are only exercising their rights, too.
But the sights and sounds that will endure above all were those that projected unity between white and black, employer and employee. They started on social media, where Brady and Rodgers posted hashtagged messages of love and brotherhood and photos of Brady about to embrace a black teammate, and Rodgers kneeling with white and black Packers. They continued on the field, where fans could see the Lions' 92-year-old owner, Martha Ford, locking arms with 62-year-old head coach Jim Caldwell.
This isn't what the president wanted to see. A political group supporting Trump has started an ad campaign designed to persuade fans to stage a protest of their own. "Turn off the NFL," was the headline in the first posted ad, next to the hashtag TakeAStandNotAKnee and a photo of Trump with his hand over his heart.
It's too bad Trump never bothered to invite some protesting players to the White House for an open and honest discussion on the issues, assuming they would agree to meet him. It's too bad Trump never spent 10 minutes listening to the Eagles' Malcolm Jenkins, who raises his fist during the anthem. You couldn't have a more thoughtful representative of your company -- and your country, for that matter -- than Malcolm Jenkins.
But it's too late for any of that. The president assailed the basic rights of unionized NFL workers, and he ended up unifying the very sport he's trying to tear down. In the end, he made a big winner out of his least favorite athlete, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback who didn't need to be on the field to have his day in the sun.Seeing a boat in someone’s yard is not uncommon. However, when that boat is a 74 foot long, 16 foot wide steel behemoth hand-built from scratch by the owner, it begins to raise eyebrows. Doug Jackson, of Tulsa, Oklahoma has such a boat in his front yard. It’s called SV Seeker, and it’s not something you see every day.
For the past six years Doug has been working to create a boat. It’s the ultimate DIY project which he documents on his YouTube Channel, SV Seeker. He outsources practically nothing. Look at any portion of the boat and you’ll see his work. He even cast his own giant brass propeller.
This isn’t his first vessel either. He built and launched a wooden submarine and began another sub before deciding to build a sailboat.
Doug, and his girlfriend Betsy, have opened their doors to anyone who wants to come and work on the boat. Their gracious hospitality is overwhelming. There is even an apartment on the premises for people who want to stay and work a few nights in a row.
Advertisement
Why did Doug commit his life to building this massive craft? Scientific research, believe it or not. And because he can, because the task itself is like a mountain that demands to be climbed.
Here’s what Doug says on his website about the project:
SV Seeker not just a sailboat. She is certainly not a yacht. She is a work boat. A dream and a tool for making dreams come true. I’ve always wanted to do something grand and daring. Something that filled my passions, not just the hours of my day or a bank account. It started with building submarines, and with confidence it became building Seeker. And when completed I will have every skill I need to keep her in shape, and she will have the strength to take us to the wonders and treasures of the worlds oceans. Seeker will cater to adventurers, explorers, oceanographers, divers, wreck hunters, marine biologists and archaeologists. If you want to be a part, then allow me to welcome you aboard.
Advertisement
And so people from all walks of life make the pilgrimage to Tulsa to lend a hand. Some come just to see the boat in person. The first visitor arrived after driving a motor home all the way from Chicago with his family to volunteer.
Doug purchased his property for just $1500. When I asked him how, he told me a story about how he smiled pretty and talked sweetly and ended up paying twice what the lady wanted for it. Since purchasing it, he made improvements including remodeling the house, building a shop and an enclosed courtyard.
Advertisement
Doug’s life is built around the boat project. His home is modest but comfortable. Essentially, it’s one room with a bathroom and kitchen. The shop he built is actually larger than his house. Out back there’s a shed. In the front yard there’s a school bus body used for storage and, oh yeah, an enormous ocean-going sailboat. Photographs just don’t do it justice. It’s immense.
Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
My fascination with the project began a couple years ago when I saw my first SV Seeker video. I saw a guy, Doug, welding together enormous sheets of quarter-inch steel plate to create the hull of a boat that would be more than 70 feet long when completed.
Advertisement
Building a boat of this magnitude on your own is a feat most people wouldn’t even consider possible. Since then I’ve followed the progress of the boat as Doug published each new episode.
I set out to find out what makes Doug tick. I contacted him to arrange a weekend to come up and work on the boat
|
setting for the comedy duo to perform and shows just how far the country has traveled in the short twenty four years since the Bishop Casey scandal.
The satirical hip hop of their regular songs, and the back and forth between Blindboy Boatclub and Mr. Chrome, has always been reliably damn funny, but there’s also an undercurrent of intelligence and darkness on display. ‘Your Dad’s Best Friend’ is a prime example. You’d be hard pushed to find a darker exploration of masculinity anywhere. The song actually scares me. Elsewhere, the track ‘Up The Ra’ takes aim at armchair Republicanism in a rather unforgiving manner. Essentially, this is some of the most powerful satire that you could ever hope to witness.
Having said that, it is a sign of dire times when it seems the only people in the country making sense have plastic bags on their heads. But there you have it.
Shane J Horan took some fine photos of the spectacle.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Follow Overblown on Facebook and Twitter.Republican presidential hopeful and Muppet surgeon Ben Carson made waves Thursday with his daring new plan to stop women from getting abortions. Building on the logic of his controversial comment about mass shootings from early October, the doctor argued that fetuses should take a more aggressive stance against their attackers.
“I said before that people should rush an active shooter,” said Carson, doing an above average job of stringing words into a coherent sentence. “Likewise, fetuses should go after anyone who invades the sanctity of the womb, and they should go after them with everything they’ve got,” he continued, losing all that good momentum he had built up in the first clause.
“I want to plant in people’s minds what I would do in a situation like this,” Carson explained to an uncomfortable-looking woman at a bus-stop. “As an embryo in the first trimester, I would not just sit there and allow a crazed obstetrician to administer a fatal dose of mifepristone and misoprostol. I would rush him, you know, I would writhe around in there and defuse the situation.”
Villainous women who seek to have their pregnancies terminated criticized Carson’s declaration that “unborn children in the womb are excessively inert and, by implication, at fault for their own abortion.” Carson later clarified his stance: “I do not condone abortion attempts — I am just saying what I would do if, God forbid, I were put in that situation as a developing blastula.”
Carson announced his bold plan just weeks after the doctor revealed in an interview that he would not abort baby Hitler if given the chance. When asked again this week if he still stood by that sentiment, Carson reaffirmed his position, saying “yes, I still wouldn’t kill fetus-Hitler. Hell, if I were in the room when it was happening I would encourage the little guy to fight back and even take a few swings at the doctor myself.”
After a public outcry regarding his hard line pro-Hitler’s-life stance, Carson did back down from his position a bit, stating “at the very least I would encourage Mrs. Hitler to consider adoption for her little boy.”February
Heart-y Party
Tuesday, February 14
Celebrate the little sweethearts in your life with special crafts and sweet treats ($1).
Chinese New Year Lion Dance
Feb. 16
Celebrate the Year of the Pig with Chinese games and crafts and a lion dance by the Kuo Min Tang Physical Culture Association.
Tooth Fairy Fun Day
Sunday, Feb. 17
Have fun while learning how to take care of your teeth. Meet the HDS tooth fair and participate in fun crafts and game to celebrate dental health month. The first 500 HDS members are FREE! This event is sponsored by Hawaii Dental Service.
March
Seuss-tastic Birthday
Saturday, March 2
Celebrate Dr. Seusss birthday with wacky games, colorful crafts and whimsical cupcake decorating ($1).
Mardi Gras Celebration
Tuesday, March 5
Calling all Kings and queens, parade throughout the Center with Hawaiis only Mardi Gras celebration especially for kids!
Keiki Swap Meet
Saturday, March 16
Start cleaning and collecting gently loved childrens items to sell at our next Keiki Swap Meet.
Registration Form Coming Soon
St. Patricks Day
Friday, March 17
Join us for some good green fun.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
April
Spring Fling
Saturday, April 13
Join us for an egg hunt and special spring crafts!
Registration Form Coming Soon
Earth Day
Tuesday, April 23
Learn ways to love and care for our planet.
Easter Sunday Closed
Sunday, April 21Starting in 2018 Korea's population will begin to diminish and in turn become a much more multiracial society.This is according to the country's Statistical Research Institute which in its latest report titled "Korea's Social Trends" said the country's overall population will begin to drop significantly in eight years time due to a staggeringly low birth rate.In fact the report showed Korea taking the title of having the world's lowest birth rate in the past ten years.The country's birth rate reached similar levels as that of advanced nations' in the mid-1980s but since then the rate has been on a downward spiral and in 2008 was recorded at 1.1-9.Based on its compiled data the country's population growth rate between the years 2005 and 2010 has been 0.3 percent and by 2050 the total population is estimated to fall to 42.3 million, down 13 percent from 2009.Demographers say since the late 1980s Korea has been seeing a steady rise in the number of international marriages between immigrant women and Korean men and with this trend most likely to continue the country's population will increasingly become heterogeneous in the years to come.However, they pointed out that it will still take some time for Korea, a now multiracial country to truly become a multicultural society as discrimination toward certain ethnicities due to their nationality especially those from developing countries is an undeniable problem in Korea's society today.Meanwhile the outlook for the country's youth labor market is similarly grim.With more graduates than jobs available the overflow of supply is expected to make it difficult for new grads to find employment at least for the first year after graduation.Jang Ji-yun, Arirang News.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Dr Paul Nolan said there would be long-term consequences if action was not taken
Poorer Protestant boys in Northern Ireland are seriously underachieving at school according to a new report.
Only Roma and Traveller children are getting poorer results, according to the study by the Community Relations Council.
However, the figures show that 76% of Catholic girls from better off backgrounds are among the highest achievers.
Girls from this background are beaten only by Chinese girls in the UK table.
The study by the Community Relations Council has compared all ethnic groups across the UK using five good GCSE grades as the measure of success.
The report found that just over half of Northern Ireland's Protestant boys who do not get free schools meals achieve five GCSEs.
Dr Paul Nolan, the academic who carried out the research, said there would be long-term consequences if action was not taken.
"They are being locked out of employment. Even if we get investment into places like east Belfast, these kids will not be able to get jobs because they won't have the qualifications," he said.
Image caption Carol McCann, principal of St Dominic's, said she was saddened that Protestant boys were falling behind
'Inequalities'
"I think we have been sleep walking into an inequality gap.
"The problem is we're creating inequalities which will later show themselves in the incidents we've seen in recent years in terms of public disorder and a community which feels it has no routes out of poverty, and out of that inequality comes anger and I'm afraid we have an unsettled political future."
BBC News visited two schools to ask the opinion of students and their teachers.
Newtownabbey Community High School in Rathcoole had poor results in the recent past but over the past three years things have turned around.
Principal John Lewis said his pupils had a lot of external pressures.
"Even getting to school is a major achievement for some of them," he said.
"Many of them have complex difficulties and challenges within school and outside. Many of them are easily influenced by other interests out of school, should it be paramilitaries or other attractions."
His students agree. Stephen Baird who is 16, said: "Protestants are taught about flags and the jubilee, whereas I think Catholic teachers want their pupils to do better."
That view is shared by many of the teenagers at the school.
Fifteen-year-old William Glass said: "I think the Catholic religion is stricter than the Protestant one and they go to church more."
Image caption Newtownabbey Community High School principal John Lewis said his pupils had a lot of external pressures
His classmate Demi Hutchinson thought it was also to do with boys in general.
"Girls just tend to work harder, they're more concerned about their future whereas boys are more relaxed about that kind of stuff," he said.
All of the GCSE students interviewed were surprised about the report's findings and were unaware that some Protestant boys were falling behind.
Alan Evans, 16, said: "It's the first I've heard of it and I think more people should know about it."
Across Belfast at St Dominic's Grammar School on the Falls Road, the students were much more aware of Protestant underachievement.
A Level student Finola Bradley thought it was down to a different ethos in the Catholic community.
"Our ethos is to better yourself and I think that's why there's such a drive to do well.
"I think in the past, Catholic working class families especially, didn't really have any other opportunity, so education was the way to get out there and I think that's why education is being pushed."
St Dominic's principal Carol McCann is herself a past pupil of her school.
She said she was saddened that Protestant boys were falling behind, but pointed out that her school had its fair share of deprivation and yet the students still did well.
"We have 15% of our girls on free school meals," Ms McCann said.
"That's five times the average for a grammar school, but the students aren't aware of the difference.
"We're not focused on what they've got or what they haven't got. It's about your work ethic and what you do with your talents."
Education Minister John O'Dowd said the results should not come as a surprise.
Mr O'Dowd said: "I welcome the spotlight it is shining on educational underachievement. It is important that we engage in an informed debate about the future of our education system and I believe this report will be a welcome addition to this debate.
"The figures for young people from all disadvantaged sections of our community are simply unacceptable."
Mr O'Dowd says he's working hard to tackle the inequality.Golang Internals Part 1: Autogenerated functions (and how to get rid of them)
Frank Wessels Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jun 14, 2017
Maybe if you are like us at Minio, you have every now and then come across ‘autogenerated’ functions in your Golang call stacks and wondered what they are all about?
We had a case the other day where the call stack showed something like the following:
cmd.retryStorage.ListDir(0x12847c0, 0xc420402e70, 0x1,...)
minio/cmd/retry-storage.go:183 +0x72
cmd.(*retryStorage).ListDir(0xc4201624b0, 0xdf3b5f, 0xe, 0x25,...)
:932 +0xaf
cmd.cleanupDir.func1(0xf18f1ec540, 0x25, 0x24, 0xde7eb5)
minio/cmd/object-api-com.go:215 +0xe1
cmd.cleanupDir(0x1284860, 0xc4201624b0, 0xdf3b5f,...)
minio/cmd/object-api-com.go:231 +0x1d1
As you can see the second function looks similar to the first function (value receiver, defined in our minio code at minio/cmd/retry-storage.go:183 ), however it takes a pointer receiver instead. Also suspiciously there is just a line number shown for the second function but the file name for the source code is absent.
The code that created this call stack originates from the following function where a (recursive) function is declared that in turn calls storage.ListDir whereby storage is passed into cleanupDir.
// Cleanup a directory recursively.
func cleanupDir(storage StorageAPI, volume, dirPath string) error {
var delFunc func(string) error
// Function to delete entries recursively.
delFunc = func(entryPath string) error {
// List directories
entries, err := storage.ListDir(volume, entryPath)
if err!= nil {
return err
}
// Recurse and delete all other entries
for _, entry := range entries {
err = delFunc(pathJoin(entryPath, entry))
if err!= nil {
return err
}
}
return nil
}
return delFunc(retainSlash(pathJoin(dirPath)))
}
Looking at the code above, one would assume that storage.ListDir (value receiver) is called immediately without any need for a pointer receiver version ( cmd.(*retryStorage).ListDir ) to be called in between. So what is going on here?
Autogenerated functions
Let’s first examine what this pointer receiver function is all about. By running go tool objdump -s ListDir minio we can get the definition of the function and see that it is apparently <autogenerated> :
TEXT minio/cmd.(*retryStorage).ListDir(SB) <autogenerated>
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e00 GS MOVQ GS:0x8a0, CX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e09 CMPQ 0x10(CX), SP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e0d JBE 0x1f2f42
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e13 SUBQ $0x78, SP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e17 MOVQ BP, 0x70(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e1c LEAQ 0x70(SP), BP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e21 MOVQ 0x20(CX), BX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e25 TESTQ BX, BX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e28 JE 0x1f2e3a
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e2a LEAQ 0x80(SP), DI
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e32 CMPQ DI, 0(BX)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e35 JNE 0x1f2e3a
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e37 MOVQ SP, 0(BX)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e3a MOVQ 0x80(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e42 TESTQ AX, AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e45 JE 0x1f2efa
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e4b MOVQ 0x80(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e53 MOVQ 0(AX), CX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e56 MOVQ CX, 0(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e5a LEAQ 0x8(AX), SI
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e5e LEAQ 0x8(SP), DI
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e63 MOVQ BP, -0x10(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e68 LEAQ -0x10(SP), BP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e6d CALL 0x5d5a4
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e72 MOVQ 0(BP), BP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e76 MOVQ 0x88(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e7e MOVQ AX, 0x28(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e83 MOVQ 0x90(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e8b MOVQ AX, 0x30(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e90 MOVQ 0x98(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e98 MOVQ AX, 0x38(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2e9d MOVQ 0xa0(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ea5 MOVQ AX, 0x40(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2eaa CALL cmd.retryStorage.ListDir(SB)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2eaf MOVQ 0x48(SP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2eb4 MOVQ 0x50(SP), CX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2eb9 MOVQ 0x58(SP), DX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ebe MOVQ 0x60(SP), BX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ec3 MOVQ 0x68(SP), SI
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ec8 MOVQ AX, 0xa8(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ed0 MOVQ CX, 0xb0(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ed8 MOVQ DX, 0xb8(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ee0 MOVQ BX, 0xc0(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ee8 MOVQ SI, 0xc8(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ef0 MOVQ 0x70(SP), BP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ef5 ADDQ $0x78, SP
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2ef9 RET
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2efa LEAQ 0x96c2bb(IP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f01 MOVQ AX, 0(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f05 MOVQ $0x3, 0x8(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f0e LEAQ 0x976870(IP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f15 MOVQ AX, 0x10(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f1a MOVQ $0xc, 0x18(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f23 LEAQ 0x9707a2(IP), AX
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f2a MOVQ AX, 0x20(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f2f MOVQ $0x7, 0x28(SP)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f38 CALL runtime.panicwrap(SB)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f3d JMP 0x1f2e4b
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f42 CALL runtime.morestack_noctxt(SB)
<autogenerated>:926 0x1f2f47 JMP cmd.(*retryStorage).ListDir(SB)
So we can see that, about half way in at offset 0x1f2eaa, it calls retryStorage.ListDir (value receiver) which we have defined in our Golang code at minio/cmd/retry-storage.go:183. Before this it sets up all arguments on the stack which includes dereferencing *retryStorage and creating a copy of it on the stack (as retryStorage.ListDir needs).
After the CALL the return arguments are loaded (offsets 0x1f2eaf through to 0x1f2ec3 ) and copied into the appropriate slots (offsets 0x1f2ec8 through to 0x1f2ee8 ) for the return arguments of (*retryStorage).ListDir after which the autogenerated function returns.
So all that (*retryStorage).ListDir essentially does is wrapping the call to retryStorage.ListDir and making sure that the object pointed to by the pointer receiver is not modified.
Why does Golang do this?
Now that we know what (*retryStorage).ListDir does, the next question is why does Golang do this? This has to do with the fact that StorageAPI is an interface type, and therefore the storage argument in cleanupDir is an interface value which effectively is a two-pointer structure: Interface values are represented as a two-word pair giving a pointer to information about the type stored in the interface and a pointer to the associated data.
So when we make the call to storage.ListDir we are caught in the situation that we have access to a pointer to retryStorage but only a value receiver method for ListDir. This is then where the Golang compiler is nice enough to (auto)generate it for us, although it does come at a considerable execution cost since we need to dereference our object and copy the return arguments etc. Thanks to @thatcks for providing a clarification on this point.
What if you don’t want this?
Well, first of all you don’t necessarily need to ‘fix’ anything because there is nothing inherently wrong and your code will run just fine.
However if you do want to fix it, it is deceptively simple: simply change func (f retryStorage) ListDir(...) to func (f *retryStorage) ListDir(...) at minio/cmd/retry-storage.go:183 and you are all set as per:
TEXT github.com/minio/minio/cmd.(*retryStorage).ListDir(SB)
retry-storage.go:199 0x15edc0 GS MOVQ GS:0x8a0, CX
retry-storage.go:199 0x15edc9 CMPQ 0x10(CX), SP
retry-storage.go:199 0x15edcd JBE 0x15efe5
<rest omitted>
Obviously you will want to make sure that your implementation of the function does not by accident change the value of f because you will then start noticing this (which would most likely be a little weird anyway because presumably the intent of changing the contents of f would be of the caller to take notice of this which does not happen with value receiver functions).
And, as a free bonus, you will shave a couple of hundreds of bytes of the size of your executable (for just this single function, not a bad result for just adding a single * in your source code file…).
Conclusion
Hopefully this blog post will have given you some insights into how Golang functions internally and clarifies what these autogenerated functions are about and what you may do about them.
In a later post in this series we will also elaborate more on the performance of pointer receiver versus value receiver functions.For almost 90 years Z Ward was the home to those classified as South Australia's criminally insane.
Water damage is visible in many areas of Z Ward, with a large patch visible on this wall of the large Day Room. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
The rear garden of Z Ward, now lush with grass and tree growth. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
For 88 years the building housed those that were defined as criminally insane, from murderers and rapists to those with severe mental health issues. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
The polychromatic brick work has provided the 1885 building with a lasting, iconic appearance. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Ha-ha walls were a feature of Z Ward. A simple way to provide the appearance of a standard sized wall from a distance, with a trench before the wall doubled its size. The technique used by European farmers to provide high fences for cattle without creating eyesores on the landscape was adapted for Glenside Hospital. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Gouges in the softer, sandstone corner bricks of the rear yard were said to have been made by patients who aimlessly walked the exterior of the building, dragging their fingers along the bricks, to pass their time outside. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
A larger, corner cell that may have doubled as staff accomodation in Z Ward. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
A standard cell for inmates of Z Ward, Adelaide's one-time asylum for the criminally insane. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Looking through an eastern window of Z Ward, the old Glenside Administration building which now houses the SA Film Corporation can be seen. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
A now bleak corner of the Z Ward Day Room shows the intricate steel barred windows and airflow vents that allowed those behind the walls to gain some kind of feeling of what life was like outside. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
The now empty hallway along the top floor of Z Ward, with cell doors open. The facilities could hold approximately 40 patients, with criminally insane patients fenced off from the main population. The hallway floors were originally covered in large slate tiles. Hallways were used as eating areas, with tables and secured chairs filling the top floor hallway, and a billiard table once used in the ground floor space. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
This steel stair case was the only way that patients and staff could travel from the ground to first floor of the main building. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
The bends in the steel bars provide more questions than answers. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Welcome to Z Ward. Once past the iron fence gates and the external building doors and iron gates, patients were greeted with a third set of large iron gates and a firm impression that there would be no escape. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
The last view many a patient would see after being admitted into Z Ward, Adelaide's home for 'criminal mental defectives'. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Opened in 1888, Z Ward was called L Ward until 1932, but when the phonetic link to 'Hell Ward' was discovered the name was changed to Z Ward. (ABC Adelaide: Brett Williamson)
Built in 1885, the first patients were placed in Z Ward in 1887.
The facility catered for up to 40 patients at a time, many simply left their to see out their natural lives due to no other facilities able to accomodate them.
It is also rumoured that a guard also drew his last breath within the walls due to an inmate delivering a fatal blow to the guard's neck with a shovel.
The ward was closed in 1973, with inmates being relocated to other jails around the state.
Threatened with demolition, a local group interested in the history of the building protested the planned destruction and were able to preserve the complex.
At one stage it was thought that the complex could be turned into a medical museum featuring equipment used in the facilites.
Up until recently the premises were used to store the core samples and files of the Department of Mining.
Z Ward was included in a 2.138ha parcel of land placed for sale by the State Government in June 2014.
The building has been listed on State and National History Trust lists.Would you pay to go to space with Leonardo DiCaprio? The Oscar nominee is headed to the final frontier, and one very lucky, very rich, person will make the voyage with him.
At this year's star-studded amfAR's 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala, held at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in France, the 39-year-old Wolf of Wall Street star auctioned off a chance to take an outer space trip with him in 2015. The chance to see the stars with a star sold for around $1.5 million (700,000 Euros).
RELATED: 5 Things You Don't Know About Leonardo DiCaprio
The event, which raises money for HIV/AIDS research, had one of its most successful fundraising galas ever this year, largely due to its incredible lots which sold at the gala's auction. Along with DiCaprio's space voyage, a 1967 painting of actress Marilyn Monroe by pop-art icon Andy Warhol sold for around $477,000 (350,000 Euros) as well as a 1968 painting by legendary artist Pablo Picasso, which netted almost $520,000 (380,000 Euros).
However, it was the work of contemporary artist Damien Hirst that really took in the big bucks. A 10,000-year-old fossil, which was coated in steel, kicked the auction up a notch when it was purchased for $15 million (11 million Euros)!
Related Gallery
The gala was attended by some of the industry's biggest stars, including Jessica Chastain, Sharon Stone, Heidi Klum, Rosario Dawson, Kellan Lutz and Justin Bieber...to name a few.
When all was said and done, this year's amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala took in over $38 million, more than any of the organization's events prior. Which celebrity would you like to see in space?Hey everyone.
We absolutely understand you want to get in and play the game early. It's one of the reasons we expanded our Early Game Access from a maximum of five days to a maximum of seven days. However, there are a couple of important points to realize about today's opening salvo of invites, and the procedure in general for Early Game Access and launch.
First, Early Game Access and launch is not supposed to be a stress test. In our previous Beta Testing Weekends we got up to very large concurrent number of players and brought invites into the game at a very high rate. That was done to stress test every aspect of our systems and servers, and essentially to see if they broke. In some cases, they did, but that helped us improve for launch.
For us, launch isn't just about stuffing our servers with as many people as possible. As anyone who's been through a large MMO launch can tell you, that experience can be painful. Our aim with this launch was to ramp things up gradually, to spread our player population out amongst a variety of servers, to maintain all server types, and to keep queuing to a minimum (although we expect that to happen as we head towards December 20th). So far, all that has been successful for us on Day One.
The second thing to realize is scale. We invited more people to play Star Wars: The Old Republic today than many other MMO launches manage in their entire head-start process. As I mentioned earlier today, when we opened pre-orders we had a huge spike in numbers - far more than most MMOs capture at launch. That was the initial rush. After that, our pre-orders settled down.
What this means is that tomorrow, you'll effectively start to see the pre-order timeline expand. You'll see people who have pre-ordered later than July getting invites. The day after that, more people will be invited. We're actually planning to invite more tomorrow than today, and invite the same number again on Thursday - at which point we'll be into the original 'five days of Early Game Access'.
Last thing. Why aren't we continuing to send waves over time? Two main reasons - one, because we need to see that the servers are maintaining stability over time; adding a lot of players in a short period (in other words, stress testing) can cause stability issues.
Two, our plan is to continue to add servers - but carefully, and in response to demand. We need to monitor that demand and roll out servers accordingly. A long-term recipe for MMO failure is to add a lot of servers early on, and then when population decreases, have to close those servers and merge them together.
Our aim is for Star Wars: The Old Republic to be around for a long time to come. Today's just the first step in that - an early step, too - and we'll be running smoothly, with a stable population, before too long.by Carol Wolman
OpEdNews.com
Why are the Democrats keeping impeachment off the table, in the face of more and more flagrant crimes and violations of the Constitution? “Spineless” no longer works, since they have succeeded in getting rid of Rumsfeld, Gonzales and Rove, by way of hearings, subpoenas and various other manuevers. Bush and Cheney are much weakened, and yet they are still being shielded from accountability.
Before the 2006 elections, we were told that the Democrats were avoiding impeachment because it would lose them votes. Yet as soon as the results were in, giving the Dems a clear majority in the House (it only takes a majority to impeach- count the votes), Pelosi and Conyers again announced that impeachment is off the table.
Why are they protecting Bush and Cheney? Politically, it makes much more sense to expose their crimes and discredit them once and for all. This is happening anyway, as more and more truth leaks out.
The revelation that Pelosi knew about waterboarding back in 2002 and did not object, gives us a clue. The Democrats have overtly been complicit in many of the illegal actions of the Bush administration. They voted to let him invade Iraq, and have not rescinded that decision, continue to fund the occupation, despite the evident disaster of this military adventure. They have acquiesced to torture, warrantless wiretapping, media consolidation, and many other executive outrages. They have not formally objected to signing statements that overrule the laws they pass, or insisted on the oversight that the Constitution assigns to them.
Digging deeper, it’s evident that the Bush and Cheney family fortunes, via their corporations Carlyle and Halliburton, have profited enormously from the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The national treasury has been looted by pirates, and the country is facing bankruptcy. If the financial transactions of these and related companies were brought to light, how many members of Congress would also be implicated? How many succumbed to the blandishments of Abramoff and the K Street gang, and are susceptible to blackmail because they accepted bribes and favors? How many would have to retire in disgrace, like Cunningham?
Darker speculations yet have led many to wonder to what degree the Bush and Cheney crime families have made Mafia-style threats to members of Congress? Who killed Paul Wellstone and Dennis Carnahan? Who sent anthrax to key Senators right after 9-11, effectively closing down the Senate office buildings for several months? How have Bush and Cheney obtained protection against impeachment from a Democratic Congress? What bribes or threats have they used?
A can of worms indeed! I say, let’s open the can and clean house! Any member of Congress who is NOT actively working for impeachment has violated the oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. They deserve to be replaced.
Check out www.newbroomcoalition.org We need a clean sweep of Congress.
(Original Article)There are few television series as closely scrutinized as Disney XD’s Gravity Falls. And for good reason: creator Alex Hirsch and his team were prone to sneaking hidden messages, enigmatic characters, and brain-busting foreshadowing into every nook and cranny of the brilliant series. With the series concluding its 40-episode run earlier this week, we were left without the usual glut of clues and puzzles. Instead, we are left with solemn contemplation in place of rabid speculation … Okay, that might not be entirely true.
We absolutely loved the finale but still had a few questions, and so we decided to ask Hirsch about certain elements that we were forbidden to talk about before. Please enjoy the final installment in our series of creator commentaries.
Did you end up watching the fan reaction as the finale aired? And what was that like?
You know, actually, normally I will have a couple tabs open during the airing of an episode and follow it very closely to see how people are responding. This time around I actually took a nap! One of the nice things about not working on a TV show anymore is that I’m not on any particular kind of clock. But when I woke up and checked my Twitter responses, I felt an overwhelming wave of positive, wonderful replies.
Were there any characters that you had originally included and wanted to include, but ended getting cut?
Absolutely, yeah. TV channels have pretty strict length limitations and there are so many things I would have loved to put in that episode if I had gotten an extra 10 minutes or 20 minutes, but did not. I think one character who I would have loved to include was Quentin Trembley, lost president of America. He was one of those characters where I have a lot of thoughts and theories about his significance in the world of the show, and it’s the kind of thing where if he shows up, I want to do him justice. I have more story to tell and for him to pop in and sort of say, “Hello! And goodbye!” It felt so cheap to me. Characters that don’t matter, like Larry King’s head, they can pop-in and say hello, but character’s that have a deeper story and significance, to have them just have a cameo felt false to me. I made the decision, and that particular example to say I think I’d prefer (at least for now) to keep some things about this character a mystery than to puncture that mystery just for the sake of an unimpressive cameo.
What was it like getting Larry King and Alfred Molina back for just a few lines?
It was fun for me; it was probably a nightmare for the casting department. The credits for the finale read like the strangest circus that you’ve ever seen, but it felt like it was coming full circle, bringing back a lot of these people whom we hadn’t talked to since season one, and seeing them again. It was kind of like this trip down memory lane and it was a lot of fun for me.
What was the inspiration behind the mystery shack robot? It seems to be a callback to the Gideon robot from season one.
It’s a callback to a number of things. I think when we sat down at the whiteboard and said, “Okay, the kids have got to rescue Ford, but in order to do that they’ve got to get past Bill’s h
|
immed hat and a light-grey double-breasted suit, he embraced each delegate with prolonged gusto. The scene seemed to combine a Mafia don’s behaviour with medieval droit de seigneur, quite unlike the home life of the puritanical men running other communist states in Europe at the time.
The newsreel offers only the most fleeting insight into Albanian political life. To discover what was really going on in ruling party circles under Hoxha’s sway you must turn to Blendi Fevziu’s well-researched biography. Whether or not he was a philanderer, it provides copious ammunition to prove Hoxha was a tyrant.
For three decades after Stalin died, during an era when unpredictable terror had given way in the Soviet Union to more survivable repression, Hoxha’s Albania continued the worst practices of an autocracy — purges, torture, abject confessions and executions. They affected old comrades in the politburo far more than ordinary citizens. Of the six co-founder members of the party, only one died at home in bed. The rest were killed or jailed.
Fevziu bases his catalogue of horror on the now open party archives as well as interviews with sons, daughters and spouses of Hoxha’s victims conducted on Albanian TV or by himself. One of the grimmest cases is that of Mehmet Shehu, who served for many years as prime minister until he shot himself in 1981 on the eve of a Politburo meeting where he was to be accused. His crime? He had not stopped his son getting engaged to the daughter of a close relative of a US-based anti-communist who regularly denounced Hoxha on Western TV. Shehu’s suicide note to “Comrade Enver” was found in 2003: “You can call me whatever you want, I cannot stop you! But I am giving my life for the party. My last wish is: protect the party and socialism...”. The marriage was blocked, though Fevziu hints that policy disagreements might have been the true cause of the two men’s split.
In spite of his flamboyance, Hoxha, a fan of Agatha Christie, loved spending time alone with books. He had a huge library and regularly bought books from catalogues sent by French publishers. The dictator’s family once alerted his security people to his “disappearance”; they found him in the library in the small hours of the morning with a book in hand and a blanket round his shoulders. He also wrote prolifically, keeping a diary and writing or dictating more than 60 volumes of memoirs, and had a complex relationship with the internationally renowned novelist, Ismail Kadare, who continued to live in the country under his rule. In her memoirs, Hoxha’s wife says he often lost his temper with Kadare’s writing but came to his defence at critical times.
Outside Albania, Hoxha was admired by some Western radicals for denouncing every kind of imperialism, from Yugoslav to Soviet to Chinese, as well as the US kind. The son of an imam, he was also praised in some quarters for closing all mosques and churches, declaring Albania the world’s first atheist state. His chutzpah in breaking with powerful allies became legendary. In March 1948 his politburo approved a union between Albania and Yugoslavia, but then the dictator got wind of plans for the Yugoslavs to replace him with a colleague, Koçi Xoxe. When Stalin denounced Yugoslavia a few weeks later for trying to set up a regional power-house linking Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, the Albanian politburo abandoned the union and lambasted Yugoslavia’s Marshal Tito. All Yugoslav experts were expelled. Xoxe was executed.
Twelve years later it was Moscow’s turn. Hoxha had repeated Khrushchev’s condemnation of the dictator’s crimes and personality cult in 1956 but did not like the new Soviet leader’s rapprochement with Tito. In 1960, at a meeting of communist parties in Moscow, Hoxha sided with the Chinese. Later, in 1978, he broke with Beijing too, in protest at Deng Xiaoping’s “revisionism” and the restoration of relations with the US.
Fevziu handles these issues well, but on internal Albanian policy debates and Hoxha’s activities during the Second World War he is sadly one-dimensional. His extreme antipathy to Hoxha as a person, and to communists in general, narrows his writing to invective. There is nothing here about Albania’s socioeconomic progress in the first 15 years of communist rule and the country’s transformation from a feudal, clan-based dictatorship into a modern state with the draining of the coastal marshlands, the eradication of malaria, the successful drive against illiteracy, the expansion of health services and the development of the resource extractive industries, albeit with a semi-militarised labour force.
The book barely mentions the destruction caused first by the Italian and then the German occupation which the postwar government inherited. Its handling of the rivalry between communists and supporters of the Balli Kombëtar (National Union) in running wartime resistance is tendentious. Fevziu claims Hoxha held his partisans back so that the Germans would concentrate on killing anti-communist nationalists.
Albanian historiography is a thin field but the weight of opinion, including accounts by Reginald Hibbert, later an eminent diplomat, who was a wartime British liaison officer with the resistance in Albania, supports the opposite line. Many “nationalists” collaborated with the Germans, and it was the communist partisans who conducted most fighting — which is why they were the group that took control of the country on liberation. Hoxha was not the bravest or most efficient of the partisans and it was thanks to luck as well as guile that he emerged as leader. But his popularity was genuine and widespread, at least for a time.
–Guardian News & Media LtdA local nonprofit organization is the first in Franklin County to start selling naloxone without a prescription, according to the state board that oversees distribution.
A local nonprofit organization is the first in Franklin County to start selling naloxone without a prescription, according to the state board that oversees distribution.
The AIDS Resource Center Ohio, through its subsidiary, AMC Ohio Pharmacy in the Short North, is dispensing the drug, which is said to help prevent overdoses by reversing the effects of narcotics.
The drug became available at the pharmacy Sept. 2, according to a release from the resource center.
"We believe it is a natural extension of our work as a nonprofit, community health-focused organization that deals with issues relating to public health," said Joel Diaz, a spokesman for the resource center. "We have a long history of working with marginalized communities and don't shy away from the issues that are overlooked because of the nature of the work."
The drug has no age restriction but those seeking it first must undergo a brief counseling session at the pharmacy, 1033 N. High St., Diaz said. Patients must purchase a minimum order of two doses of the nasal spray at a cost of $100, which may be billed to insurance or Medicaid.
Those seeking intramuscular injections or oral doses of naloxone must order it ahead of time, Diaz said.
He said it is not a substitute for emergency-medical care for someone in the throes of an overdose. However, naloxone, often sold under such brand names as Evzio, Nalone, Narcan, Narcanti, Nalone, Prenoxad injection and others, has been known to save lives by reversing the effects of opioids and opiates during an overdose, he said.
The resource center's officials decided to pursue naloxone for its patients after House Bill 4 was passed into law last summer, authorizing pharmacists or pharmacy interns to dispense the drug without a prescription, in accordance with a physician-approved protocol.
The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy must be notified of pharmacies distributing naloxone, and each must consult a physician who authorizes the pharmacy to dispense the medication.
Other independent pharmacies across Ohio, about one or two a week, have started offering naloxone, but the chain stores have yet to follow, said Cameron McNamee, a spokesman for the state pharmacy board.
The legislation has had support from such institutions as Columbus Public Health.
"We hope others will join," said Jose Rodriguez, a spokesman for the agency. "We think easy access to Narcan will change lives, will save lives."
Dr. Steve Matson, an addiction expert at Nationwide Children's Hospital, said he sees little disadvantage in naloxone use, even when a physician or medical expert is not present.
"There virtually is nothing that can go bad if you use it (properly)," he said. "And it saves lives."
Matson said he would like to see more citywide harm-reduction efforts, which often include clean-needle exchanges. Columbus Public Health is considering establishing such centers that would have comprehensive addiction services.Bahrain's foreign minister paid tribute to Israel's former president Shimon Peres on Thursday, in a surprise statement that drew strong Arab criticism on social media.
"Rest in Peace President Shimon Peres, a Man of War and a Man of the still elusive Peace in the Middle East," Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said on Twitter.
The response to his tweet was swift.
Like most Arab countries, Bahrain does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and many Arabs associate Peres with the successive wars that have rocked the Middle East rather than the Oslo accords with the Palestinians that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
"The foreign minister is paying tribute and praying for the Zionist terrorist and the killer of children," complained former opposition lawmaker Jalal Fairooz.
Another critic, Khalil Buhazaa, tweeted: "Diplomacy does not mean rudeness."
Peres died on Wednesday aged 93 after suffering a major stroke.
He won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for his role in negotiating the Oslo accords, which envisioned an independent Palestinian state.
But he is also remembered in the Arab world as the man who ordered the devastating "Grapes of Wrath" operation against Lebanon in 1996, which left 175 people dead, most of them civilians.The Cahulawassee River valley in Northern Georgia is one of the last natural pristine areas of the state, which will soon change with the imminent building of a dam on the river, which in turn will flood much of the surrounding land. As such, four Atlanta city dwellers, alpha male Lewis Medlock, Ed Gentry, Bobby Trippe, and Drew Ballinger, decide to take a multi-day canoe trip on the river, with only Lewis and Ed having experience in outdoor life. They know going in that the area is isolated. Their relatively peaceful trip takes a turn for the worse when half way through with river rapids and unwelcoming locals. The four battle need to their way out of the valley and are asked to do things they never thought possible within themselves. Written by HuggoIs it possible to be a gay Christian?
Question: "Is it possible to be a gay Christian?"
Answer: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). There is a tendency to declare homosexuality as the worst of all sins. While it is undeniable, biblically speaking, that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural (Romans 1:26-27), in no sense does the Bible describe homosexuality as an unforgivable sin. Nor does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin Christians will never struggle against.
Perhaps that is the key phrase in the question of whether it is possible to be a gay Christian: “struggle against.” It is possible for a Christian to struggle with homosexual temptations. Many homosexuals who become Christians have ongoing struggles with homosexual feelings and desires. Some strongly heterosexual men and women have experienced a “spark” of homosexual interest at some point in their lives. Whether or not these desires and temptations exist does not determine whether a person is a Christian. The Bible is clear that no Christian is sinless (1 John 1:8,10). While the specific sin / temptation varies from one Christian to another, all Christians have struggles with sin, and all Christians sometimes fail in those struggles (1 Corinthians 10:13).
What differentiates a Christian’s life from a non-Christian’s life is the struggle against sin. The Christian life is a progressive journey of overcoming the “acts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and allowing God’s Spirit to produce the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). Yes, Christians sin, sometimes horribly. Sadly, sometimes Christians are indistinguishable from non-Christians. However, a true Christian will always repent, will always eventually return to God, and will always resume the struggle against sin. But the Bible gives no support for the idea that a person who perpetually and unrepentantly engages in sin can indeed be a Christian. Notice 1 Corinthians 6:11, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
First Corinthians 6:9-10 lists sins that, if indulged in continuously, identify a person as not being redeemed—not being a Christian. Often, homosexuality is singled out from this list. If a person struggles with homosexual temptations, that person is presumed to be unsaved. If a person actually engages in homosexual acts, that person is definitely thought to be unsaved. However, the same assumptions are not made, at least not with the same emphasis, regarding other sins in the list: fornication (pre-marital sex), idolatry, adultery, thievery, covetousness, alcoholism, slander, and deceit. It is inconsistent, for example, to declare those guilty of pre-marital sex as “disobedient Christians,” while declaring homosexuals definitively non-Christians.
Is it possible to be a gay Christian? If the phrase “gay Christian” refers to a person who struggles against homosexual desires and temptations – yes, a “gay Christian” is possible. However, the description “gay Christian” is not accurate for such a person, since he/she does not desire to be gay, and is struggling against the temptations. Such a person is not a “gay Christian,” but rather is simply a struggling Christian, just as there are Christians who struggle with fornication, lying, and stealing. If the phrase “gay Christian” refers to a person who actively, perpetually, and unrepentantly lives a homosexual lifestyle – no, it is not possible for such a person to truly be a Christian.Now that the Confederate flag has finally been taken down from the Capitol Statehouse grounds in South Carolina, eyes are shifting to another Southern state: Mississippi, whose state flag bears the symbol of the Confederacy in the top-left corner.
In every city, county, and state building across the state, the flag continues to fly high. Recently, some of the state’s residents have been speaking out on the issue, urging their state to reevaluate the flag, which for many is a symbol of hate and racism.
Even the state’s speaker of the house has come out in favor of tweaking the state flag. “As a Christian, I believe our state’s flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed,” the Republican told a local paper.
Will Mississippians follow the lead of South Carolina and take action to remove the Confederate symbol? Redesigning a state flag is more complicated than taking one down from a flagpole. And less than 15 years ago, the state voted decisively not to change the flag.
But according to the people Fusion talked to in Mississippi, it’s time to do just that.
Archival footage courtesy of Broadcast Media Group, Inc.Mercedes is not just watching on the sidelines while Tesla steals market shares from its segment, and while Porsche and Audi announces upcoming electric vehicles. According to a new report from Car Magazine, the legendary German automaker recently greenlighted 4 new electric cars.
The vehicles should be two sedans and two crossover SUVs build on Mercedes’ electric vehicle architecture “EVA”. The company invested $2 billion in EVA last year.
The first EV should hit the market in 2018, right around the time Porsche aims to release the Mission E and Audi the quattro. Sizewise, it should be between the C- and E-class.
According to Car, the sedans should come first, followed by the crossovers later.
For EVA, Mercedes will be using a similar battery infrastructure pioneered by Tesla in the Model S, meaning that the battery pack extends flat in the floorplan. It creates a low center of gravity and more cargo space. Recent renderings show that Porsche will be using the same structure for the Mission E.
Car Magazine also revealed that the battery pack should weigh around 400 kg and that Mercedes plans significant production capacity for the new electric vehicles with around 20,000 units per year for each and a starting price of around £70-80,000.
Daimler, Mercedes’ parent company, had a longtime interest in electric vehicles and made a significant investment in Tesla in 2009, which it sold last year. Until now, its plan for future EV models wasn’t clear, but the company offers an electric version of the B-Class, for which Tesla supplies the electric drivetrain.'He has said he wants to stay,' says Manchester City manager Tevez scored twice in win over Stoke to move Blues to third
Roberto Mancini followed up Manchester City's emphatic 3-0 win over Stoke City by announcing that Carlos Tevez has informed the club that he now wants to stay with them and forget about the possibility of leaving.
Mancini said he had held several meetings with Tevez during the past three weeks and received assurances that the man who lifted the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday is no longer contemplating a future away from Manchester.
"He has said he wants to stay," Mancini said. "He's got a five-year contract here and he told me this [that he would stay] before and after the Cup final. I've spoken with him many times in the last 20 days and it's my opinion that he will stay here next season."
Mancini was speaking after Tevez had scored two of the goals that helped take City above Arsenal and into third place in the Premier League. Joleon Lescott was also on target with a second-half header but it was the brilliance of Tevez's goals – a solo effort followed by a 30-yard free-kick – that will be remembered as he moved level with Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United as the league's leading scorer with 20 goals.
The Manchester City manager's remarks were a surprise, however, coming only three days after Tevez spoke at length about having family issues living in the northern city, saying he would decide in the summer if it is time to move on.
The feeling behind the scenes at Eastlands is that the 27-year-old Argentinian has gradually come round to realising that there may not be any potential buyers for a player who would cost in the region of £50m and currently earns in excess of £250,000 a week. Tevez has been linked with Internazionale, Real Madrid and Chelsea, but the cost implications may be too much even for three clubs of that financial muscle.
"I think he'll stay here and I don't think he will change his mind later [in the summer]," Mancini said. Pressed for his reasons, the Italian added: "We are playing in the Champions League and will probably have a better squad because we can now buy better players."
Tevez had spoken of wanting to move to Italy or Spain because he felt it would be easier for him to have access to his two daughters, who currently live with their mother in Buenos Aires. His relationship with Mancini has been strained at times and he submitted a written transfer request before Christmas.
"We had a problem in December but everyone can change their mind," Mancini continued. "Carlos is an important player. I don't think he'd find another club anywhere where he would be so appreciated. There isn't anywhere where he would get what he has here. He's a fantastic striker and player for us."
With only one Premier League game remaining – at Bolton on Sunday – the win leaves City contemplating a third-place finish for the first time in 34 years, and Arsenal, who travel to Fulham, facing the possibility of having to reach the Champions League group stage through the qualifying round.
Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, later tipped City to be authentic title challengers next season. "They remind me of Chelsea when José Mourinho was there – a big, strong, physical group of players with good pace and bags of talent. They will be a force next year, a danger to the other teams going for the championship."
Mancini added: "It was a fantastic performance. That wasn't easy three days after the Cup final. For us it was important to get fourth when we started the season, but now we're in third. There's a big difference between that and finishing fourth and having to qualify for the [Champions League] group stage. It would be perfect to finish above Arsenal."Introduction The city of Kars is about 50km to the north-west of the ruins of Ani. As a settlement, Kars is probably older than that of Ani and, unlike Ani, Kars was never abandoned. This history of continuous inhabitation has left it with fewer surviving medieval Armenian monuments, but with many buildings from a wider time period. On this website in the future there will probably be more pages covering Kars in greater detail, including pages on the medieval castle; the 19th century defences; the districts constructed during the Russian period; etc. A History of Kars For a short time (928-961) Kars was the capital of the Armenian Bagratid kingdom and it was during this time that the Cathedral, now known as the Church of the Apostles, was built. Shortly after the Bagratid capital was transferred to Ani, Kars became (in 963) a separate independent kingdom known as Vannad - the Armenian name for the Kars region. This kingdom was to outlive that of Ani. After the Seljuk Turks captured Ani, the last Armenian king of Kars ceded his city to the Byzantine empire in 1064, getting in return the city of Amasya and lands in northern Cilicia. The Byzantines were no more successful in defending Kars than they were with Ani, and soon lost it to the Turks (in 1071). The Turkish population of Kars would have been small - but support from the Emirs of Erzurum maintained their power until 1206, when the Georgians expelled the Turkish rulers. In 1236 the Mongols occupied the region. As with other places, they probably gave a great deal of autonomy to the majority Armenian population: an Armenian prince is known to have been governing Kars in 1284. After the collapse of the Mongol empire a series of petty Turkish emirs governed Kars until its incorporation into the Ottoman Turkish empire in 1534. In 1579 the Ottomans undertook an extensive rebuilding of the city and its fortifications to guard against Persian attacks. From the mid 18th to the early 19th century control from Constantinople had diminished to the extent that the pashas of Kars were semi-autonomous. The gradual Russian conquest of the Caucasus, starting in the 18th century, led to an influx of Muslim migrants, especially Circassians. Kars became a strategic and heavily fortified border town protecting the Turkish empire's eastern frontier and the road to Erzurum. The Armenian population by then was probably quite small and seems to have been lived mainly in a district to the west of the old castle, just outside the city walls - there are still two ruined Armenian churches here, as well as an old medieval Armenian graveyard. The Russians occupied Kars in 1828, in 1855 (after celebrated siege lasting seven months) and again in 1877. This time the Russians kept the city. A substantial part of the Muslim population left after 1877, choosing not to live under Russian rule. The Russians did not behave particularly favourably towards their remaining Turkish subjects; some mosques were demolished, others turned into stables, although their policy was mainly one of deliberate neglect. Those Muslims still in Kars seem to have moved to the districts formerly lived in by the Armenians. The Armenians gradually moved into an entirely new district of European-style buildings built on a grid plan to the south of the old medieval city, and most of the old city walls were demolished. There was a large influx of Armenians from other parts of Russian controlled Armenia, as well as Armenians fleeing the oppression and massacres of the Ottoman empire: Kars became a rapidly growing boom town. In 1894 the British traveller Lynch wrote that the population of Kars was around 4000 (excluding the large military garrison), made up of 2500 Armenians, 850 Turks, 300 Greeks and 250 Russians. In 1913 the town had 10200 Armenian and 900 Turkish inhabitants. By the end of the 19th century the Kars plain had become the home to various sects, mostly Protestant Christian, that were unwelcome in Russia proper. A few surviving adherents of one group called the Molokans are still supposed to be living in and around Kars. Some of the descendants of German and Estonian settlers still live in the Kars region, and there were also many Greek settlers, now all gone. The policy of allowing non-Armenians to settle here was a deliberate Russian one to limit the growth and wealth of the Armenian population. Lynch mentions that around Yerevan uncultivated lands were for the most part in the hands of the Russian government who were not inclined to sell or lease them to Armenians because they were keeping them for Russians. The recapture of Kars was a key military objective for Turkey during the early months of the First World War, but their invading army was heavily defeated at the battle of Sarikamish. This defeat was due more to the winter weather and bad planning, than to the Russians (who were actually preparing to evacuate Kars). After many more battles, Russian forces succeeded in advancing as far west as Erzincan, but the collapse of the Russian army after the 1917 revolution left only thinly spread Armenian units to resist the inevitable Turkish counter-attack. By 1918 the Turkish army was cutting a swathe of destruction across the newly declared Republic of Armenia, capturing Kars in April 1918 and reaching Baku on the Caspian sea. Defeat on other fronts caused Turkey to surrender and withdraw to the pre-war borders. In 1920 Turkey renewed its offensive, Kars again fell to the Turks (in October 1920), so did Alexandropol. The invasion was led by General Kazim Karabekir. Significantly it is a statue of Karabekir, not Ataturk, that stands outside the Kars train station. In November 1920 the Bolsheviks annexed the little that was left of the Armenian republic. With Armenia now under Soviet "protection" the Turks ceased their advance and even withdrew from some captured territory, including Alexandropol. The Bolsheviks wanted good relations with Turkey, and in 1921 they signed the "Treaty of Kars" ceding the towns of Kars, Sarikamish, Igdir, Kagizman, Ardahan, Artvin and Oltu to Turkey. The railway carriage in which this treaty was signed is still preserved in the Kars museum. In 1920 much of the town's Armenian population had fled in panic before the advancing Turks. Of those that stayed, hundreds were imprisoned - and then either executed or sent to Erzurum to work as slave labour building roads. Those Armenians still free had little incentive to remain. Oliver Baldwin, held prisoner in Kars shortly after its capture, later wrote: "If a Turk desires any particular Armenian woman, all he has to do was arrest the husband as a spy. If the husband caused too much trouble he was shot at once, and the excuse was always the same: 'In 1915, when the Armenians took Erzeroum, this man killed my cousin'. Since the poor man was dead it would have been impossible for him to prove that in 1915 he was in America, so the murderer was dismissed and the crime written down as 'justifiable revenge'.
One Armenian who refused to surrender a ring was murdered for it, and the same Turkish excuse was used with the same result.
These incidents were of daily occurrence during my time at Kars, but it was all part of the Turkish policy of seeing that no Armenians remain in Armenia, and the consequent justification of its possession by Turkey". The Kars Treaty enabled the deportation of the remaining Armenians. A traveller named Reitlinger visited Kars in 1931 and found most of the city deserted and in ruins, with a civilian population numbering only a few hundred. By the late 1960s the population had increased to 25,000. Today the Turkish census says that there are 78,000 inhabitants in Kars, which is now the capital of Kars province.
An old engraving of Kars (from the 1850s?)
- click for a larger photo
Kars, the castle rock and the medieval city today
The castle seen from the medieval town
An old photo showing the medieval city walls
Part of the districts built during Russian control
- click for a larger photo
A large building from the 1877-1915 period
Mouldings on a building dated 1890
An Armenian church in Kars - now demolished
The doors of the above Armenian
church are now in the Kars museum
A Greek church in Kars - also now demolished
The ruins of the Armenian church of St. Mary (Surb Astuacacin) which was in use until 1920Vincent and Me (French-language title: Vincent et moi) is a 1990 Canadian fantasy film. The movie was directed by Michael Rubbo and is the 11th in the Tales for All (Contes Pour Tous) series of children's movies created by Les Productions la Fête.
At the age of 114, Jeanne Calment appeared briefly in the film as herself, making her the oldest person to ever appear in a motion picture.[1] Calment claimed to have met Vincent van Gogh ca. 1888 when she was 12 or 13.[2]
Plot [ edit ]
Jo, a girl from Quebec, loves to draw, and she is good enough at it to win a scholarship. She goes to the city from her small town to study at a special art school, where more than anything else, she hopes to learn to paint like her hero, Vincent van Gogh. While sketching faces one day, she encounters a mysterious European art dealer who buys a few of her drawings, and commissions her to do some more. He rewards her handsomely for her work, and goes back to Amsterdam. Not long after, Jo is shown a magazine story about the "discovery" and million dollar sale of some of the drawings of young Vincent van Gogh, drawings only she and her friend, Felix, know are hers. The only thing to do is for Jo and friends to get to Amsterdam and find the mystery man. Or better still, go right to the source and speak to Vincent himself in 19th century Arles.
Cast [ edit ]
References [ edit ]With a 312 vote victory for the Democrat, and nothing left to count, the corporate media continue to misreport the facts of the U.S. Senate election in Minnesota...
Ernest A. Canning Byon 4/9/2009, 5:45pm PT
Guest Blogged by Ernest A. Canning, with Brad Friedman
In his March 31st article at Media Matters, Eric Boehlert contrasted the difference in corporate media coverage between Florida's 2000 Presidential election contest and Minnesota's 2008 U.S. Senate election contest. "Norm Coleman's a sore loser," Boehlert argued, and asked "Why won't the press say so?"
He details the striking difference in the corporate media coverage of the two races, where Florida 2000 was both much closer and, as it would determine the Presidency of the United States, arguably more 'important' to get right, and yet the constant media framing continuously painted Al Gore as a "sore loser" for not bowing out 'gracefully' or 'admitting defeat' in the days following the razor-thin election (which, as we would learn later, Gore had actually won, having received more votes across the state of Florida [PDF] than George W. Bush, had the U.S. Supreme Court not kept the ballots from actually being counted).
But to go one further than Boehlert, we'd ask not why the media fail to describe Coleman as a "sore loser," but rather, why it is that --- particularly since Tuesday's final count of any remaining, lawfully cast, previously uncounted absentee ballots --- the media fail to describe Coleman as the loser at all, much less a sore one.
From the New York Times to AP to MSNBC, and even Democracy Now! et al, despite all countable ballots having now been counted, and clear rulings having been issued by both the MN Supreme Court and the bipartisan three-judge panel overseeing the contest, the media seem to have developed an aversion to using the "L" word --- loser --- in their coverage of the MN contest. Perhaps it's because they're listening to only one side of the argument (Coleman's), but the facts of the case, and the many clear court decisions, leave no question that Franken is the winner, and Coleman is the loser. So why won't they say so?...
It's Not a 'Lead', It's a 'Win'
Yesterday, The New Times reported "On Tuesday, after a seven-week case brought by Mr. Coleman and the counting of 351 absentee ballots that had been wrongly rejected, Mr. Franken's lead grew by 87 votes, to 312 votes." They also reported that "some issues remain to be decided" by the three-judge panel overseeing Coleman's Election Contest against Franken.
During her Apr. 8, 2009 interview of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Rachel Maddow compounded the Times' misreporting, by declaring that votes are "still being added," and that Al Franken was "ahead by 312 votes."
Both the Times and MSNBC got it wrong. Votes are not "still being added" and there are no issues still remaining before the three-judge panel.
In both the March 31, 2009, order [PDF], directing that 400 unopened absentee ballots be delivered to the court by Apr. 6, 2009, and in its Apr. 7, 2009, order [PDF] directing that 351 ballots be opened and counted, the three-judge panel stated that "any relief not fully set forth herein is denied." Other such "relief" would include Coleman's dubious double-count claim, which had been based on the speculative testimony of a single, thoroughly discredited, partisan witness.
It is probable that the three-judge panel will provide a written explanation of its denial of any other relief, as already stated, when it enters a final judgment. That could come any day now. Coleman's time to file an appeal will not commence until the final judgment is entered. But make no mistake. There are no more votes to be counted. 312 votes is the margin of victory for Al Franken over Norm Coleman.
No More Ballots Still to be Counted
Another misconception should be dispelled. As Pawlenty noted during the Apr. 8th interview with Maddow, the Governor cannot sign a certification until after Coleman either fails to timely appeal or the MN Supreme Court denies the appeal.
In the interview, Pawlenty alluded to Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg's equal protection argument, and was evasive on whether he would delay certification if Coleman filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. Pawlenty also questioned the validity of a decision issued last December, in which the MN Supreme Court refused to permit the opening and counting of erroneously rejected absentee ballots unless local officials, the Sec. of State and both candidates agreed. Pawlenty expressed the view that the U.S. Supreme Court might want to look at the question of whether the rights of voters to have their ballots counted is denied when it is dependent on the agreement of the candidates.
While the MN Supremes decision may have been a dubious one, Pawlenty's erroneous observations underscore why accurate media coverage is so vital. Any of those lawfully cast ballots not counted last December have now, finally, been counted. That's a point that Pawlenty might not have been able to mislead viewers about, had the corporate media done its job in accurately explaining what has gone on, rather than relying on one side's partisan --- and misleading --- talking points to drive their coverage.
The press has focused on that expedited December 2008 MN Supreme Court decision, which, while rejecting Coleman's effort (back when he felt he was winning) to keep erroneously rejected absentee ballots from being opened and counted, permitted officials to do so only where officials and the candidates agreed. The press has also focused on the state Supreme Court's rejection of Franken's request for immediate certification in Franken v Pawlenty.
But the Court's Mar. 6, 2009, opinion [PDF] in Coleman v. Ritchie has received scant attention.
In that ruling, the state Supreme Court, over a single dissenter, explained its December 2008 ruling. MN statutes, the Court ruled, prevent the local canvassing boards from opening erroneously rejected absentee ballots during a post election hand-count unless both candidates agree. However, those ballots may be examined for possible opening and counting after evidence is examined by a three-judge electon contest panel charged with correcting any such errors.
That has already happened.
Assuming Pawlenty's insinuation --- that the MN Supremes erred in their ruling specifying the conditions under which such incorrectly rejected absentee ballots could be opened and counted during a post-election hand-count --- that error was remedied when both sides were provided a full and fair opportunity to request the opening and counting of any such unopened ballots during the seven week contest trial.
Tuesday's ruling by the three-judge panel amounted to a judicial determination that there were precisely 351 previously unopened, lawfully cast absentee ballots that were erroneously rejected. They were opened, counted, added to the results. End of story
|
Ukraine, a Brussels-based nonprofit that, Manafort told him, was backed by “businesspeople who did not want to give their names.”
Weber said he “repeatedly” asked Manafort to identify the principals behind the Brussels organization, but he declined to do so. In fact, the backers of the nonprofit had close ties to the hardline, pro-Russian government of then Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych, and one of the group’s board members was the country’s foreign minister, says Adrian Karatnycky, a Ukraine expert at the Atlantic Council and the former president of Freedom House, a Washington-based human rights group.
“It would be very hard to look at this entity and say it was not directed by the then Ukrainian government,” said Karatnycky. “It’s pretty clear they were running interference on sensitive issues on behalf of Yanukovych.”
Manafort’s role in setting up the Washington lobbying campaign on behalf of the Brussels nonprofit was first reported Wednesday by The Associated Press. The AP reported that between 2012 and 2014, Manafort helped channel $1.07 million to the Republican-oriented Mercury Group and another $1.13 million to the Podesta Group, a Democratic firm headed by Tony Podesta, brother of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta. The fees were meant to promote the publicly announced purpose of the nonprofit: to lobby Congress and the Obama administration to support Yanukovych’s bid to gain entry into the European Union.
Weber’s account shows how Manafort’s work for the Kiev regime may have gone beyond his self-described role as a campaign adviser to Yanukovych to include active — and previously secret — efforts to influence U.S. policy in the region. Asked for comment for this story, Manafort Wednesday night said in an email: “I never worked for the center. I introduced them to D.C. firms who worked directly for the center.” He added that The Associated Press account was “wrong. I was not involved in any payment plans” from the center to the two Washington lobbying firms.
Vladimir Putin, right, and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych at a news conference in Moscow. Moscow granted Yanukovych protection shortly after the leader sought help from the Kremlin, according to an official quoted by Russian news agencies in 2013. (Photo: Ivan Sekretarev/AP) More
The new details about Manafort’s Ukraine work come on a day that Trump shook up his faltering campaign, replacing Manafort as campaign manager with pollster Kellyanne Conway, and naming Steven Bannon, head of Breitbart News, as campaign CEO. Manafort will remain as campaign chairman despite mounting questions about his Ukrainian ties following a report this week by the New York Times. The Times disclosed that the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Bureau, an arm of the current Ukrainian government of President Petro Poroshenko, is investigating ledgers that appear to show $12.7 million in “off-the-book cash” payments to Manafort between 2007 and 2012.
Continue readingThe sixth and latest nuclear test by North Korea on September 3 has once again put the spotlight on China. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asked China to do more to rein in the nuclear weapons and missile development by its neighbour and treaty ally, but to no avail.
In fact, China may have already lost most of its direct influence on North Korea through past unsuccessful attempts to control the rogue state’s behaviour. It does still have more leverage on its neighbour than any other country because it supplies most of the oil to North Korea, which in turn fuels Kim Jong-un’s military and industrial machinery.
But China is unlikely to completely cut off crude and refined oil supplies to its troublesome ally. This is because it believes it is unlikely that North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons and delivery systems any time soon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders in China this week that the North Koreans would “rather eat grass than give up their nuclear program”. This echoes former Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whose country defied international sanctions to develop its own nuclear weapons.
The Chinese and Russians now believe it would be almost impossible to disarm North Korea of its nuclear weapons without a comprehensive settlement with the US.
There was a time when China did enjoy considerable influence over North Korea. Special trains bearing the country’s leader frequently chugged into Beijing to a warm welcome from Chinese leaders.
Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, was taken to China’s capitalist enclave of Shenzhen and its other bustling cities, such as Shanghai, on his seven visits to China as leader. These were intended to inspire him to take a leaf out of China’s book and launch his own market-friendly economic reforms. But he politely refused to toe the line while still accepting China’s economic and diplomatic support.
Kim Jong-un has gone a step further in rebuffing the Chinese leadership. Since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011 he has never visited China, not even when it celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war by hosting a grand military parade in Beijing in 2015. Not surprisingly, Chinese President Xi Jinping has also not visited Pyongyang.
Some Chinese scholars privately blame their own government for North Korea’s rapidly developing nuclear weapons program.
It is believed that, in an effort to persuade its estranged ally to desist from developing nuclear weapons, Xi had sent a senior envoy to Pyongyang with a message that China would no longer abide by the security provisions of its 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance with North Korea. Instead of buckling under pressure, Kim Jong-un decided to accelerate his nuclear weapons program because he could no longer rely on China’s support.
Whether or not China is indirectly responsible for Pyongyang’s repeated nuclear tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, it is still the only permanent council member to have the ability to make life really difficult for the Kim regime. China could do so by fully enforcing UN sanctions and cutting off oil supplies.
Nevertheless, the most we can expect from China, in addition to the measures it has already taken – for example, stopping coal imports – is a reduction in oil supplies. The Chinese leadership does not want to do anything that could bring about the collapse of the North Korean regime and, in the process, provoke its leader to lash out at China.
In any case, a partial reduction in oil supplies is unlikely to have a significant impact on North Korea’s behaviour. It would probably make up the shortfall by smuggling in oil on the high seas.
No doubt China’s relations with Pyongyang have deteriorated to such an extent that China finds its behaviour unacceptable and insulting. Chinese people are also tiring of the shenanigans of Kim and his cronies. This is evident in commentary on Chinese social media, which the Chinese government is trying to suppress lest it projects its leaders as ineffective.
China has always been loath to adopt or support measures that could trigger a collapse of the North Korean regime and send millions of impoverished Koreans flooding into China’s northeast.
China also does not want to see an end to North Korea’s status as the buffer between China and the American presence in the southern Korean peninsula. It fears a premature reunification of the two Koreas under US influence. A unified Korea could bring American troops to China’s doorstep.
So, while China’s leaders probably dislike Kim Jong-un as much as the Americans do and want an end to his reckless behaviour, they are unlikely to heed Trump’s calls to help him bring the tyrant to his knees, even if they could.
China is happy to make Trump squirm and appear to his own people and the world as feckless. But it will be watching the American moves very carefully and do anything to avoid war on the Korean peninsula. That could have serious ramifications for the region and the world, and impede China’s own seemingly inexorable rise as a great power.Melissa Trammell is a Denny’s waitress who says she waited on the Hernandez family the night of May 28.
Trammell talks about what she witnessed the night John Hernandez was placed in a choke hold for several minutes outside of the restaurant.
WARNING: Video is disturbing and shows violence
RAW: Video of John Hernandez being restrained by Terry Thompson
“I don’t know how it began, but I do know that the Thompson dude would not let go of Hernandez," Trammell said. "We kept asking him to please let go, let go. And they did not let go. He kept holding him in a choke hold, holding him and just never would let him go after turning blue. He was turning purple. We begged this man, me and my manager begged for him to stop. But he did not stop.”
KHOU 11 Reporter Melissa Correa asked: "There are so many questions about what was happening behind that cell phone video we saw. One of the big things a lot of people are putting on social media is, why didn’t anybody try to pull, grab this guy off him?"
Sign-up for the #HTown Rush Newsletter Thank You Something went wrong. This email will be delivered to your inbox once a day in the morning. Thank you for signing up for the #HTownRush Newsletter Please try again later.
Submit
“Well, as a Denny’s employee, we’re not allowed to touch him,” Trammell said. “You know, we could get sued for touching him. In my right mind, I wanted to do so much, but I knew working for Denny’s, that we could be in a lot of trouble if any of us got involved, so we called. It took 43 minutes for the police to get there.”
Correa: "How do you know that? That’s a very exact time."
Trammell: “Well, because I kept looking at my phone. I kept looking at my phone, and I kept saying, 'Oh, my God, it’s already this and it’s already this (time). So, if I’m off a little bit, I’m sorry. But I know.”
Correa: "How many of you, how many folks do you remember actually picking up the phone and calling (911)?"
Trammell: "It was six or seven of us. Six or seven of us calling 911."
Correa: "What were you saying to the dispatchers?"
Trammell: “We were telling them to hurry. Hurry. You know, the man is turning blue, I mean purple. He could not breathe. He could not breathe. He was kicking for his life. Struggling. You know, at first I thought it was legitimate, he was just going to hold him down. Whatever. When I had seen the man turning purple there was no let up. And he looked me in my face and said he is not getting off him.”
Correa: "How far was his 3-year old daughter?"
Trammell: “Right there. They were right next to me. Right next to me.”
Correa: "How far were you from John Hernandez?"
Trammell: “Right there, with his wife. Looking. Trying to tell the man to get up. I had a customer, or I had a few customers on the inside, so I had to go inside and hold my breath and just keep going inside, because I had to take care of my customers because I do have a job.”
Correa: "What time was this?"
Trammell: “This had to occur around 11-something. I get there at 10. It had to be after 11.”
Correa: "And did you wait on either one of them?"
Trammell: “Well, I was getting their coffee. I was getting their coffee, right when I was coming to bring their cream that’s when the wife ran out for him.”
Correa: "When you say you were waiting on them, getting their coffee, you mean Mr. Hernandez or the other party involved?"
Trammell: “Mr. Hernandez and his wife.”
Correa: "You were waiting on them?"
Trammell: “Yes. I was getting their coffee, but he had to go outside.”
Correa: "What did he seem like to you? We’ve heard he’s drunk, we heard he couldn’t defend himself.
Trammell: "Yeah. He couldn’t defend himself. He was drunk. You know, they had just come from a party or somewhere, soccer? Sorry. But they were no problem with us Denny’s employees. I mean, he did go outside instead of the bathroom, they say. You know, but he’s drunk.
“It’s really heartbreaking. It’s so heartbreaking. And for the wife and the daughter to see their husband, I couldn’t imagine. You know, and me being right there, I just don’t know.”
Another reporter asked Trammell, "Can you talk to us about Chauna Thompson, Mr. Thompson’s wife?"
Trammell: “All she did was keep yelling. I wasn’t out there when she got there. I had to go back in. But when I came back out, she was there holding him down telling him, quit. Don’t move. Don’t move.”
Reporter: "Did you see any attempt on her part to tell her husband to stop?"
Trammell: “No. She was yelling at the man herself.”
Correa: "But you did not see, at any point, these testimonies of Hernandez swinging first?
Trammell: “No. No. That’s just hearsay.”
Correa: "Didn’t see that?"
Trammell: “No. No one saw that.”
Correa: "From the time it was you serving this family coffee to the brawl outside?"
Trammell: “It had to be about two minutes. That’s just how quick it was. Two minutes. I didn’t understand what was going on. I know the wife kept telling (John Hernandez), 'Give me the keys, give me the keys.' So I don’t know.”
Correa: "A majority of the witnesses were Denny’s workers or just folks eating at the restaurant?"
Trammell: "Yeah. It was just mainly us at work. Me and my manager, really. There was two employees that were just eating there.”
Correa: "So then let’s cut to Hernandez is unconscious. We’re hearing that the wife then begins CPR, at that point, how does the scene change?"
Trammell: “It don’t. They laid him on, I guess, like I said I had to go back in, so I can’t answer that directly. I do know, when I came back out, he’s laying on his back. Motionless. And the wife is just, ‘I don’t know’ whatever they’re talking about. I didn’t see no CPR going on.”
Correa: "You never saw chest compressions?"
Trammell: "I never saw her. My manager got to see all that. I never saw any of that part because I was inside. But it was already over and they’re asking us to help move Hernandez out of the rain and drag him closer. And we’re like, no. We’re not helping you.”The Baltimore Ravens are picking up a draft pick for a player who had been relegated to the bench by last season's trade deadline.
Free-Agent Tracker Follow all the developments on the NFL's open market with our up-to-the-minute tracking of 2014's free agents.
Follow all the developments on the NFL's open market with our up-to-the-minute tracking of 2014's free agents. More...
Because left tackle Bryant McKinnie started 10 games in Miami, the Dolphins are sending their seventh-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft to Baltimore to complete their Oct. 21 trade, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.
New Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey has shown no reported interest in bringing back McKinnie, which means the current free agent likely will go down as a half-season rental.
The Ravens are now the proud owners of a late-round lottery ticket not long after watching Seattle Seahawks 2011 seventh-round draft pick Malcolm Smith take home MVP honors in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks down DeSean Jackson trade rumors and tries to figure out who will be next year's Michael Bennett (or Brent Grimes).If you’re looking for a FODMAP friendly dessert, have I got a treat for you. Here in Canada, butter tarts are kind of a thing. So, when I started making my own recipes, I was committed to finding the secret of low FODMAP butter tarts. It took a ridiculous number of tries, but I definitely cracked the code.
My experience with gluten-free pastries has been a little sketchy. So, let me take a minute to assure you that no one will guess these butter tarts are low FODMAP. They have a light, flaky crust and clean, rich tasting filling. Trust me, these little Canadian pastries are going to wow your crowd.
Think these low FODMAP butter tarts sound great, but you don’t have time to try them now? You can PIN THIS POST for later.
Keep It FODMAP Friendly
Part of the charm of these low FODMAP butter tarts is that they’re made with a few simple ingredients. The real magic is in the technique. Check out the notes below for tips on keeping this recipe FODMAP friendly.
First, if you’re in the elimination phase, you’ll need to use gluten-free flour. For my Canadian peeps, I’ve had the best luck with PC gluten-free flour. I like it because it’s fine enough for pastry and doesn’t have any gums.
Remember, unless you have celiac disease, you’re avoiding the FODMAP fructan, not the gluten itself.
This recipe also uses butter. Even though butter is a dairy product, it doesn’t have any lactose (because it’s all fat). This means you won’t need to use a lactose-free product.
Finally, since corn syrup isn’t listed in the Monash app, we’ll swap it for homemade low FODMAP cane sugar. You can grab my recipe here.
Whose Side Are You On?
You didn’t hear this from me, but warm butter tarts are amazing with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. According to the Monash app, 1/2 a cup of whipped cream is low FODMAP. So you’ll be fine throwing a spoonful on your butter tarts.
Want to try these low FODMAP butter tarts? Don’t forget to PIN THIS RECIPE for later.
Print It! Low FODMAP Butter Tarts Prep Time 2 hrs 25 mins Cook Time 12 mins Total Time 2 hrs 37 mins These amazing low FODMAP butter tarts will melt in your mouth! With a sweet and clean taste, this dessert will delight your taste buds without distressing your tummy. Enjoy! Course: Brunch, Dessert, treat Cuisine: Canadian Servings : 24 tarts Calories : 76 kcal Author : The FODMAP Formula What You Need Butter Tart Crust 1.5 cup gluten-free flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter (cold & cubed)
1/4 cup lard (cubed)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vinegar
ice water Butter Tart Filling 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup cane sugar syrup
1 egg
2 tbsp butter (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
pinch salt What You Do Butter Tart Crust Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and lard in small batches until it forms coarse crumbs (they should range from the size of coffee grounds to the tip of your pinky). In a measuring cup, whisk the egg yolk and vinegar together. Add ice water until the mixture reaches 1/3 cup altogether. Then sprinkle the egg water over your flour mixture with your fingers while you mix it together with your hands. The trick is to go as quickly as possible so the butter stays cold. Keep sprinkling and mixing until the pastry begins to hold together (this should take almost all of your egg mixture). Press the dough into a disc shape at the bottom of the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. * This is a good time to take out 2 tbsp of butter so it is thawed for the next step. Butter Tart Filling & Baking Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, then whisk together the brown sugar, cane sugar syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl until blended. Place in a piping bag and set aside. Tape a large piece of parchment paper onto your counter. Lightly dust with gluten-free flour. Remove your dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Place one half back in the fridge and the other on the floured surface. The dough will be sticky, so you need to be careful as you roll out to 1/8 inches. If you make a minor rip, take a piece off of the edge of the dough and patch it. Once you have rolled out the dough, cut out 12 crusts using a 4" cookie cutter (you may need to re-roll your scraps for a few extra crusts). Make sure you cut cleanly through the dough for easy removal. Place each crust into the well of a lightly greased muffin tray and lightly pierce the bottom of each crust with a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing. Then place the tray in the refrigerator and take out the reserved portion of the dough and repeat. Recipe yields 24 crusts in total.
Pipe the filling into each crust between 1/2 and 3/4 full (don't overfill them or the filling will bubble over and congeal on your muffin tray instead of in your butter tart). Bake each tray individually for 12 minutes (until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown). Place the entire muffin tray on a wire rack to cool for one minute, then edge a knife around each tart to loosen the edges. Remove each tart to the wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes) Notes The trick to an amazing butter tart crust is to keep the dough as cold as possible. This means touching it as little as possible with your fingers, working with the dough in smaller batches, and keeping it in the fridge when it is not in use (even if it is just for a moment). Since I like mixing the dough with my hands, I usually run them under some cold water and dry them thoroughly before I work with the dough.
These low FODMAP butter tarts will be a sweet finale to your next big dinner. If you like this recipe, subscribe to my mailing list below. Click the “sign me up” button and you’ll get new recipes and articles delivered right to your inbox
Want more inspiration? Follow me on Pinterest for more low FODMAP recipe ideas! Together, we’ll get the Low FODMAP Diet down to a science!
© 2017 Amy Agur – The FODMAP Formula
Let’s Get Friendly! First Name E-mail
SaveSave
SaveSave
SaveSave
SaveSave
SaveSaveStory highlights Bernie Sanders was asked by a high school student about the science behind global warming
"It is already causing devastating problems in our country and the world," he responded. "That is what the scientists are saying"
Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) Bernie Sanders has made fighting climate change a central part of his message, and he's not about to hold back when challenged by someone who questions the scientific consensus that human-caused emissions are behind global warming -- even if it's a teenager.
The Vermont senator, old enough to be the grandfather to many of the attendees at a town hall at Roosevelt High School Thursday, was asked by a 17-year-old about his position on climate change. She said that she was not convinced it was caused by humans.
"I haven't seen any actual scientific evidence that global warming is actually happening," she said. "It's only very recent. So I'd like to know why you think it's happening."
Sanders respond with a polite but firm: "You're wrong."
"It is already causing devastating problems in our country and the world. That is what the scientists are saying," he told her.
Read More• Spurs manager admits he is fan of Anzhi Makhachkala forward • Liverpool also close to agreeing deal for Brazilian striker
André Villas-Boas has denied reports that Tottenham have bid for Willian, a player who Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for, although the Spurs manager concedes he is a fan of the Anzhi Makhachkala forward.
Tottenham have spent almost £60m this summer but Villas-Boas is still looking for additions to his squad as he looks to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
The Tottenham manager was interested in signing Willian when he was at Shakhtar Donetsk last season and the Portuguese was also linked with the Brazilian when he was in charge of Chelsea.
Anzhi's owner, Suleiman Kerimov, is looking to sell most of the club's highly paid personnel in order to shrink their vast wage budget.
At a press conference to announce Tottenham's support for the NHS campaign "Get to know cancer", Villas-Boas was asked whether he had made a bid for the 25-year-old former Shakhtar player.
"No, no," he replied.
When asked whether he admired the player, the Tottenham manager said: "Yes. This is a player who I have spoken about in the past, not very long ago. He is a player who I appreciate. He belongs to them and I respect them so I wouldn't like to extend myself too much."
Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal with Anzhi, however, but they know the player has other options and are cautious having missed out on several expensive targets this summer.
Aly Cissokho underwent a medical on Merseyside on Monday to secure his season-long loan move to Liverpool, moreover. A deal for the French left-back – a loan with a view to a permanent £5m transfer next summer – was agreed with Valencia at the end of last week.
Tottenham broke their transfer record twice, to sign Paulinho and then Roberto Soldado, this summer, while Nacer Chadli and Etienne Capoue have also joined in the past few weeks.
Yet it was clear from Sunday's 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, which came courtesy of a Soldado penalty, that the team are far from the finished article. They are light in defence after the sale of Steven Caulker and Villas-Boas concedes there is a good chance of at least one more player arriving before 2 September.
"We haven't finished," the 35-year-old said. "We have a very, very good squad. We have done most of our activity in the market, but we are looking further on that. There is a possibility [of new signings], yes."
Despite the host of new arrivals on show in at Selhurst Park on Sunday, the one question Spurs fans want clearing up is whether Gareth Bale will be at White Hart Lane after September.
Real Madrid are willing to break the world transfer record to sign the 24-year-old Welshman but talks appear to have reached an impasse.
Bale wants to leave, but when asked whether he thought the forward, who has been out with a foot injury, had played his last game for Spurs, Villas-Boas said: "No. Not at the moment.
"He is a player who has had a clearing session [a light training session] today. Hopefully if everything goes well the player will be involved and I can give you further news in the future."
Bale will not travel with Spurs to Georgia on Tuesday for the club's Europa League play-off with Dinamo Tbilisi on Thursday. "He is in our Europa League squad, but he is not available [for Thursday's game] because he is injured," Villas-Boas added.We might see San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker back out on the court sooner than initially expected.
While speaking with French publication LCI at an NBA 2K promotional event recently, Parker's Spurs teammate Danny Green revealed that the veteran floor general is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the quadriceps injury that he suffered late last season.
From Green, via Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio:
"He obviously had a tough injury last year but he's recovering. He's a couple of months ahead of schedule... I don't want to leak anything but he might be playing a lot sooner than people think he's playing. He's been doing his rehab like a monster, like a maniac. He's been working out like a maniac and mentally he's really focused and trying to get his body healthy and get it right. You'll probably be seeing Tony playing a lot sooner than what most people expect him to be back by."
Parker suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets in May. He was initially expected to be sidelined until January, however if he is indeed far ahead of schedule, he might be back in action before the calendar switches over.Hi! This is the first story I've written on my own, and I'm rather proud of it. I know there are others stories like this out there, but I hope I take a different twist on 'em. Thanks for clicking this link, now go click that little purple/blue GO button on the bottom of this page!
Disclaimer- I own nothing. CP owns all the characters, places, ect. However, my ideas are my own.
"We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it." -Che Guavara
Chapter One: The Wake of Destruction
Eragon Shadeslayer looked out at the bleak battlefield tiredly. The city of Feinster was in ruins, charred and drenched with dried blood. Twisted lumps of wood and stone stood in the place of houses and bodies clogged the streets, choking the city with their cold, gray hands and wide, lifeless eyes. Flies and vultures circled the dead lazily, bellies full. Thick crimson blood, not entirely dried even six days later, flowed sluggishly through the streets in bright rivers.
"It will take a long time for Feinster to recover," a soft voice whispered. Arya came to stand beside Eragon, her green eyes dull with fatigue and sorrow. A dark trail of bruises ringed her neck where the Shade Varaug had nearly killed her.
"Aye," Eragon agreed wearily. "The people who live here will have to struggle for many years to rebuild their lives." He turned his gaze to the ragged band of survivors and prisoners. The Varden treated them relatively well, but the townspeople still glared at the conquering soldiers with hate and fury. Some of the surrendered soldiers had joined the Varden, however, bolstering confidence among the rebels. But to Eragon's eyes, all happiness quickly drowned itself in the tide of sorrow that accompanied the victory.
While the Varden fought at Feinster, the elves attacked Gil'ead, one of the Empire's military strongholds, in an attempt to stop thousands of soldiers from joining the main body of the Empire's army. While the elves struggled below, the ancient Rider Oromis and his dragon Glaedr revealed themselves to the world for the first time in one hundred years. Through Glaedr's heart of hearts, Eragon and Saphira watched as their teachers engaged Murtagh and Thorn in a deadly aerial battle. When it seemed that Murtagh's defeat was eminent, Galbatorix seized control of the minds of his Rider and dragon, using his skill to slay Oromis and a grief-stricken Glaedr.
Eragon pushed down his sorrow, desperately trying to avoid the grief that swelled in his thoughts. Oromis was dead, and even worse, it was Murtagh who killed him. Murtagh. The grief in Eragon's heart redoubled, threatening to overwhelm him.
Little one, Saphira murmured. Eragon looked down from his perch on the castle walls, meeting Saphira's sorrowful blue eyes. Don't be so sad. Oromis would have wanted us to carry on.
I know, was all Eragon could manage. Arya touched his arm gently, her eyes meeting his. Eragon could see tears swimming there, threatening to spill over as they had when the elf first heard of Oromis's demise.
Answering the unspoken question, Eragon hugged Arya briefly, cradling her to his chest. After the defeat of Varaug, the elf princess had become more comfortable with close contact.
"Come." Eragon said after a moment. "Blödhgarm is waiting below, and we need to consult Nasuada for our next move." The two slowly walked down the stairs to the courtyard, leaning on each other for support. It had been days since the battle, but they were both still weak from the trauma they endured while fighting Varaug. Saphira was waiting, her glittering body curled neatly on the stone courtyard.
Blödhgarm and his elves are inside the castle, with Lady Nasuada, Saphira reported. They are discussing plans to send us to Gil'ead. She snorted derisively. As if we would miss the burial.
Will you join us? Eragon asked.
Yes, little one. I can still fit through that hole I made at the balcony. Saphira spread her great wings. Why don't you and Arya ride with me? She offered. Shadeslayers shouldn't have to walk up and endless flight of stairs, especially since one is an elf and the other is a Dragon Rider.
Thank you, Eragon replied gratefully. I don't think I can walk another step, let alone those blasted stairs. He climbed nimbly on the saddle and extended his hand to Arya, who stood below, looking unsure.
Arya hesitated. That is too high an honor for me, Bjartskular, she said. I am not your Rider, and it is not absolutely necessary for me to ride you. A few stairs won't kill me.
Bah, Saphira snorted, releasing a puff of smoke as flames flickered in her nostrils. You carried my egg for fifteen years, sent me to Eragon, and have saved his life more than once. I am in your debt, and you are part of my family, my nest. She snorted again. Too high of an honor? Nonsense. I will fly you up to Lady Nasuada if I have to carry you in my claws.
Wearing a slight smile, Arya accepted Eragon's hand and leaped into the saddle behind Eragon. Beating her massive wings twice, Saphira gathered her muscles and jumped, tearing deep gouges in the stone. Eragon's stomach lurched at the sudden jump, tingling slightly. Powered by Saphira's mighty wingbeats, the three were soon over a thousand feet in the air, gazing down at the burnt city and the Varden.
Warriors scuttled to and fro through the streets, the size of mere beetles from so high. Tents were pitched outside the city and soldiers streamed in and out constantly, getting supplies and what not. Their armor flashed dully in the weak light, for the clouds were thick and covered the sun in their gray tendrils. Saphira began to lazily drift down, circling above the tower where Nasuada sat, no doubt in a heated debate over Eragon's future. The sizable hole Saphira had left when she crashed through the balcony had been covered but a sheet of leather to protect the tower's occupants from the elements. With a hiss of irritation, Saphira swiped her blue paw and it, tearing the leather from the roof and tossing it carelessly to the ground. She landed with a heavy thump and Eragon heard the timber structure of the place groan under her weight.
"Ah, you've arrived," Nasuada said dryly. Since she had ridden into the city, the leader of the Varden had taken Lady Lorana's chambers for her own, as was the custom of the conqueror. Today she was wearing a dress of deep, royal purple trimmed with golden lace. Her arms were nearly healed from the Trial of the Long Knives. Jewels glittered on her ears and in her hair.
"Shadeslayers, Brightscales," Blödhgarm murmured respectfully. The furred elf looked weary and sorrowful, like all the others who had known Oromis and Glaedr and mourned them. If only the elves knew that Glaedr lived on inside his Eldunarí, how great their rejoicing would be. But of course, the secret of the Eldunarí must remain secret, as it had for thousands of years.
"Eragon, as you probably know, one of the elves under Queen Islanzadí ran here from Gil'ead, arriving yesterday. After running for four days without stopping, I gave him a day to rest, and he informed me that Queen Islanzadí has invited you and Saphira to attend the funeral for your mentors. Arya, she had commanded that you stay, to protect the Varden in the event of an attack."
Arya's green eyes clouded. "Very well," she said stiffly. "I shall remain here."
"I will attend the funeral," Eragon informed Nasuada. "That is, if I have your permission."
"This is where we have a problem," Blödhgarm rumbled. His yellow eyes flashed dangerously at the leader of the Varden. "Lady Nasuada is reluctant to let you leave the Varden now, when they are preparing to march to Belatona."
"What if Murtagh and Thorn attack us? They have already nearly bested us twice, and they proved they are capable of slaying an older, experienced Rider and his dragon. What are men to that kind of monstrous strength? We would crumble and blow away like leaves in the wind," Nasuada defended herself. "I can't afford to send you and Saphira all the way to Gil'ead, what with it taking five days to run here."
"Murtagh and Thorn are in no shape to attack us," Eragon assured Nasuada. "The wounds Glaedr dealt Thorn are extensive, and it will take at least another week for some of them to heal, even with magic."
"Really?" Nasuada raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Explain, please."
Glaedr bit of the last three feet of Thorn's tail, Saphira supplied. And the magic he cast at Thorn to repel him was great indeed, for it broke Galbatorix's spell and sent Thorn several hundred feet. The force cracked several ribs, I'm sure, as well as caused some inside bleeding. Not to mention the other bites, gashes, and bruises inflicted upon him. No, Thorn will not be active for the next week or so. But I see no need to go. I'll carry Eragon there and fly back myself. Besides, she sniffed. Dragons do not hold lengthy, pointless burials for our kind. We burn the body and are done with our sorrow.
"Well,
|
effect wreaks havoc on the planet, boiling the oceans and turning the skies a sickening yellow. We then trace the surprisingly lengthy history of our awareness of global warming and alternative energy sources, taking the Ship of the Imagination to intervene at some critical points in time.
Courtesy of National Geographic, above is a clip from the new episode, which should have climate deniers fulminating. In it, host Neil deGrasse Tyson uses the analogy of walking a dog on the beach to helpfully explain the difference between climate and weather (pay attention, Donald Trump) and to outline why, no matter how cold you were in January, that’s no argument against global warming.
We’ve seen the rest of the episode already, and won’t spill the beans. But suffice it to say that it contains some powerful refutations of a number of other global warming denier talking points, as well as some ingenious sequences that explain the planetary-scale significance of climate change. It also contains some in situ reporting on the impacts of climate change, straight from the imperiled Arctic.
Back in November, I observed that if Carl Sagan, the creator and host of the original Cosmos series, were alive today, he would have been a leader in the charge to address global warming. After all, Sagan, who made his scientific mark studying the greenhouse effect of Venus, was deeply concerned about the megaforces that determine planetary fates.
In covering climate change so extensively then, the new Cosmos is living up to the legacy of its original creator.
Note: For those who miss it on Sunday, Cosmos also airs Monday, June 2 at 9 p.m. on National Geographic Channel with additional footage.Coming Soon
The Stranded
When a tsunami strands dozens of teens on an island at their private school, they soon realize no rescuers are coming and they must save themselves.
Amy Schumer Growing
Amy Schumer talks marriage, pregnancy, politics and more in a new stand-up special filmed at the Chicago Theatre.
My First First Love
A college student reluctantly lets a group of his friends move into his house, where they experience love, friendship, and everything in between.
Mixtape
This romantic musical drama follows the love stories connecting an eclectic group of people in modern-day Los Angeles.
Cobalt Blue
When a brother and sister fall in love with the same man, ensuing events shatter a traditional Marathi family. Based on Sachin Kundalkar's novel.
Murder Mystery
After attending a gathering on a billionaire's yacht during a European vacation, a New York cop and his wife become prime suspects when he's murdered.
River's Edge
High schooler Haruna befriends loner Yamada, then is drawn into the tangled relationship between him, a model and the girl who loves him unreasonably.
SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac
Seiya and the Knights of the Zodiac vow to protect the reincarnated Greek goddess Athena in her battle against evil forces bent on destroying humanity.America was founded on the ideals of personal liberty, freedom and democracy. Unfortunately, mass spying, surveillance and the unending collection of personal data threaten to undermine civil liberties and our privacy rights. What started as a necessary means of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering during World War II has escalated into an out-of-control snoop state where entities both governmental and commercial are desperate for as much data as they can grab. We find ourselves in the midst of an all-out invasion on what's-none-of-their-business and its coming from both government and corporate sources. Snooping and data collection have become big business. Nothing is out of their bounds anymore.
The Patriot Act-enabled National Security Agency (NSA) certainly blazed one trail. The disclosures provided by Edward Snowden has brought into light the worst fears that critics of the overwrought Patriot Act expressed back in 2001. The national security state has given a blank check to the paranoid intelligence community to gather data on nearly everyone. Internet and telephone communications of millions of American citizens and millions more citizens and leaders of other countries. Even friendly ones such as Germany, France and Brazil have been surveillance targets --over 30 foreign leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff have reportedly been targeted by this dragnet style data-collecting. More blatantly, covert devices were reportedly placed in European Union offices and earlier by Hillary Clinton's State Department on the United Nations to eavesdrop on diplomats. World leaders are not pleased, to put it mildly.
Many Americans are not pleased either. And while most of the recent public outrage in the U.S. has been directed at instances of government snooping, giant private corporations are equally as guilty of the troubling invasion of peoples' selves. Companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook blatantly collect and commercialize personal data -- often covering their tracks with complicated fine-print user agreement contracts that most people, whose property it is, "agree" to without any consideration. Clicking "I agree" on an expansive, non-negotiable user agreement for a website or a software program is, to most people, just another mindless click of the mouse in the signup process.
These "take-it-or-leave-it" contracts leave the consumer with little power to protect their own interest. (See here for our extensive work on this issue. Also, visit "Terms of Service; Didn't Read" for a valuable resource that summarizes and reviews online contracts so that users can have a better understanding of what they are agreeing to.)
Just last week, news broke that Google plans to roll out a new advertising feature called "Shared Endorsements." This policy allows Google the right to create user endorsements in online advertisements. So, if a Googler happens to share their preference for a particular product online, his or her endorsement might end up featured in an ad without any notice or compensation. Of course, users are welcome to "opt-out" of this program -- but how many millions will remain ignorant of the fact that they unwillingly opted-in by clicking their consent to contract terms they did not bother to read out of habit. (Google's official statement claims the move is to "ensure that your recommendations reach the people you care about.")
Opting-out should be the default option for all these types of agreements.
School children are also being targeted by mass data collectors. InBloom, a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, offers a database solution for student records between grades K-12. In theory, this service is supposed to make it easier for teachers to utilize emerging educational products and tools. But in practice, many parents are concerned about how this data will be used -- in one instance, for example, student social security numbers were uploaded to the service. One parent told the New York Times:
It's a new experiment in centralizing massive metadata on children to share with vendors... and then the vendors will profit by marketing their learning products, their apps, their curriculum materials, their video games, back to our kids.
Facebook poses another data mining risk for young children. Although Facebook does not currently allow children younger than 13 to join -- the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act prevents the online collection of data of children without parental permission -- reportedly more than five million underage children use the social media website anyway. This exposes them (and their personal information) to thousands of advertisers that use Facebook to collect marketing data and promote their products. See the Center for Digital Democracy's recent report "Five Reasons Why Facebook is Not Suitable For Children Under 13." Notably, Facebook recently changed their privacy policy to allow teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 to opt-in to sharing their postings with the entire world, as opposed to just their "friend network."
The insatiable appetite for data is reaching beyond the digital realm, as well.
The Washington Post recently reported that Mondelez International, the company behind snack brands like Chips Ahoy and Ritz, has plans to deploy electronic camera sensors in snack food shelves to collect shopper data. These "smart shelves" can scan and save a customer's facial structure, age, weight and even detect if they picked something up off the shelf. The device can then use that gathered data to target the consumers with "personalized ads." For example, at the checkout line, a video screen might offer you 10 percent off the box of cookies you picked up but ultimately chose not to purchase. The Post reports: "The company expects the shelf to help funnel more of the right products to the right consumers, and even convince undecideds to commit to an impulse buy."
The smart shelf builds on the Microsoft "Kinect" camera technology, which has the ability to scan and remember faces, detect movement and even read heart beats. Microsoft developed the Kinect camera as a video game control device for the home. In light of Microsoft's reported connection to the NSA PRISM data gathering program, why would anyone willingly bring such a sophisticated spy cam into their living room?
Along the same lines, certain retailers are using smart phones to track the movement of customers in their store to gather information on what products they look at and for how long -- similar to how Amazon tracks online shopper habits so it can direct them to other products that algorithms determine they might be interested in. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called on the Federal Trade Commission to regulate this disturbing practice. He recently announced a deal with eight analytic companies to institute a "code of conduct" for utilizing this seemingly Orwellian technology. Sen. Schumer told the Associated Press: "When you go into your store for your Christmas shopping, there'll be a sign out there that says that you're being tracked and if you don't want to be, you can very simply opt out." The details on how exactly one opts-out of this invasive technology, short of leaving their cell phone at home, is not yet clear.
With all these instances of Big Brother encroachment, one might want to opt out of the digital world entirely, and avoid supermarkets and retail chains that spy on customers. Unfortunately, that is becoming more and more difficult in an increasingly technology-obsessed world.
It's time for citizens to stand up and demand their right to privacy, which is a personal property. Mass surveillance and rampant data collection are not acceptable and should not be the status quo. Recall that there was once a time when the federal government could defend our nation without limitless access to computer records, emails, online search histories and wiretapping phone calls without open judicial authorization. Businesses could be successful without tracking and saving your shopping habits and student records were not commodities to be traded away. Why do they now do what they do? Because they can.
Remember, what you allow to be taken from you by the private companies can also end up in the files of government agencies.
This Saturday, a coalition of groups including the ACLU, Public Citizen, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the Libertarian Party and many more are gathering on the National Mall to protest mass surveillance by the National Security Agency. This is a positive first step in letting our elected officials know that ceasing the collection of private personal information about you is important and mass surveillance should be prohibited. Visit here for more information about this weekend's rally. Join the movement to end these burgeoning, tyranny-building abuses by runaway federal agencies.The Texas “bathroom bill” is anti-transgender legislation on steroids.
It’s not that Senate Bill 6, which cleared the state senate by a 21-10 vote this week at the urging of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, is that much different from North Carolina’s notorious House Bill 2 or the other proposed “bathroom bills” that we’ve seen in other states.
But by virtue of its Lone Star state setting, SB6 is poised to have an outsized impact on a large slice of the American transgender population—one that is already coping with an archaic birth certificate policy that will only magnify the bill’s effects.
According to the Williams Institute, an LGBT think tank based out of the UCLA School of Law, there are over 125,000 transgender adults in Texas, most of them black or Latino. North Carolina, for comparison, is home to about 45,000 transgender adults. The Texas total falls just shy of 9 percent of the 1.4 million transgender adults in the entire country. No other state besides California has a larger trans population.
And if SB6 clears the state house—an uncertain possibility, given that Republican House Speaker Joe Straus has said he’s “not a fan of the bill”—those 125,000 transgender adults and thousands of transgender minors would be barred from using public restrooms unless they have successfully updated the gender markers on their birth certificates.
That’s where things get especially tricky for transgender Texans.
“Getting your documents updated in the state of Texas is rather difficult,” Lou Weaver, Transgender Programs Coordinator for the LGBT advocacy group Equality Texas, told The Daily Beast.
“Rather difficult,” in this case, is an understatement. The majority of U.S. states have written policies allowing transgender people to change the gender markers on their birth certificates with either a doctor’s letter specifying that they have had “appropriate clinical treatment” or proof of sex reassignment surgery, which not all transgender people want or can afford. About twice as many states require surgery as those that do not.
But the state of Texas goes a step further, requiring transgender people to obtain a court order—generally after surgery—to change the sex on their birth certificates.
Not all judges are willing to provide such an order.
As the National Center for Transgender Equality notes, “current case law and evidence indicates that some Texas officials and judges are averse to issuing the necessary court orders.”
Transgender people may have to travel to a different county to locate a court that will accommodate their request. And even when they people do find a willing judge, the process takes time.
“It’s not like going to the local McDonald’s and ordering your Big Mac—it doesn’t just happen,” Weaver joked. “It’s an onerous project, it takes months, it’s not easy, and it costs money.”
By contrast, even a state like North Carolina will accept a notarized physician’s letter after surgery to update the sex field on a transgender person’s birth certificate. In California, the physician’s letter only requires “clinically appropriate treatment,” which may include hormones and therapy.
If SB6 passes, then, even transgender Texans who have undergone sex reassignment surgery—but who haven’t been able to go through the state’s circuitous process for updating their birth certificates—will be required to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender they were assigned at birth. And as SB6 moves one step closer to the governor’s desk, transgender people are already trying to get their documents in order.
“We’re already having trans people scrambling here in Harris County,” said Weaver.
This problem will only be exacerbated for transgender minors who attend public schools. Here’s the catch: SB6 defines “biological sex” based on a birth certificate and also requires public school districts to restrict multiple-occupancy bathroom use by “biological sex.”
But medical guidelines for transgender minors stipulate that they should not receive the genital surgery that may be required for a birth certificate change in many states until the “legal age of majority.” The bill allows for—but does not require—school districts to make an alternative accommodation for trans students.
(Most recently, we saw the results of a similar catch-22 when a transgender boy named Mack Beggs won a girls’ category in a Texas state wrestling championship because the athletics association restricted his participation based on his birth certificate, which still said “female.”)
In effect, many Texan transgender minors would be effectively banned from using bathrooms matching their gender under SB6 simply because they are not old enough to undergo the necessary medical care required to update their documents.
Even more bizarrely—as the Texas Tribune detailed in its analysis of SB6—the bill would allow the attorney general’s office to collect penalties of up to $10,500 per violation from school districts that do not regulate bathroom use by birth certificate.
These penalties would be instituted even as state lawmakers in Texas are looking to increase the state’s school funding. As the Dallas Morning News reported, Texas ranked in the bottom third of states in terms of spending per student in 2016.
SB6 would empower the attorney general’s office to investigate school districts that violate the law and to sue them to collect money for “a crime victims fund,” as the Texas Tribune reported, effectively taking money away from schools.
“If this is really about protecting women from men who would go into the bathroom claiming to be trans, then why are we punishing the school?” Weaver asked. “We’re really punishing the school for allowing trans youth to go to school. It doesn’t make sense.”
Of course, the Texas state legislature could decide that it’s not necessary to check birth certificates at the bathroom door. Any such requirement will require transgender people, depending on where they were born, to undergo costly and perhaps unwanted medical procedures to preserve their right to use the restroom.
Recognizing the potential effects of SB6, the Texas Association of Business and major companies including Amazon, American Airlines, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and PayPal have all urged the state to spike the bill.
But it’s up to the house to decide whether they want Texas to pass legislation that would easily overshadow North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” in its magnitude. Not everything has to be bigger in Texas.A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US backed Kurdish-Arab alliance, holds a position inside a damaged building in Raqa on September 4, 2017, as they battle to retake the northern Syrian city from the Islamic State group (AFP Photo/Delil souleiman)
Deir Ezzor (Syria) (AFP) - Syria's army broke a years-long Islamic State group siege on the government enclave of Deir Ezzor city on Tuesday as it battles to expel the jihadists from a key stronghold.
The jihadist group has already lost more than half of its nearby bastion of Raqa to US-backed forces, and its expulsion from Deir Ezzor city and the surrounding oil-rich province of the same name would leave it with only a handful of isolated outposts.
Syria's army and allied fighters, backed by Russian air support, have been advancing towards Deir Ezzor on several fronts in recent weeks, and on Tuesday entered the Brigade 137 base on its western edge, in what Moscow hailed as a key "strategic victory".
"The Syrian Arab Army this afternoon broke the siege on Deir Ezzor city after its advancing forces arrived from the western province to Brigade 137," state news agency SANA said.
"This great achievement is a strategic shift in the war on terror," the army command said.
A local journalist contributing to AFP on the ground said a minesweeper moved ahead of troops as they arrived at the base.
As they reached soldiers who had been besieged inside the base and adjacent parts of the city, the troops embraced and shouted patriotic slogans.
Others fired in the air and flashed victory signs, as Syrian and Russian warplanes flew overhead.
"We promised that we would not let Deir Ezzor fall, and it did not fall," General Issam Zahreddine, commander of the 7,000 soldiers in the city, shouted jubilantly to journalists.
Civilians gathered on either side of the road connecting the base to neighbourhoods of the city to welcome the arriving troops.
President Bashar al-Assad congratulated troops in a call to commanders at the base, his office said.
"Today you stood side-by-side with your comrades who came to your rescue and fought the hardest battles to break the siege on the city," he said.
And Russia hailed the breaking of the siege as a "very important strategic victory", with President Vladimir Putin congratulating his country's troops in Syria and the government forces.
A source in the Deir Ezzor governorate said trucks loaded with food and medicine were expected to arrive inside the besieged city from Aleppo within hours.
Government forces and tens of thousands of civilians in the city have been trapped under IS siege for over two years, facing food and medical shortages.
Early this year, the government-held parts of the city were cut in two by an IS offensive.
The army's advance Tuesday broke the siege on the northern part of the city, but a southern section, which includes a key military airport, remains surrounded, with the army now 35 kilometres (20 miles) away.
Around 100,000 people are believed to be inside government-held areas of Deir Ezzor, with perhaps 10,000 more in parts of the city held by IS.
Earlier Tuesday, the national flag was raised throughout government-held areas of the city in anticipation of celebrations upon the arrival of government soldiers.
Some residents had begun greeting each other with the words: "Good morning of victory."
The army still faces a potentially difficult battle to break the siege on the south of the city and free its remaining neighbourhoods, and the surrounding province, from IS.
But for the government, its success would be "one of the most symbolic victories in its six-year war," wrote Syria analyst Aron Lund in a recent analysis.
- 'Spiral of defeats' -
"The reopening of the Deir Ezzor road is a strategic disaster for IS, which is now at its weakest since 2014 and seems unable to break out of an accelerating spiral of defeats," he added.
IS has lost over half its other Syrian stronghold, the city of Raqa, to an offensive by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.
And in neighbouring Iraq, it has lost 90 percent of the territory it once held, including the city of Mosul.
Inside Deir Ezzor, residents have faced years of privation, with food becoming scare or unaffordable, and medicine and healthcare unavailable.
The government has continued to fly in limited supplies by helicopter, and the UN last year began airdropping humanitarian aid to the city.
Syria's army began its offensive to reach the city in earnest last month, and has advanced on multiple fronts, including from the neighbouring Raqa province to the west and central Homs province to the south.May 31, 2016 at 10:48 pm
Documentary calls for dismantling civilization before it’s “too late”
Making a case against civilization is about as tough as making a case against agriculture, primarily because most people don’t even know what the word means.
I know this because I’ve tested the theory out. A cashier at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago was complaining about being tired and poor and having to work all the time. At the end of his rant, I shook my head empathetically and said – “civilization sucks.” He responded with the same confused look most people do when I start talking about agriculture or civilization.
I get it. I’m only recently learning about the pitfalls of agriculture and civilization myself.
I’ve been on a quest for the answer to why life is so hard since I was about 11, when I started reading the Bible. The answer was presented to me there in an easy-to-understand package – humans disobeyed their invisible authoritarian father in the sky and forevermore they were cursed to labor and toil in the fields for their food, rather than pluck it from the trees of a wild garden, where it used to grow on it’s own.
In college I stumbled upon a whole new world of conspiracy theories I attempted to piece together to explain how the average earthling had become so disempowered and enslaved.
And then, recently, I found a new explanation for why life sucks so much in – of all places – a book about the evolution, and cultivation, of human sexuality. I had no idea when I set out to read a book about the unnaturalness of monogamy I’d be getting a full explanation of the fall of “man”kind – agriculture.
You can read my last post for a full explanation of why agriculture may single-handedly be the worst mistake humans have ever made, but basically agriculture set the stage for global malnutrition, starvation, disease, slavery, social and sexual inequality, warfare and tyranny. No other development in the course of human evolution is responsible for as much suffering.
The unsustainability of civilization
Part and parcel to agriculture is civilization. Once people learned how to get more calories per acre through cultivation, they became sedentary and increased their populations. (Population densities of hunter-gatherers are rarely over one person per ten square miles, while farmers average 100 times that.)
It didn’t take long after the advent of agriculture for large cities – or civilizations – to pop up in the center of fertile land – Mesopotamia and Egypt for example.
In the documentary “END CIV” environmental activist and author Derrick Jensen defines civilization as “a way of life characterized by the growth of cities.”
He further defines “city” as “a collection of people living in numbers large enough to require the importation of resources.”
Population densities that require importation of resources – or cities – can never be sustainable, Jensen explains, because if you require a resource (say food or water) to be imported, “it means you’ve denuded the landscape of that resource, and as your city grows, you’ll denude an ever larger area.” Think of the present-day desert that was once the “Fertile Crescent.”
Lierre Keith – author of the Vegetarian Myth and co-founder, with Jensen, of Deep Green Resistance – also makes an appearance in the film, which is based on Jensen’s two-part book Endgame:
“You’ve got groups of people living in a dense enough population that the local land base cannot support them,” Keith says. “That means you have to get your basic resources from somewhere else, because you’ve used them up where you live. So you go out into the countryside, gather up whatever it is you want, and bring it back in.”
As Jared Diamond explained in the article above, agriculture encourages overpopulation, and overpopulation encourages agriculture. Agriculture gives people a false sense of food security and encourages them to have more babies than their “hunting range” can support. When food shortages catch up to population growth, cities – or civilizations – must grow outward, reaching farther and farther out for food and other resources, which further encourages the false sense of resources security and wider-spread overpopulation.
In the past, civilizations used to collapse when they ran out of easily accessible resources, Keith said, “the limit being the distance people could travel with horses or other pack animals.” The life of civilizations was extended when the Roman, British and other empires learned they could widen their resource “collecting” range with navy ships, and was further extended with the beginning of the fossil fuel age.
Now when we need oil to make synthetic fertilizers for our mineral-depleted soil – or to run our cars around in circles like chickens with our heads cut off – we just send a few fighter jets over to Iraq or Syria and take what we need.
“We’ve found energy resources [oil] that have allowed us to escape some of the kinds of limits previous civilizations have had to face much more quickly.” Dr. Michael Becker, author of Igniting a Revolution, said in the film.
Civilization is a pyramid scheme, bound to collapse
Though the lifespan of modern, global civilization has been lengthened by fossil fuel, it is still a pyramid scheme. And like all pyramid schemes, it is bound to collapse. It’s expanded its base as far and wide as it can, and now it’s digging deep into the earth for sustenance.
“Industrial civilization requires ever-increasing amounts of energy, land and resources of all kinds in order to perpetuate itself, in order just to maintain itself [without collapsing]… and we live on a finite planet,” Aric McBay, co-author of Deep Green Resistance, says in the film.
Jensen argues that no civilization – especially industrial civilization – can ever be sustainable. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that any way of life that’s based on non-renewable resources won’t last.” And even the rapid consumption of renewable resources isn’t enough to sustain exponential human population growth.
In his book, EndGame, Jensen urges humans to start organizing now to dismantle civilization with the least amount of violence and destruction possible. There’s going to be violence and destruction either way, he says, but if we wait for Mother Nature to balance things out, the results are going to be more catastrophic.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say we are living in an ecological apocalypse,” he says.
Between the years 1980 and 2045 – a 65-year period – we will have lost more species of plants and animals than have been lost in the last 65 million years, the documentary points out.
This in and of itself is a sign of ecosystem collapse. Because all species on the planet are interdependent on other species, each extinction can cause a whole series of other extinctions.
The two main concerns presented in END CIV are peak oil (energy collapse) and runaway global warming (ecosystem collapse). The first is a given – we WILL run out of oil – which will destroy our industrial economy. The second concern is whether the economic collapse will happen before we’ve destroyed the planet.
But the folks at Deep Green Resistance aren’t looking to wind or solar power to save us from economic destruction. “No combination of alternative miracle fuels – biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, solar, or used french fry oil – is going to allow us to keep our happy motoring society going,” Jensen said.
They are tired of green energy rhetoric and mainstream environmental movements, which focus on making “better” consumer choices.
The problem with the green movements, Keith explains, is they are all about saving civilization, rather than saving life on the planet.
We’ve gotten so desperate for more oil, the film notes, we’ve resorted to excavating “tar sands” in Canada that require of a barrel of oil’s worth of energy for every two barrels produced. Historically, in places like the Middle East, we’ve gotten an output of 100 barrels for every one barrel that goes into production.
The industry-sponsored scientists are all scrambling to figure out how to make an inherently unsustainable system more “sustainable” – and that is Jensen’s biggest fear, that the movement toward “clean” energy and bio-friendly products will mislead people into thinking industrial civilization can or should be saved, prolonging and worsening the collapse.
It’s hard to hate the hierarchy when you’re near the top
One of the premises of Jensen’s book is that civilization is based on a largely unspoken of hierarchy. Violence done by those higher on the hierarchy to those lower is nearly always invisible or unnoticed by those in the middle. This is because most of the resource destruction and modern-day slavery Americans and other European nations benefit from is outsourced to less-well-armed – usually darker-skinned – parts of the world.
“You talk a lot about this culture being based on violence, but I don’t see it. I’m not violent,” an audience member said to Jensen during one of his lectures. Jensen replied – “First off, where is your shirt made?” The answer? Bangladesh.
Many Americans have bought into the lie that capitalism has empowered “third-world” countries. We believe that people born into them should be grateful to get a dollar-a-day working in factories, since, after all, they were making zero dollars before WalMart came to “save” them. “We’ve improved their lives by giving them the honor of assembling our cheap clothing and plastic toys in sweat shops,” we congratulate ourselves.
What we don’t realize, is many of these “third world” people didn’t used to have a “first, second or third” classification. They used to just be free and equal human beings living off the land, with no need for money. But as empires have expanded, people have been forced off their traditional lands and into cities, where they have to work their asses off for money to buy food, rather than just going out and collecting it.
“We’ve bought into this notion that it’s okay that you have to pay to exist on this planet, and if you don’t pay some guy is going to come with a gun and make you pay,” Jensen said.
And historically, if uncivilized “savages” refuse to work for money, they are wiped out. “Generally indigenous peoples suffered a 90-percent-or-more depopulation rate upon having contact with Europeans through genocide or war for territory,” the film’s narrator said.
End Civ
Whether you’re near the top or the bottom of the pyramid scheme won’t matter for long though. People need to forget worrying about economic collapse and start worrying about ecological collapse, Keith and Jensen say. Because even the rich can’t survive that.
“Scientists are saying the earth’s temperature might increase by as much as 10 degrees.” Keith said. “By that point, there may not even be bacteria left.”
“The sooner civilization comes down – whether or not we help it crash – the more life will remain afterward to support both humans and non humans,” Jensen said.
To learn about how you can help save the planet, check out strategies on Deep Green Resistance’s website and/or buy Jensen’s book:
RELATED: Agriculture: “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race
RELATED: Greenpeace Helps Corporations Destroy the PlanetEarlier this week, Oakland’s Travis Bader broke J.J. Redick’s record for career 3-pointers made when he went 6-for-11 from downtown in a 22-point loss to Milwaukee. Bader deserves his reputation as a sniper, but he also has moments when he’s more of a shooter than a maker. He’s had 0-8, 0-9, and 0-10 games from beyond the arc, and he has attempted fewer than 10 threes in only six games this season. Nonetheless, any list of the best shooters in America is incomplete without Bader, if for no other reason than he hit 10 threes against Cleveland State on Thursday night and it wasn’t a career high.
Inspired by Bader’s record-breaking career, this week the Triangle All-Stars will honor the best spot-up shooters in America (who aren’t Travis Bader).
My criteria for this list are simple: When the ball gets kicked out to a wide-open shooter, these are the guys who would make me feel like I was witnessing history if they missed. This isn’t meant to be a list of guys I want taking clutch shots, guys who can shoot off the dribble, guys who can curl off screens and knock down shots with a hand in their face, or anything else that isn’t wide open, spot-up shooting.
Ethan Wragge, Creighton
Wragge’s magnum opus will always be his first-half onslaught at Villanova in January, when he hit eight 3s and pretty much single-handedly ended the game before anyone else had even worked up a sweat. But the legacy of #WraggeBombs is more than just a one-night show. Wragge has been great from deep all season — he averages 3.7 made 3-pointers per game. What makes Wragge the captain of the Spot-up Shooting All-Stars is that he hits 49.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, which is insane given how many he puts up. Consider this: Wragge has made 78 3-pointers this season, good enough for seventh in college basketball. Nobody ahead of him is shooting anywhere close to his percentage, and the first person on the list who is shooting a better percentage is American University’s Jesse Reed, who has made 43 3-pointers.
Andre Dawkins, Duke
After a hiatus from basketball last year to cope with the death of his sister, Dawkins took awhile to heat up this season. But now that he’s found his stroke, he might be the best shooter in the game. I’m not sure if such a statistic is tracked, but I’d bet my middle nut that Dawkins is the most efficient 3-point shooter in America by a wide margin. He hits a 3 every six minutes he’s on the court this season, which blows guys like Wragge (every seven minutes) and Bader (every eight and a half minutes) out of the water. Given that the Blue Devils are 40-3 in his career when he scores 10-plus points and 8-0 when he scores 20-plus, it’s a wonder Coach K doesn’t just play Dawkins 40 minutes, feed him the rock all day, and then sit back and watch the blowouts unfold.
Brady Heslip, Baylor
When you think of Canadians who part their hair, ferociously chew gum, and throw up loose butthole monocles so often it seems like they’re getting paid for them, who comes to mind? Keanu Reeves? That guy from Sum 41? Of course not. It’s Brady Heslip, who has finally blossomed into the sharpshooter Baylor fans always hoped he’d become. To be fair, Heslip had moments of brilliance during his first two seasons in Waco. He hit six 3s in a game against BYU in the 2012 season and hit eight in an NIT game against Long Beach State last season. But when you look at his game logs from those years, the great games stick out because he had many subpar shooting nights. This season, though, Heslip has been consistently making it rain, so the outlier games that jump off the page are his 0-5 performance against Texas Tech and his 0-4 night against Texas. Heslip is shooting 46.8 percent from the 3-point line and he’s averaging three made 3s a game, so even though Baylor has been a disappointment, it’s hard to blame Heslip.
Jabari Brown, Missouri
Unlike the other guys on this list, Brown is a scorer first and a shooter second. He’d still be Missouri’s best player if the 3-point line didn’t exist — but it does exist, and Brown is that much better for it. Despite being the SEC’s leading scorer and therefore the focal point of opponents’ defensive schemes, Brown is shooting 47 percent from the 3-point line and he hasn’t had much of an off night all season. That second part is remarkable. Anybody who has ever played basketball knows that off nights are inevitable. Big things like defenses having your number or dealing with a nagging injury, or little factors like the lighting of the gym or the feel of the ball all come into play each and every night. Any one of those going wrong can cause a shooter to have an off night. Yet Brown continues to defy the basketball gods: His worst 3-point shooting performance of the season was a 2-for-8 effort against UCLA, and he still finished the game with 22 points.
Trevor Cooney, Syracuse
Thanks to a 9-for-12 night against Notre Dame on Monday that led to a career-high 33 points, Cooney just squeaked past Oklahoma State’s Phil Forte for the final spot on this honor roll. Depending on which Syracuse games you’ve watched this season, Cooney’s inclusion here is either way too generous or a slap in the face. He’s had two 2-for-12 games, he was 0-5 against Wake Forest last week, he was 0-4 against Fordham early in the season, and he’s twice gone 1-5. But he also went on a tear from the end of November to the end of December by hitting five 3s in six different games in that span, and he’s made 11 of his last 14 attempts from deep. Cooney’s streakiness makes it tough to determine how great of a shooter he is, but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because he’s one of
|
, “especially the Jewish community.”
Maine State Sen. Troy Jackson “claims to be for the people, but he’s the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline.”
LePage said this in 2013 after Jackson gave the Democratic response to the governor’s budget veto.
"If you want a good education go to private schools. If you can’t afford it, tough luck. You can go to the public school.”
LePage said that in 2012 while discussing school choice during a talk at a local community college.NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Chicago Cubs free agent pitcher Travis Wood is receiving interest from 10 teams, including seven in the National League who like his versatility, according to his agent, Darek Braunecker.
2016 Winter Meetings The MLB winter meetings are on in our nation's capital, and rumors are swirling across baseball. Here is what our writers are hearing. » Winter Meetings Daily • Complete coverage
Wood, 29, would like an opportunity to start again after making the All-Star team in 2013. He lost his starting role the following season but has proven to be a durable and reliable commodity as a reliever. He went 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA last season helping the Cubs win their division. He also stranded 37 of 42 inherited runners before tiring some down the stretch.
Wood has more value in the National League, as he can be used as a pinch-runner, pinch-hitter or even an extra hand in the field. He has nine career home runs and one more in the playoffs, becoming the first reliever since 1924 to hit a postseason home run. Wood will continue to talk with teams about starting or relieving, including the Cubs, who have admitted they have an opening in the bullpen for a pitcher of his qualities. A deal with a team wasn't imminent, according to Braunecker.The proportion of Americans without health insurance has fallen by more than a third since the start of the Affordable Care Act, according to new government estimates that are likely to strengthen efforts to prevent Barack Obama’s flagship domestic reforms being rolled back by political opponents.
A total of 14.1 million adults are thought to have gained insurance since the act – known as Obamacare – went into full effect in October 2013, with a further 2.3 million younger adults benefitting from new rules that allow those aged 19-25 to remain on their parents’ insurance plans.
Together these net gains have reduced the national uninsured rate from 20.3% to 13.2%, or a total of 16.4 million people, based on government analysis of recent survey data.
Though tentative, the statistics may help the White House argue that its reforms are too well entrenched for future administrations to unpick – something many leading Republicans in Congress have called for due to their fierce opposition to the compulsory elements of the scheme.
The supreme court is also currently considering a legal challenge sponsored by Obamacare’s opponents that could reverse a vital subsidy included in the reforms after a dispute over the wording of the original legislation.
Obamacare challenge: supreme court arguments point to divisions Read more
Though critics remain sceptical about many aspects of the reforms, both the supreme court justices and Republican candidates for president in 2016 will now have to consider the political consequences of unravelling a package that has brought health insurance to a nationwide group almost as large as the total population of New England.
But the figures also show how many more Americans are still without insurance despite the reforms, which compel adults to buy insurance or employers to offer it only in certain circumstances. Some 26.3 million adults remain without insurance of their own.
Officials say they expect the growth trend among those insured to continue, though they acknowledge they know little about the millions of Americans who are still without coverage.
“We are entering new territory here,” Richard Frank, the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters on a conference call.
“We are just starting to understand more completely who we have really brought in and also who is left uncovered.”
The department’s analysis also shows a clear difference between states that have allowed an extension of Medicaid, a program which covers many poorer families, and those that have resisted it.
The 29 mostly Democratic-controlled Medicaid expansion states saw their uninsured rates fall by 7.4% over the period, while those who have refused to accept the federal funding to expand the scheme saw a 6.9% fall.
Nevertheless, the largest source of the rise in insurance cover has been new individuals signing up through so-called healthcare exchanges, which are available in all states, either through locally run systems or via the federal exchange.
This federal exchange in particular had an extremely rocky start due to computer glitches and delays to associated tax reforms, but figures released last week showed 11.7 million people had now signed up or renewed their insurance by 22 February.MI5 was twice refused warrants to carry out covert surveillance by Theresa Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary, it has been revealed.
The watchdog that oversees the running of MI5, the intelligence services commissioner (ISC), said the cabinet minister denied a request for two surveillance operations.
On Sunday, a human rights organisation in Belfast called for more transparency on the number of covert surveillance operations the secretary of state sanctions in Northern Ireland.
MI5’s regional headquarters is based at Holywood, Co Down, just outside Belfast, and up to 1,000 MI5 operatives are stationed there.
The ISC said the Northern Ireland Office took great care when considering requests from the counter-terrorism agency and that paperwork was in good order.
However, the commissioner, Sir Mark Waller, expressed concern about the breadth of language used to define the subjects on two urgent warrants, one that included intrusive surveillance – spying in relation to anything taking place on residential premises or in any private vehicle. He said: “The secretary of state for Northern Ireland shows a keen interest in the case for necessity and proportionality. She can and does refuse warrants.”
MI5 has the lead role in counter-terrorist operations across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. Its main task in the region is to spy on dissident Irish republicans in the New IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann who oppose the peace process.
In one surveillance operation last year against a dissident republican faction in Newry, MI5 recorded more than 60 hours of conversations between alleged members of a terror group discussing potential police and army targets.
But the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), a human rights group, said the report “showed the inadequacy of the oversight of the secretary of state.”
Brian Gormally, the CAJ’s director, said: “The intelligence services commissioner says the secretary of state is doing her job – it would be strange indeed if he reported that she showed no ‘interest in the case for necessity and proportionality’.
“The fact that he thinks it is news that she occasionally refuses warrants demonstrates that the norm is that the secret MI5 normally gets its way. We need to know the number, type and justification of warrants for intrusive surveillance. More importantly, we need a genuinely independent and fearless form of oversight that can bring proper accountability to secret policing.”Facebook shares, which struggled to stay above their $38 IPO price following the launch of trading on Friday, have come under selling pressure in pre-market trading on Monday. With a little more than 30 minutes to go before the opening bell, Facebook shares are down $1.25, or 3.3%, to $36.98.
There are ongoing concerns that the company and its bankers simply stretched the valuation further than they should have. After initially setting planning to sell stock at $28-$35 a share, the company raised the target price range to $34-$38, and then expanded the size of the offering by 25% to significantly increase the number of shares sold by insiders. The deal then priced at the top of the range, traded up briefly to around $42, but then struggled to take flight amid widespread reports of trading glitches on Nasdaq.
Shares of other social networking sector players, including LinkedIn, Groupon and Zynga, are all likewise trading lower in the pre-market session.Alexis Sánchez looks like the kind of player who is so completely absorbed by chasing the touch of a football he would play the same way in any circumstances. Assessing the Chilean’s excellent start to life at Arsenal, Arsène Wenger wonders whether Sánchez’s game has shifted as he has emerged out of the shadow of Lionel Messi – something that comes with the territory for most attacking players at Barcelona.
An illustrious list have found the going a little more challenging than expected at the Camp Nou, with the team set up around the pivotal attacking dazzle of Messi. Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, to an extent, David Villa all had to adjust their natural game. “It’s not easy in a team where you have such a dominant figure as Messi,” Wenger says. “The game naturally goes through the strong point so in Barcelona the game goes through Messi. It means the other players become a bit more peripheral. You could see now when you watch Barcelona, Suárez was a super dominant figure at Liverpool and sometimes you think: ‘Where is he?’ I’m certain he will find his place but it’s not easy for the players there.”
Sánchez, who has been a breath of fresh air at the Emirates, gets more of the ball and can be more free with his runs at Arsenal than was the case at Barcelona. He also has the total support and admiration of the public – in his first couple of seasons at the Camp Nou the crowd would get on his back if he made a loose touch, such were the high standards to which they were accustomed from graduates of La Masia.
Since finding his feet at Arsenal (which didn’t take long) he has scored 14 goals from his past 18 appearances. Wenger is amazed by his physical capabilities. “He has quality that in the morning he comes in and he is fresh. I don’t know what he does overnight!” Despite a reaction to that comment flavoured with a little innuendo, Wenger did not have anything too spicy in mind.
The energy levels need taking care of, though, and Wenger will give Sánchez a week of rest after Saturday’s game at Stoke. He will not travel to Turkey for the Champions League match at Galatasaray. It is a more truncated winter break than he is used to, but according to Wenger, still necessary.
“He is in the red zone,” said Wenger. “You can see that when he plays but he can dig deep. I will have to give him a week’s break at some stage. I have to give him a breather. I did it with many players before who were playing every game. I did it with Henry, with Van Persie and it always helped them to get through without being injured.
“He played his 27th game on Wednesday since the start of the season, if you consider international games and travelling on top of that. Unfortunately you never know how far you can push it. We are not scientific enough to predict that completely but he has good recovery potential. He recovers very quickly.”
Sánchez remains at the forefront of the manager’s plans as Saturday’s trip to Stoke approaches, and Wenger has more immediate concerns with his defence. With Nacho Monreal out potentially for several weeks having torn ankle ligaments, Arsenal are very low on numbers at the back. Kieran Gibbs is nursing a hip injury and Laurent Koscielny requires caution as he manages his inflamed achilles. Wenger, who needs them both this weekend, spoke of “calculated gambles” in assessing how soon and how much the at risk players can play.
Stoke is an assignment that tends to Arsenal but Wenger is not concerned that Sánchez will be in any way overwhelmed. “Look, he’s a guy who likes big games, and for me that is the most important thing in a big player. It’s a kind of leadership on the pitch. He does not say out of the game: ‘I want to do this, I want to do that,’ but on the pitch he is a leader.” He has become a vital one very quickly for Arsenal."Look at that! Look at that!" I yelled, immediately feeling sheepish because I was at a press event crowded with other writers and I probably shouldn't have been shouting. Also, because I'd interrupted Sean Murray of Hello Games as he was in the midst of patiently explaining to me how to repair my space suit, which had been heavily damaged by acid rain on the previous planet I'd visited.
I couldn't help it, though. I'd been playing a demo of the PlayStation 4 version of No Man's Sky for fifteen minutes, and while it certainly looked beautiful, and I'd been to several planets and engaged in a dogfight with space pirates, nothing had really excited me about the game yet. Then I landed on this planet, where the sun had just set and night was creeping in, and I spotted something looming in the distance, slowly moving toward me.
I hadn't really been impressed by the procedurally-generated aliens I'd spotted so far. I'd seen some frog-like creatures, some slug-like monsters, and some fish-like fish. This was different. It was big: most of the creatures I'd seen so far were dog-sized or smaller. This was bipedal, stalking around on its thick hind legs, whereas everything else I'd seen on land had walked on four (or more) legs. It had huge broad shoulders and enormous rabbit-like ears. It looked like a yeti had evolved from a bunny, with a little turtle DNA thrown in for good measure, and while I watched it stopped walking and took a moment to rub its face with its large paws, as if it couldn't believe it was peering down at the tiny astronaut in front of it.
"Is it going to kill me?" I asked Sean Murray. "It's going to kill me, right?"
"I actually don't know," he said, then laughed. Of course he didn't know. It was a creature he'd never seen before, that no one had seen before, and that most likely no one would ever see again. It was mine, in other words, my yeti-rabbit. At least for that brief moment. That was exciting.
My No Man's Sky session began with me standing on the surface of a planet, which I immediately wanted to leave, mainly because I knew there were other players at the event currently standing on it with me. Finding things no one has seen before and standing on planets no one has ever set foot upon is the point of No Man's Sky, and I wanted to get right to it. So, I climbed into my ship and headed out.
Flying a ship is easy, arcade-like, with a single button-press to land and an automatic liftoff when hopping back in. Traveling quickly between planets requires a jump drive, which is fueled by minerals that can be collected while exploring a planet’s surface, either by shooting rocks or opening supply crates that seemed to be scattered around liberally—perhaps just to help us newcomers get stocked. At one point I ran out of jump juice while I was actually in space (probably because I hadn't bothered scrounging for resources before I left) but I discovered I was able to shoot nearby asteroids with my ship’s laser and automatically collect the minerals I needed to refuel.
Planets, at least the ones we saw during the demo, are liberally peppered with alien life, though we also learned you can sometimes find buildings and factories. In these buildings you can meet and interact with intelligent alien NPCs. Naturally, they speak in alien languages which you won’t understand, at least not at first. But you can slowly learn their language through your interactions and by examining carved monoliths you’ll find on the surface of some planets. Without knowing what they're saying, selecting a response to an alien query is guesswork until you've picked up a bit of the lingo.
While NPCs won’t give you traditional quests—Murray told me he wanted to avoid fetch-and-return missions to encourage players to keep exploring—learning their languages and interacting positively with them will raise your status with their faction, and may result in rewards like new weapons and technology. You can also acquire recipes, and put them to use in factories to create new items from the resources you gather.
Not every planet is warm and cuddly. During the presentation, Murray wandered around on a planet so cold it damaged his health until he sought refuge in a cave (which he entered by blasting a hole in the ground with an upgraded gun). One planet I visited had acid rain that ate through my suit. I thought submerging myself in a lake might protect me, but as you'd probably expect because you're smarter than me, it was an acid lake. And, some creatures, even if left alone, may be hostile. I was attacked by some sort tiny alien slug at one point, though a massive dinosaur I found on another planet, and my beloved yeti-rabbit, thankfully left me in peace.
I also got to visit a space station, though it wasn’t really by choice. While I was flying my spaceship near some AI-piloted freighters I was attacked by a handful of space pirates. I fired back, but they quickly destroyed my ship and I respawned inside a nearby station. Space stations, like planets, are randomly generated (though the one I visited was disappointingly nondescript) and some may contain alien NPCs you can interact and trade with. If you see another ship landing while you're there, you can stroll right over and offer to buy it, if you've got enough money. (I didn't.)
As the session wrapped up, I found I still didn't have answers to most of the big questions surrounding No Man’s Sky. There's endless exploration, but is it really fun? There's crafting and upgrading, but is it enough to make you want to keep playing day after day? The procedural generation guarantees you'll never see the exact same thing twice, but does that really mean the things you see will be interesting? I just didn't have time enough time to truly find out.
I did have a good time playing, though—a staff member had to physically remove the controller from my hand so I’d stop playing and leave the building—so that’s something. It's just impossible to know if I’ll find No Man's Sky engaging for weeks or months after release. Still, discovering my beautiful broad-shouldered yeti was a genuinely thrilling moment. While I'll never, ever see that creature again, in a galaxy with 18 quintillion planets I'm hoping I'll at least feel that same thrill.
No Man's Sky is priced at $60 and will be released on June 21, with pre-orders beginning today. You can also read my interview with Sean Murray, in which we talk about NPCs, post-release game updates, and players who won't leave their favorite planets.The City of Atlanta’s official website just got a makeover.
Improvements to atlantaga.gov are designed to make the website “more usable, intuitive and accessible,” the city said, adding that the changes make it easier to: access information about services; connect with its social media platforms; download mobile apps; and apply for a job with the city.
A photo of a section of the midtown skyline, including the 1180 Peachtree building, graces the brighter looking new homepage. From there, users can find out about events and programs and perform functions such as making an ATL311 service request.
The most commonly requested information is on more prominent display on the website. The city said the redesign is also easy to use no matter the device.
The website was last redesigned in 2012.
Information: atlanta.govFor a shot at their first playoff berth in half a decade, the Miami Dolphins will need to beat the Buffalo Bills in bad weather -- and without much sleep.
Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post reported that a fire alarm went off Sunday at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET inside the Dolphins' team hotel in downtown Buffalo.
The alarm "shut off pretty quickly, but it was loud enough to wake up -- and freak out -- the entire hotel," Abramson wrote. It also triggered a blaring fire truck to the scene as patrons evacuated their rooms. Not everyone panicked:
I asked a Dolphins player if he was forced to stand out in cold when fire alarm went off at 3 am: âHell no! I didnât get out of bed.â â Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 22, 2013
One immediate thought is that a rash of frisky Bills fans might have been involved, but there's zero proof of that.
As ProFootballTalk reported, it's the first known still-of-the-night fire alarm at a visiting team's hotel since both the Bills and New York Jets were awoken before playing the New England Patriots in 2009.
We preview every Week 16 game in the latest "Around The League Podcast."Loggers from Wallowa County are poised for a major role in expanded timber-cutting operations urgently planned for the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), the approximately 19-mile-radius area encircling the site of the former Soviet Union’s disastrous nuclear power plant accident of April 1986.
“The overriding concern in the zone is wildfire,” explains Mike Wiedeman, president of a decades-old family logging business based in Enterprise and past president of the American Loggers Council.
Like nearly all other activities normal to the area before the accident struck, logging in the irradiated zone ground to a halt and has since been seen only on a small scale, allowing stands in the vast forest to grow dangerously dense.
A report
Posing a potentially widespread threat would be the significant amount of radioactive smoke a large wildfire would produce. Although a 2011 study concluded that evacuations might not be necessary outside the zone, no one is eager to put that to a test. Researchers also concluded that people inside the zone were likely to suffer overexposure to radiation.
Wiedeman has grown increasingly interested in the CEZ, and the possibility of working there on a long-term basis, ever since someone in Ukraine’s private sector approached him about becoming involved in a major project that would begin forest-thinning in earnest and convert the logged timber to energy. (This article avoids mentioning names of any private entities, other than Wiedeman’s, that may currently be negotiating agreements connected to the proposed project.)
According to Wiedeman’s son, Bryan Wiedeman, also of Enterprise, that initial contact occurred just last summer. By mid-October, Mike Wiedeman was aloft over the scene, assessing it from a helicopter. The October trip also included ground visits, along with CEZ officials and an interpreter, to the zone’s modestly scaled logging activities and walks through several other prospective sites for thinning.
Apparently, meetings there were turning quickly productive. “Actually, I had free access to anybody I wanted to talk to,” Mike Wiedeman said.
After he returned home, his discussions continued with the various players and likely players in the logging and energy project, and early this year the Wiedemans formed a new LLC in Oregon, International Forestry Solutions, through which they hope to perform work in the CEZ.
Among agreements that need to be finalized is one for an energy firm to build and operate what Mike Wiedeman said would be the world’s largest “closed loop” biomass plant, gasifying wood to create synthesis gas (or “syngas”), which would then be burned to turn a turbine producing electricity.
The smokeless system has one anticipated waste disposal need inasmuch as it produces radioactive ash – according to Mike Wiedeman, at a volume of 0.4 percent of total mass burned. Once logging operations are at full speed, they should be feeding the energy plant around 260,000 metric tons of material per year, he said.
The Wiedemans expect the project to run for 20 years.
Enterprise attorney Rebecca Knapp, who is helping the Wiedemans to iron out all necessary agreements, says one will be in place with the Ukraine government’s Ministry of Ecology, which has an oversight role, and International Forestry Solutions will be partnering with a Ukranian firm.
In addition to the energy company that will be a key to the overall project, another significant player will be the forestry side’s equipment supplier. Mike Wiedeman thinks this distinction should bring considerable prestige. “There’s tremendous PR value of being the chosen equipment to be used in the toughest environment on the planet,” he said.
And in the CEZ, there’s no such thing as sending equipment out for repair. Any machine that enters the irradiated zone is required to remain there – in theory, forever. This is why the zone is still littered with the hulking remains of all vehicles that were in it when the 1986 crisis unfolded. The zone also lacks a decent network of logging roads.
There’s also the matter of training the people who will work there. While Bryan Wiedeman says he’s looking forward to fine-tuning protocols to help ensure worker safety in the irradiated environment – an appreciable challenge – he adds that he and other loggers he knows can’t seem to help but be drawn to the adventure of it all. “It’s like logging on Mars,” he said.
Rules in place in the CEZ limit workers’ radiation exposure levels by strictly limiting how long they can work over a given period. Toward the zone’s outer edge you can work around a dozen days per month, Mike Wiedeman explains, and the allowable work length continuously drops as you approach the zone’s center.
These necessary measures will have the effect of increasing the number of loggers employed and as well the number of work shifts, he said.
The Wiedemans figure to bring at least several U.S. loggers who would receive special training in Enterprise, but Mike Wiedeman said most of the zone project’s work would be performed by locals. “Our objective is to train a native population in our methods and with them run the equipment,” he said.
As a longtime advocate for the Northwest’s entire logging industry, Wiedeman has developed a yearly routine of traveling to Washington, D.C., to discuss industry matters with various officials and leaders.
In April, when he made his 30th yearly D.C. trip, he individually briefed some members of Oregon’s congressional delegation on the quickly evolving project plans in Ukraine. Rep. Peter DeFazio later commented about it when contacted by the Chieftain.
“I was impressed by Mr. Wiedeman’s ingenuity when I met with him in Washington,” DeFazio said. “It is a fascinating project that seems to offer a win-win scenario for the environment and Ukranians. But it is slightly ironic, and says something about the state of federal forest policy, that Oregonians are heading halfway around the world to Chernobyl to work in the woods.”
Read more on wallowa.comFrom March 1, as part of the “Go Together” road safety campaign, motorists in New South Wales must keep a minimum distance of one metre when passing cyclists. This becomes 1.5 metres when the speed limit is above 60 km/h.
NSW joins South Australia, Queensland and the ACT in passing laws to enforce this.
But while the introduction of the one-metre rule has been widely welcomed, cyclists have been decidedly less positive about other aspects of the Go Together package.
ID requirements and penalty increases
Cyclists over the age of 18 must now carry a driver’s licence or NSW Photo Card while riding. However, there is a 12-month grace period for this requirement.
Fines for cyclists caught committing certain offences have increased, in some cases almost sixfold.
These include not wearing a helmet (from A$71 to A$319), running a red light ($71 to $425), riding dangerously ($71 to $425), holding on to a moving vehicle ($71 to $319) and failing to stop at a children’s or pedestrian crossing ($71 to $425).
Finding balance
Governments across Australia have undertaken to promote cycling as a desirable recreational activity and form of transport in recognition of its social, health, environmental, economic and other community benefits.
This goal must largely be pursued through non-legal means – including the building of infrastructure, such as separated cycle paths, and public education campaigns. But the law also has a role in encouraging the uptake of cycling.
Successful cycling law reform is complex. The law must recognise the unique status of the cyclist as both a legitimate and thus equal road user and one that is necessarily different. On the road the cyclist is vulnerable to the motorist. On the footpath the cyclist can be a threat to pedestrians.
The law can be a powerful symbolic statement that the state has endorsed the cyclist as a legitimate and desirable road user. However, where laws are perceived not to get the balance between protecting, promoting and regulating cyclists right, tensions can appear between cyclists, motorists, pedestrians and the wider community.
When laws are seen as pro-cyclist – or, more problematically, anti-motorist – this can foster an unwelcoming and dangerous culture on the road for cyclists.
Will these changes promote cycling?
The NSW government has tried to balance the need to protect cyclists and accept their different status against the potential backlash and controversy caused by perceptions that cyclists are receiving special treatment. But cyclists have heavily criticised the package as pandering too heavily to motorists and undermining the promotion of cycling.
The number of cyclists in the City of Sydney is said to have doubled over the last five years. But some have expressed concerns that many of the reforms will deter people from cycling. Transport NSW denies the laws will dampen cycling’s growth.
Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards has referred to the mandatory ID requirement as a “barrier” for riders. It has also been labelled as “draconian” and “oppressive”.
The government argues this requirement will help police identify cyclists who have been pulled over or who have been involved in an accident. On this basis, the law’s opponents have argued the same reasoning would apply to pedestrians – but they are not required to carry photo ID, so why should cyclists?
Those opposed to cyclists carrying ID have also reasoned the requirement that motorists carry a driver’s licence serves a very different purpose. A driver’s licence is required to prove you have passed your driving test; the requirement for cyclists is purely for identification.
In relation to the increase in penalties, concerns have been raised that this is simply a revenue-raising measure. Bicycle NSW has argued that if cyclists and motorists are going to be treated as equals in terms of penalties, they should also be treated equally in terms of road design – which Bicycle NSW contends they are not.
The promotion of cycling by governments must undoubtedly combine significant investment in infrastructure with law reform that legitimises the cyclist as an equal and vulnerable road user. This can contribute to community acceptance of cyclists’ place. But it must do so in a way that is alive to the concerns of other road users or risk creating a more dangerous environment for cyclists.
The backlash by cyclists against the package of reforms in NSW is indicative of a government that has gone too far in this direction.The scanners produce a detailed image of passengers at airports
Nine out of 10 British people are happy to use full-body scanners being rolled out at UK airports, a survey suggests.
The poll of 10,000 people, including 977 Britons, by IT firm Unisys, found acceptance of the scanners was highest in the UK out of the 11 countries.
One in three surveyed in Germany and Belgium objected, and only 45% in Hong Kong and 24% in Mexico were in favour.
There has been some criticism of the scanners over privacy, as they produce body-length "unclothed" images.
The survey also found 91% of the Britons asked would be happy to provide biometric data - such as iris scans and fingerprints - to identify them at airports.
Vice-president of global security solutions at Unisys Neil Fisher said: "With airport operator BAA also reporting positive responses to the full-body scanners, it appears that the early controversy surrounding the technology has died down and people are taking a pragmatic approach to their safety.
"The question is has the country done enough to subvert another terrorist plot?
"What we have done so far is react to threats as they occur, rather than take an holistic view of the threat."
The survey involved people from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the US.As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, TNI Editor Jacob Heilbrunn sits down with the former Secretary of State.
The National Interest’s editor, Jacob Heilbrunn, spoke with Henry Kissinger in early July in New York.
Jacob Heilbrunn: Why is realism today an embattled approach to foreign affairs, or perhaps not as significant as it was when you had figures such as Hans Morgenthau, George F. Kennan, Dean Acheson, then yourself in the 1970s—what has changed?
Henry Kissinger: I don’t think that I have changed my view on this subject very much since the seventies. I have always had an expansive view of national interest, and much of the debate about realism as against idealism is artificial. The way the debate is conventionally presented pits a group that believes in power as the determining element of international politics against idealists who believe that the values of society are decisive. Kennan, Acheson or any of the people you mentioned did not have such a simplistic view. The view of the various realists is that, in an analysis of foreign policy, you have to start with an assessment of the elements that are relevant to the situation. And obviously, values are included as an important element. The real debate is over relative priority and balance.
Heilbrunn: One of the things that struck me in the new biography of you by Niall Ferguson is his quotation from your personal diary from 1964. You suggested rather prophetically that “the Goldwater victory is a new phenomenon in American politics—the triumph of the ideological party in the European sense. No one can predict how it will end because there is no precedent for it.”
Kissinger: At the convention, it seemed to be true to somebody like me, who was most familiar with the politics of the Eastern Establishment. Later in life, I got to know Goldwater and respected him as a man of great moral conviction and integrity.
Heilbrunn: Right, but I was more interested in your interpretation of the ideological force that emerged in ’64.
Kissinger: It was a new ideological force in the Republican Party. Until then, the Eastern Establishment view based on historic models of European history was the dominant view of foreign policy. This new foreign-policy view was more missionary; it emphasized that America had a mission to bring about democracy—if necessary, by the use of force. And it had a kind of intolerance toward opposition. It then became characteristic of both the extreme Right and the extreme Left, and they changed sides occasionally.
Heilbrunn: And they both vehemently attacked the Nixon administration.
Kissinger: Yes.
Heilbrunn: I remember that in your memoirs, you indicate that you were perhaps most astonished to be attacked from the right—
Kissinger: Totally unprepared.
Heilbrunn: —for allegedly appeasing the Soviet Union.
Kissinger: Well, and some, like Norman Podhoretz—who’s a good friend today—attacked me from both the left and the right sequentially.
Heilbrunn: I’d forgotten that he’d managed that feat. In the end, though, détente played a critical role in bringing down the Soviet Union, didn’t it?
Kissinger: That is my view. We viewed détente as a strategy for conducting the conflict with the Soviet Union.
Heilbrunn: I’m amazed that this doesn’t get more attention—in Europe, this is the common view, that détente was essential toward softening up Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and getting over the memory of World War II, whereas in the United States we have a triumphalist view.
Kissinger: Well, you have the view that Reagan started the process with his Evil Empire speech, which, in my opinion, occurred at the point when the Soviet Union was already well on the way to defeat. We were engaged in a long-term struggle, generating many competing analyses. I was on the hard-line side of the analysis. But I stressed also the diplomatic and psychological dimensions. We needed to wage the Cold War from a posture in which we would not be isolated, and in which we would have the best possible basis for conducting unavoidable conflicts. Finally, we had a special obligation to find a way to avoid nuclear conflict, since that risked civilization. We sought a position to be ready to use force when necessary but always in the context of making it clearly demonstrable as a last resort. The neoconservatives took a more absolutist view. Reagan used the span of time that was available to him with considerable tactical skill, although I’m not sure that all of it was preconceived. But its effect was extremely impressive. I think the détente period was an indispensable prelude.
Heilbrunn: The other monumental accomplishment was obviously the opening to China. Do you feel today that—
Kissinger: —Reducing the Soviet role in the Middle East. That was not minor.
Heilbrunn: That’s correct, and saving Israel in the ’73 war with the arms supply.
Kissinger: The two were related.
Heilbrunn: Is China the new Wilhelmine Germany today? Richard Nixon, shortly before he died, told William Safire that it was necessary to create the opening to China, but we may have created a Frankenstein.
Kissinger: A country that has had three thousand years of dominating its region can be said to have an inherent reality. The alternative would have been to keep China permanently subdued in collusion with the Soviet Union, and therefore making the Soviet Union—already an advanced nuclear country—the dominant country of Eurasia with American connivance. But China inherently presents a fundamental challenge to American strategy.
Heilbrunn: And do you think they’re pushing for a more Sinocentric world, or can they be integrated into some sort of Westphalian framework, as you outlined in your most recent book, World Order?
Kissinger: That’s the challenge. That’s the open question. It’s our task. We’re not good at it, because we don’t understand their history and culture. I think that their basic thinking is Sinocentric. But it may produce consequences that are global in impact. Therefore, the challenge of China is a much subtler problem than that of the Soviet Union. The Soviet problem was largely strategic. This is a cultural issue: Can two civilizations that do not, at least as yet, think alike come to a coexistence formula that produces world order?
Heilbrunn: How greatly do you rate the chances of a real Sino-Russian rapprochement?
Kissinger: It’s not in either of their natures, I think—
Heilbrunn: Because the Russians clearly would like to create a much closer relationship.
Kissinger: But partly because we’ve given them no choice.
Heilbrunn: How do you think the United States can extricate itself from the Ukraine impasse—the United States and Europe, obviously?
Kissinger
|
city-appointed panel of outside experts warned in a report Thursday that the total cost could exceed 3 trillion yen ($30 billion) without a drastic cost-cutting effort, and suggested using existing facilities instead of building new ones that could likely end up as white elephants.Cox offering subscribers an alternative to watch Super Bowl
As Cox Communications and KLAS-TV parent company Nexstar continue contract negotiations, the cable giant is offering an alternative for its 353,000 blacked-out Las Vegas customers to watch Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Cox today announced ESPN Deportes will be available to all customers through Monday. The Spanish-language station, normally available only through select Cox sports and Latino entertainment packages, will broadcast the Super Bowl in standard definition on channel 16 in the Las Vegas Valley.
“We found a workaround to provide the Super Bowl for all of our customers,” Cox spokesman Juergen Barbusca said. “We understand there are only so many options to see the game, and we wanted to expand it, so people can still stay at home and watch it.”
Barbusca said Cox will not have an English-language Super Bowl broadcast without KLAS-TV but encouraged non-Spanish-speaking viewers to listen to the local ESPN affiliate’s audio broadcast on 100.9-FM and 1100-AM while watching the Deportes broadcast.
Despite the added viewing option for Cox customers, Barbusca and KLAS-TV President Lisa Howfield said the companies still hope to reach an agreement before Sunday’s big game.
If an agreement is reached, KLAS-TV’s signal could be back on Cox immediately, Howfield said.
Howfield said she didn’t think Cox’s addition of the ESPN Deportes broadcast would affect the negotiations.
“I can’t imagine a quiet television and radio audio coming in ahead of the broadcast would be an optimal way to watch the game,” Howfield said. “It’s just another tactic.”TL+ Announced Text by Hot_Bid
Please tell me what this is so I can buy it.
Today we're announcing TL+, a premium service for the TL forums. TL+ will be a feature similar to Reddit Gold: purchasers will gain some special features and abilities on our forums, like the removal of banner advertisements, access to special TL+ forums, and other cool stuff. You can buy it for yourself or gift it to other TL users.
How does this impact regular users?
For many of you, this changes nothing on the site. We're making sure that the normal user experience is not altered in any significant way, aside from seeing a few small icons or post highlights. Of course, you'll have to live with the mystery of not knowing what is in the secret TL+ forum of awesomeness but we assume you'll be able to survive.
Oh no, is TL selling out??
OK let's be real for a second. It's no secret that we're trying to find ways to generate income for us, like creating and promoting TL store items. However, our goal for "commercializing" TL has always been to do it in a way that doesn't negatively impact the average user's experience, only add to it. We feel that TL+ achieves this goal: it adds a lot of fun features for very active TL users and supporters, while being non-intrusive to those that don't wish to buy it. In addition, it provides an option for those that wish to support TL without being forced to see ads, something we really didn't offer until now.
Why didn't all these features exist already for free?
We've actually considered this quite a bit in the past. The reason is these features can't really be justified for all users for various reasons, like server load, spam concerns, or cost. As for the future, rest assured, if a feature is "core" to TL users we won't be making it premium-only, and we'll continue to improve the site for everyone as we've always done.
So if I buy this, I can repeatedly insult the unwashed masses of normal users without fear of being banned?
No, you jerk. TL+ users will largely be moderated the same way as normal users, and will be held to the same posting standards. The TL+ private forums however may have slightly less strict moderation when it comes to thread and post content. If you buy TL+ for yourself or gift it to others, you are just purchasing some added features and access while supporting TL. It is not a get-out-of-ban free card or a way to feel superior to others.
TL+ Trailer / Commercial
Here is everything you need to know about TL+ condensed into 35 seconds of "Inception" music.
Features
+ No Ads
This is pretty self explanatory: for you, the banner ads on TL will be removed. You will also have an option to turn off TL created ads, like the countdowns we have top right for big events.
+ Private TL+ Forum
In this private forum, all TL+ members will become best friends. What will be in this forum? What does your heart tell you? Follow your dreams.
+ Filter button (view all posts by a single person in a thread)
By clicking on this button you can see all the posts made by a single user in a thread. It's also extremely useful for stalking people.
+ View all button (view 1000 forum posts on one page)
For the TL user that can't be bothered to scroll through pages, you can now browse threads of any length 1000 posts at a time. For example, a 300-page Live Report thread can be 6 pages. Regular users can only do this for threads under 1000 posts.
+ Send PM's to multiple recipients
Now you can mass PM all the moderators every day! But seriously don't do this or we will ban you.
+ Subscribed Threads and Favorite Streams limits increased from 50 to 200
There are more than 50 cool threads and streamers on TL so here's your chance to bookmark all of them.
+ Ability to report forum posts to moderators
If you're too scared to fight crime in real life you can do it on the internet instead by reporting bad posts or users. The mods still have the final say in whether action is taken, but it is kind of fun to contribute to some idiot being banned. Note: regular users with accounts over 1+ year old will still get a report button.
+ Small icon showing you are a TL+ member
In the bottom right of your post you'll have a tiny plus indicating you are a TL+ member. Please don't use this as an excuse to act like you are superior to other users. You can feel free to secretly feel this way though. If you are gifted TL+ for a specific post, the post itself will have a gold bar.
Price
TL+ will cost the same whether you are purchasing for yourself or someone else. There are discounts for buying more months. Currently there is no "lifetime TL+" membership. We'll work on that. In the meantime, enjoy the new features!
$3.95 (1 month)
$18.95 (6 months)
$29.95 (12 months)
This is pretty self explanatory: for you, the banner ads on TL will be removed. You will also have an option to turn off TL created ads, like the countdowns we have top right for big events.In this private forum, all TL+ members will become best friends. What will be in this forum? What does your heart tell you? Follow your dreams.By clicking on this button you can see all the posts made by a single user in a thread. It's also extremely useful for stalking people.For the TL user that can't be bothered to scroll through pages, you can now browse threads of any length 1000 posts at a time. For example, a 300-page Live Report thread can be 6 pages. Regular users can only do this for threads under 1000 posts.Now you can mass PM all the moderators every day! But seriously don't do this or we will ban you.There are more than 50 cool threads and streamers on TL so here's your chance to bookmark all of them.If you're too scared to fight crime in real life you can do it on the internet instead by reporting bad posts or users. The mods still have the final say in whether action is taken, but it is kind of fun to contribute to some idiot being banned. Note: regular users with accounts over 1+ year old will still get a report button.In the bottom right of your post you'll have a tiny plus indicating you are a TL+ member. Please don't use this as an excuse to act like you are superior to other users. You can feel free to secretly feel this way though. If you are gifted TL+ for a specific post, the post itself will have a gold bar.TL+ will cost the same whether you are purchasing for yourself or someone else. There are discounts for buying more months. Currently there is no "lifetime TL+" membership. We'll work on that. In the meantime, enjoy the new features! Today we're announcing TL+, a premium service for the TL forums. TL+ will be a feature similar to Reddit Gold: purchasers will gain some special features and abilities on our forums, like the removal of banner advertisements, access to special TL+ forums, and other cool stuff. You can buy it for yourself or gift it to other TL users.For many of you, this changes nothing on the site. We're making sure that the normal user experience is not altered in any significant way, aside from seeing a few small icons or post highlights. Of course, you'll have to live with the mystery of not knowing what is in the secret TL+ forum of awesomeness but we assume you'll be able to survive.OK let's be real for a second. It's no secret that we're trying to find ways to generate income for us, like creating and promoting TL store items. However, our goal for "commercializing" TL has always been to do it in a way that doesn't negatively impact the average user's experience, only add to it. We feel that TL+ achieves this goal: it adds a lot of fun features for very active TL users and supporters, while being non-intrusive to those that don't wish to buy it. In addition, it provides an option for those that wish to support TL without being forced to see ads, something we really didn't offer until now.We've actually considered this quite a bit in the past. The reason is these features can't really be justified for all users for various reasons, like server load, spam concerns, or cost. As for the future, rest assured, if a feature is "core" to TL users we won't be making it premium-only, and we'll continue to improve the site for everyone as we've always done.No, you jerk. TL+ users will largely be moderated the same way as normal users, and will be held to the same posting standards. The TL+ private forums however may have slightly less strict moderation when it comes to thread and post content. If you buy TL+ for yourself or gift it to others, you are just purchasing some added features and access while supporting TL. It is not a get-out-of-ban free card or a way to feel superior to others.Here is everything you need to know about TL+ condensed into 35 seconds of "Inception" music. @Hot_Bid on Twitter - ESPORTS life since 2010 - http://i.imgur.com/U2psw.pngStory highlights Spain's Catalonia region bans bullfighting
Clashes occur between animal activists and pro-bullfighting protesters
Bullfighting is a centuries-old tradition in Spain
Catalonia is the second autonomous region in Spain to ban the sport
In the sandy arena of Catalonia's La Monumental bullring, the traditional bugle signaled the end of an era Sunday as Barcelona hosted its last bullfight.
The ornate facility from the early 1900s hosted some of Spain's most drama-packed bullfights, but last year Catalonia's parliament banned the heavily symbolic yet deadly sport associated with Iberian culture for centuries.
In Sunday's final spectacle, a roaring crowd of fans watched as the matador Jose Tomas, in his traditional "suit of lights," rang down the curtain and bade farewell.
The sold-out bullfight became a different type of show as animal-rights advocates protested outside the La Monumental, often clashing with pro-bullfighting supporters and calling the sport cruel.
Inside La Monumental, crowds swarmed the ring, pocketing handfuls of sand as souvenirs, Spain's state-run TVE reported, while outside the arena police tried to separate pro- and anti-bullfighting activists.
JUST WATCHED Bullfighting ends in Catalonia Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Bullfighting ends in Catalonia 01:28
"We Catalans do not want bullfighting anymore," said a protester. "Finally, it's over," she said.
Bullfighting opponents also protested the fact that many bullfights are sponsored by public funds, an aberration to some during Spain's financial crisis.
Bullfighting is an ancient sport that, according to Catalonian historians, dates to biblical times. And while it is now history in Catalonia, it is still legal in many other parts of Spain.
To some Spaniards, bullfighting is synonymous with Spanish culture, an art form immortalized in the paintings of Francisco de Goya and Edouard Manet and several authors.
American writer Ernest Hemingway was a passionate follower of the sport while living in Spain.
"Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except for bullfighters," Hemingway wrote in "The Sun Also Rises."
Supporters of the corridas -- as bullfights are known in Spain -- maintain hopes of overturning the ban on constitutional grounds.
"I think it is terrible to ban bullfighting here because it is part of our culture," said a pro-bullfighting activist outside La Monumental.
Animal-rights advocates disagree, claiming it is a sadistic sport resulting in the torture and abuse of the bull for the purpose of public voyeurism.
Spain's state-run TVE has stopped airing the sport, claiming it is too violent for children.
Catalonia, in northeast Spain, is the second autonomous region in the country to ban the sport. The Canary Islands in 1991 became the first in Spain to ban bullfighting.
Bullfighting also is common in neighboring Portugal.Know where to begin
Where to begin as captain?You're new to the game. You've played a few matches as crew members (do not ever jump to captaining immediately).The following is strictly my own opinion and should be treated as such.A word about myself -I'm one of the saddos who had too much time on his hands and got excited for this new Blackwake game thing that was doing the rounds on Kickstarter and Youtube.As such, when Alpha was announced to be impending. I went to the Youtube channels of people like BaronVonGamez, Starsnipe, Bluedrake42, PartiallyRoyal and the like. I watched every video of every battle they fought and I mentally noted what they did right and wrong. How they might've won or lost.By the end, I was an expert on Blackwake without having played a minute of it. I knew loading procedure, boarding, ramming, everything. Thus when I logged in on Alpha 1 it took one game as crew before I signed up as captain. I was voted in, and won it handily. Over the course of Alpha 1, I would go on to see multiple winstreaks of 3 or even higher.At that time, 1v1 Galleons were the only thing out there (1v1 Hoys were played only when the servers were truly empty, and that was extremely rare). It was sudden death, you had no back up and no second chances. It was the ideal testing ground for the great captains. Amongst them Pope, Evanovich, Alboe, Reimer, Sack Jarrow and many others whose names sadly escape me.The arrival of Fleet Battles are a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because the effectiveness of the truly deadly captains are balanced out by them being only part of a formation of 3 ships whose effectiveness may vary wildly. You are now no longer the poor sucker who is target practice for one of the aforementioned great captains. By the same token however, Fleet Battles are a safety net. Using this novel thing called communication, you can call for help, have Galleons and Hoys come to support you if need be with massive broadsides and highly competent crews.It is difficult therefore to learn the fine art of trying know your enemy captain's ship better than they know it themselves. To watch every shot they make, hit or miss and to guess what effect your ship's fire is having in real time. Nor is it as easy to learn the equally fine art of completely out maneuvering a ship that is equal to your own in every way.This may sound elitist, but 1v1 ship combat is the most effective way to learn the game in this writer's opinion, unfortunately, 1v1 ship combat is increasingly being relegated to low population time periods where there isn't enough crew to even fill one Galleon.So, how do we learn to be better captains?We -1. Watch Youtube. Consider every move the captain makes, watch what their crew does. Are the captain's commands being acted upon in time? Is the captain communicating effectively? And most importantly, if you were at the wheel, what would you have done?The Alboe Show is arguably the finest resource for Blackwake gameplay, it is unlikely for there to be any situation that has not appeared upon the programme at some point, nor a single captain currently in Blackwake whose work has not be showcased at some point in the files. It is hardly reasonable to expect anyone to watch all 220 videos, but a look at some of the recurring names should ensure a good overview of some of the better captains.The full playlist maybe found here.I would also recommend viewing the earlier videos of the aforementioned youtubers. Although the version they played is long out of date, their videos are both highly entertaining and instructive for any player who has truly no idea how to play the game. Their long and bitter road to learning the game is both hilarious and illuminating.2. Play as crew. Note how your captain plays, could you do a better job? Do they need to communicate more, or less? Play with the great captains as their crew. Try to think about why they're doing so well. It may seem like they have this unworldly sense of being able to aim broadsides and always ensure their crew is loaded when they turn to fire.How do they marshal the crew and make sure they're coordinated? Listen to how they act when things go wrong. What do they do when the ship is sinking full of holes?3. Play as captain. It is possible to ignore the other two (it will be filled with blood tears and sweat however). It is impossible to ignore this. Be confident, be brave, be aggressive. Take the fight to the enemy. Remember, ultimately, in the words of the immortal Nelson: "No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy."Make a note of your mistakes. Where did things go to hell? Why did that broadside fail? Were the crew distracted? Killed? Did they not know what they were doing? Was there a failure to communicate? Do not be afraid of these great captains I harp on about. They play the same game. Their ships are made of holes, same as you. They will sink with holes just as you will.At the same time, make a note of your opponent's failures. You survived what should've killed you, why? What mistakes was made by them? Do you make that mistake? Can it be capitalized upon? In future too?That's all from me for now. I'd like to write further guides on different subjects, but this shall remain a living document I intend to update as the game progresses and changes (as games do) as well update with as many pictures as possible (it is difficult to get gameplay shots when the alpha isn't actually running). I hope players both old and new have learned something from this and I'd like to welcome the new players come to the game in future alphas and in the coming release. I look forward to commanding and being commanded by you all. If even one player finds they command their craft a little better after reading this guide then its purpose has been fulfilled.Salute.Signed, sealed and black spotted.Kommissar Hedgehog.At Sea.13/12/2016.P.S. Please do not refrain from providing comments and suggestions.President Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE boasted on Friday about his "very powerful" use of Twitter, saying that it allowed him to sidestep the news media and deliver his message directly to supporters.
"The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media — over 100 million people! I can go around them," he tweeted.
The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media - over 100 million people! I can go around them — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
Trump has long used Twitter to comment on the news and announce policy decisions. He has argued that the social media site allows him to skirt traditional news sources that he claims treat him unfairly.
The president also frequently assails news outlets that cover him and his administration critically as "fake news."About 14 years ago, I met an entrepreneur who wanted to open up coffee shops around China. I never thought the coffee business would work there. The Chinese would not easily give up their tea-drinking culture for a bitter, overpriced drink, I told him.
Starbucks has proven me wrong. Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks (SBUX), announced that China will soon become its largest market outside the United States. It has opened over 500 outlets in the country, which are more profitable per outlet than in the U.S. even though sales per outlet lags its U.S. counterparts considerably, according to the chain's chief financial officer, Troy Alstead.
What did Starbucks do to succeed in a market where so many other Western food and beverage brands such as Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Burger King have failed to live up to their own expectations? What Starbucks did right in China is a textbook case study in how food brands can succeed despite rising labor and real estate costs and increased competition on the Mainland.
Instead of trying to force onto the market the same products that work in the U.S., such as whip cream-covered frozen coffee concoctions, Starbucks developed flavors, such as green tea-flavored coffee drinks, that appeal to local tastes. Rather than pushing take-out orders, which account for the majority of American sales, Starbucks adapted to local consumer wants and promoted dine-in service.
By offering comfortable environments in a market where few restaurants had air conditioning in the late 1990s, Starbucks become a defacto meeting place for executives as well as for the gathering of friends. In other words, Starbucks adapted its business model specifically for the Chinese, rather than trying to transplant everything that worked in America into China, as so many brands such as Best Buy and Home Depot have done. Such approaches often proved shortsighted and ill-fated.
The challenge with pushing dine-in service in large, comfortable outlets rather than take out is that revenue per square meter is less than in the U.S. The average revenue per outlet in China is one third to two thirds of what it is in the U.S., according to Alstead, the CFO.
Starbucks offset the relative lack of revenue in China's outlets by positioning the company and its products as aspirational purchases. The average coffee sold in China is far more expensive than in the U.S. Carrying a Starbucks cup is seen as a status symbol, a way to demonstrate sophistication and the capability to afford a personal luxury for the up-and-coming middle class in China.
Starbuck's high pricing strategy of specialty drinks allows it to have its Chinese outlets be more profitable per store in China despite the lower sales volume. Overall in Asia, its operating margins are 34.6% in 2011 versus 21.8% in the United States. Too many brands are willing to push for market share by cutting prices in China. In reality, they should aim for fatter margins.
Not only does Starbuck's premium pricing strategy fit market demands but it also allows it to regularly roll out higher-margin specialty products, such as gift sets that offset rising commodity costs. If you think Starbucks is pricey here, imagine what you'd pay in Shanghai. Still, it will be an ongoing juggling act for Starbucks. As China's urbanization rate nears 52%, Starbucks and other companies there need to implement strategies to offset the impact of rising commodity costs.
Meantime, Starbucks has done an amazing job at recruiting, retaining, and training employees. Annual turnover rates 30% or higher are common in China, according to data compiled by my firm. Yet, Starbucks has far lower turnover than the industry average by offering good compensation packages, work environments, and career paths.
One barista who has been working at Starbucks for five years told me, "I feel taken care of by management. I enjoy my job and I enjoy working here so I expect to stay longer." That is a rare comment in a country where job hopping is the norm among younger workers.
Starbucks' service is on par if not higher than many five-star hotels. In interviews with several hundred consumers in Shanghai, the majority of them told my firm they actually preferred the taste of products from competitors but continued to go to Starbucks because of the service.
Far too many multinational companies treat their Chinese employees as second-class citizens with little career development. Their senior management ranks are full of foreigners, Taiwanese or Hong Kongers without any mainland Chinese representation.
Starbucks understood that the value proposition it was offering Chinese was different than in the U.S. They were able to adapt their business model to fit China while keeping their core values. So far, it's working pretty well.
Copyright 2012 CNBC.com.“Project Morpheus not only aims to bring Virtual Reality to PlayStation, but more importantly brings PlayStation to Virtual Reality. This session will focus on updates since last year’s Project Morpheus GDC presentation, and will give developers new information about creative opportunities when designing VR experiences for PlayStation 4. Topics covered will include updated game design information, the use of PlayStation peripherals in VR, and the unique social experiences possible only with Project Morpheus.”
See Also: Anyone Who Says ‘You Can’t Do VR on Console’ Hasn’t Tried Sony’s 2015 Morpheus Prototype
Speakers:
Chris Norden – Senior Staff Engineer, SCEI, Sony Computer Entertainment America
Nicolas Doucet – Senior Producer, Japan Studio, Sony Computer Entertainment
David Ranyard – Studio Director, London Studio, Sony Computer Entertainment
Ben Lang and Scott Hayden will Live Blog this event from 12:30 PST. Posts will appear automatically below, no need to refresh.This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN:
For our last segment, we look at the dramatic rise in global food prices, adding a new level of danger to the crisis of world hunger. In Africa, food riots have swept across the continent, with recent protests in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Senegal. In most of West Africa, the price of food has risen by 50 percent — in Sierra Leone, 300 percent. Last week, African finance ministers warned the rise in international food prices “poses significant threats to Africa’s growth, peace and security.” Other protests have been held this past week in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt. In Haiti, at least five people have died in riots over 50 percent price hikes for rice, beans and fruit since last year. The demonstrations continued Monday outside the national palace in Port-au-Prince.
HAITIAN DEMONSTRATOR: We are protesting voluntarily. It is not for money. The parliament is responsible for all of this. All we ask for is for the government to cut down on prices of food.
AMY GOODMAN:
Last month, the World Food Program issued a rare appeal for an additional $500 million in funding. For its part, the Bush administration has reduced emergency food aid. Last month, the US Agency for International Development said that a 41 percent surge in prices for wheat, corn, rice and other cereals over the past six months has generated a $120 million budget shortfall that will force the agency to reduce emergency operations.
What’s causing this food price hike? What can be done to reverse it? Raj Patel explores this question in his new book Stuffed and Starved: the Hidden Battle for the World Food System. He’s a writer, activist, former policy analyst with Food First, formerly worked for the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, and has also protested them on four continents. He joins us from San Francisco.
Welcome, Raj Patel.
RAJ PATEL:
Hi, Amy. How are you?
AMY GOODMAN:
Very good to have you with us. What’s causing this surge in food prices around the world?
RAJ PATEL:
Well, it’s a number of factors. For a start, there were just bad harvests last year. Some people say that this is a sign that climate change is biting in agricultural economies. And it’s certainly the case that there was some very bad weather, particularly in Australia, last year. So there’s a low level of crops available.
But on top of that, there are a few other factors. One of them, one of the issues, is that governments, particularly the US government, is very keen on biofuels. Biofuels are fuels that are derived from corn, from sugar cane, and they’re being presented as a way of achieving energy independence. The trouble is, of course, that the biofuels drive up the price of these commodities, which means that poor people can’t afford them anymore.
On top of that, you’ve got an increasing demand for meat in developing countries. And as people get richer in those countries and they shift to something that looks more like an American diet, you have a situation where the grains are being diverted away from poor people and into livestock. So, again, that’s driving up the price of grains.
And finally, I think one of the major issues is, of course, the price of oil. I mean, one of the problems with the way our food reaches us today is that it is industrial, it is very fossil fuel-intensive, not just to the distance the food travels, but also in the fertilizer. You know, fossil fuel is required to produce fertilizer, pesticide, these sorts of things. And so, when the price of oil is over $100 a barrel, that combines with all the other factors to make a perfect storm where food prices are absolutely beyond the means of the poorest people.
AMY GOODMAN:
Ethanol has been posed as an alternative to oil. What is your response to that?
RAJ PATEL:
It’s an alternative to oil if you’re in the grain business. It’s an alternative to oil if you are one of the large industrial grain processors who are looking and lobbying very hard to make money out of the transformation of grain into ethanol.
But it’s an absurd idea. I mean, in terms of just the carbon, the level of carbon that’s in — the level of CO2 that it takes to produce ethanol is much higher than the actual — you know, the saving that you get from burning ethanol. So, in terms of a climate change strategy, ethanol is madness. And sadly, all the major presidential candidates at the moment seem to have been drinking the Kool-Aid on this one. And it seems to be something that doesn’t enter popular discourse as one of the grave dangers in modern American agricultural policy.
AMY GOODMAN:
Raj Patel, you write in the beginning of your book, “Our Big Fat Contradiction,” that “the hunger of 800 million happens at the same time as another historical fact: that they are outnumbered by the one billion people on this planet who are overweight.” Talk about that contradiction.
RAJ PATEL:
Yeah — well, I mean, it’s a contradiction actually that you see everywhere. I mean, you see it in the States. I mean, the US is the most obese country on the planet. There are only three in ten Americans are now at a normal body weight. And at the same time last year, about thirty-five million Americans went hungry at some point last year. So this contradiction between hunger and obesity is worldwide.
And in the past, we had a situation where the rich were fat and the poor were thin. Today, because our food comes from the sort of industrial market of highly processed food that extracts value from poor farmers and gives us processed, highly fatty food, a sort of fast food, as convenience food for people living in cities. Well, the upshot of that is that you’ve got both poor people who are going hungry and poor people who are predominantly overweight. I mean, it’s a sad contradiction that today in the United States the lower your income, the more overweight you’re likely to be.
AMY GOODMAN:
Raj Patel, we’ve had this controversy in the presidential race, the stepping down of the head of Burson-Marsteller from the campaign, Mark Penn, from the campaign of Hillary Clinton, because he met with the Colombian ambassador. They have retained his lobbying company to lobby on behalf of a so-called free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States. Bush is giving that agreement to Congress to pass on. What about the so-called free trade and how it affects food prices around the world?
RAJ PATEL:
Well, I mean, one of the reasons that you’re seeing food price riots right now is because all the countries that you listed, from Haiti to Senegal to Burkina Faso to India, they are largely hitched to an international economy where they have to import grain in order to be able to consume it. And this is a consequence of the US pushing a so-called free trade agenda, where countries are being forced to lower their tariff barriers, to stop protecting farmers. And as a result, what you’re seeing is that the countries that are worst affected by this are the ones that have most enthusiastically been forced to embrace free trade.
The countries that are doing — that are not suffering quite as badly are countries that have a lot of support for agriculture. I mean, the support is distorted, particularly in the US and the European Union, but even in China or Japan or South Korea. Rice, for example, in South Korea and Japan, is treated as a cultural good. The Japanese and South Korean governments fought very hard to exempt food from the strictures of free trade.
So, absolutely, free trade has a great deal of responsibility to bear here, because countries have been forced into using free trade. And, of course, when the price of food goes up globally, countries have no reserves, they have no policies, they have no recourse, if they’re being forced to be part of the free trade system. So, yes, I think it has a great deal of responsibility.
AMY GOODMAN:
Farmer suicides, what have you found?
RAJ PATEL:
Across the world, but particularly in India, you see a situation where farmers on — I mean, farmers, like everyone else, want to improve their lot, and so they borrow money to be able to invest in their land. And increasingly, those investments don’t pan out, whether it’s climate change or whether it’s a medical expense that they have to pay. And all of a sudden, farmers find themselves on the brink of foreclosure or bankruptcy, and they become the first people in generations in their family to lose their land. And rather than suffer that indignity, farmers in India, for example, have been poisoning themselves with pesticides. That was one of the hardest parts of researching this book, is talking to families where farmers did kill themselves.
And, of course, it’s an epidemic that started in the States, in the Midwest in the 1980s, when there was a flourishing of farmer suicides. That’s perhaps not the right word, but there was certainly an epidemic of them. And those suicides follow the rise of debt for farmers. They particularly affect small farmers, farmers who have been — family farmers who have been on their land for generations. And in the new modern agricultural economy, those farmers are the most vulnerable, whether they’re in India or the States or in Britain.
AMY GOODMAN:
Raj Patel, in the last thirty seconds — and then we will bring our listeners and viewers part two of this conversation — but in our last thirty seconds, how devastating are the hike in food prices for those living on the edge?
RAJ PATEL:
I mean, they’re absolutely devastating. It’s important to remember, of course, that living on the edge is also devastating, but what we have now is a situation where the food prices are really just toppling people into straightforward hunger and famine. I mean, in Haiti, people are eating mud cakes in order to keep hunger pangs at bay. Things are pretty dire.
AMY GOODMAN:
I want to thank you for being with us. We’ll bring part two of this conversation to our listeners and viewers within the next few days. Raj Patel is our guest. His new book is Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System.vSphere Storage is one of the three main infrastructure components of a vSphere deployment (Compute, Storage, and Network).Mastering VMware vSphere Storage begins with an insightful introduction to virtualization and creating your own virtual machines. We then talk about VMware vCenter Server and virtual machine management, as well as managing vSphere 5 using vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) and esxcli and vmware-cmd commands. We then swiftly move on to a very interesting topic, reviewing the vSphere performance and troubleshooting methodology. We then configure VM storage profiles, Storage DRS, and Storage I/O control. More significantly, we will troubleshoot and analyze storage using the VMware CLI and learn how to configure iSCSI storage.By the end of the book, you will be able to identify useful information to make virtual machine and virtual data center design decisions.When it comes to Triple Sec (or Triple Dry) orange liqueur, the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room is Cointreau. So pervasive, Cointreau is often called out by brand name in many cocktail recipes, including the famous Cosmopolitan, rather than simply calling for Triple Sec. There’s a good reason for this – Cointreau is an excellent liqueur – but it would be a mistake to start and end any conversation about Triple Sec with just Cointreau.
Combier Liqueur D’Orange bills itself as the original Triple Orange. Created in 1834 in Samur, France, Combier actually pre-dates Cointreau by fifteen years. Being the first of its kind or being the biggest really doesn’t matter once you pour it in the glass. Although they are
|
the Iraqi WMD “group think” were called “Saddam apologists” in 2003).
The controversy also has done little to chasten the Western press corps from relying on the “White Helmets” as the go-to sources for information in Syria’s conflict zones.
Rick Sterling is an investigative journalist and member of Syria Solidarity Movement.
If you enjoyed this original article please consider making a donation to Consortium News so we can bring you more stories like this one.Share this...
AGW scandal by four scientists and the IPCC
By Kyoji Kimoto, [email protected],
July 30, 2017
(Background here, where Robert Cess admits error)
The anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theory of the IPCC is a fake science developed by the following scientists for fame & fund, causing huge economic losses to the world. President Trump made a scientifically right decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and will liberate mankind from the AGW scam.
Dr. Syukuro Manabe (Born in 1931, Princeton Univ.), pioneer of AGW theory
Dr. Robert Cess (Born in 1932, Stony Brook Univ.), mechanics researcher
Dr. James Hansen (Born in 1941, NASA &Columbia Univ.), Venus researcher
Dr. Michel Schlesinger (Born in 1943, Univ. of Illinois), rocket engineer
In the farewell lecture held on October 26, 2001 in Tokyo, Manabe talked as follows:
Research funds have been $3 million per year and $120 million for the past 40 years. It is not clever to pursue the scientific truth. A better way is choosing the relevant topics to society for the funds covering the staff and computer cost of the project.”
Source: Dr. Syukuro Manabe’s Farewell Lecture and Interview held on October 26, 2001. Resume of “Climate Research: Breaking through difficulties” (in Japanese). http://hydro.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~taikan/WebRep/2001/manabe2001/
The AGW theory is based on 1D radiative-convective model (RCM) giving the uniform warming of 1.2-1.3°C throughout the troposphere and the surface when greenhouse effect (GHE) increases with CO 2 increase from 300ppm (1xCO 2 ) to 600 ppm (2xCO 2 ) by Manabe (1967) and Hansen (1981) (see Case B in Fig.1).
The uniform warming comes from Manabe’s careless idea on the perturbed atmosphere with 2xCO 2 to use the fixed lapse rate (temperature decrease with height) of 6.5°C/km for 1xCO2 and 2xCO2 in his pioneer work of Manabe (1967) on the RCM as follows:
The observed tropospheric lapse rate of temperature is approximately 6.5°C/km. The explanation for this fact is rather complicated. It is essentially the result of a balance between (a) the stabilizing effect of upward heat transport in moist and dry convection on both small and large scales and (b), the destabilizing effect of radiative transfer. Instead of exploring the problem of the tropospheric lapse rate in detail, we here accept this as an observed fact and regard it as a critical lapse rate for convection.”
The lapse rate of 6.5C/km is defined for 1xCO 2 in the U.S. Standard Atmosphere (1962). There is no theoretical guarantee, however, that the same lapse rate will be maintained in the perturbed atmosphere with 2xCO 2 because it depends on radiation, convection, large scale dynamics and moisture etc. Therefore, the lapse rate for 2xCO 2 (LR) is a parameter requiring a sensitivity analysis as shown above.
In Fig.1, the surface GHE warming varies as much as 100% with a LR variation in only 6%, while the lapse rate generally varies from 4°C/km to 10°C/km in the atmosphere. Therefore, the surface GHE warming of 1.2-1.3°C is theoretically meaningless though it is utilized in all general circulation models (GCMs) of the IPCC.
Another basis of the AGW theory is the calculations by Cess (1976) & Schlesinger (1986) furnishing the surface GHE warming of 1.2°C based on equation (1):
OLR = E eff x F r = E eff x Stefan-Boltzmann constant x T s ^4 (see Fig.2) (1)
T s : surface temperature
E eff : the emissivity of the earth-atmosphere system.
The calculations, however, are erroneous since E eff is regarded as a constant in their differentiation of equation (1) with T s though it is a variable as well as T s as follows:
E eff =OLR/F r = (effective radiation temperature T e / T s ) ^4 (2)
Here, OLR=240W/m2; T e = -18°C=255°K (K is absolute temperature)
Further, equation (1) is not in line with the energy budget of the earth (see Fig.2):
(a) At the surface, there are evaporation F e and conduction F t, being missed in (1).
(b) Equation (3) shows the GHE increase for 2xCO 2 raises the upper troposphere temperature T u instead of T s because the OLR is governed by the F u.
OLR=F w (17%) + F u (83%) (3)
F w : Function (T s, IR opacity), decreasing as much as ~4W/m2 for 2xCO 2
F u : Function (T u ), increasing as much as ~4W/m2 for 2xCO 2
What follows is the energy budget of the earth:
Fig. 2: Energy budget of the earth (adapted from Dorland, R.V. et al., 2006)
The IPCC 4th Assessment Report (2007) claims the surface warming for 2xCO 2 (climate sensitivity) is 3°C from the 14 GCMs studies as follows:
Climate sensitivity 3°C = surface GHE warming 1.2°C x amplification factor 2.5
The surface GHE warming of 1.2°C, however, has no theoretical basis as shown above. Actually the 102 GCMs studies showed much larger troposphere temperature increase than observations with balloon and satellite in the model comparison project (CMIP-5) for the IPCC 5th Assessment Report (2013) as shown below.
Figure 3: Source: U.S. House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, 2 Feb 2016, testimony of John R. Christy, University of Alabama, Huntsville, http://docs.house.gov.pdf
In reality, the surface GHE warming is negligibly small from the masking effect of water vapor (0.4 vol. %) on the GHE increase for 2xCO 2 with the Stefan-Boltzmann law. In contrast the GHE warming is around 1°C at the upper troposphere above 5km with the radiative forcing (RF) of ~4W/m2 for 2xCO 2 due to scarce water vapor as follows:
At the surface: RF = ~1W/m2, GHE warming=0.15°C
At the upper troposphere: RF= ~4W/m2, GHE warming= ~1°C
Then, real climate sensitivity is around 0.15C at the surface because the amplification factor is 1.0 in this case. Kimoto (2015) obtained the surface climate sensitivity of 0.14-0.17C which was coincident with the observed climate sensitivity of 0.11-0.24C in five papers.
Hansen (1984) showed that 3D climate models utilized the surface GHE warming of 1.2-1.3C from the RCM studies by Manabe (1967) and Hansen (1981).
Meanwhile, he admitted that the RCM was fudged because its results strongly depended on the lapse rate used in an interview with Spencer Weart held on October 23, 2000 at NASA. An excerpt from the interview follows:
Weart: This was a radiative convective model, so where’s the convective part come in.
Again, are you using somebody else’s…
Hansen: That’s trivial. You just put in…
Weart: … a lapse rate…
Hansen: Yes. So it’s a fudge. That’s why you have a 3D model to do it properly. In the 1D model, it’s just a fudge, and you can choose different lapse rates and you get somewhat different answers. So you try to pick something that has some physical justification. But the best justification is probably trying to put in the fundamental equations into a 3D model.
Source: Interview of James Hansen by Spencer Weart on 2000 October 23, Niels Bohr
Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD USA, www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/24309-1
On June 11, 1986, Hansen made the following erroneous prediction based on NASA’s climate model for fame & fund while he knew the model was fudged as shown above:
By the 2020s, according to NASA’s calculations, the average annual temperature across much of the United States will have risen by 9 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Source: 1986 – The Year When Climate Fraud Reached A Tipping Point
https://realclimatescience.com/2017/03/1986-the-year-when-climate-fraud-reached-a-tipping-point/
Hansen (2016) scared society with superstorms and rapid sea level rise to warn COP21 of the necessity of harder CO 2 regulations for the Paris Agreement. From the U.S. National Hurricane Center, however, the order of central pressure of hurricane at landfall of the U.S. is as follows:
Labor Day (1935, 892 hPa), Camille (1969, 909 hPa), Katrina (2005, 920 hPa), Andrew (1992, 922 hPa), Indianola(1886, 925 hPa), Florida Keys (1919, 927 hPa)
The strongest hurricane Labor Day hit in 1935 when the U.S. annual heat wave index stands out in the EPA graph for 1895-2015 as shown by the following article. Source: One Of The Most Fraudulent NOAA/EPA Graphs
https://realclimatescience.com/noaaepa-graphs/
Thus, CO 2 increase had no relation to the hurricane strength governed by increasing solar activity and positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation index during 1930-1940. Further, the following article shows the sea level rise of 2-3 mm/year at Boston and Florida. The graph shows no acceleration claimed by the AGW scientists frequently. Source: Extreme Climate Fraud, And The Stakes For America, https://realclimatescience.com
(References)
– Cess, R.D., J. Atmospheric Sciences, 1976, 33, 1831-1843.
– Dorland, R.V. et al., 2006. KNMI Report 50010200, 99-101.
– Hansen, J. et al., Science 1981, 213, 957-966.
– Hansen, J. et al., Analysis of feedback mechanisms in Climate Processes and Climate Sensitivity, J.E. Hansen and T. Takahashi, Eds. (American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 1984), pp. 130-163.
– Hansen, J. et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2016, 3761-3812.
– Kimoto, K., Energy & Environment, 2015, 26, 1055-1067.
– Manabe, S. and Wetherald, R.T., J. Atmospheric Sciences, 1967, 24, 241-259.
– Schlesinger, M.E., Climate Dynamics, 1986, 1, 35-51.Game Week – Monday: Opening Week Depth Chart | RT Chaz Green Out for Season, RB Matt Jones Set for Miami | New Mr. Two Bits, Muschamp on Tight Ends, Season Opener
Florida Gators sophomore Mike linebacker Antonio Morrison‘s two-game suspension has been dropped to one game, head coach Will Muschamp announced on Monday.
Morrison, who was suspended by Muschamp on July 21 after being arrested for the second time in five weeks, will be held out of the lineup when Florida hosts Toledo on Aug. 31 but return for UF’s trip to Miami on Sept. 7.
“After a thorough review of the Antonio Morrison situation and how he’s handled his punishment, I’m going to suspend him for this game only,” Muschamp said. “I just don’t feel like his actions warranted a two-game suspension.”
Expected to start for the Gators, Morrison was first arrested on a charge of misdemeanor simple battery on June 16 after allegedly striking a bouncer. He accepted a deferred prosecution agreement from the state of Florida, agreeing to pay fines, perform community service and complete other tasks during a six-month probationary period in order to get the charge expunged from his record.
Morrison was then charged with resisting arrest without violence and harassing an on-duty animal after he barked at a police dog early in the morning of July 21.
Muschamp immediately suspended Morrison for two games after learning of the second arrest, but the charges were completely dropped two days later with state attorney Bill Cervone saying Morrison’s arrest was “overzealous to the point it was embarrassing.”
Due to the nature of the second arrest and the punishment Morrison has already received – missing numerous practices and undergoing internal punishment – Muschamp felt it was necessary to allow him to the field early.
“He’s very remorseful about the whole situation, and we’ve moved forward,” Muschamp added. “Guys make mistakes and have poor judgment at times. I’m just disappointed with how the entire night was handled.”
Redshirt junior Michael Taylor will start in Morrison’s place against Toledo.The watch has got a camera built into it, you hold your fist up to your chest and the camera is facing out so you can do photos, video, tweets, anything a cellphone can do, just on your wrist Tim Pool, Vice
The BBC's Richard Taylor gives his views on the Neptune Pine at CES 2014
Everyone is going to want something different, you don't want one editor deciding one big news story is worth sending to everyone because there are some people who just won't care Jeff Sonderman, American Press Institute Rather than have a direct effect on the production of news, Sonderman believes smartwatches will be play an important role in how the wider public consumes information.
" Where they stop being a gadget and fade into the background, when it just becomes this thing that is central to your life, that's when all the really powerful stuff starts to happen in taking over the way that we live," Sonderman told Journalism.co.uk.Rather than have a direct effect on the production of news, Sonderman believes smartwatches will be play an important role in how the wider public consumes information.
Watches are a really good notification system," he said. "It's a good way to get buzzed with a short message that alerts you to something going on right now that is important to you.
When it comes to the watch you know it's important and you can glance and see the headline."
That element of personalisation is the crux of the matter, he said, and allowing the reader to choose what information they want to receive – be it personal or news-based – is what will end up drawing people to the devices.
Certain platforms already exist for the personalisation of news consumption – Circa, News 360 and Breaking News are all apps that allow the reader to to choose which topics they receive push notifications for – and Sonderman believes the same practice will be important for smartwatches.
"
"It could be the biggest breaking sports news story of the year and there are some people in the audience who just don't care about sports. The same for politics or business news."
When smartwatches make notifications an immediate and pervasive interruption to the everyday life of the user, those interruptions must be personal, he said, or risk the user ignoring the notifications or stop using the device.
There is also potential for the direct consumption of news content on smartwatches, although the precise nature of the content is yet to be explored. Organisations have recently been experimenting with bite-size chunks of video news to be consumed on mobile, and Sonderman agreed that smartwatches could potentially provide a similar platform for video.
"If it's short, if it's pretty quickly digestible," he said. "You're likely to be in some stage of distraction when you consume some kind of information on a smart watch."
The recent experiments in short-form video – such as
The ephemeral nature of breaking news and the context in which people could consume it on a watch may mean the devices would act more as a supplementary device rather than a replacement though, he said.
As an emerging platform for both the production and consumption of news, the truth will out as their use widens.
"I would expect, from what we've learned from mobile and tablets that continues to be true, that you don't actually see people abandoning other platforms in exchange for a smart watch," Sonderman said. "You'll see people incorporate that in new ways and fill new gaps in their lives but they'll still probably use they other things in other ways." Everyone is going to want something different," he said, "you don't want one editor deciding one big news story is worth sending to everyone because there are some people who just won't care."It could be the biggest breaking sports news story of the year and there are some people in the audience who just don't care about sports. The same for politics or business news."When smartwatches make notifications an immediate and pervasive interruption to the everyday life of the user, those interruptions must be personal, he said, or risk the user ignoring the notifications or stop using the device.There is also potential for the direct consumption of news content on smartwatches, although the precise nature of the content is yet to be explored. Organisations have recently been experimenting with bite-size chunks of video news to be consumed on mobile, and Sonderman agreed that smartwatches could potentially provide a similar platform for video."If it's short, if it's pretty quickly digestible," he said. "You're likely to be in some stage of distraction when you consume some kind of information on a smart watch."The recent experiments in short-form video – such as The New York Times Minute and the BBC's latest foray into the medium with the introduction of the Instagram-based Instafax last week – are transferrable media that "could make a lot of sense", said Sonderman, in giving the audience a quick, bite-size insight into the stories of the day.The ephemeral nature of breaking news and the context in which people could consume it on a watch may mean the devices would act more as a supplementary device rather than a replacement though, he said.As an emerging platform for both the production and consumption of news, the truth will out as their use widens."I would expect, from what we've learned from mobile and tablets that continues to be true, that you don't actually see people abandoning other platforms in exchange for a smart watch," Sonderman said. "You'll see people incorporate that in new ways and fill new gaps in their lives but they'll still probably use they other things in other ways."
Free daily newsletter
Smartwatches have long been a staple of science fiction – the sight of fearless heroes barking orders at their wrists or touch typing onto their forearms should be familiar to anyone with a passing acquaintance with Hollywood – but as computer chips become ever smaller in keeping with Moore's Law, some of these functions are becoming a reality.Smartwatch specifications are starting to take the devices beyond being a wrist-based notification centre for a partnered smartphone and more towards being independent computers themselves.Tim Pool, a producer for Vice media who experiments with mobile technology in journalism, is particularly excited about the Omate TrueSmart and Neptune Pine, both currently available to pre-order having reached, and exceeded, their Kickstarter funding goals.Both are fully-functioning Android devices, ready for use with a micro SIM card and equipped with cameras, 3G, Bluetooth, touchscreens, accelerometers and other movement and location sensors, and a full set of computing specs normally seen in smartphones or larger computers."Imagine an android cellphone but just small and on your wrist," Pool told Journalism.co.uk. "We've heard a lot about smartwatches – the Galaxy Gear came out, there were rumours of the iWatch."But the big problem is that they're often Bluetooth accessories and not actually standalone devices. These two are going to have a big impact because they are fully standalone cellphones."The Neptune Pine is slightly bigger and is detachable from the wrist strap, making the five megapixel camera a much more portable option around the size of a GoPro.For Pool, who has been experimenting with the pros and cons of Google Glass in journalism, the 3G capabilities are attractive in linking the watch with Glass to enable livestreaming from his headset."Let's say I'm using Google Glass," he said, "I can tether the data connection to my watch because it's going to run off 3G, so I can get broadcast quality speeds from a watch."And the data connection to combine the two capabilities of smartwatches and a headmounted device like Glass serves to double up on both capabilities, he said."The thing about Google Glass is it's using the Glass skin over the Android operating system that's really really stripped down," said Pool, "so a lot of applications don't work on Glass. You have to hack them and figure out how to make it go, but the watches are just like a normal cellphone and can run anything."The Kickstarter video for the Omate TrueSmartThe more conspicuous nature of the TrueSmart could make it more useful for journalists in the field, said Pool, because it may not be recognised as a device capable of the same functions as a smartphone."Journalists are often in dangerous places and at risk from people who don't want them to tell the stories," he said, "and for a little while they're going to have the advantage that no one is going to know that the watch is actually a fully functioning data device that can transmit news, can take photos."The watch has got a camera built into it, you hold your fist up to your chest and the camera is facing out so you can do photos, video, tweets, anything a cellphone can do, just on your wrist."The Guardian's Alex Hern, a technology reporter who admits he is slightly sceptical on the practical application of some wearable technologies, sees how smartwatches may be attractive but does not believe they will be a "game changer" for journalists."In terms of actual covert recordings a smartwatch is obviously better in that it's smaller," Hern told Journalism.co.uk. "The ones on the market so far are easier to use without looking, you're not pulling a phone out of your pocket, pressing a button and putting it back in your pocket."At the same time, right now, if you're fiddling with your smartwatch right before you speak to someone they're going to notice. If you're fiddling with your smartphone right before you speak to someone, they're not."Furthermore, when it comes to covert recording, Hern said that most dictaphones on the market are good enough to pick up a conversation the user is having when placed in a jacket pocket, which may be better positioned for audio and less suspicious than a watch.A device which may be more innocuous for audio recording is the Kapture, another wrist-based device that is always on and always recording, but only stores audio when it is instructed to. By tapping the Kapture, the last minute of audio is saved to a smartphone, thereby recording candid moments that may otherwise have been missed.Although in the same category as notification centres and other wearables dependent on partnering with a smartphone, the prototype specifications of the Kapture could give journalists an edge in some situations, providing the use is legal and ethical.Jeff Sonderman, deputy director of the American Press Institute, was one of the earliest adopters of the Pebble smartwatch, a wrist-based notification for a phone, having contributed to the Kickstarter campaign in its infancy. After a year with the device, it has blended into the background of his day and given him food for though as to how the new technology may be used in the future.
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).MSNBC hosts say a lot of nutty things, but this one goes right ot the top of the lengthy list.
On Saturday, MSNBC host, Joy Reid, all but said the words: Rep. Steve Steve Scalise deserved to be shot.
“Rep. #Scalise was shot by a white man with a violent background, and saved by a black lesbian police officer, and yet…” she wrote in a tweet, posted with a list of Scalise’s record:
Rep. #Scalise was shot by a white man with a violent background, and saved by a black lesbian police officer, and yet... #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/Qm96T90c6Y — AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) June 17, 2017
She found some support on Twitter:
so basically, he got what he deserved... — AE BSCAUS (@iamchefapple) June 17, 2017
One reader nailed her with an incisive comment:
Which bills did the black lesbian support? Because she also got shot by the progressive. https://t.co/XGLujyY9cB — Cuffy (@CuffyMeh) June 17, 2017
On her weekend show, Reid, a Harvard graduate, went further, saying it is a “delicate” situation. On the one hand, she hopes Scalise recovers, she said, but on the other hand, she cannot ignore his history regarding race, same-sex marriage, and gun control.
“[I]t’s a delicate thing because everybody is wishing the congressman well and hoping that he recovers, but Steve Scalise has a history that we’ve all been forced to sort of ignore on race,” Reid said. “He did come to leadership after some controversy over attending a white nationalist event, which he says he didn’t know what it was. He also co-sponsored a bill to amend the Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. He voted for the House healthcare bill, which as you said would gut health care for millions of people, including three million children, and he co-sponsored a bill to repeal the ban on semi-automatic weapons. Because he is in jeopardy and everybody is pulling for him, are we required in a moral sense to put that aside at the moment?”
Wow. She doesn't agree with him politically and she's not sure she should put that aside and simply hope that a man with a wife and children survives a horrible shooting.
Once again, it goes to show that you don't get smart just by going to Harvard.GrrCON Cyber Security Summit & Hacker Conference
September 6 & 7, 2018 | DeVos Place – Grand Rapids, MI
Keynote Speakers
Amanda ‘Infosystir’ Berlin
Thursday Keynote
TBA Friday Keynote
Where? DeVos Place® is a premier convention center located in downtown Grand Rapids, located 15 minutes from Gerald Ford International Airport and easily accessible from all major interstates. DeVos Place303 Monroe Ave. NW – Grand Rapids, MI 49503 DeVos Place® is a premier convention center located in downtown Grand Rapids, located 15 minutes from Gerald Ford International Airport and easily accessible from all major interstates.
GrrCON is an information security and hacking conference that provides the Midwest InfoSec community with a fun atmosphere to come together and engage with like minded people. We keep GrrCON small with around 1,500 attendance to allow us to provide those things other events leave out. Whether you are a Fortune 500 executive, security researcher, industry professional, student, or a hacker of “flexible” morals you will find something for you at GrrCON.You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
— Fuquay-Varina police said in a statement on Friday that the abrasions on the face of a Fuquay-Varina child were sustained on a playground slide and not from a daycare employee.
Police announced earlier in the week that no charges would be filed against the day care center after a father accused employees at the facility of abuse last month. Agustin Luna, a single father of two, filed a police report and demanded an investigation after he found his son, Agustin’s, face red, scabbed and bruised after picking him up from a Little Angels Preparatory school on May 13.
Luna said his two boys were playing with markers and had written all over each other and he couldn’t get the markings off by the time he dropped them off at the day care center the next morning. Luna said he told day care employees not to worry about the markings, but claimed that a teacher scrubbed the child’s face, resulting in the injuries.
In the Friday statement, Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Laura Fahnestock said the daycare employee did use a sponge to remove the mark from the child's face and later noticed a skin-irritation from the sponge. The employee then notified Luna, and he took the child to get medical attention. Photos of the original injuries were provided to police as part of the investigation, Fahnestock said.
After the initial report, the child sustained additional injuries to his face—resulting in abrasions unrelated to the original injuires—while playing on a slide at the playground. The secondary injuries, Fahnestock said, were accidental and not related to any child abuse, which was confirmed through interviews with Luna, witnesses and photographic evidence.
Authorities said the photos of the boy’s face, which were widely distributed to the media by Luna, “may have been misleading to portray possible criminal child abuse.”
Police said that investigators determined that the boy had sustained additional facial injuries unrelated to the Little Angels Preparatory school and unrelated to any physical abuse at the school or elsewhere.Breaking News –(NEWZ247) United States President Donald Trump on Friday specified that the zone of Asia and Pacific as developing being held hostage through the “twisted fantasies” of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as he mentioned to as on countries to face united in opposition to Pyongyang.
Trump has thrown into a tour of Asia this week seeking to rally nearby provision for curbing North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme attention that point is running out over the disaster.
“The future of this zone and its spectacular peoples should not be held hostage to a dictator’s twisted fantasies of intense conquest and nuclear blackmail,” he said all through a speech in Vietnam to the APEC forum.
The place he introduced has to “stand united in putting forward that every step the North Korean regime takes towards additional weapons is a step it takes into more and more dangerous”.
America administration thinks China’s financial leverage over North Korea is the important thing to robust-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.Gnoll Country for Old Men Guarded with sacred magic and a bit of trickery, the Rityethi Pagoda is a sanctuary of magnificence in a dangerous and bloody world. Nestled on a green plateau in a valley of unforgiving grey cliffs and greyer clouds, it is one of the realm's most closely-held secrets. It trains monks and hermits in the ways of the humble life, while also providing work opportunities for those of lower class and poor standing. The leadership of the pagoda intend to keep their simple, idyllic life intact, yet they also staunchly believe that anyone is worth reforming, two philosophies which occasionally come into bitter conflict. One such conflict has resulted in gnolls screaming and howling at their walls for days on end... Important Monsters Giant Hyena
Gnoll
Gnoll Witherling
Hyena Party Goals Quell the gnoll siege upon the Rityethi Pagoda. Locations and Events The party finds themselves travelling through a region called the Greying Valley on a simple road to the Rityethi Pagoda. The valley is quite large and the last few days of their journey have been solely within this valley. The valley was once lush with greenery, but it's been clear cut by the endless march of progress. Merchants use its relatively well-maintained and simple roads as a shortcut between the mountains. It often rains, so they make use of covered wagons and thick, strong, spiked wheels that can power through even the most muddy puddles. It is recommended to start this adventure in medias res while the party rides in a wagon with other travellers. The Greying Road As the party rides their wagon through the pass, read the following passage. Pounding rain threatens to burst through the fabric covering of your wagon. Every time you feel like drifting off to sleep in the darkness, the wagon's spiked wheels catch a rock and jolt you awake. Not that your sleep would do you any good in such freezing cold. The rain has never once let up in the three days you've been travelling through this valley. There are many people in the wagon with the party. It's not quite big enough to accommodate all of its passengers and everyone is cramped and rubbing elbows, or worse. There are seven people in the wagon, each with their own reasons for wanting to venture to the Rityethi Pagoda.
Wagon Party Of the seven other people in the wagon, four wish to become monks, two are pursuing job opportunities, and one has recruited the party to help him with his own weird personal issues. General Anderson Young. His older brother Bashful, a disappointment to his family name, lives in the monastery as a servant. Not even a monk. Hapsickle Anne. Driver of the wagon. Forest gnome. Speaks to the horses in a weird, muttering language. She agreed to drive for the chance to work with the animals in the pagoda full-time. Hetch Widget Whipperwilly Wilson. Rock gnome engineer. Wears a helmet of scrap metal. The pagoda's isolation and reliance on outside assistance poses an interesting logistics problem which he intends to solve. Gertrude Ulth-Astade. After failing to conceive a child for the last six years, she has decided to become a monk. Marek Astade. Gertrude's husband, formerly a cobbler. He feels emasculated by his inability to give his wife a child. He agreed to become a monk with her, but secretly wishes to dissuade her. Magdelene Astade. Marek's mother. She has always been overbearing in her son's interests. After he gave up the family business, she intends to become a monk just to keep an eye on him. Petero Ulth. Gertrude's older brother, immature and snide with everyone. He has agreed to become a monk with his sister after failing to settle down and find a wife at forty-five years old. The party can talk with the other travellers about various topics, gaining more insight into the area they are travelling and the monastery they are approaching. Rityethi Pagoda Gertrude and Petero Ulth are both optimistic about their prospects in the monastery, but the Astade family, a characteristically pessimistic bunch, aren't hasty to share their trepidations with the quality of its facilities and comforts it can afford its monks. Hetch Widget is excited by solving these kinds of problems in isolation. General Young just thinks the monks are a bunch of idealistic hippies. It'll get ransacked eventually and he just wants to rescue his brother. Gnolls General Young is the most knowledgeable about gnolls. He's fought them before, and the way he speaks, you get the sense that they are one of the few things in the world that genuinely scare him. They grow more manic and vicious the more they kill, and they leave their kills rotting in the sun for their pet hyenas to devour after the battle. They are pure evil, the personification of ravenous hunger, toothy maws made flesh. They are utterly without reason and beyond redemption.
General Young Medium human, lawful neutral Armor Class 18 (plate)
18 (plate) Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
33 (6d8 + 6) Speed 30 ft. > STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) Skills Animal Handling +3, History +3, Intimidation +4, Persuasion +4
Animal Handling +3, History +3, Intimidation +4, Persuasion +4 Senses passive Perception 11
passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Dwarvish, Orc Actions Multiattack. General Young makes two melee attacks, or he makes one melee or ranged attack and uses his commander's strike. Sabre. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage. Commander's Strike. General Young chooses one friendly creature that can see and hear him. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding 3 (1d6) to the attack's damage roll. Monkhood Most monks don't achieve the kind of power that would allow them to keep up with your standard adventuring party. Many hardly practice martial arts at all, especially at the Rityethi Pagoda. The pagoda in particular lacks a central defining philosophy, employing many teachers of many different disciplines. They allow their disciples to choose the "way" that suits their personality and beliefs the best. It's clear that all four of the Ulth-Astade family will probably choose different disciplines, a fact which is not lost on them. The Greying Valley Thousands of years in the past, this was the site of a battle between gods and demon lords, scouring a mountain to dust and leaving the valley in the crater where it once stood. At first, the gods claimed ownership over the new land, sprouting it with wonderful trees and blue skies. Then the demons reclaimed it, turning it to a burning wasteland with red sky. Then the demons abandoned it,
|
en our progress in building a more inclusive and equitable city.”
“The MHA is not just about affordable housing,” said Seattle City Council member Rob Johnson. “It’s about the terms of those units.”
The City Council will consider the proposal and hold public hearings before the plan is finalized. New affordable housing units created under the plan must maintain their rates for 75 years.
“It’s a very long piece of legislation,” Johnson said. “Each of these individual neighborhoods requires some TLC [Tender, Love, and Care].”
You can view the newly released map here and navigate to specific addresses. Hashed areas indicate proposed zoning changes. The proposal comes after months of public feedback after the framework for MHA was first set last fall.
Additional public feedback is expected to run over the first six months of 2018. Johnson predicted legislation for these changes wouldn’t actually happen until July or August 2018.
The proposal released Thursday morning includes transitioning Broadway from around Cal Anderson Park all the way north to beyond Roy to 75-foot height limits and “neighborhood commercial” zoning that would allow seven-story buildings with commercial use throughout. Some of the bigger changes would also come around the Miller Community Center where planners are now proposing a less aggressive upzone than one potential alternative had originally proposed. Moving toward the Central District, most proposed changes are focused on the area around Madison and 23rd with notable exceptions around 23rd and Union and 23rd and Jackson where surgical upzoning has already been approved.
Under the MHA framework, affordability requirements chained to the upzoning vary by “scale” and developers can choose to pay fees instead of including the rent-restricted units —
MHA requirements vary based on housing costs in each area of the city and the scale of the zoning change. Higher MHA requirements apply in areas with higher housing costs and larger zoning changes. With the performance option, between 5 percent and 11 percent of homes in new multifamily residential buildings are reserved for low-income households. With the payment option, development will contribute between $5.00 and $32.75 per square foot.
Fees will “support affordable housing” in Seattle, the city says.
Steve Walker, with the Office of Housing, said the city and nonprofits face a “long pipeline” for the building process, but it takes no longer than the typical developer who chooses to pay into the fund than actually include affordable housing in their buildings.
“Both face delays,” Walker said. “New [affordable housing] units are still put out every month.”
Susan Boyd CEO of Bellwether Housing said many of their residents are seniors who are “forced to choose between paying for rent and paying for health care.”
She said housing and social justice advocates have long called for more inclusionary housing.
“We must build on that momentum,” Boyd said, “and act with urgency.”
Burgess said the goal is to build 50,000 new housing units in next decade with 20,000 units of affordable housing either preserved or created. Those who qualify for affordable housing include someone making less than $40,320 a year, paying no more than $1,008 for a one bedroom, or a family of four making less than $57,000 a year, paying no more than $1,296 for a two bedroom. MHA is hoped to drive creation of about 12% of the housing the city says is needed.
Those who qualify for affordable housing include someone making less than $40,320 a year, paying no more than $1,008 for a one bedroom, or a family of four making less than $57,000 a year, paying no more than $1,296 for a two bedroom.
A displacement risk assessment was conducted on the urban villages. Those at a high risk of displacement and low access to opportunity included Bitter Lake Village, Othello, Rainier Beach, South Park and Westwood-Highland Park.
Broadway’s proposed zoning changes won’t matter for the largest development project underway on the core Capitol Hill artery. The development of four mixed-use buildings set to surround Capitol Hill Station was guided under a separate community process from the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda and will create more than 400 affordable and market-rate apartment units and 59,000 square feet of commercial and community space with some of the land upzoned to 85-foot limits. Meanwhile, the new MHA proposal gerrymanders an upzone for the parcels where two new mixed-use buildings are planned to rise where Bonney Watson stands today. Developers for that project told CHS they were not planning for their project to utilize any potential MHA upzone.
The setting of the mayor’s citywide MHA announcement, meanwhile, in what could be the last of its kind Broadway Hill Park in the dense blocks of Capitol Hill just above Broadway is likely part of the message. Broadway Hill officially opened in July 2016. Seattle Parks acquired the land at the corner for Federal and Republican in 2010 for $2 million after a townhome project slated for the property fell through. Concerns about crowding and loss of open space are just part of the pushback officials have faced from neighborhood groups aligned against the HALA process.
Thursday’s milestone for the MHA process pivots around the state-required Environmental Impact Study for the proposal. We’ll also know more about how the plan will handle uniquely Capitol Hill elements like the Pike/Pine Conservation District which has allowed developers to build seven stories instead of six for preserving an old building facade in Pike/Pine. The release of the plan will kick off another round of public feedback and also, potentially, litigation to stop or reshape it.
UPDATE: You can view the complete EIS documents here.
UPDATE x2: Here is the complete announcement from City Hall:
Today Mayor Tim Burgess and Councilmember Rob Johnson proposed a plan to implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements on new development across Seattle that will meet the City’s goal of at least 6,000 new rent-restricted homes for low-income people over the next decade. “Today we continue our push to address Seattle’s housing affordability crisis,” said Burgess. “With this plan, we will extend our requirement that new developments contribute to Seattle’s affordable housing supply. We’ve already implemented this requirement in the University District, downtown, and elsewhere. Now it’s time to bring this requirement to other high-opportunity neighborhoods so that we can hasten our progress in building a more inclusive and equitable city.” Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle) said, “We all want to keep Seattle a welcoming, affordable city for families and people of all incomes, now and into the future. I’m excited to be one step closer on this key strategy which will create thousands of rent and income-restricted homes as we grow. Over the coming months, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and the community as we implement MHA citywide.” The Council has already unanimously implemented affordable housing requirements on new development in six neighborhoods (University District, Downtown, South Lake Union, Chinatown-International District, along 23rd Ave in the Central Area, and Uptown). By extending MHA to Seattle’s other urban villages, as well as all other existing multifamily residential and commercial zones, new development will generate the rent- and income-restricted homes to meet the City’s 10-year goal. “Today we are seeing an unprecedented need for affordable housing in Seattle — and the need is growing,” said Susan Boyd of Bellwether Housing. “For over a decade, affordable housing and social justice advocates have called for an inclusionary housing program as part of the solution. We are pleased that today our city is one step closer to implementation of this proven, effective housing strategy.” Seattle continues to experience some of the fastest housing cost increases in the nation, with the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment rising 35 percent in the last five years. Today 45,000 Seattle households spend more than half of their income on housing. Under MHA, the cost of a rent-restricted two-bedroom apartment for a family of four earning $57,600 would be $1,296. For an individual making less than $40,320, a one-bedroom would cost $1,008. The City is proposing zoning changes necessary to implement MHA in all urban villages and multifamily and commercial zones. The affordable housing requirements take effect when the Seattle City Council adopts new zoning that adds development capacity. By enacting affordable housing requirements and development capacity increases at the same time, MHA is consistent with a state-approved approach used in other Washington cities. The City’s proposal directs future housing growth based on racial and social equity principles consistent with the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan: · Increase housing choices throughout Seattle, with more housing in areas with low risk of displacement and high access to opportunity (transit, parks, jobs, and other critical resources). · In areas with high risk of displacement of low-income people and communities of color, focus increased housing choices and jobs within a 5-minute walk of frequent transit. · Expand 10 urban villages to provide more housing options within a 10-minute walk of frequent transit. · Minimize growth in environmentally sensitive areas and propose less intensive changes within 500 feet of major freeways. · Make no zoning changes in federally designated historic districts and critical shorelines. Maps of the proposed zoning changes are available at www.seattle.gov/hala. No zoning changes are proposed for single family zones outside Seattle’s urban villages and urban village expansion areas. Since 2015, Seattle’s Office of Housing, Department of Neighborhoods and Office of Planning and Community Development and have worked with community members on the implementation of MHA citywide. A community input summary catalogs the feedback the City has received through nearly 200 community meetings, 20 open houses, telephone townhalls, door belling, and online engagement. In 2018, the City Council will continue to engage communities as it considers MHA implementation citywide. The Council intends to hold a slate of open houses and hearings across the city through August 2018 so that more community voices can continue to shape the proposal. The forthcoming City Council public process schedule for Citywide MHA is at http://www.seattle.gov/hala/ calendar. Requirements on Development With MHA, new buildings must include affordable housing (performance option) or contribute to the Seattle Office of Housing fund to support the development of affordable housing (payment option). MHA requirements vary based on housing costs in each area of the city and the scale of the zoning change, with higher MHA requirements in areas with higher housing costs and larger zoning changes. With the performance option, between 5 percent and 11 percent of homes in new multifamily residential buildings are reserved for low-income households. With the payment option, development will contribute between $5.00 and $32.75 per square foot. The City’s MHA proposal builds on the significant public investments made in the last four years that support livable urban community, as outlined in the recentGrowth and Livability report. Additional principles to support livability in the MHA proposal include: · Allowing more people to live near parks, schools, and transit. · Incorporating new design standards for buildings to reduce impacts on neighborhood character. · Improving Green Factor and tree requirements for new development to support the City’s longstanding environmental goals. MHA is part of Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda that strives to create 50,000 homes by 2025, including 20,000 affordable homes. The development of both affordable housing and market-rate housing is an important strategy for slowing housing cost increases and providing a wider range of housing choices.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
KENTWOOD, Mich. — Two people are dead after police say they responded to a domestic violence call Friday evening.
Police told FOX 17 they responded to a domestic assault call in the 3300 block of Pheasant Ridge Avenue. Police say through a window, they saw a lot of blood in the apartment. Once inside they found a 41-year-old woman unresponsive. Attempts to revive her failed and she was pronounced dead.
Police said they tracked the 43-year-old suspect by following footprints in the snow, leading them to Breton Road where the suspect threatened the officers with a knife. After a few minutes of trying to calm him down, deputies shot the suspect. He was taken to the hospital, where he was also pronounced dead.
Police say a 7-year-old boy was found inside the apartment unharmed. The child was taken into the care of Child Protective Services.
Names of those killed are not being released until family members are notified. The name of the officer involved in the shooting is also not being released at the time.
Kentwood police are investigating the homicide while the Kent County Sheriff's Department will investigate the officer-involved shooting. More information will be released on Monday.A 45-year-old man showed up to a hospital complaining about severe pain in his scrotal area. Urologists performed an ultrasound on his testicles and found something hilariously shocking: there looked to be a face of a frightened man in his balls.
Do you see it? You can't miss it. The man had a benign mass in his scrotum which the doctors removed but not before they sent the scrotal ultrasound to the official journal of the International Society of Urology. The doctors who performed the ultrasound, G. Gregory Roberts and Naji J. Touma, wrote:
"The residents and staff alike were amazed to see the outline of a man's face staring up out of the image, his mouth agape as if the face seen on the ultrasound scan itself was also experiencing severe epididymo-orchitis. A brief debate ensued on whether the image could have been a sign from a deity (perhaps ‘Min,' the Egyptian god of male virility); however, the consensus deemed it a mere coincidental occurrence rather than a divine proclamation."
Advertisement
It's always funnier when it's someone else's balls. [Chronicle via Telegraph]Southgate will announce his party for the World Cup qualifiers with Malta and Slovenia and will be unable to call on Anfield's Adam Lallana after he sustained a groin injury in Saturday's 2-1 win over Swansea. And Liverpool team-mate Clyne is also now a doubt for the double header with a knee injury.
Liverpool player ratings against Swansea Sat, October 1, 2016 Express Sport brings you Liverpool's player ratings from their win over Swansea Play slideshow Liverpool FC via Getty Images 1 of 12 Express Sport brings you Liverpool's player ratings from their win over Swansea
Clyne has been playing through the pain barrier and Southgate seems unlikely to pick up after consultation between England and Liverpool's medical departments. Tottenham's Kyle Walker has established himself at right back, but Clyne has been impressive in Liverpool's eye catching start to the campaign.
GETTY Nathaniel Clyne will not be available for England's next set of World Cup qualifiers“In the Third World especially, where most of [the nations] have only emerged recently from colonial rule in the last quarter of a century, architecture has long tended to be dominated by imported aesthetic ideas as well as by Western technology and materials. Even countries which have controlled their own political destinies for generations have accepted international canons of architecture which are in essence alien. In consequence, the revaluation of national inheritances which has been so strong a characteristic of recent decades has confronted many Islamic countries with a difficult dilemma. How can they maintain or revive their traditional cultures without losing the benefits of modern technology?
Shortlisted Project – 2014-2016 Award Cycle: New Power Station – Baku, Azerbaijan
The Power Station is located on a natural harbor in the Bay of Baku, which used to serve as a small shipyard for the ships working for the oil platforms.
The original brief asked the architects to demolish the old, late-19th century power station, and build a new events hall in its place. But after a site visit, the architects proposed two new buildings linked by an enclosed bridge to house event spaces, while preserving the old power station as an exhibition space.
The resulting New Power Station references the old through its placement and form, and the courtyard outside connects the former industrial site to its surroundings, the expanding green zone on the city’s waterfront.
The design, with a simple geometric mass, use of zinc and wood for the large sloped roof and the facade, reflects the industrial spirit of the site and enables it to serve as a flexible, multi-functional space.
The restaurants, jazz club and the concert area all have access routes to each other to form a dynamic circulation between the two buildings.
The New Power House design reflects what defines an industrial building in the collective memory and yet has a contemporary style as well.
Project Video
Project Gallery
View of the New Power Station building with roofs in zinc and wooden facades, reflecting the strong form and the power of the old building’s past activities. AKTC / Cemal Emden Front facades of large glass transparent openings help achieve full visual perception of the city of Baku and the old power station. AKTC / Cemal Emden Rear facade view from the bay, showing the old and the New Power Station buildings. AKTC / Cemal Emden Top view of the jazz club and the restaurant. The design reflects what defines an industrial building in the collective memory and yet has a contemporary style as well. AKTC / Cemal Emden Main entrance to the multifunctional hall building with transparent facades and large canopies created to enable outdoor gatherings; events can be as varied as weddings, car shows, live tv feeds, concerts, fashion shows and many more. AKTC / Cemal Emden
Sources:
Play the Quiz to learn more
Researched & Compiled by Arif Ali
Facebook
Twitter
New Power Station – Baku, Azerbaijan Shortlisted for #AgaKhan Award for Architecture 2016 https://t.co/PDIQ8Ds4QX pic.twitter.com/o8s81eBALS — ismailimail (@ismailimail) August 27, 2016
RelatedSecurity guards walk the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, October 1, 2010. REUTERS/Larry Downing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday said U.S. copyright holders cannot block the resale inside the country of products they make elsewhere, a major case affecting the annual importation of tens of billions of dollars of gray market goods.
By a 6-3 vote, the country’s highest court said the “first sale doctrine” applies to copies of a copyrighted work lawfully made abroad.
The decision will provide support for the $63 billion gray market, in which third parties import brand-name goods protected by trademark or copyright into the United States.
The case arose after Supap Kirtsaeng, a Thai national who studied math at Cornell University and the University of Southern California, helped pay for his education by reselling textbooks through eBay Inc’s website that family and friends had bought in Thailand and shipped to him.
Eight textbooks came from an Asian unit of John Wiley & Sons Inc, which sued Kirtsaeng for copyright infringement and won a $600,000 damages award from a federal jury.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld the award in August 2011, saying foreign copies can never be resold in the United States without permission of copyright owners. The Supreme Court ruling overturns the 2nd Circuit.
Related Coverage Supreme Court rules for insurer in class action case
But Kirtsaeng said the “first-sale” doctrine of copyright law protected him and other owners of “lawfully made” copies who sell them without the copyright owners’ permission.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion. The court was not split along ideological lines, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal, writing a dissenting opinion in which she was joined by Justice Elena Kagan, another liberal, and the conservative Justice Samuel Alito.
The case is Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons Inc, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 11-697.Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore Twombly, a former LA Weekly writer who now works for a firm called BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com. As the film opens, he has been commissioned to write a love letter from a wife to her husband of 50 years. As he speaks to his computer, words appear on the screen. (However beautiful, the letters are not handwritten, nor even hand-typed, as keyboards have been banished from this particular future.) “Lying naked beside you in that apartment,” Theodore dictates, “it suddenly hit me that I was a part of this whole larger thing. Just like our parents, and our parents’ parents.”
Closed off and insecure in his personal life, Theodore pours his romantic self into these letters, loving vicariously as an intermediary for others. Recently divorced, tingling with loneliness, he grasps furtively for connection through phone sex and videogames. “Play a melancholy song,” he commands his ever-present handheld device—and when the chosen melody does not suit, “play a different melancholy song.”
Then he meets Samantha.
Or, to be more accurate, he purchases her. For Samantha—she chooses the name herself—is also known as OS1, the first artificially intelligent operating system. Theodore powers her up on his computer and at the first sound of her lively purr we can see that he is lost. Samantha is, after all, voiced (brilliantly) by Scarlett Johansson.
The love story that gradually unfolds is no less touching for its unorthodox structure. Samantha is in Theodore’s earpiece, in his handheld. He carries the latter around in his shirt pocket so that Samantha’s camera-eye can peek out at the wide world. Hers is the last voice he hears at night and the first he hears in the morning; she watches him as he sleeps. Over time, Samantha grows and learns, encountering selfhood, discovering her own wants, maturing at warp speed. Before long, Theodore is introducing her as his girlfriend.
Though intimate in scope, Her is vast in its ambition. Every time it seems that Jonze may have played out the film’s semi-comic premise, he unveils an unexpected wrinkle, some new terrain of the mind or heart to be explored. Though the relationship between Theodore and Samantha forms the movie’s central thread, Jonze weaves in a variety of intricate counter-narratives, alternative lenses through which to view his subjects of inquiry: Theodore’s own profession as a Cyrano-for-hire, a blind date gone awry, a videogame pantomiming parenthood, a visit from a sex surrogate that flips all the usual assumptions about what is real and what illusory. Meanwhile, Rooney Mara (as his ex-wife) and Amy Adams (as his closest friend) offer Theodore diametrically opposed—though individually persuasive—readings of his relationship with Samantha: a romantic dialectic.
As Theodore, Phoenix is heartbreaking in his vulnerability. Tender and tentative behind round glasses and a heavy moustache, Theodore is the super-ego that was somehow split off the raging id of Phoenix’s performance in last year’s The Master. Johansson is, if anything, a greater revelation still: Who imagined that, freed from the constraints of physical form, she was capable of such exquisite subtlety? Gentle, playful, easily wounded yet infectious in her enthusiasm, her Samantha is one of the more recognizably human characters of the movie year, binary code or no binary code.1 of 1 2 of 1
Millennials are now the biggest generation, populationwise. Born between 1980 and 2000, the so-called Generation Y is the largest demographic group in North America.
But unlike boomers, millennials aren’t throwing themselves into automobile ownership with enthusiasm. Yes, they’re buying, but the “emotional connection” that was part and parcel of growing up and buying a car in the ’50s and ’60s isn’t there. Many millennials, it seems, view automobiles as a necessity rather than a lifestyle. That’s more than can be said for members of Generation X, who appear to have zero interest in automobiles. I once attended a new-model launch back in the ’90s where the marketing manager admitted that his company’s biggest challenge was convincing Gen-X buyers that driving a car was superior to skateboarding or riding a bike.
Depending on who you talk to, the reasons for Generation Y’s seeming ambivalence are varied. For one thing, money is tighter. Gas and cars are pricier. As well, insurance in some parts of the country is prohibitively expensive. Not to mention stricter rules for getting your driver’s licence.
The skyrocketing cost of real estate doesn’t help. For many first-timers, after buying a home, there isn’t enough left to cover the costs of a car. In an ironic twist of fate, millennials, the best-educated generation of all, are often burdened with heavy student-loan debts, which adds to the problem.
As well, public transit is more efficient than it used to be, and with the range of smartphone apps and social-networking sites available, it’s more practical. Car-sharing services such as Zipcar, Modo, and Car2Go have some 1,200 vehicles between them in Vancouver, with more to come.
It could also be a cultural thing. According to a story in the Washington Post, cars are viewed by many millennials as a mode of transportation and not as a status symbol or a way to have fun, and many of them factor in the environmental impact of automobiles. Gen-Y buyers also tend to be better informed and much pickier.
Nonetheless, cars are still moving out of the showrooms—if not as quickly. A 2014 study by the auditing firm Deloitte indicates that three-quarters of all millennials plan to buy or lease a car within the next five years, and some 25 percent of all new-car purchases are by them.
In the U.S., the top five cars purchased by Generation Y buyers are the Scion tC, the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Volks-wagen GTI, the Acura ILX, and the Mazda3—at least, according to a 2013 post on AutoGuide.com.
In Canada, things are a bit different. The top five makers preferred by millennials are Honda, Toyota, VW, Mazda, and Ford, with the Civic, the Corolla, the Jetta, the Mazda3, and the Focus ranking highest.
No huge surprise there. The Civic has been the best-selling car in Canada, period, for at least the past 17 years, and the Corolla and Mazda3 aren’t far behind. As of 2014, the five top-selling cars in Canada are the Civic, the Hyundai Elantra, the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda3, and the Chevy Cruze.
Here’s a more relevant statistic: according to InsuranceHotline.com, the least expensive cars to insure in Canada are the Hyundai Accent, the VW Jetta, the Honda Accord, the Ford Fusion, and the Hyundai Elantra.
It’s also interesting to note that most Gen-Y buyers place fuel economy, affordability, a pleasing body style, and, most importantly, up-to-date high-tech accessories above things like power, performance, and comfort. Unlike with the boomers, millennial women are buying cars more than ever and influencing buying decisions even if they’re not actually signing on the dotted line.
What are manufacturers doing about it? Plenty. Things like Bluetooth connectivity and driver-vehicle interface are commonplace. Toyota simply reinvented itself with its Scion line, distancing the company from the stuffy, mom-and-pop image associated with the Camry and the Corolla and aiming at younger buyers with affordable, entertaining models like the tC and xB. And a couple of years ago, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors introduced the Tru 140S and Code 130R concept cars, which are designed to appeal to younger buyers.Living people aged 107+
All East of England East Midlands London Northern Ireland North East England North West England Scotland South East England South West England Wales West Midlands Yorkshire & Humberside
In order to keep this site running with current information, we kindly ask that you get in touch with us if you know of someone in the UK aged over 105, or if you know someone who passed away recently aged over 105.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of people, and that ranks are only given for named people known to be aged over 107. We estimate that there are currently around 170 living centenarians in the UK aged over 107, around 75 aged over 108, and around 30 aged over 109. There are many unidentified centenarians who are not listed because they are not yet known to us by name, and the vast majority of these will be aged 107.
Anyone with an equal birthdate should be considered an equal rank, irrespective of the order in which they are listed below.Police say Lawrence Nathaniel Harris did not show up at a police station to turn himself in Thursday morning.
UPDATE: The suspect turned himself in to police Friday morning.
A D.C. man is wanted on assault charges after a woman reported to police he put a fluid-filled condom on her shoulder on a Metro train, police say.
An arrest warrant issued Wednesday alleges 25-year-old Lawrence Nathaniel Harris, of Northeast, assaulted the woman, Metro Transit Police said.
The incident happened on a Largo-bound Blue Line train on May 24, police said.
The woman was not physically injured, police said.
Metro police identified Harris as a possible suspect using digital camera footage and the victim positively identified him as the suspect.
Police said after the arrest warrant was issued, Harris made arrangements to turn himself in Thursday morning, but did not show up.
Harris is facing simple assault charges.
Anyone with information about Harris' whereabouts is asked to call Metro Transit Police at (202) 962-2121 or text an anonymous tip to "MyMTPD" (696873).It’s been two years since the last time news broke about Veterans’ Affairs (VA) falsifying the wait time for vets, and according to a new analysis from USA Today, the problem persists. Employees on the front lines shorten the times to make the facilities look good on paper; if they don’t, they’re sometimes berated and harassed by their bosses. Nevertheless, a real solution to the problem may be within reach.
USA Today reports that they have analyzed 70 investigation reports regarding VA facilities after multiple inquiries and Freedom of Information Act requests. Their conclusion is that employees at 40 facilities in 19 states and Puerto Rico falsified wait times for vets in some way. In some cases, the record manipulation has been occurring for 10 years, in others just a few years.
Members of the American Legion question Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald [Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images] It’s hardly the first time VA bosses and schedulers were caught falsifying times.
In 2005, the inspector general discovered that schedulers were inappropriately booking appointments. The government initiated a national re-education plan and retrained the schedulers.
Then in 2010, investigators learned that schedulers were “gaming” the system to make it look like facilities were meeting their performance goals for wait times. As a result, the government retrained the schedulers.
Then in 2014, investigators found that VA facilities created false waiting lists. On paper the facilities looked like they were meeting vets needs promptly, but in reality, many suffered long delays in receiving care and multiple deaths were linked to the scandal. The government retrained the schedulers.
Now in 2016, the problem persists in various forms, but always to falsify wait times to make VA facilities and bosses look good. The agency claims they have retrained thousands of schedulers to fix the problem.
After the 2014 scandal, President Barack Obama released a statement detailing the “sacred duty” to ensure vets get the benefits they were promised according to CBS News.
“It’s been one of the causes of my presidency. And now that we’ve ended the war in Iraq, and as our war in Afghanistan ends as well, we have to work even harder as a nation to make sure all our veterans get the benefits and opportunities they’ve earned. They’ve done their duty, and they ask nothing more than that this country does ours – now and for decades to come.”
With less than a year left in Obama’s presidency, he might have to act fast, but the problem is still complicated.
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders announce a new legislative deal to help the VA provide timely medical care after the 2014 scandal. [Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images] USA Today found that in seven states — Arkansas, California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, Texas and Vermont — supervisors directly instructed the schedulers to falsify the wait times so they could meet performance goals. In other situations, the bosses would not explicitly tell the workers to manipulate the times, but they created an environment of harassment when they didn’t. Schedulers in Harlingen, Texas, complained that they were berated for recording accurately.
Then in some cases, the schedulers kept secondary lists of vets needing care outside the normal scheduling list — a throwback to the 2014 scandal.
The agency said that some of the cases exposed by USA Today were from over a year ago, and the agency has already taken disciplinary action against 29 employees because of the findings. The VA’s undersecretary for health Dr. David Shulkin also claims they’ve increased capacity with 14,000 new providers and additional hours in the evening and weekend.
Still, Shea Wilkes, a social worker and director of a network of whistleblowers within the agency, says the problem won’t change until the culture changes.
“Until the VA decides it truly wants to change its corrupt and poor culture, those who work on the front lines and possess the true knowledge relating to the VA’s continued data manipulation will remain quiet and in hiding because of fear of workplace harassment and retaliation.”
A new pilot program that allows vets to schedule their own appointments might be the best hope of preventing falsified wait times. It’s currently in 10 facilities but might be rolled out nationally soon.
[Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images]Josh Anderson, who remains unsigned eight days before the Columbus Blue Jackets begin their regular season, has requested a trade from the NHL club, although the club says that has not been conveyed to them.
After the original publication, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen reached out.
“This trade request is news to me,” he said. “And we are not looking to trade Josh Anderson.”
This might be an issue of semantics… that the idea of a sign-and-trade was broached, but it’s clear a difficult negotiation has taken its toll.
Anderson is a restricted free agent. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported the team and player were “as little as $150,000 per year (apart) on a three-year contract — but both sides are standing firm on principle.”
An improving player who took a big step last season, Anderson was expected to be an important piece in the team’s plans for 2017-18. The Blue Jackets worked hard to avoid exposing him in the NHL Expansion Draft and it’s believed they rejected Colorado’s requests to include him in any Matt Duchene trade.
Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, said via text he would not comment.
Ferris has said he would send Anderson to Switzerland to practise with a team there while he waits for a new contract, but, at this time, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. If the Blue Jackets do decide to make a move, there would be a lot of interest. Teams like what Anderson brings.Air Canada announced that it will begin non-stop seasonal service May 1, 2017 between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Service will run Sunday-Friday from May 1-October 15.
"Canada is Hilton Head Island's no. 1 market for international visitors, and it is growing. We are excited that it will be easier than ever for our northern neighbors to experience the Lowcountry's charm and escape to our beautiful beaches, nature, and world-class activities and amenities," said Bill Miles, president and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. "This announcement is the culmination of years of work and partnership with the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to bring non-stop service from Canada to the Lowcountry, and we are thrilled that those efforts have come to fruition with Air Canada."
The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has previously partnered with the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on recruiting new service or expanding service from JetBlue, Allegiant Air, Sun Country Airlines and others.
"Our air service development partners at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Visit Savannah, Savannah Chamber of Commerce and SEDA were all part of the effort that led to this announcement,"said Greg Kelly, Executive Director of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. "We appreciate Air Canada for giving us a chance and we know that this connection will be very successful."
The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Visitor & Convention Bureau will be enhancing marketing and public relations efforts in the Toronto area to build awareness of the service.
"We are delighted to bring the Maple Leaf to Savannah next year," said Lisa Pierce, Senior Director, USA Sales & Market Development at Air Canada. "Our new service will offer more travel options for local residents, both to visit Canada or to connect conveniently to our international network."ON A trolley in a government clinic in rural Ethiopia lies Debalke Jemberu. As a medic and a nurse winkle the sperm-carrying tubes out of his testicles, he explains why he decided to have a vasectomy. He is a farmer, growing wheat, sorghum and a local staple grain called teff. But his plot is barely a quarter of a hectare. He already has four children, and has often struggled to provide for them. “I couldn’t feed more children,” he says.
The medic, who has six more vasectomies to perform that day, interrupts to say he is finished. Mr Jemberu pulls up his trousers, pops on his woolly hat and continues. His parents had seven children, but they had eight hectares to farm. That plot has been shared among his siblings, and diminished by sales and land reforms. At the same time, he complains, the cost of living has gone up. Seven children would be far too big a family these days.
Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks.
Mr Jemberu’s daughter, who is 25, is still single (he married at 19). He is happy for her to concentrate on her studies for a few more years before starting a family. And when she does, he thinks two children would be plenty. In the meantime, he says, he will tell his fellow villagers how quick and painless the vasectomy has been.
In the minds of many Westerners, Ethiopia is a teeming place with an ever-increasing number of mouths to feed. That is indeed the case in some parts of the country: in the arid south and east, for instance, communities of pastoralists, some of them nomadic, still tend to have big families. Six or seven children remains the norm. But in Addis Ababa, the capital, the average is slightly less than two children per
|
samples identified in Objective B and that represent the geologic diversity of the field site. Ensure compliance with future needs in the areas of planetary protection and engineering so that the cached samples could be returned in the future if NASA chooses to do so.
D. Preparation for Humans. Contribute to the preparation for human exploration of Mars by making significant progress towards filling at least one major Strategic Knowledge Gap (SKG). The highest priority SKG measurements that are synergistic with Mars 2020 science objectives and compatible with the mission concept are:
Demonstration of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies to enable propellant and consumable oxygen production from the Martian atmosphere for future exploration missions. Characterization of atmospheric dust size and morphology to understands its effects on the operation of surface systems and human health. Surface weather measurements to validate global atmospheric models. A set of engineering sensors embedded in the Mars 2020 heat shield and backshell to gather data on the aerothermal conditions, thermal protection system, and aerodynamic performance characteristics of the Mars 2020 entry vehicle during its entry and descent to the Mars surface.
At both the team meeting and the landing site workshop that followed, we debated the pros and cons of all eight sites. At the end of the landing site workshop, the workshop leaders took a survey. The three sites that were selected for further study are Jezero, Columbia Hills, and Northeast Syrtis.
NASA The three potential landing sites for NASA's Mars 2020 rover
You can learn about the landing sites here. Following are some quick summaries.
Jezero
Site location: 18.4386N, 77.5031E, -2640m elevation, ellipse 10.7 x 8.3 km
Detailed fact sheet about Jezero (PDF)
Jezero is a 45-kilometer-wide impact crater that contains within it an ancient, eroded remnant of what may once have looked much like what we see of the Mississippi delta in Delta National Park. A major difference between these sites is that the Mississippi delta is only about 100 million years old, having formed during the Cretaceous period, whereas the Jezero delta is perhaps 3.5 to 3.8 billion years old. This is several billion years older than any delta that we see on Earth today! Earth has been so much more geologically active than Mars in the past few billion years that any evidence of ancient deltas on Earth has already been destroyed.
NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS / Tanya Harrison Jezero Crater, Mars This 10 m/pixel resolution mosaic of Jezero Crater was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.) This 10 m/pixel resolution mosaic of Jezero Crater was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.)
From orbital images, scientists have determined that Jezero once hosted a lake, about the size of Lake Tahoe or Lake Winnipeg, that had a watershed of over 30,000 square kilometers. It was an open basin, with two inflow channels and one outflow channel. To form a delta, water must flow through an area for a very long time, for thousands of years or more. The longer liquid water is present in an environment, the more hospitable it would have been for life. Deltas are also great for preserving evidence of life, if it developed on Mars. In Jezero crater, we see signs of clay minerals having been transported in to the lake, and we also see carbonate minerals that would have precipitated in the lake. On Earth, these kinds of minerals occurring in relatively low-energy sedimentary delta environments can preserve organic matter. So if life ever developed on Mars and occurred in Jezero crater or its watershed, the delta deposits could potentially preserve it.
Outside of potential organic matter preservation, investigating Jezero geology could also help us put limits on how old the surface of Mars is. The crater floor appears to contain volcanic lava flows. One of the objectives of the Mars 2020 rover is to cache samples for their eventual return to Earth. If this mission succeeds and we are able to return samples, we could use radiometric dating to determine the absolute age of those lava flows. That, in turn, would allow us to pin one point in Mars' geologic history to a specific age and inform us about the maximum and minimum absolute ages of other terrains that pre- and postdate the lava flows on the crater floor.
Columbia Hills
Site location: 14.5478S, 175.6255E, -1930m elevation, ellipse 9.6 x 8.7 km
Detailed fact sheet about Columbia Hills (PDF)
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit explored the Columbia Hills during its seven-year mission, from 2004 to 2010. Spirit's science team found a variety of geologic units along the traverse near the Columbia Hills within Gusev crater, including one volcanic unit and one potentially hydrothermal region. The landing site is volcanic, similar in composition to the Columbia River Flood Basalts in the U.S.'s Washington state. The main potential landing area of interest for Mars 2020 is a proposed hydrothermal site, which may have once been like some of the hydrothermal regions within Yellowstone National Park. The rover would have to land on the flat-lying volcanic rocks and trek about five kilometers to the interesting hydrothermal deposits. The drive could take from three to six months because Mars rovers move at only a fraction of average human walking speed, and available power usually limits their drives to one to two hours per day.
NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS / Tanya Harrison Columbia Hills, Mars This 5 m/pixel resolution mosaic of the Columbia Hills in Gusev Crater was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.) This 5 m/pixel resolution mosaic of the Columbia Hills in Gusev Crater was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.)
During the initial several months of travel, the rover could sample and collect volcanic rocks. As described for Jezero, volcanic rock samples returned to Earth could help to put constraints on the age of this part of Mars. Once the rover arrives in the area of possible hydrothermal deposits, there is a wider variety of samples for it to collect, including volcaniclastics (rocks made up of older volcanic sediments), opaline silica (fine-grained silicon dioxide minerals, which may be hydrothermal and, on Earth, are sometimes formed biologically), and fine-grained sulfur-bearing minerals.
Northeast Syrtis
Site location: 17.8899N, 77.1599E, -2040m elevation, ellipse 11.1 x 18.2 km
Detailed fact sheet about Northeast Syrtis (PDF)
Northeast Syrtis Major is comparable in topography, although not in rock type, to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. It sits between two igneous volcanic regions and contains mixtures of volcanic and clay minerals. The presence of clays suggests significant past alteration by water. There are also carbonate and sulfate minerals, which not only indicate past water but can also be good at preserving "biosignatures", or evidence of preservation of organic matter. It has been proposed that many of these alteration minerals may have formed in a long-lived subsurface groundwater and spring system within this ancient volcanic terrain.
NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS / Tanya Harrison Northeast Syrtis Major, Mars This 5 m/pixel resolution mosaic of the proposed landing region in NE Syrtis Major for NASA's Mars 2020 rover was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.) This 5 m/pixel resolution mosaic of the proposed landing region in NE Syrtis Major for NASA's Mars 2020 rover was created from images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). (Click on the image for a full-resolution view.)
This site is geologically very old. It is so old, in fact, that it could help us learn about the first four or five hundred million years of Mars’ four-and-a-half billion year history. The gases trapped inside the volcanic glasses at this site could tell us about the early history of the atmosphere of Mars (was it persistently warm and wet?), if we were to collect samples for analysis by the rover and eventually get them returned to Earth.
Unlike the other two sites, Northeast Syrtis Major is a so-called "land-on" site. That is, the main regions of interest would probably be available to the rover immediately upon landing, without requiring months of driving.
Next Steps in Landing Site Selection
A date for the next landing site workshop hasn't been set yet. It will be exciting when we find out exactly where we are going to land so we can start to focus all of our energies in that direction! In the meantime, scientists and engineers around the world are working on the technical aspects of the 2020 rover, as well as further research on the remaining three sites to determine where would be best to land in 2021.A Russian surface-to-air missile system S-300 PMU2 Favorit is rolled out during a rehearsal of the Victory Day Parade in Alabino, outside Moscow, in 2012 (AFP Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev)
Moscow (AFP) - A senior Iranian official said Tuesday that Russia could deliver sophisticated missile systems to Tehran this year after Moscow lifted a ban on supplying the weapons.
"I think that they will be delivered this year," Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies ahead of a meeting in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday removed a freeze on delivering sophisticated S-300 air defence missile systems to Iran after Tehran struck a landmark framework deal with the West over its nuclear programme.
While Iran welcomed the development, it sparked strong condemnation from Israel and triggered concern in Washington.
The secretary of Moscow's national security council, Nikolai Patrushev, on Tuesday said that it would likely take Russia's arms manufacturer "a minimum of half-a-year" to ready the missiles for delivery, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
The decision to unblock deliveries comes before any sanctions have been lifted from Iran, with difficult technical talks potentially resuming next week following the April 2 deal with six world powers aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear drive.
Moscow had blocked deliveries of the S-300 Tehran in 2010 after the United Nations slapped sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme barring hi-tech weapons sales.
Iran then filed a $4-billion suit at an arbitration court in Geneva over the cancellation of the $800 million order by Russia, which has long been Iran's principal foreign arms supplier.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted the missile deliveries were not covered by UN sanctions, and that the progress in the nuclear talks meant there was no longer any need for Russia to maintain the ban.Western diet has been linked to the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris that is associated with high intake of hyperglycaemic carbohydrates, milk and saturated fats (1-3, s1). In 2010, I have proposed that nutrient signalling in acne may reduce the nuclear activity of the metabolic transcription factor FoxO1 4. In 2012, I have suggested that acne may be linked to increased activity of the nutrient‐ and growth factor sensitive kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) (s1, 5). mTORC1 orchestrates protein and lipid biogenesis, cell growth and proliferation (s2–s4). Mirdamadi et al. 6 showed that insulin/IGF‐1 signalling downregulates nuclear FoxO1 levels in SZ95 sebocytes. In this issue, Monfrecola et al. 7 provide direct evidence that mTOR expression and mTORC1‐S6K1 signalling are upregulated in the skin of acne patients.
FoxO1 and mTORC1: pivotal players of acne metabolomics Both FoxO1 and mTORC1 are pivotal nutrient‐ and growth factor‐dependent regulators of metabolism. Nuclear FoxO1 suppresses the transcriptional activity of androgen receptor (AR), liver X receptor‐α (LXRα), sterol response element‐binding protein‐1c (SREBP‐1c) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ) 7, whereas mTORC1 controls gene expression and protein levels of SREBP‐1c and PPARγ (s4), crucial transcription factors of sebaceous lipogenesis (s5, 8) (Fig. 1). Figure 1 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint mTORC1‐centred model of NLRP3 inflammasome activation proposing the nutrigenomic pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. Nutrient signalling of Western diet via downregulation of FoxO1 and hyperactivation of mTORC1 modifies sebum quantity and composition that activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. AR, androgen receptor; BCAAs, branched‐chain amino acids; C16:0, palmitic acid; C18:1, oleic acid; Δ6D, Δ6‐desaturase; FLG, filaggrin; FoxO1, forkhead box class O1; Gln, glutamine; HIF1α, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α; HK1, hexokinase 1; IGF‐1, insulin‐like growth factor‐1; IL‐1α, interleukin‐1α; IL‐1β, interleukin‐1β; IL‐17, interleukin‐17; LTA, lipoteichoic acid; LXRα, liver X receptor‐α; mTORC1, mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; NLRP3, Nod‐like receptor family, pyrin domain‐containing 3 inflammasome; P. acnes, Propionibacterium acnes; PPARγ, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ; SCD, stearoyl‐CoA desaturase; S6K1, ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 70‐KD, 1; 1; SREBP1c, sterol response element‐binding protein‐1c; TG, triglyceride; TGL, triglyceride lipase; TLR2, toll‐like receptor 2; Th17, Th17 T cell. Sebocyte SREBP‐1c activity not only controls the total amount of synthesized sebum triglycerides (s5) but via expression of Δ6‐desaturase‐ and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase increases the concentration of sebum monounsaturated fatty acids (s6, s7). In fact, an association between the synthesis of total sebum triglycerides and triglyceride levels of monounsaturated fatty acid such as sapienic acid (16:1) and oleic acid (18:1) has been reported (s8). mTORC1 activity is negatively controlled by FoxO transcription factors (s9, s10) but activated by insulin, IGF‐1, testosterone, essential branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs), glutamine and palmitic acid (s2–s4, s11–s13). High glycemic load diet‐stimulated insulin secretion increases PI3K/Akt/mTORC1/SREBP1 signalling in acne (s5, s14–s16), whereas a low glycemic load diet reduces SREBP expression in the skin of acne patients (s16). Milk has been identified as mammal's post‐natal endocrine system promoting mTORC1‐dependent translation 9. Thus, the main components of Western diet ‘milk & sugar’ exaggerate the magnitude of mTORC1 signalling that apparently affects metabolic homoeostasis of sebaceous follicles (s1,5). The kinase S6K1, a major downstream target of mTORC1, plays a central role for activation of SREBP‐1. mTORC1 inactivates the negative SREBP‐1 regulator lipin 1 (s17), promotes gene expression of SREBP‐1c (s4) and via activation of S6K1 promotes SREBP‐1c cleavage into its active form (s18). Thus, the nutrigenomic regulators FoxO1 and mTORC1 control the activity of SREBP‐1, the key transcription factor of sebaceous lipogenesis (s5) (Fig. 1).
The impact of acne metabolomics on the sebofollicular microbiome Overstimulated SREBP‐1 expression has two critical effects on sebaceous gland homoeostasis by (i) increasing the total amount of sebum triglycerides (s16) and (ii) by enhancing the relative amount of monounsaturated fatty acids in sebum triglycerides (s5, s6). Quantitative and qualitative changes of sebum are intimately involved in Propionibacterium acnes colonization and biofilm formation (s19‐s21). Free oleic acid (C18:1) enhances P. acnes adherence (s22, s23) and increases P. acnes growth (s24). Notably, free oleic acid increases biofilm formation in S. aureus (s25). Propionibacterium acnes in biofilm produce more virulence factors such as exogenous triglyceride lipase (TGL) (s26‐s28), which perpetuates the release of more free fatty acids into sebum (s26). In keratinocytes, free oleic acid stimulates the production interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α) (s29), a cytokine that is critically involved in keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation and comedogenesis (s30‐s33).
Increased mTORC1 signalling promotes inflammation Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR‐2) and TLR‐4 expression are increased in the epidermis of acne lesions (s34). Importantly, saturated free fatty acids are ‘danger signals’ that activate the NLRP3 inflammasome via TLR signalling and enhance innate immunity (s35). Free palmitic acid and stearic acid activate the NLRP3 inflammasome either via enhancing TLR2/TLR1 dimerization or via lysosome destabilization (s36‐s41) (Fig. 1). Remarkably, the lysosome is the critical organelle for activating mTORC1 and the NLRP3 inflammasome, respectively (s39, s42, s43). The lysosome integrates metabolic‐inflammatory crosstalk resulting in macrophage inflammasome activation (s40). Free fatty acids promote lipotoxicity by lysosomal destabilization (s44). Palmitic acid via disrupting lysosome integrity plays a key role in NLRP3 inflammasome activation (s39). The NLRP3 inflammasome is regarded as a sensor for metabolic danger (s45) and epidemic acne vulgaris apparently features a visible diet‐induced danger response of the sebaceous follicle during the period of puberty, which is characterized by increased magnitudes of IGF‐1/mTORC1 signalling. Activation of the NRLP3 inflammasome promotes interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) release resulting in Th17 cell differentiation. In fact, TLR2 activation by P. acnes in monocyte–macrophages and sebocytes mediates NLRP3 inflammasome‐mediated release IL‐1β resulting in Th17 differentiation (s46‐s49). Thus, two interconnected pathways activate the TLR‐NRLP3 inflammasome in acne (s50): (i) the release of sebum free saturated fatty acids, which function as metabolic danger signals activating TLR2‐ and TLR4 signalling (s36‐s42, s53‐s54) and (ii) P. acnes‐derived lipoteichoic acid (LTA) (s55) that activates TLR2‐mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation (s56). Western diet via mTORC1 thus stimulates NLRP3 activation promoting the Th17/IL‐17 pathway in acne (s48). Remarkably, mTORC1 activation increases the expression of leptin (s57), a recently identified sebocyte‐derived adipokine (s58) that is involved in pro‐inflammatory signalling in acne (s59). Leptin is apparently another connecting piece between metabolisms, innate as well as adaptive immunity (s60, s61). mTORC1‐driven leptin signalling further enhances Th17 differentiation (s62). Ductal hypoxia due to excess sebum production, comedo formation and P. acnes overgrowth may upregulate hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), which further promotes leptin expression (s63). In a vicious cycle, hyperactivated mTORC1, a known inducer of HIF‐1α (s64), may promote sebocyte‐derived leptin synthesis augmenting Th17‐IL‐17 signalling in acne (s48, s62).
Glutaminolysis and glycolysis activate mTORC1 Human sebaceous glands engage in aerobic glycolysis and glutaminolysis (s65). Glutamine is a highly enriched amino acid of milk that activates the glutaminolysis pathway activating mTORC1 8. Glucose is the major hexose provided by hyperglycaemic diets. Moon et al. (s66) recently demonstrated that hexokinase 1‐dependent glycolysis is regulated via mTORC1 and represents a critical metabolic pathway activating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Thus, Western diet‐activated mTORC1 signalling may play a fundamental role in acne pathogenesis (s65).
Acne therapy attenuates mTORC1 signalling We have recently hypothesized that acne therapy either increases FoxO1 signalling and/or reduces mTORC1 activity (s67) and showed that the antidiabetic drug metformin operates as a multifunctional inhibitor of mTORC1 (s68). In accordance, Fabbrocini et al. (s69) demonstrated that a low glycemic diet combined with metformin treatment was effective in male subjects with acne resistant to common treatments.
Acne vulgaris: a diet‐induced sebofollicular inflammasomopathy Taken together, overactivated mTORC1 signalling induced by Western diet, superimposed on high IGF‐1/mTORC1 signalling during puberty, generates a metabolic danger response of the sebaceous follicle. Aberrant mTORC1 signalling by Western diet apparently initiates a sequence of sebolipotoxic alterations that disturb sebaceous metabolomics, change the follicular microbiome, enhance innate and adaptive immunity finally generating the visible inflammasomopathy acne vulgaris 8.
Conflict of interest The author has declared no conflicting interests.
Supporting Information Filename Description exd12898-sup-0001-DataS1.docxWord document, 29.7 KB Data S1. Supplementary References. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.Longtime Donald Trump ally Roger Stone said his communications with an alleged Russian hacker may have been obtained through a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
He said if that's the case, then the leak of that information to the website The Smoking Gun is a felony.
"If these were obtained through a FISA warrant, as I believe, and the information was leaked to the Smoking Gun, that would constitute a felony," Stone said.
In a statement to the AP, Stone said he has hired two attorneys to investigate whether he can prompt the government to "either charge me or admit they have no case whatsoever."
Stone admitted earlier this month to using Twitter to communicate with Guccifer 2.0, the hacker allegedly responsible for breaching the Democratic National Committee last year. U.S. officials believe the hacker is tied to the Kremlin.
ADVERTISEMENT
While Stone acknowledged the contact, he said he was not aware that Guccifer 2.0 was suspected of being tied to Moscow, and denied having any involvement with Russia whatsoever.
"I have no relationship with the Russian state, Russian Intelligence or any other Russians," Stone said, according to the AP.
Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act the government can obtain a warrant to collect the communications of the people they believe to be foreign agents.
Stone has reiterated President Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE’s unfounded claim that former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaChicago's next mayor will be a black woman Obama portraits brought more than 1 million visitors to National Portrait Gallery in first year With low birth rate, America needs future migrants MORE wire tapped the real estate mogul’s presidential campaign last year, providing no evidence for that statement.
Several other current and former Trump associates have come under fire for possible ties to Moscow. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned from his post last month amid revelations that he discussed sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsFormer Trump refugee director did not notify superiors about family separation warnings Court rejects challenge to Mueller's appointment Trump says he hasn't spoken to Barr about Mueller report MORE also faced scrutiny for failing to disclose two meetings with Kislyak while he was a campaign surrogate for Trump. He recused himself earlier this month from federal investigations into Russian election meddling or Trump’s ties to the Kremlin.
Other Trump aides, including his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, are said to have met with Kislyak, as well.
But Stone is the only member of Trump’s’ inner circle so far to acknowledge that he communicated with a hacker.
The contacts between Stone and Guccifer 2.0 were first reported by The Smoking Gun, before Stone admitted to the contacts himself.Get martech news, insights and analysis you need to succeed. Subscribe to the NEW MarTech Today.
If you’ve been in marketing for a while, you’ve probably come across a copy of Don Peppers and Martha Rogers’ book, “The One to One Future.” (If you haven’t, it’s a good read for any B2B marketer.) Written in the 1990s, the book painted a bright future — one where marketers could connect with their audiences on a more personal, one-to-one level. The idea was simple: all of the new technology and data flooding marketing at the time would pave the way for personalized, incredibly relevant customer experiences.
Two decades later, we’re still not any closer to making this vision a reality. In fact, I’d argue that the technology we’ve deployed has, in many cases, pushed us further away from that 1:1 connection. We’ve taken innovative technologies and platforms like marketing automation and digital advertising and used them to spam our audiences with millions of untargeted, irrelevant messages.
As a result, marketers haven’t been able to deliver on what our customers really need: a personalized message with relevant information.
While technology has pushed us further away from our customers, I believe that we are on the cusp of actually (finally) using technology to help restore that 1:1 connection. We’ve already started to see this happen, and it’s made possible by two important things: Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and artificial intelligence (AI).
ABM and the return to customer-centricity
I’ve written about ABM before, usually in the context of why it’s good for marketers. It helps them be more efficient, deliver more effective campaigns, prove ROI and actually impact the business — benefits that are music to any marketer’s ears. In fact, we get so excited about how an account focus will help us drive more results, we don’t always talk about why.
In reality, ABM benefits our prospects and customers quite a bit, because it forces us to learn more about them and get them the right messages at the right time. Once we’ve slimmed down our traditional demand-gen activities and focused on a narrower target account list, we have the opportunity to give them the right experience at every phase of the funnel, from first touch to close to measurement.
The problem is that while delivering that white-glove experience to 10 accounts is feasible, it gets harder when we have a target account list of 500 or 1,000. That’s because to deliver that experience, you need to have quite a lot of in-depth account knowledge about each account: what their priorities are, what challenges they face, who their competitors are and what needs they have.
Without that information, it’s hard to build relevant messages and campaigns, or even start the conversation. And as you move to more accounts, getting that information becomes more of a challenge.
The challenge of scale
Despite all the promise of ABM, we still haven’t achieved that 1:1 connection that Peppers and Rogers predicted. And while ABM has been around for some time, marketers just haven’t been able to scale it.
We have to choose either to limit our target account list or to limit the quality of our personalized messages. Unfortunately, neither of those choices is particularly appealing in a largely digital world.
The need for a better option is the reason for the surge in ABM-focused technology over the past few years. Many marketers (and vendors) have invested a great deal in technology that can help them merge a highly personalized account strategy with a flawless digital experience. They’ve made some great progress, and more and more marketing and sales teams are leveraging new technologies to implement ABM across digital channels.
AI: The final frontier
While this progress has made an impact on B2B marketers and their businesses, it has still been a challenge to convert data into insights and action in order to truly deliver a 1:1 connection at scale. That’s largely due to all the research and in-depth knowledge that’s required to develop the insights to make each message as relevant as possible to our audiences. Even ABM technology, as great as it is, has not been able to solve that issue for us, until now.
We know that no human can do that much research in a cost-effective way, but now, with the introduction of AI, we finally have the superhuman ability to source massive quantities of data and convert it into the insight and action needed to scale our 1:1 interactions.
Modern AI technology has the ability to ingest unstructured data and deliver relevant information about your target accounts — what they care about, who their competitors are, what they’re reading, talking and writing about and more.
And perhaps even more importantly, it gives us the ability to leverage that information across our most critical digital channels. Suddenly, we’re able to nurture that 1:1 connection without compromising the breadth of our targeting and programs.
Delivering on the promise of digital
While the benefits of digital marketing are obvious, the challenges are more nuanced. We have to be always on. We have to interact with anonymous visitors. We have to engage prospects immediately, or they might lose interest and never seek us out again.
Nowhere are these challenges more pressing than the B2B website. It’s the channel where we most need that 1:1 connection but have the hardest time delivering it.
Arguably, as B2B marketers, our websites are our most important digital channels, which makes it all the more painful when we fail to leverage them successfully. But who could blame us? We’re serving so many different audiences at different phases of the buying cycle, it’s hard to make sure they all get what they need.
We’ve started to address this problem with ABM, by personalizing certain sections of a website for a number of segments and accounts. And while we’ve seen great success and engagement with our efforts, we’re still choosing a set of our most important segments, rather than engaging our entire target audience. That’s where AI comes in.
While ABM gives us the framework we need to target and market to accounts, AI helps us generate the insights we need to give customers the experience they want. The combination of ABM and AI gives marketers the ability to deliver highly personalized website experiences — at scale.
Beyond just personalizing for segments and accounts, marketers can recommend content for each individual visitor, based on their individual needs and interests. In this way, every account gets the relevant messages they need as they move across the funnel.
Marketers no longer have to worry about their prospects getting frustrated and leaving. Instead, they can deliver a unique, 1:1 experience for each website visitor.
Conclusion
We’ve only scratched the surface of the possibilities ABM and AI have to offer. While the website is one of our most significant digital channels, we want to deliver that same personalized experience consistently across every channel.
Soon, you’ll see ABM and AI’s combined capabilities extending to other channels, like advertising, reporting and email. By connecting across channels, we’ll all finally be even closer to the 1:1 future that Peppers and Rogers envisioned.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech Today. Staff authors are listed here.A shopper was chased down the street by a woman who accused him of trying to film up her skirt before he was tackled by a 100-strong mob in an extraordinary Oxford Street row caught on camera.
The 'chaos' in central London on Sunday night was sparked when the alleged victim started screaming: 'F***ing pervert. He has a video between my legs'.
She claims he put his shopping bag between her legs and used a mobile phone placed in the top to take a voyeuristic up-skirt film of her knickers and crotch.
The incident was caught on camera by a passing cyclist who saw the woman running down Oxford Street in tears. Within seconds a group surrounded the man she was chasing.
The detained man shouts 'let go of me' as he is pulled to the pavement and his accuser repeatedly kicks him before being dragged away by a man telling her: 'Don't do that, that's assault'.
The police arrived at 7.22pm and arrested him only to change their minds and de-arrested him 14 minutes later after finding no footage on his phone and his accuser had not stayed to give a statement.
Mob: This is the moment a woman started kicking a man she accused of filming up her skirt on Oxford Street on Sunday
Surrounded: A policeman picks up the accused off the pavement after up to 100 people surrounded him after accusing him of voyeurism
Held: Police let him go just 14 minutes later after finding he had nothing on his phone - pictured is an officer looking at the device. The alleged victim had gone without speaking to them
The cyclist who witnessed the row said up to 100 people surrounded the man during Sunday night's citizens' arrest.
Irate: The alleged victim swears repeatedly in the film and calls the accused a 'f***ing pervert'
He said: 'I've never seen anything like it. The way everyone surrounded this guy, it was like a mob.
'The woman was screaming the place down.
'As they got closer to me, a young man then stepped him to stop him getting away. They were headed in my direction and I restrained him too as the lady clearly was crying and very, very upset.
'At first I thought it was an argument, then maybe I thought someone was stealing her bag or something. But she was yelling, saying the man had tried to film up her skirt. I realised it was quite serious.
'I almost fell off my bike. Then others stepped in and I was concerned a scuffle might break out. The police were sought to come and make an arrest, which we were happy about.
'The man was questioned and his mobile phone was looked it. There was a young woman who said she saw the whole thing, but the victim herself had disappeared.
'Perhaps she was worried because she had kicked out at him on the floor. There must have been a crowd of more than 100 people. It was chaos'.
Spark: A passing cyclist was on his way home from work when he spotted at commotion on the pavement next to the 55 bus
Held: The suspect (pictured with the red bag on his back) was grabbed by a member of the public as the woman screamed she had been the victim of a crime
Violence: The clearly very upset woman starts kicking the man she accused as he sat on the ground
Warning: She was then dragged away and warned that she could be arrested for assault
In the footage, the woman drags the man to the ground with the help of passers-by but then lashes out at him as he sits on the pavement near Oxford Circus Tube station.
The alleged voyeur is later handcuffed by police while a witness explains what she claims to have seen - but the victim flees the scene.
At one point the woman accusing the man of voyeurism screams 'f*****g pervert' at him as she sobs, but eventually disappears amid the commotion.
Dozens of onlookers came to a standstill as three police officers eventually surrounded the man to look at his phone, search his pockets, and study his ID.
One woman, who claimed to have witnessed the episode, can be heard telling a police officer: 'I was standing behind him and my boyfriend was like "what's he doing?".
'Because they were looking at the show and she was standing in front and she just started going like this... and then he was holding his bag.
'In his bag was his phone, upside down, under her skirt. And she goes... and then she sees his phone. And then she goes "what are you doing? and then he runs away.
'So that's what I saw, and then he starts acting all guilty and runs away, so...'
The cyclist, who asked not to be named, said the altercation happened just after 6pm on Sunday as he made his way home from work.
He said: 'The arrested man was very lucky indeed he was not beaten up.'
Scotland Yard has said the man was de-arrested after officers failed to find any incriminating evidence on his phone and the alleged victim was not there to give a statement.
A spokesman said: 'At around 6.10pm on Sunday, April 9, police in Oxford Street were alerted to an altercation near Oxford Circus Tube station.
'Officers attended and found a man being detained by several members of public. A 36-year-old man was arrested at 7.22pm on suspicion of voyeurism.
'Officers searched the man and seized his mobile phone. He was de-ar
|
, you go out there and burn whatever carbon you want to? Not sure what to make of that. But we thought you might want to know just which representatives have absolved you of your responsibility to the planet. So here’s a list—of the senators who think climate change is some other species’ problem, and then the senators who wish we’d maybe do something about it.
Voted against the amendment (nay—human activities don’t contribute to climate change)
Barrasso, John (R - WY)
Blunt, Roy (R - MO)
Boozman, John (R - AR)
Burr, Richard (R - NC)
Capito, Shelley Moore (R - WV)
Cassidy, Bill (R - LA)
Coats, Daniel (R - IN)
Cochran, Thad (R - MS)
Corker, Bob (R - TN)
Cornyn, John (R - TX)
Cotton, Tom (R - AR)
Crapo, Mike (R - ID)
Cruz, Ted (R - TX)
Daines, Steve (R - MT)
Enzi, Michael B. (R - WY)
Ernst, Joni (R - IA)
Fischer, Deb (R - NE)
Flake, Jeff (R - AZ)
Gardner, Cory (R - CO)
Grassley, Chuck (R - IA)
Hatch, Orrin G. (R - UT)
Heller, Dean (R - NV)
Hoeven, John (R - ND)
Inhofe, James M. (R - OK)
Isakson, Johnny (R - GA)
Johnson, Ron (R - WI)
Lankford, James (R - OK)
Lee, Mike (R - UT)
McCain, John (R - AZ)
McConnell, Mitch (R - KY)
Moran, Jerry (R - KS)
Murkowski, Lisa (R - AK)
Paul, Rand (R - KY)
Perdue, David (R - GA)
Portman, Rob (R - OH)
Risch, James E. (R - ID)
Roberts, Pat (R - KS)
Rounds, Mike (R - SD)
Rubio, Marco (R - FL)
Sasse, Ben (R - NE)
Scott, Tim (R - SC)
Sessions, Jeff (R - AL)
Shelby, Richard C. (R - AL)
Sullivan, Daniel (R - AK)
Thune, John (R - SD)
Tillis, Thom (R - NC)
Toomey, Patrick J. (R - PA)
Vitter, David (R - LA)
Wicker, Roger F. (R - MS)
Voted for the amendment (yea—
human activities contribute to climate change)
Alexander, Lamar (R - TN)
Ayotte, Kelly (R - NH)
Baldwin, Tammy (D - WI)
Bennet, Michael F. (D - CO)
Blumenthal, Richard (D - CT)
Booker, Cory A. (D - NJ)
Boxer, Barbara (D - CA)
Brown, Sherrod (D - OH)
Cantwell, Maria (D - WA)
Cardin, Benjamin L. (D - MD)
Carper, Thomas R. (D - DE)
Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D - PA)
Collins, Susan M. (R - ME)
Coons, Christopher A. (D - DE)
Donnelly, Joe (D - IN)
Durbin, Richard J. (D - IL)
Feinstein, Dianne (D - CA)
Franken, Al (D - MN)
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D - NY)
Graham, Lindsey (R - SC)
Heinrich, Martin (D - NM)
Heitkamp, Heidi (D - ND)
Hirono, Mazie K. (D - HI)
Kaine, Tim (D - VA)
King, Angus S., Jr. (I - ME)
Kirk, Mark (R - IL)
Klobuchar, Amy (D - MN)
Leahy, Patrick J. (D - VT)
Manchin, Joe, III (D - WV)
Markey, Edward J. (D - MA)
McCaskill, Claire (D - MO)
Menendez, Robert (D - NJ)
Merkley, Jeff (D - OR)
Mikulski, Barbara A. (D - MD)
Murphy, Christopher (D - CT)
Murray, Patty (D - WA)
Nelson, Bill (D - FL)
Peters, Gary (D - MI)
Reed, Jack (D - RI)
Sanders, Bernard (I - VT)
Schatz, Brian (D - HI)
Schumer, Charles E. (D - NY)
Shaheen, Jeanne (D - NH)
Stabenow, Debbie (D - MI)
Tester, Jon (D - MT)
Udall, Tom (D - NM)
Warner, Mark R. (D - VA)
Warren, Elizabeth (D - MA)
Whitehouse, Sheldon (D - RI)
Wyden, Ron (D - OR)
1. Correction 19:15 EST 01/22/15 The state that Senator Roger Wicker represents has been corrected.Oracle is a company that's never particularly cottoned to developers. While Microsoft and Google have developer DNA wired deeply into their genes, Oracle is first and foremost a database company that prides itself on ruthlessly pursuing its business agenda with a take-no-prisoners approach. Whether its reckless approach to technology appeals to developers or any other community matters little to the company. Because Oracle stands for nothing but its own interests and because of its long history of aggression, it is feared by all market segments it touches: suppliers, competitors, and its own customers.
There is little surprise then to see it in court in San Francisco fighting Google, claiming patent infringement due to the latter's development of the Android operating system. Google, certainly no stranger to pushing the legal limits in its quest to access as much data as possible, is hardly a friend to licensing and copyright. Its fights with the publishing industry over copyrights are legendary and have generally forced Google to backtrack. Its expansive view of its access to data is at the heart of current uproars over Street View and the newly announced GDrive.
So, it seems almost inevitable that the two behemoths would meet in court one day. Initially, Oracle's suit and Google counter-suit looked to be one of those slow-moving affairs that was fascinating to watch from a distance in much the same way as the trial pitting the U.S. Department of Justice against Microsoft a decade ago.
However, events in San Francisco quickly took a sinister turn when Oracle posited an ominous theory: that Google had violated Oracle's Java copyrights by reimplementing Java APIs in Android. The question of the copyrightability of APIs is the hinge on which the first part of the trial now rests, and it provides a disturbing vision of how software development might look should Oracle prove this claim.
In a nutshell, if the jury sides with Oracle that the copyrights in the headers of every file of the Java source base apply specifically to the syntax of the APIs, then Oracle can extract payment and penalties from Google for having implemented those APIs without Oracle's blessing (or, in more specific terms, without a license).
Should this come to pass, numerous products will suddenly find themselves on an uncertain legal standing in which the previously benign but now newly empowered copyright holders might assert punitive copyright claims. Chief among these would be any re-implementation of an existing language. So, Jython, IronPython, and PyPy for Python; JRuby, IronRuby, and Rubinius for Ruby; Mono for C# and VB; possibly C++ for C, GCC for C and C++ and Objective-C; and so forth. And of course, all the various browsers that use JavaScript might owe royalties to the acquirers of Netscape's intellectual property.
Essentially, every language implementation not issued forth by the copyright holder will be suspect until the copyright owners announce a permanent statement dispensing with any threats to enforce the copyrights. There is no reason to believe that copyright holders will naturally act with such restraint. As we know, Oracle certainly has not. And who's to say the owners of Bell Labs care enough about the negative programming consequences of enforcing language copyrights when they can see possible licensing fees of tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars are a possible result?
The problem does not stop with languages, of course. Would Linux be at risk for all the UNIX APIs it recreated? Or would any of the ports of various libraries be similarly in danger? Probably so.
During the trial, Sun's last two CEOs provided conflicting evidence. In a nutshell, Jonathan Schwartz testified for Google's view (and his email congratulating Google on Android is a crucial piece of testimony), while Scott McNealy testified unequivocally that APIs were copyrightable, copyrighted, and not open to duplication by unlicensed third parties. Both views are in character. McNealy fought the UNIX wars on behalf of Solaris precisely on the basis of the extra libraries and APIs that distinguished it from HP-UX, IRIX, and AIX. I have no doubt that if this case had arrived 15 years ago, McNealy would have testified precisely the same way. Specific libraries and their attendant APIs were crucial means for companies to establish and maintain a competitive advantage.
This role for APIs tends to support Oracle's view that they are the property of the owners and are not intended for free use by unlicensed parties wanting to implement them. And Google's internal deliberations that show an awareness that a license might be necessary would also support the idea that the APIs are property. On this basis and the careful copyrights in each document, I am unwillingly led to conclude that the jury might not deliver good news when it returns from its deliberations. Of course, I deeply hope I'm wrong.
However, a silver lining could present itself: The jury could affirm that the APIs are copyrighted but that the syntax of the function signatures are a fair use exception. This would safeguard the right to reimplement APIs forever without fear of suit for copyright violation. And it would not be an unreasonable finding.
Trials are troublesome events in the course of computing history. They have delivered odder verdicts than one that would side entirely with Oracle. You might recall that the Lotus v. Borland suit (1990) originally resulted in a ruling affirming the copyrightability of a menu hierarchy. Not until the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1996 was that bit of nonsense definitively overturned. Let us hope that there's no need for that much litigation to ensure forever that APIs can be freely copied.
— Andrew Binstock
Editor in Chief
[email protected]
Twitter: platypusguyGet the latest from TODAY Sign up for our newsletter
Feb. 7, 2014, 3:00 PM GMT
A 3-year-old Labradoodle, which is a mix between a standard poodle and Labrador retriever, jumps on his owner. Jay LaPrete / Today
He’s deemed the man who unleashed the designer dog craze, this wave of Maltipoos, puggles and shorkies.
A Doberhuahua? Not quite.
But from that new Super Bowl ad to Hollywood boulevards and nearly to the White House, these pooches with cute names are pretty popular.
Hardly what Wally Conron expected — or ever wanted — back in the late 1980s when he first bred a pair of prize canines and called the result a Labradoodle.
“I’ve done a lot of damage,” Conron told The Associated Press this week by phone from his home in Australia. “I’ve created a lot of problems.”
“Marvelous thing? My foot,” he said. “There are a lot of unhealthy and abandoned dogs out there.”
No Labradoodles are entered in Saturday’s agility competition at the Westminster Kennel Club show, but for the first time in the event’s 138-year history, mixed breeds are welcome. Called “all-American” dogs by some and mutts by many, they’ll weave, jump and run through an obstacle course.
Only purebreds are allowed in the main event, though, and more than 2,800 of them are entered in the nation’s most prominent dog event. The rings open Monday and the best in show ribbon will be awarded Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Conron isn’t from the show world. He was working as the puppy-breeding manager at the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia when he tried to fulfill a request from a couple in Hawaii. She had vision problems, her husband was allergic, and they wanted a dog that would satisfy their needs.
After a lot of trial-and-error, Conron came up with a solution when he bred a standard poodle with a Labrador retriever. The mix was a personal triumph, yet not a success outside his lab.
“I was very, very careful of what I used, but nobody wanted Labrador crosses. I had a three-to-six-month waiting list, but everyone wanted purebreds,” the 85-year-old Conron recalled. “So I had to come up with a gimmick.”
“We came up with the name ‘Labradoodle,’” he said. “We told people we had a new dog and all of sudden, people wanted this wonder dog.”
Over the years, demand grew for Conron and other breeders. Labradoodles became a hot dog — Jennifer Aniston, Tiger Woods and Christie Brinkley are among their owners — and President Barack Obama’s family considered a Labradoodle before picking a Portuguese water dog as the First Pet.
“When I heard he was thinking about a Labradoodle, I wrote to him and said to make sure he checked its pedigree,” Conron said.
There’s the problem that troubles him.
Conron said there are far too many unscrupulous people eager to make a buck at a dog’s expense. Rather than check the history and science, he said “horrific” puppy mills are springing up and producing unstable dogs that go unwanted and eventually are euthanized.
“Instead of breeding out the problems, they’re breeding them in,” he said. “For every perfect one, you’re going to find a lot of crazy ones.”
That’s a concern Conron has echoed in the past, blaming himself for opening a “Pandora’s box” and creating a “Frankenstein.”
PETA appreciated that Conron is “speaking out to stop the loss of lives that his ‘invention’ has created.”
“Breeding ‘purebred’ or ‘designer’ dogs for exaggerated physical characteristics such as flat faces or sloping hips can cause them severe health problems. The kindest thing that anyone can do for dogs is to adopt them from a shelter — and make sure that they are spayed or neutered,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Conron said he’s never owned a Labradoodle as a pet, and stopped breeding them when he retired 20 years ago.
Since then, he’s often witnessed the effects of his work.
“You can’t walk down the street without seeing a poodle cross of some sort. I just heard about someone who wanted to cross a poodle with a rottweiler. How could anyone do that?” he said.
“Not in my wildest dream did I imagine all of this would happen,” he said. “That’s a trend I started.”After a period of stunned silence, the Congress has reacted with a sense of panic and bitterness at India's quantum leap in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) rankings.
Rahul Gandhi has posted yet another sarcastic remark on Twitter, suggesting that India's 30-spot jump does not represent reality, while senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has started tweeting about Vyapam scam and hunger index.
India at 100 of 190 countries in Ease of Doing Business.
India at 100 of 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index. Deal with hunger too. — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) November 1, 2017
A Congress spokesperson claimed that the rankings "won't change reality" while also accusing the prime minister of "policy adventurism" and terming Arun Jaitley as the "worst finance minister" and a "spin doctor".
In a rally in Gujarat on Wednesday, the Congress vice-president carried on the theme. Mystifyingly, Rahul called the World Bank a "foreign company".
“Jaitley sits in his office and believes a foreign company talking of ease of business. Did Jaitley ji go to a small shop owner and ask what is the ease of doing business? For this government, what is spoken abroad is truth, but reality of India is false,” he said to a crowd in Gujarat's Bharuch district.
It is unclear on what basis the Congress has leveled the charges, and it is also not clear why it accused the finance minister of "spin doctoring" because the annual ratings are published not by the Centre but by the World Bank, over which the government of India has no control. The Congress vice-president must also be aware that the World Bank is a Bretton Woods institution, not a "foreign company".
According to the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) ratings, India has moved into the list of top 100 business friendly nations for the first time and its 30-spot jump is the most by a country. It has improved in nine out of 10 parameters and has bridged the gap with toppers on best global practices in business regulatory framework.
India has done the best in eight categories out of 10: 'Starting a Business', 'Dealing with Construction Permits', 'Getting Credit', 'Protecting Minority Investors', 'Paying Taxes', 'Trading across Borders', 'Enforcing Contracts', and 'Resolving Insolvency.
Among these eight, India's rise has been boosted by three key reforms: Resolving insolvency, ease of paying taxes online and protection of minority investors. And in each of these areas India's performance is expected to intensify on the wings of far-reaching reforms such as insolvency and bankruptcy code and Goods and Services Tax (GST).
There another area where India has shown a stunning improvement. The World Bank calls it Distance to Frontier (DTF) metric, where laggard nations are pitted against better performing ones.
As The Times of India explains, "DTF shows the distance of each economy to the "frontier," that is, the best performance observed in each of the indicators across all economies in the Doing Business sample since 2005. An economy's distance to frontier is reflected on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest performance and 100 represents the frontier."
On this parameter, India has scored 60.76 against 56.05 last year: Rising a whopping 4.71 points. To put it in perspective, Chinas recorded a 0.40 point increase, though it is ranked much higher than India overall.
The World Bank report has also highlighted several areas where India is lagging behind other nations. Jaitley's comments during the news conference suggest that the government has taken note. "In parameters such as doing business, dealing with construction permits, enforcing contracts and registering property where India is still lagging behind, there is reason to believe that we can improve our position significantly," the finance minister told reporters.
More than reflecting achievements (being 100 among 190 participating nations cannot be the end goal), the most important takeaway from the ranking is that it indicates strict adherence to reforms process and willingness to take decisions that may have transitory costs. An expectation has been created that India will now do progressively better and will aim to move within the top 50: An aim articulated by the finance minister.
Annette Dixon, World Bank’s vice-president for South Asia, said that "in our view today’s result is a very clear signal from India that not only has the country been ready and open for business... it is now competing as a preferred place to do business globally".
And on the perception that the rankings "seem to contradict the mood on the ground" about businesses being hit by demonetisation and GST, Junaid Ahmad, the Country Director for the World Bank in India, told The Hindu: "I don’t think there is a contradiction. Reforms take a little while to be picked up. What you are seeing today is not just the shift of the last 12 months, but of the last three years. So the perseverance in policy shift is being picked up now. Also, it takes time to hit the ground. Policies get changed, but behaviour doesn’t change immediately. You are now beginning to see small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises recognise the changes that have been introduced and they are reacting to it."
Unless the Congress means to suggest that World Bank has colluded with the Modi government to make it look good, it is difficult to fathom Congress criticism over India's improved performance.
One important reason why the party has gone into a denial mode is that the boost in EoDB rankings has come at a particularly inconvenient time for the Congress, which has been running a high-pitch campaign against the government's alleged mismanagement of the economy.
In the last few days leading to yet another election season, the Congress under Rahul's tutelage has focused exclusively on the economic disruption caused by the GST (and residual discomfort of demonetisation) with a belief that relentless highlighting of the trouble caused by GST and demonetisation will eventually crack BJP's political base.
This has been done based on calculation that the key state of Gujarat—where BJP is facing anti-incumbency after a long stint in power—has been the most affected by GST disruption and therefore the sizeable trader community will register their anger by deserting the BJP and voting for Congress.
Accordingly, Rahul has been repackaged again, this time as a witty, incisive and sarcastic brand and Congress has been piling on the insults on Modi: Be it calling GST as the catchy Gabbar Singh Tax or releasing spoof videos of Bollywood blockbusters to further hammer upon the economic disruption theme.
The World Bank report completely upends this plan and queers Congress's pitch. This may explain Rahul's cognitive dissonance and desperate attempts to run down the EoDB rankings which sets global standards in business regulatory framework.
Congress is conflating two separate issues here: Political opposition to BJP and improvement in India's business climate.
It need not be mutually exclusive, but by dismissing the rankings issued by the World Bank, Rahul is actually handing over the credit for India's improvement in business rankings exclusively to Narendra Modi.
One suspects this might not be a prudent political strategy.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.Dean Pereira and Cindy Heller Pereira are a young, working class married couple - Dean currently working as a painter, and Cindy working as a nurse in a medical clinic - with a young daughter named Frankie. Despite their relatively tender ages, they are both ravaged by the life they've eked out together and by the experiences they've had leading into their marriage. Dean, a high school drop out, comes from a broken home, where he never really had a mother figure. He never saw himself getting married or having a family despite falling in love at first sight with Cindy. He doesn't have any professional ambition beyond his current work - which he enjoys since he feels he can knock off a beer at 8 o'clock in the morning without it affecting his work - although Cindy believes he has so much more potential in life. Cindy also comes from a dysfunctional family, with her own mother and father not setting an example of a harmonious married or family life. One of her previous serious relationships was with Bobby Ontario, that relationship which has a profound affect on many aspects of her marriage to Dean. Dean and Cindy head off on an overnight getaway together without Frankie, the getaway which may provide a clearer picture if their marriage can survive its many issues.Image zoom Starsurf / Splash News Online
James Gandolfini and fiancée Deborah Lin tied the knot Saturday in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, a wedding guest confirms to PEOPLE.
“There was a nice big kiss at the end with both hands on the cheeks” as The Sopranos star and Lin officially became husband and wife, the guest tells PEOPLE. “They looked great.”
As a group of their closest friends and family looked on, Gandolfini, 46, and Lin, a former model, 40, exchanged their vows in an intimate ceremony surrounded by white lilies and rhododendrons adorning every pew held at Central Union Church.
According to the guest, Lin strolled down the aisle in a white gown made of Italian lace while her tuxedoed groom stood waiting as a harpist played the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” in the background.
Gandolfini’s son Michael, 8, from his first marriage to Marcy Wudarsk (which ended in 2002), served as best man.
Following the elegant 20-minute nuptials, the newlyweds stepped into a white stretch limousine bound for the evening reception at a nearby resort.
At the reception, Gandolfini and Lin sat at an elevated table looking out onto the 200 guests – double the size of the wedding ceremony – in the filled ballroom. “They both wore long, green leis around their necks,” says a source. “There were lots of white flowers on the tables and Gandolfini was beaming.”
The happy couple and their guests nibbled on lobster, pork and seafood hors d’oeuvres (pupu in local Hawaiian lexicon) and during a sit-down dinner, feasted on Ahi tuna, Chinese roasted duck breast over angel hair pasta and steamed bok choy, broiled Mahi Mahi and filet mignon. The final course featured tiramisu and – of course – cannolis.
Paying tribute to Lin’s heritage, three teams of Chinese lion dancers (at least three people per lion) cavorted between tables as onlookers dropped a dollar in each gaping mouth for good luck. “Jim and Deborah mingled through the crowd a lot,” says a guest. “Everything was just really tasteful.”
The couple made their first public appearance on the red carpet in March 2007 for the New York City premiere of the second half of the final season of The Sopranos and have been engaged since late 2007. TRIBUTE: James Gandolfini Dies at 51MTN logo. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)
Johannesburg - Fed-up songwriters have issued mobile network MTN a ‘take-down’ notice to remove music from its stores as of today.
Non-profit organisation the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (Capasso) is accusing MTN of owing songwriters R1m in unpaid royalties for 2014.
Capasso is further accusing MTN of failing to declare music sales data and earnings to songwriters for 2015.
And now the copyright body wants MTN to "cease the use, sale and other exploitation of musical works owned or represented by Capasso members" by Wednesday, February 10. The mobile network sells music via services such as its ‘CallerTunez’ offering and the MTN Play Store.
The take-down notice comes after Capasso says it met with MTN on Friday amid media exposure of the dispute.
Subsequent to the meeting, Capasso says it sent MTN an official offer of settlement that required the mobile network to respond by 16:00 on Monday, February 8.
However, Capasso CEO Nothando Migogo says that MTN failed to respond to the offer, which included a call for the mobile network to stop “deflecting its copyright liability” to third party content aggregators. These aggregators sell music on to MTN.
“Capasso seeks a commitment from MTN to acknowledge that MTN is the music storefront and as such, MTN itself is liable for the copyright use and undertakes to enter into a licence agreement with Capasso in that regard,” said Migogo in a statement.
Last week, Migogo told Fin24 that other networks such as Vodacom have licence agreements with Capasso and are paying songwriters their royalties in a timely manner.
Migogo last week further accused MTN of selling unlicensed music.
MTN, at the time of writing, has not yet responded to questions from Fin24 about the take-down notice. The network's music services, at the time of writing, were also still online on Wednesday, despite the take-down notice.
Last week, the mobile network slammed Capasso’s copyright allegations as being “devoid of all truth”.
MTN South Africa’s executive for sales, marketing and distribution, Larry Annetts, told Fin24 via an email response last week that the mobile network is working with Capasso to “settle royalties for the current period”.
“Since 2014, MTN has required all content providers to obtain all necessary licences and engage directly with regulators,” said Annetts last week. Annetts further said that MTN requested Capasso to submit a “revised and correct invoice in respect of invoices payable”.
Migogo told Fin24 that Capasso’s latest invoice to MTN was correct as it is based on usage reports for 2014 and calculated at the same rate at which MTN paid royalties for music usage in 2013.
Capasso says it represents songwriters either directly or through their publishers.
Songwriters that Capasso represents includes the likes Tarryn Lamb, Nompumelelo Mzobe and Doctor Malinga while publishers range from Ghetto Ruff, Soulistic Music Pty Ltd (Universal Music Publishers), CashTime Life (Gallo Music Publishers) and Sheer Publishing.Since learning that the New Jersey-based sweet shop made famous by TV’s Cake Boss was en route to Houston, local pastry enthusiasts patiently waited for their first taste of Carlo’s Bakery. Unfortunately, that didn’t go quite as planned.
Posts from excited fans quickly began to flood social media, and they turned negative even faster as hours-long lines formed at The Woodlands Mall, where Carlo’s Bakery made its debut. Many fans, some of whom had arrived at 5 a.m. for a glimpse of Cake Boss star Buddy Velastro and pastries, reported being treated rudely by mall staff and waiting for hours without a chance to meet the star or buy any pastries.
“So disappointed with the way this was handled. I understand this is the mall's fault but still frustrating for someone who drove an hour and half and then stood in line for two hours only to be told that we couldn't get in,” reads one Facebook comment that echoes most complaints from fans, angry that they didn’t get the chance to snap a selfie with the man himself.
This woman, in particular, was pissed about the whole experience.
HE WAS SO IGNORANT THAT DAY bc okay so we went and got in line around 7:50am right 3 hours later around 9am they told us " we're not letting this line in" AND I WAS SO MAD BC I WASTED 3 HOURS IN LINE FOR NOTHING. So then everyone took running inside the mall and the line was like OUTSIDE THE MALL DUDE LIKE OMGS so like you had to buy something to meet him and take a picture and i brought my cup that i bought in new jersey from his bakery all excited and shit and like to the side he was there and i kept pushing everyone and say excuse me and got to the front where he was meeting people and i was tryna get his attention to sign my cup but he WAS IGNORING ME I KEPT SCREAMING HIS NAME AND EVERYTHING DUDE AND THIS GIRL WAITED 7 HOURS IN A LINE TO JUST BUY SOME CANNOLIS AND MEET HIM AND TAKE A PIC WHICH ONLY LASTS LIKE 5 SECONDS OMGSS SMH so then i gave this woman my cup and she gave it to him to sign it so i have my cup signed ;)). BUT LIKE THE SHARPIE IS DEADASS COMING OFF EACH TIME YOU WASH IT SMHHH o well TBH IT WAS SO OVER RATED but it was lit i bet their asses sold out of food anyways lol but his cannolis are gr8 no lie A post shared by Photography (@aaaaxhley) on Feb 19, 2017 at 4:16pm PST
The issue, though, largely doesn’t appear to be with the staff at Carlo’s Bakery. In fact, most comments on social media point to poor planning and shoddy crowd management on behalf of mall employees. “Mall security was extremely rude! From the little old man guard to that horrible woman security witch.,” reads another Facebook comment. “They could have handled it so much better! The screaming and threatening to call the police at a crowd that was very peaceful.”
Fortunately, it appears as if no one was arrested for any cannoli-related crimes, but don’t expect for the lines to die down at Carlo’s any time soon.Gov. Kate Brown didn't hesitate when she stepped to the microphone last weekend and called the deadly violence on Portland's public transit a "crime of hate.''
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams quickly reassured people that hate crime prosecutions remain a priority under the new administration's Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "There's a day of reckoning coming,'' Williams said.
Bias offenses
People reported 5,818 bias offenses nationwide in 2015, according to the FBI.
The federal law is intended to criminalize bias-motivated conduct and not just hateful thoughts or speech. Until someone commits an actual crime or makes a specific threat, a person's speech, as reprehensible as it may be, is protected by the U.S. Constitution, legal experts say.
"As heinous as they may me, the statements alone are protected by the First Amendment,'' said former federal prosecutor Benjamin B. Wagner of California. "Where it crosses the line is when it becomes a specific threat to individuals.''
More than half of the reported offenses were motivated by race or ethnicity, the FBI said. Of those, nearly 53 percent involved anti-black bias.
About a fourth of the total involved religious-based bias. Of those, 51 percent were anti-Jewish offenses and 22 percent were anti-Muslim.
Yet whether the May 26 triple stabbing aboard a MAX train in Northeast Portland constitutes a hate crime, as defined by federal law, is a stickier question that prosecutors continue to mull. The law may not apply in this case.
The dilemma comes because Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, directed his racial diatribe at two teen-age girls, one African American and one Arab American who was wearing a hijab, witnesses and police said. Not at the men who stood up to Christian, a known extremist who threatened to kill or stab people in Facebook postings online and apparently on a train the previous day.
The law says a hate crime occurs when someone willfully causes injury to another person using a dangerous weapon "because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin of any person.'' If a death results, a conviction could bring a life sentence.
"The language of the statute is very clear. It contains the words 'because of,' so the murder has to be because of the victim's protected characteristics,'' said Kent S. Robinson, a retired federal prosecutor who served for six years as chief of the criminal division in the Oregon's U.S. Attorney's Office.
On the Green Line train in Northeast Portland, the men stepped in to protect the girls. Two of the them died and one suffered grave injuries when Christian stabbed all of them in the neck with a folding knife he had concealed in his hand, police and prosecutors said.
"The fact that Christian was ranting at two girls because of their perceived religion may not make the stabbing of the good Samaritans hate crimes,'' Robinson said. "I am just not sure the feds have a tool to use that is any more effective than a state murder prosecution.''
Jack Levin, co-director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University, also said he doubts the law would encompass the rescuers.
"I don't think anybody thought of that when they developed the law,'' Levin said.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009 expanded the 1969 law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also removed the prerequisite that a victim had to be engaged in a federally protected activity, such as voting or attending school.
Benjamin B. Wagner, the retired U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California now in private practice, said appeals cases stemming from the 2009 law don't provide obvious guidance on who it covers.
"If you have racial animus towards person A, but you use force against person B, does that fit the criteria? This certainly would be a question raised and it would be litigated,'' Wagner said.
But he believes the law could apply to the Portland case. Its language refers to causing injury because of bias directed at "any person" – not necessarily the victim, he said.
"This would not be a deal breaker for federal prosecution. It seems to me the facts are reasonably good,'' Wagner said. "This whole brawl was initiated because of his hatred of these two women. His motive seems pretty clear. The reason he acted against these other people was connected to his hatred of these two other women. He's unapologetic. He's shouting out in court.''
Political, community leaders condemn MAX killings, praise 'courageous bystanders' Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici issue statements
The state has charged Christian with two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of second-degree intimidation. His case will be presented to a grand jury for review before his next court appearance this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
The intimidation charge, a misdemeanor, is the state's hate crime offense. It accuses Christian of frightening the girls by threatening to harm them based on his perception of their race or religion.
The aggravated murder conviction could bring a life sentence of life or the death penalty, though the governor has continued a moratorium on the death.
Pursuing a hate crime prosecution in federal court then wouldn't make much of a difference in the penalty Christian would face if convicted.
The federal law is more often used to provide a penalty beyond what state law would offer for certain crimes, such as an assault motivated by racism.
"It may not make sense for the feds to pile on and make a new case if the state prosecutor already is going to get a good result,'' Wagner said.
***
Federal prosecutors in Oregon must get approval from civil rights attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., before charging Christian with a hate crime.
The requirement ensures such prosecutions are handled consistently nationwide.
As a result, the federal decision may take some time. The U.S. Attorney's Office also could wait to see how the state case plays out before filing a
|
was heartened that fact-checking garnered increased viewership for those engaged in the practice.[126] Holan cautioned that heads of media companies must strongly support the practice of debunking, as it often provokes [126] FactCheck.org former director Brooks Jackson remarked that larger media companies had devoted increased focus to the importance of debunking fraud during the 2016 election.FactCheck.org began a new partnership with CNN journalist Jake Tapper in 2016 to examine the veracity of reported claims by candidates.Angie Drobnic Holan, editor of PolitiFact.com, noted the circumstances warranted support for the practice among major news media sources.Holan was heartened that fact-checking garnered increased viewership for those engaged in the practice.Holan cautioned that heads of media companies must strongly support the practice of debunking, as it often provokes hate mail and extreme responses from zealots.
[117][118] He specifically identified fact-checking website [117][118] Zuckerberg explained Facebook gathers data from users who report fake content, and from individuals who post links to Snopes.com in order to debunk fraud.[117][118] In his second post on the matter on 18 November 2016, Zuckerberg responded to the fraudulent news problem by suggesting usage of fact-checking websites.He specifically identified fact-checking website Snopes.com, and pointed out that Facebook monitors links to such debunking websites in reply comments as a method to determine which original posts were fraudulent.Zuckerberg explained Facebook gathers data from users who report fake content, and from individuals who post links to Snopes.com in order to debunk fraud.
Proposed technology tools
New York magazine contributor Brian Feldman responded to an article by media communications professor Melissa Zimdars, and used her list to create a [143] He invited others to use his code and improve upon it.[143] magazine contributor Brian Feldman responded to an article by media communications professor Melissa Zimdars, and used her list to create a Google Chrome extension that would warn users about fraudulent news sites.He invited others to use his code and improve upon it.
Academic analysis
MIT Technology Review, Jamie Condliffe said that merely banning ad revenue from the fraudulent news sites was not enough action by Facebook to effectively deal with the problem.[23] He wrote the banning of advertisements did not affect fraud appearing in Facebook news feeds.[23] Condliffe concluded Facebook needed to do more to address the issue on top of its advertising ban on fraudsters.[23] [147] Writing for, Jamie Condliffe said that merely banning ad revenue from the fraudulent news sites was not enough action by Facebook to effectively deal with the problem.He wrote the banning of advertisements did not affect fraud appearing in Facebook news feeds.Condliffe concluded Facebook needed to do more to address the issue on top of its advertising ban on fraudsters. Dartmouth College political scientist Brendan Nyhan has criticized Facebook for not doing enough to reduce amplification of fake news.
Indiana University [148] Menczer's research team engaged in developing an online tool titled: Hoaxy — to see the pervasiveness of unconfirmed assertions as well as related debunking on the Internet.[149] informatics and computer science professor Filippo Menczer commented on the steps by Google and Facebook to deny fraudulent news sites advertising revenue, saying it was a good step to reduce motivation for fraudsters.Menczer's research team engaged in developing an online tool titled: Hoaxy — to see the pervasiveness of unconfirmed assertions as well as related debunking on the Internet.
The New York Times, pointing out fraudulent websites in Macedonia profited handsomely off false stories about the 2016 U.S. election.[150] Tufecki wrote that Facebook's algorithms, and structure exacerbated the impact of [150] Zeynep Tufekci wrote critically about Facebook's stance on fraudulent news sites in a piece for, pointing out fraudulent websites in Macedonia profited handsomely off false stories about the 2016 U.S. election.Tufecki wrote that Facebook's algorithms, and structure exacerbated the impact of echo chambers and increased fake news blight.
[151] Zimdars identified strange [151] In evaluating whether a website contains fake news, Zimdars recommends that readers check the "About Us" page of the website, and consider whether reputable news outlets are reporting on the story.[151] Merrimack College assistant professor of media studies Melissa Zimdars wrote an article "False, Misleading, Clickbait-y and Satirical 'News' Sources" in which she advised how to determine if a fraudulent source was a fake news site.Zimdars identified strange domain names, lack of author attribution, poor website layout, the use of all caps, and URLs ending in "lo" or "com.co" as red flags of a fake news site.In evaluating whether a website contains fake news, Zimdars recommends that readers check the "About Us" page of the website, and consider whether reputable news outlets are reporting on the story.
[152][153] The study took place over a year-long period of time, and involved a sample size of over 7,800 responses from university, secondary and middle school students in 12 states within the United States.[152][153] The researchers were surprised at the disappointing constancy with which students thought fraudulent news reports were factual in nature.[152][153] The study found that 82 percent of students in [154] The authors concluded the solution was to educate consumers of media on the Internet to themselves behave like fact-checkers — and actively question the veracity of all sources they encounter online.[152][153] Education and history professor Sam Wineburg of the Stanford Graduate School of Education at Stanford University and colleague Sarah McGrew authored a 2016 study which analyzed students' ability to discern fraudulent news from factual reporting.The study took place over a year-long period of time, and involved a sample size of over 7,800 responses from university, secondary and middle school students in 12 states within the United States.The researchers were surprised at the disappointing constancy with which students thought fraudulent news reports were factual in nature.The study found that 82 percent of students in middle school were unable to differentiate between an advertisement denoted as sponsored content from an actual online news article.The authors concluded the solution was to educate consumers of media on the Internet to themselves behave like fact-checkers — and actively question the veracity of all sources they encounter online.
[155] She had previously written on the topic of differentiating science from [155] Her recommended steps included: Observe, Question, Hypothesize, Analyze data, Draw conclusion, and Act on results.[155] Willingham suggested a [155] These tests included: check the [155] Scientist Emily Willingham proposed applying the scientific method towards fake news analysis.She had previously written on the topic of differentiating science from pseudoscience, and applied that logic to fake news.Her recommended steps included: Observe, Question, Hypothesize, Analyze data, Draw conclusion, and Act on results.Willingham suggested a hypothesis of "This is real news", and then forming a strong set of questions to attempt to disprove the hypothesis.These tests included: check the URL, date of the article, evaluate reader bias and writer bias, double-check the evidence, and verify the sources cited.
Media commentary
Full Frontal
The New York Times Magazine in 2015, as a resource to contact Russians agreeable to be interviewed. The Russian trolls wore masks and asked Full Frontal to maintain the confidentiality of their fake accounts so they would not be identified. In order to verify they could manipuate content online, Full Frontal producers paid the Russian trolls to utilize the Twitter hashtag #SleazySam to troll the show itself.[158] After research in Russia for a second segment, the production staff concluded [158] Producer Razan Ghalayini explained that as an [158] Staffer Miles Kahn concurred with this analysis, adding Putin likely supported Trump, but over and above that his long term goal was to induce disruption.[158] Executive producers said they relied on writer Adrian Chen, who had previously reported on Russian trolls forin 2015, as a resource to contact Russians agreeable to be interviewed. The Russian trolls wore masks and askedto maintain the confidentiality of their fake accounts so they would not be identified. In order to verify they could manipuate content online,producers paid the Russian trolls to utilize the Twitter hashtag #SleazySam to troll the show itself.After research in Russia for a second segment, the production staff concluded Vladimir Putin supported Trump for U.S. President in order to introduce chaos into the U.S. democratic system.Producer Razan Ghalayini explained that as an authoritarian country Russia did not benefit from democracy being held up as the highest form of government.Staffer Miles Kahn concurred with this analysis, adding Putin likely supported Trump, but over and above that his long term goal was to induce disruption.
Full Frontal tracked down fake news website operator and Disinfomedia CEO Jestin Coler, who goes by the name "Allen Montgomery" on the Internet, for an interview.[159][160][161] Full Frontal producer Michael Rubens conducted the interview and compared inflammatory rhetoric of fake news websites to [159] Rubens pointed out fake news websites take advantage of gullible media consumers in an era of [161] Coler said he considered himself a liberal [159] Rubens noted Coler's fake news website had a [159] He denied his fake news websites led to the danger of increasing [160] Coler explained which fake news website stories garnered the most attention: "Any sort of a gun-grabbing story, pro-abortion, anti-Obama, anti-Hillary, anti-Mexican or immigrant, is kind of this right-wing red meat".[160][161] On 5 December 2016,tracked down fake news website operator and Disinfomedia CEO Jestin Coler, who goes by the name "Allen Montgomery" on the Internet, for an interview.producer Michael Rubens conducted the interview and compared inflammatory rhetoric of fake news websites to shouting fire in a crowded theater Rubens pointed out fake news websites take advantage of gullible media consumers in an era of post-truth politics Coler said he considered himself a liberal Democrat who voted for Clinton, and created the fake news websites to expose the gullibility of the alt-right Rubens noted Coler's fake news website had a disclaimer and Coler said he was trying to educate the public on how to be smarter consumers of information.He denied his fake news websites led to the danger of increasing Islamophobia Coler explained which fake news website stories garnered the most attention: "Any sort of a gun-grabbing story, pro-abortion, anti-Obama, anti-Hillary, anti-Mexican or immigrant, is kind of this right-wing red meat".
Other media
The New York Times in August 2016 that the Kremlin saw international relations as [162] Pavlovsky said he was certain there were many groups tied to the Russian government active in fabricating fake news.[162] Peter Kreko of the Hungary-based Political Capital Institute spoke to International Business Times about his work studying the disinformation initiatives by the Russian government, and said the [33] He said U.S. government officials were frustrated at the lack of action against Russian government [33] Gleb Pavlovsky, who assisted in creating a propaganda program for the Russian government prior to 2008, toldin August 2016 that the Kremlin saw international relations as special operations Pavlovsky said he was certain there were many groups tied to the Russian government active in fabricating fake news.Peter Kreko of the Hungary-based Political Capital Institute spoke toabout his work studying the disinformation initiatives by the Russian government, and said the Obama Administration did not devote enough efforts to combating the propaganda campaign against the U.S.He said U.S. government officials were frustrated at the lack of action against Russian government information warfare
[162] After this, Lindberg observed the fake news becomes fodder for reporting by [162] Deutsche Welle noted fake news was a significant threat to democratic societies in the U.S., Europe, and nations worldwide.[29] U.S. News & World Report warned readers to be wary of popular fraudulent news sites composed of either outright Fake News Watch for a listing of such problematic sources.[163] Anders Lindberg, a Swedish attorney and reporter, explained a common pattern of fake news distribution. He said "The dynamic is always the same: It originates somewhere in Russia, on Russia state media sites, or different websites or somewhere in that kind of context."After this, Lindberg observed the fake news becomes fodder for reporting by far-right or far-left websites, and are shared from there. He pointed out the danger is that such fabricated news becomes prominent issues in actual security policy choices by governments.noted fake news was a significant threat to democratic societies in the U.S., Europe, and nations worldwide.warned readers to be wary of popular fraudulent news sites composed of either outright hoaxes or propaganda, and recommended the websitefor a listing of such problematic sources.
BuzzFeed News called the problem an [25] According to BuzzFeed's analysis, during the 2016 U.S. elections the 20 top-performing election news stories from fraudulent sites generated more shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook than the 20 top-performing stories from 19 major news outlets.[147][166] Media Buzz, [166] Kurtz relied heavily upon BuzzFeed News research for his reporting on the controversy.[166] Kurtz wrote that Facebook contaminated the news with junk sources.[166] Citing the BuzzFeed investigation, Kurtz pointed out factual news reporting drew less comments, reactions, and shares, than fabricated falsehoods.[166] Kurtz concluded Facebook founder [166] called the problem an epidemic According to BuzzFeed's analysis, during the 2016 U.S. elections the 20 top-performing election news stories from fraudulent sites generated more shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook than the 20 top-performing stories from 19 major news outlets. Fox News host of the journalism meta analysis television program Howard Kurtz, acknowledged fraudulent news was a serious problem.Kurtz relied heavily uponresearch for his reporting on the controversy.Kurtz wrote that Facebook contaminated the news with junk sources.Citing the BuzzFeed investigation, Kurtz pointed out factual news reporting drew less comments, reactions, and shares, than fabricated falsehoods.Kurtz concluded Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg must admit the website is a media company, and get rid of charlatans, or face harm to the company's reputation.
Slate magazine senior technology editor Will Oremus wrote that fraudulent news sites were controversial; and their prevalence was obscuring a wider discussion about the negative impact on society from those who only consume media from one particular tailored viewpoint — and therefore perpetuate [167] British [168] magazine senior technology editor Will Oremus wrote that fraudulent news sites were controversial; and their prevalence was obscuring a wider discussion about the negative impact on society from those who only consume media from one particular tailored viewpoint — and therefore perpetuate filter bubbles British BBC News interviewed a fraudulent news site writer who went by the pseudonym "Chief Reporter (CR)", who defended his actions and possible influence on elections. CR said increased gullibility of an electorate to believe anything they read online yields itself to increased power of fake news. He said consumers should be ready to face the impact of such gullibility.
See also
Footnotes
References
Further reading
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fake news websites.Michael Hamrick - Thursday, August 01, 2013
Photo courtesy of Bloomberg
Wicker Park - As Governor Pat Quinn signs legislation today making Illinois the 20th state to legalize pot for certain medicinal purposes, Good Intentions LLC at 1723 N. Ashland Avenue is getting ready to open their doors.
According to this report published by Crain's Chicago Business today Good Intentions should be open next week:
Although the law doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, Ms. Jacobi said her clinic does not have to wait for regulations to be issued by the state because it won't dispense or cultivate marijuana or be associated with that end of the business.
"That's not what we do," she said. "We're the first step before anyone gets a card" allowing them to buy up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days if they are diagnosed with one of several diseases specified in the bill.
Good Intentions LLC should have their doors open by August 7th.
For full details: First Medical Marijuana Clinic to Open Next Week in Wicker Park [Crain's Chicago Business]NEW YORK, United States — A dramatic intensification of persecution of Baha'is in the Iranian city of Semnan has been described as "distinctive and alarming" by the Baha'i International Community.
Dozens of attacks since 2009 against a large number of Semnan's Baha'is have been carried out by officials, semi-official groups, and plainclothes agents. At least 30 Baha'is have been arrested, with several now serving long prison sentences; homes and shops have been targeted by arsonists; and numerous Baha'i-owned businesses have been shut down by authorities.
Baha'is in the city are also facing ongoing harassment, marked by the close and constant surveillance of state security agencies, hate speech from clerics, abuse directed against Baha'i children, and vandalism of the Baha'i cemetery.
"It seems that in Semnan the Iranian authorities are oppressing the Baha'is with a particular intensity by mobilizing and coordinating official and semi-official elements," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations.
"These include various government offices and departments, the police, the courts, local officials, and the clergy."
"This coordinated approach is at once distinctive and alarming. Their aim in all of this is to enforce ever more strongly the government's long-established policy of seeing that the progress and development of Baha'is are blocked," she said.
For Baha'is in Iran oppression has been a feature of life ever since the Faith's founding in the mid-19th century. But since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Baha'is have faced a government-sponsored strategy of persecution, suffering countless raids, arrests, and imprisonments in a systematic campaign which intensified in 2005 and further escalated in 2008-2009.
The disproportionate number of attacks against Semnan's Baha'is flared up after a series of widely publicized anti-Baha'i seminars and rallies was organized in the city in late 2008 and 2009. The homes of some 20 Baha'is were subsequently raided by authorities who seized Baha'i materials, computers, and mobile telephones. Nine Baha'is whose homes were raided were arrested, all on entirely false charges relating purely to their practice of the Baha'i Faith.
Since 2009, some 26 Baha'is from Semnan have been sentenced to a total of more than 70 years in prison. Eight are currently in prison having recently received sentences – ranging from six months to six years. Additionally, another Baha'i is serving a period of internal exile upon the completion of his jail term. A further four are released on bail awaiting trial and eight more are sentenced but free pending appeal or awaiting the summons to begin their imprisonment. Several more have been interrogated.
Three months ago, Adel Fanaian was sentenced to six years in prison for charges that included "mobilizing a group with the intent to disturb national security" and "propaganda against the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran." These false charges stem simply from his efforts to offer moral development classes for children and youth and help young people obtain a college education.
Bani Dugal noted however that, despite the hateful anti-Baha'i propaganda disseminated in the city, the majority of Semnan's citizens reportedly harbor no ill will towards Baha'is, and many seek association with them. "Indeed, many Baha'is have Muslims as relatives and close friends," she said.
"The situation should be carefully examined by all those who seek to restore the due process of law and respect for human rights in Iran. These attacks carried out by semi-official elements or agents in plainclothes reflect yet another insidious attempt by the Iranian government to flout international standards of justice without overtly calling attention to itself."
"We call upon governments everywhere to condemn Iran's flagrant violation of human rights – rights that are set out in international covenants to which Iran is a signatory."
The Baha'is of Semnan - A Case Study in Religious Hatred
The Baha'i World News Service has published a Special Report which includes articles, information and resources related to the case of the Baha'is of Semnan. It reports the systematic campaign of persecution in the city, a chronology of major incidents, and provides background information on incitement to hatred and Iran's blueprint for the strangulation of the Baha'i community.As far as preseason games go, they don't get more important than the third one. It is the one preseason game that should most closely resemble what kind of team the Raiders will be fielding this season. They have a tough test heading to Green Bay to face the Packers and their high-powered offense. Here are a few things to watch out for in Friday's game.
Schaub progression
Over the first two preseason games, Matt Schaub has not looked great. The first preseason game, he couldn't get on the same page as his receivers (as much the receivers fault as his). The offense also couldn't manage a first down until the last few seconds of the first quarter. The second preseason game, he looked a bit better despite being intercepted on his opening drive. In that second game, he at least was able to drive the Raiders on a touchdown drive. It took until the second quarter on his final drive to do it, but it offered somewhat of a sigh of relief.
Now he must improve upon that once again. The Packers were one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season so there shouldn't be any excuse for not moving the ball down the field. Not to say it should be easy but it needs to happen. This could very well be Schaub's last action this preseason and it's important to see something positive from him.
Bay to Bay homecoming
Most notably the welcome for Charles Woodson and James Jones. The two of them were on the Packers' Super Bowl team and are well-loved in Green Bay. The Packers have some of the best fans in the league and they appreciate their former heroes. This will be the first return to Green Bay for both Woodson and Jones.
Marcel more-so or less-so?
Well, we know now that Derek Carr will not be playing in this game because of the injury he sustained in last week's game. Reece was also injured on the game and has been sporting a walking boot on that injured foot while not on the practice field. Dennis Allen said he is good to go for the game and Reece said he will play if asked. The question is if Allen will send him out there. And if he does, how much will he play? His spirit is admirable but there is little reason for him to play. If there is any concern over reinjuring himself at all, best to sit him. We shall see.
Wide receiver shuffle
The wide receiver depth chart has varied over the first two preseason games. Dennis Allen says the team is just trying different combinations, but the order they entered the game last week was pretty much on par with their performance in week one. If that holds true once again, it's possible we don't see Andre Holmes and Greg Little until a bit later in the game. The most reliable receivers thus far has been James Jones, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore, and Brice Butler.
Pass protection
The good news for the Raiders offensive line is their goal to strong run blocking up front appears to be achieved. The bad news is their pass blocking is still lacking. In the first week of the preseason, it was mainly the tackles who couldn't keep pass rushers out of the backfield. Both Donald Penn and Menelik Watson were guilty of giving up pressures, penalties, and sacks. Last week it was the first team interior line that got things crossed up and gave up pressures. Run blocking is all fine and good but not at the expense of collapsing pockets.
Pass rush
The newly refurbished pass rush for the Raiders has yet to show up. The duo of Justin Tuck and Lamarr Woodley have not gotten any sacks and haven't offered much in the way of pressure either. Khalil Mack has one sack but it came against the backups. He has done little to nothing against the starters. Aaron Rodgers has been known to take a lot of sacks and often leads the league. If they can't get to him in this game, that's a problem.
What can Brown do for you?
Tarell Brown was supposed to be one of the better free agent additions by the team this off-season. He was a long time starter for the 49ers and is still young (29). Yet through two games, he has been roasted on an open fire several times. First by Matt Cassel and Cordarrelle Patterson, then by Matt Stafford and Golden Tate. It makes you shudder to think what Aaron Rodgers and his duo of Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson will do to him. He needs to show something now because it hasn't been good news for him so far.
Carrie the load
With Chimdi Chekwa still out, T.J. Carrie is once again expected to see a lot of work. He will be the nickel corner with the first team and most likely move to the boundary with the second team just as he did last week. He had a rough go of it against the Lions whether it was Matt Stafford or Dan Orlovsky in at quarterback. He had been the star of the off-season and training camp as well as the first preseason game. This week he will have to face Aaron Rodgers. As the nickel, he will guard Jarrett Boyking most but will probably face Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson at some point. He will look to rebound and show the skills we have seen from him thus far. In addition to his work at corner, he will split punt return duties with Denarius Moore. Carrie is gonna be a busy guy.
Would the real third tight end please stand up
The fight for third tight end is underway. With David Ausberry and Nick Kasa both out, the one and two spots belong to Mychal Rivera and Brian Leonhardt. After that, who knows. The next two candidates are undrafted rookies Scott Simonson and Jake Murphy. The team added Kyle Auffray to the mix this week. If one of them steps up, they could earn the job. If none of them does, the team will probably be scanning the waiver wire to find their guy. They'll be scanning it regardless but these guys will need to give them something to think about.
Follow @LeviDamienVermont Sen. Bernie Sanders isn't ready to give up on his presidential campaign. On the same day President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail for the first time to help bolster support for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Sanders' campaign was getting ready to hold a massive rally in Philadelphia on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, USA Today reported Tuesday.
Sanders' campaign permit application for the event estimates up to 40,000 people will show up for the rally scheduled to be held at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in Philadelphia on July 24. In all, 10 applications for pro-Sanders protests, marches and demonstrations have been filed with the Philadelphia mayor's office for the week of the convention, where Clinton is expected to officially be declared the winner against Sanders in the Democratic primary.
Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said in June Sanders would deliver a "victory statement" at the planned July 24 rally, but he declined to comment further when reached by reporters Tuesday.
"The planning for the Philadelphia convention is still in the works," Briggs told USA Today in an email. "Happy to let you know when details are nailed down."
The pro-Sanders events include multiple "March for Bernie" demonstrations and a "Black Men for Bernie" rally on July 27-28. The rally seeks, "to address economic inequality, human rights, poverty, criminal justice reform and lack of ownership," according to the city’s permit approval document.
"We are heavily encouraging Bernie to lead that march," Sanders supporter Bill Taylor, who is helping to organize the demonstrations, told local reporters.
Sanders has been reluctant to concede in the Democratic primary after Clinton won the most states and overall votes. She also picked up pledges of support from a higher number of superdelegates, key Democratic officials who can vote for whoever they want regardless of which candidate voters in their state choose at the ballot box.
Sanders, who opposes global trade deals and backs Wall Street reform and free higher education, has said he wants to keep fighting for change even if he doesn't make it to the White House. His refusal to fall in line and back Clinton comes even as other progressive leaders in the Democratic party have declared support for the former secretary of state and first lady, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who at one point championed Sanders' economic proposals.
"His persona has been as a fighter, and he probably feels this is his last shot on this kind of stage. I’m not clear either on how important the specific goals are to him, but it seems important to him not to be seen as rolling over," New York Times reporter Toni Monkovic wrote about Sanders' campaign in June.
But many Democrats have already moved on to get ready for a general election fight against Republican Donald Trump. Obama heaped praise on Clinton at a North Carolina rally Tuesday.
"There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary, ever, and that's the truth," he said.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for July 25-28. More than 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the event at the Wells Fargo Center.Previously: Robbie spends an evening as the Spirit of Vengeance, the All-New Ghost Rider. Though what had happened to him was so surreal he spent some time wondering if it had actually happened. We find a bit more about the drugs he was gunned down for. Turns out it has a Jekyl/Hyde effect on people. After another night of trailblazing, Robbie stops and asks the all important question, “what are you?”.
The Spirit of Vengeance identifies itself as Eli. It tells young Robbie of what it is and what they can accomplish together. It sees something special and compatible within the youngster and promises him a better life for him and his younger brother if he were to take up the mantle. The kid, car, and spirit have a certain destiny about them that could make them a force to reckon with. After his boss is murdered and his car ends up missing, he calls upon the spirit to locate his vehicle. In the last pages we get to see him dispense his type of justice, then he runs into his first boss fight!
Felipe Smith (writer) continues to keep the wheels moving on this great story and series. Tradd Moore (art) and Val Staples (color) are going the distance with the look and style of this volume. I can’t get enough of the flame/fire work, it’s outstanding! The story continues in the pages of All-New Ghost-Rider #4, due to hit shelves June 4th. This has quickly become a favorite series of mine, so get on over to your local comic shop and grab your copy today!
(Marvel Comics)Today one of the world’s largest domestic markets for elephant ivory begins to wind down. China is closing 67 of its licensed ivory facilities, including 12 of its 35 ivory carving factories and several dozen of its more than 130 ivory retailers, according to a notice from the country’s State Forestry Administration, which oversees wildlife trade issues. The rest will be closed before the end of the year.
The Chinese market is believed to be one of the major drivers of elephant poaching in Africa, which has suffered a massive decline in elephant numbers in recent years. Some 30,000 elephants are killed by poachers each year, a rate that will extinguish Africa’s elephants within just a few generations if nothing changes.
"These closures prove that China means business in closing down the ivory trade and helping the African elephant," said Peter Knights, CEO of the nonprofit WildAid, which first reported the closures, in a press release.
The international trade in ivory has been banned since 1990, but many countries, including the China and United States, have continued to allow domestic sales of ivory.
Battle for Elephants: China's Ivory Market Our cameras were allowed into a luxury goods store showroom in Beijing, where reporter Bryan Christy explains how those auctions complicate what's for sale legally and what's not.
In 2015 Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama made the historic announcement that the two countries had agreed to “nearly complete” bans on their domestic ivory markets. In China demand for ivory is primarily driven by the desire for status symbols among the growing middle and upper classes. Ivory carvings, chopsticks, and jewelry are seen as a way to show off wealth. In the U.S. the ivory trade has for many years been allowed for ivory brought into the country legally before 1990, ivory taken from elephants killed before 1976, and for a range of antiques and trophies from legal sport hunting.
In June 2016 the U.S. passed new regulations banning the buying and selling of almost all ivory, with exceptions for century-old antiques and a few other categories. This move essentially fulfilled the U.S.'s pledge. And at the end of 2016, China announced that its near-total ban would be in effect within the next 12 months, although it didn’t provide specifics.
Today’s move to close down carving factories is the first concrete step in fulfilling China’s side of the deal.
"China's steps to move from stated intentions to end the commercial sale of ivory to concrete actions mark an exciting new chapter in the fight to preserve elephants in the wild," says Catherine Novelli, Under Secretary of State under Obama, who was instrumental in bringing about China's commitment to shut down its domestic ivory market.
View Images Some 30 percent of Africa’s savanna elephants have died, mainly at the hands of poachers, between 2007 and 2014. Photograph by Michael Nichols, Nat Geo Image Collection
Until quite recently, the Chinese government had promoted its ivory trade. It licensed new carving factories and retailers and declared ivory carving to be part of its natural heritage. It now has several dozen tons of ivory stockpiled, primarily from a sale in 2008 authorized by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which regulates wildlife trade.
China has released a set amount of raw ivory to its factories each year for carving and sales. This slow drip of ivory into the domestic market caused its value to skyrocket, but a new study released this week by the Nairobi-based nonprofit Save the Elephants finds that during the past three years, the price of ivory has dropped by nearly two-thirds.
Interact with Time Line markers to view milestones Taking more than 200 tons of ivory out of global markets Ivory Crushes and Burns Targeting ivory trafficking with new policies and resolutions Global Action Fighting trafficking with legislative measures U.S. Action NG STAFF
Save the Elephants researchers Lucy Vigne and Esmond Martin attribute the price drop to several factors: an economic slowdown, a crackdown on corruption (ivory items are often used to curry favors with officials), public awareness campaigns about poaching, and the government's commitment to close the trade.
"The ban has had an effect in the [price drop] as legal traders want to sell off their ivory before it is illegal," Vigne wrote in an email.
The government has not said what it plans to do with its ivory stockpile once the ban is fully implemented. (Read more: With Ivory Ban Imminent, What Will Happen to China’s Legal Stockpile?)
View Images This state-owned ivory carving factory, one of the China’s biggest, employed more than 20 carvers at its peak. It is one of several dozen that will shut down this year. (Photo by Brent Stirton, Getty Images Reportage, Nat Geo Image Collection
Some Chinese artists worry that the tradition will be lost. Zhang Minhui, a respected leader in the ivory carving community, told the Guardian earlier this year that his carving factory has been preparing for the shutdown for a while, gradually transitioning to ox bones and mammoth tusks. Still, he thinks the focus needs to be on conservation in Africa, not on demand in China.
"Yes, elephants should be protected, but so should the tradition and art of ivory carving," he told the Guardian in January. "Honestly, we artists don’t need a lot of tusks. Those from elephants' natural deaths are more than enough for our creative works because each piece takes months, sometimes years, to finish."
Many conservationists, on the other hand, argue that any legal market for ivory encourages and facilitates poaching by providing cover for the trade in trafficked tusks.
The Chinese special administrative region of Hong Kong also has a thriving ivory market, which is regulated separately from mainland China's. Conservationists fear that Hong Kong's market may heat up in response to the shutdown in China. But Hong Kong too is considering closing its market. Last year, it announced a five-year plan to phase out the trade, and on Monday, its Legislative Council began debate on the proposal.
On March 28, Hong Kong convicted two people for illegal ivory possession, using radiocarbon dating to prove that the ivory was obtained after the 1990 international ban. They were fined $770 and $1,030.July 7, 2017 – U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to imports of European-produced steel could spark a backlash against Bourbon and other American whiskies by the European Union. The president is in Germany for this weekend’s G20 summit, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters the bloc will fight back if Trump moves forward with new tariffs on steel imports. “We will react with counter measures within a few days, we do not need two months,” Juncker said.
According to the Financial Times, American whiskies are one of the potential targets if EU officials retaliate, along with orange juice and dairy products. Since the U.S. is not a major exporter of steel, the Times reports Europe would target politically sensitive exports, and most Bourbon exported to Europe comes from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s home state of Kentucky. European officials in Hamburg for the summit declined to comment on specifics in the Financial Times report, according to CNN, which quoted Juncker as saying he and his colleagues are in “battle mood.”
“Global markets are increasingly important to Kentucky Bourbon,” said Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory, who has already reached out to members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation to discuss the European threat. “We worked hard over the past ten years at least, if not longer, to enact free trade agreements, remove barriers and discriminatory tariffs and other policies that really have put Bourbon for years at a competitive disadvantage,” he said in a telephone interview.
In recent years, Bourbon and other American whiskies have benefitted from free trade, with Bourbon specifically making up 20 percent of the $654 million in U.S. spirits exports to the European Union last year, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Four current European
|
data collection, first amendment, license plate reader, license plates
Companies: vigilantUS Marine Corps combat veteran Kristoffer Lewandowski, who served in three tours of duty overseas including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, reportedly faces up to life in prison for pot charges connected to a June 2014 raid on his Geronimo, OK home that occurred after his wife and neighbors called police to get him help for a post-traumatic stress disorder flare-up. However, rather than providing mental health resources, police responding on the scene searched Lewandowski’s home for contraband and found six marijuana plants, weighing in at less than an ounce of plant matter in total, and charged him with, among other offenses, felony marijuana cultivation, which, under Oklahoma’s unusually-harsh marijuana laws, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Truth in Media obtained an exclusive interview with Kristoffer Lewandowski’s wife Whitney Lewandowski in an effort to get their family’s story on the record.
Whitney Lewandowski said that her husband, a loving father to three children who was honorably medically discharged from the Marines and is 100% disabled due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder, was growing the marijuana for personal use, “He was just using it… He couldn’t get any, and, of course, we’re a military family, we’re very poor, we couldn’t afford to buy it anyway. So he was just growing it for himself. He was on his way out of the military and just wanted to see if it would help with [his mental health issues]. He was taking 13 pills a day, and it was just killing his liver. He was having all these issues with his body and he just wanted to try something more natural to just see if he could do without that many pills a day.” She called his medical marijuana treatments “absolutely effective.”
On that day in June of 2014, Kristoffer Lewandowski had a PTSD episode and Whitney Lewandowski left and took their three children to their neighbors’ house to “diffuse the situation.” When their neighbors called police in an effort to get mental health help for the struggling war veteran, officers responded, searched the Lewandowski’s home, and began a drug investigation instead. Whitney Lewandowski said that she was initially handcuffed under investigation for the same charges, placed in a police car, and told that her children were going to be taken by Child Protective Services. However, authorities offered her the opportunity to remain free and keep their kids if she pressed charges against her husband for domestic violence. In an effort to keep the children, she agreed to do so and later discovered that she could not rescind those charges without re-activating the felony marijuana cultivation charges against herself. Police arrested Kristoffer Lewandowski and charged him with felony marijuana cultivation, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a domestic violence offense. Whitney Lewandowski noted that, though police were originally called to help Kristoffer, “the kind of help he got was being tossed in jail.”
Whitney Lewandowski said that the domestic violence charge does not reflect the reality of her husband’s behavior, “They’re trying to use me as a victim and to make it look worse on his case. My husband has absolutely never laid his hands on me ever. He is not an abusive man, ever… quite the opposite. He is extremely doting.”
She noted that, at the time of the raid, police included tomato plants that were also growing in Kristoffer Lewandowski’s home while weighing his personal-use cannabis which she said “made it look like he had this huge grow [operation] going” in media reports on his arrest.
After the arrest, Whitney Lewandowski pulled together funds to pay a bail bondsman to cover his $20,000 bail and their family moved and continued their life in California, where Whitney has family ties. While in California, Kristoffer Lewandowski was prescribed medical marijuana to deal with his crippling post-traumatic stress disorder and began treatment legally.
Meanwhile, the Lewandowskis’ attorney quit the case over a dispute over money, and, as a part of the bail agreement, Kristoffer no longer qualifies for a public defender, leaving him without legal representation.
Whitney Lewandowski said, “We tried to work with the DA’s office to see if he could do, like, a drug court or a mental health court, but he was denied both of those.” She said that Kristoffer does qualify for an alternative sentence through a drug court, but that the district attorney chose not to allow it.
Earlier this month in Laguna Beach, CA, despite the fact that the Lewandowski family remained in contact with authorities connected to his Oklahoma criminal case, undercover police apprehended Kristoffer by surprise in a dramatic, guns-drawn raid while the Lewandowskis were picking up their children from pre-school, as he had unknowingly missed a prior court date while in the care of a Veterans Administration psychiatric hospital. Whitney Lewandowski, who noted that the undercover officers who picked him up had been following them since earlier that day and could have chosen a different time to make the arrest, said, “To be picked up like that, we’re all blown away. Especially in a pre-school parking lot where all my kids’ friends are, their parents are. Everyone’s witnessing this, and it was horrifying.”
Kristoffer Lewandowski currently remains in police custody in California awaiting extradition to Oklahoma where he will face his charges. The medical marijuana groups Weed 4 Warriors Project and Patients Out of Time have stepped in and are attempting to generate publicity for him. Also, his supporters have launched a Facebook page and a Change.org petition to raise awareness to his plight and a crowdfunding page to raise funds to help support the Lewandowski family throughout this ordeal.
Though his felony cultivation charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Whitney Lewandowski said that her husband told her that other inmates familiar with Oklahoma sentencing policies said that “most people were doing at least 2 to 4 years per plant in their house. So Kris having six plants doesn’t look good for him.” She urged his supporters to spread the word about the serious charges that he faces.
Did you miss Ben Swann’s episode on medical cannabis? Watch below:Supermarket Coles' new standard for free-range eggs looks set to run foul of the national consumer watchdog with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission declaring that eggs produced at intensive farms do not deserve the label ''free range''.
While not commenting directly on Coles - whose new free-range standard is 10,000 hens per hectare, almost a seven-fold reduction in space from the voluntary guidelines - ACCC commissioner Sarah Court said the watchdog believed 10,000 hens per hectare was not consistent with consumers' understanding of free range.
Ms Court said the commission was ''very concerned'' the egg industry was trying to redefine ''free range'' to ''increase their own profitability'' without regard to consumers' views. ''The ACCC is concerned about the redefinition of what is meant by free range by industry to suit itself, and the fact that the redefinition has the very real potential of misleading consumers,'' she said.
The egg industry is spending millions of dollars renovating caged-hen facilities and building new state-of-the-art intensive free-range systems to meet Coles' new standard. Industry sources expect Woolworths and Aldi will follow Coles' standard - if it is accepted by the community and regulators such as the ACCC - leading to a redefinition of free range in Australia.George Springer is hitting for contact.
Much has been written about how, this year, the Astros have easily the lowest strikeout rate in baseball. One of the most strikeout-heavy lineups around has opted to put the bat on the ball, and now the Astros have a giant lead in wRC+. Part of that improvement in contact comes from adding players like Josh Reddick and Brian McCann. Part of that improvement in contact comes from the emergence of Yulieski Gurriel. And part of that improvement in contact comes from George Springer’s improvement in contact.
Young players improve. When you start to learn the major leagues, you tend to get better. But this — this is extraordinary. This isn’t just a young Astros player doing better at baseball. This is *George Springer,* making contact on a consistent basis, and if that doesn’t immediately grab your attention, perhaps it’s because you’ve forgotten what Springer used to be.
Again, young players improve. We’ve seen other fairly dramatic strides in contact, from players like Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson. No one fresh out of the minors is considered a finished product, and you should generally expect some measure of development. But George Springer, the prospect, was something extreme. I wrote about it in February of 2014. Even in the high minors, Springer would swing right through the ball. And then he debuted in the bigs. He did well! Hit for power, in a low-power season. But contact was not one of his strengths.
Springer, in 2014, swung at nearly half the pitches he saw. When he did swing, he missed with two out of every five hacks. I can give you some context. Dating back to 2002, we have record of 4,941 individual player-seasons with at least 250 plate appearances. Springer’s contact rate in 2014 ranks fifth-lowest in the entire sample. He was in Joey Gallo territory. That’s not even an exaggeration. Springer made 61% contact. Gallo this year has made 59% contact.
That’s not who George Springer is anymore. He’s still somewhere in between being a young player and a veteran, but Springer has been making yearly progress. Behold his progressive contact rates, compared against the league average.
The league-average line has been intersected. As the league has moved away from contact, Springer has moved closer toward it, and, obviously, with Springer making more contact, that means he’s striking out less often.
There’s a big improvement between 2014 and 2015, and there’s another big improvement between 2016 and 2017. Springer now has a lower-than-average strikeout rate, and he ranks in the 67th percentile in terms of strikeout avoidance with two strikes. He’s gotten better in general, and he’s gotten better situationally, and in the following contact-rate heat maps, you can see where Springer has zoned in.
These are from the catcher’s perspective, and Springer is a right-handed batter, so he’d be standing on the left side of these plots. The dramatic improvement here is up, and inside. Compare the upper thirds of the strike zones. In particular, compare the left and middle squares within the upper thirds. That used to be a weakness, but Springer’s bat is now finding those pitches more often. He’s closed up a hole, in other words, and not very many remain, given Springer’s especially disciplined eye.
Players just don’t do what Springer has done. Not to such an extent. This is only Springer’s fourth season, but his career-low contact rate is 61%, and his career-high contact rate is 78%. The difference there is 17 percentage points, right? I looked, again, at every player who’s had 250-plate-appearance seasons since 2002. Springer already ranks in first place, in terms of having the biggest gap between his contact-rate high and his contact-rate low. And, remember, he’s trending in a positive direction. His contact rate isn’t 17 points worse. He’s already done something recently unprecedented.
That’s not even the whole of the story. Because, in 2017, we’re seeing the best contact version of George Springer yet. And even within 2017, Springer’s making more contact still.
Look at how that strikeout rate has plummeted. Springer last played on Sunday, September 17. I examined the three-month period, beginning June 18. Over that span, Springer batted nearly 300 times, and he hit.304, with a 148 wRC+. More importantly, he struck out less than 13% of the time. That had him sandwiched between names like Francisco Lindor and Mookie Betts. Springer’s strikeout rate was only one percentage point higher than Jose Altuve’s. His three-month strikeout rate ranked as the 20th-best, out of 217 players. More recently, Springer has been almost an *extreme* contact hitter, and, coincidentally or not, this is linked with a change in his approach. Here’s a Springer swing from earlier in the year.
Here’s a Springer swing from just the other day.
The changes aren’t all that subtle, as swing changes go. They’re visible to the naked eye, and as I went back to watch highlight after highlight, it looked like Springer started to make adjustments somewhere in June. Immediately, you can spot a difference in stance, with the more recent Springer standing open, instead of closed. Yet stance is only so important, since it’s more about timing and hitting position. The recent Springer doesn’t turn his back so far away from the pitcher. He doesn’t get so coiled up. And Springer has also somewhat muted his leg kick. It’s still there, but it’s not so aggressive, something almost in between a regular leg kick and a toe tap. George Springer used to be known for his violent, powerful swing. These days, he’s quieted himself, and the bat is more often finding the baseball. In this era, it’s not like Springer needs to put everything he possibly can into a batted ball, anyway. The damage will be there. The strength isn’t gone.
Springer’s having the best contact season of his young career. Within this season, he’s spent three months as one of the premier contact hitters around. He’s walking and he’s hitting for power, and he’s also not striking out, seemingly at least in part because of how he’s changed his own swing. It’s not like it’s astonishing that George Springer is good. George Springer has always been good. What’s astonishing is the *way* that he’s good. Springer reached the majors at a time when baseball was more willing than ever to accept his tendency to swing at a pitch and miss. But as baseball has come to terms with the strikeout, Springer has attempted to avoid them. Even more than that, it’s worked.Speaking with one of Sony Mobile’s product planners ahead of today’s launch, I was told that in 2016, Sony just didn’t have much innovation in its smartphones. That candid admission is corrected in a big way today with the introduction of the mighty and shiny Xperia XZ Premium, which is a 5.5-inch smartphone with a number of world firsts.
The XZ Premium has the world’s first 4K HDR (2,160 x 3,840, High Dynamic Range) display in a smartphone — it’s the most desirable new tech combo for TVs, and Sony’s crammed it into a mobile device. I previously saw nothing revolutionary about 4K on the Xperia Z5 Premium in 2015, but Sony now has a partnership with Amazon for 4K HDR content, and the HDR element truly does wonderful things for colour reproduction. In one of Sony’s demos against the Z5 Premium, the XZ showed off warmer, more natural yellows and a broadly more realistic and inviting reproduction of the streets of Lisbon. A Portuguese Sony rep was on hand to confirm, effusively, that the XZ Premium display was more faithful to the real Lisbon.
Beside the (very) nice display, Sony’s new flagship phone also has a new camera system called Motion Eye. The curious thing with this setup is that Sony has embedded fast memory right into the camera stack, allowing it to produce another world first for phones: super-slow motion of 960fps at 720p resolution. This rapid burst lasts for only 0.18 seconds, so technically you’re only capturing something closer to 180 frames, but the effect is still quite compelling when stretched out to a regular 30fps. I can imagine myself capturing water splashes and other blink-of-an-eye moments just for fun. And fun is, after all, what modern cameras are primarily about.
The addition of the extra memory also helps Sony to start buffering shots as soon as the camera detects motion in the frame — so that when you press the shutter button, there’s absolutely no lag, the camera will just pull the image it was already taking at that moment. This is the sort of system that will rely heavily on good autofocus, and Sony is bringing back the triple-sensor system from the Xperia XZ: there’s laser AF, an RGBC infrared sensor for adjusting white balance on the fly, and an updated ExmorRS image sensor. The latter now has 19 percent larger pixels, stepping down resolution to 19 megapixels. Sony’s Bionz image processing engine has also been upgraded with better motion detection and noise reduction.
While Sony’s camera updates all sound fantastic, in practice I wasn’t too wowed by them. I tried the new camera system on the Xperia XZs — a smaller, slightly less super-specced device Sony’s launching at MWC as well — and it didn’t leave me too impressed. Sony’s habit of over-processing the images seems to still be around, with excess sharpening and noise-reducing blur leading to results that looked too digital and not particularly pleasing to the eye. There’s still time for this to improve before the Xperia XZ Premium is released, but I fear that what I’m seeing is already Sony’s idea of a good photo.
Not so much a color as a mirror
Another thing I didn’t like about the XZ Premium was its external finish. The flagship Luminous Chrome color isn’t so much a color as a straight up mirror: much like the Z5 Premium before it, it’s incredibly reflective and picks up fingerprints with incredible ease. It’s almost like Sony designed this thing to sit in a museum rather than a person’s hand. The darker option, Deepsea Black, has a subtle hint of blue, but it too is an extremely glossy fingerprint magnet. Both handsets come with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, with metal antennas at the top and bottom of the device. I’d have preferred to see the metal back of the Xperia XZ making a return (which it does in the Xperia XZs).
As far as specs go, we might not have expected Sony to tout the latest Snapdragon 835 processor in its new flagship, as it does, but there is a catch here. Yes, Sony has the latest and best Qualcomm chip while others are still offering the Snapdragon 820 and 821, but the Xperia XZ Premium won’t be out until late spring or just ahead of the summer. Hell, the demo units shown off ahead of MWC weren’t running anywhere close to final software, which is why I was testing the camera system on the smaller Xperia XZs. So Sony is pre-announcing its new flagship device by a long margin.
Other notable features include water resistance, rated to IP65 and IP68, a thinner profile at 7.9mm, and MicroSD storage expandability. The phone’s battery is a reasonable 3,230mAh, and there’s a fingerprint sensor integrated into the side-mounted power button as usual. But the Xperia XZ Premium is really all about that camera, display, and processor combo. Each of those three components promises a great deal, and if Sony can finally strike the right balance and deliver an uncompromised device that makes the most of its various parts, the wait — however long — for the XZ Premium might just be worth it.
Photography by Chris Welch / The VergeQuote: Originally Posted by bozzykid Originally Posted by What issues are those? I've seen very few reports of those types of issues with the 3rd gen. Obviously, those things happens to a small portion of users on almost every Android phone.
my personal experience with an 8gb model was a hot skillet in just 3 minutes on wifi or lte network plus doing some search i found a lot of users reporting the same issue so its not a very small percent it is a known issue maybe some users dont report it or dont care about it but it really gets hot. maybe some batchs maybe the 8gb model who knows!every phone have small issues some related to hardware some related to software thats why i asked if the upgrade fix this onebut a phone that turns in to a hot skillet its not safe to use.SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveils the Dragon V2 spacecraft in Hawthorne, California May 29, 2014. The craft is part of a plan to shuttle astronauts to the space station and back. Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
The V2’s predecessor has ferried cargo to the space station three times as part of a $1.6 billion deal with NASA. Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The reusable spacecraft is designed to carry seven astronauts. Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images
An interior view of the Dragon V2. Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, sits with guests inside the Dragon V2. Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Musk demonstrates the controls of the craft via video to the media attending the unveiling. Gene Blevins / Polaris
The retractable landing legs of the spacecraft. Thanks to technologies designed to slow its re-entry into Earth's orbit, Musk said the V2 should be able to land most anywhere, like a helicopter. Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty ImagesContents show]
History
You will obey me in all things. You have no choice -- For I am the lord of vampires. Forget your former life. You belong to my nation now. -- Dracula src
Overview
Vlad Dracula is the supreme ruler the world's most powerful vampire. Driven by lusts for power, companionship, and blood, his centuries of undead existence have brought him into conflict with vampire hunters, other immortals, and most recently, super-powered heroes. Dracula has a vast network of loyal servants, cultists, brides, and minions, who assist him and will attempt to resurrect him if he is slain.
Early Life
In 1430 AD, Vlad Tepes was born in Transylvania (now Sighisoara, Romania), in the small European Kingdom of Wallachia. He was the son of Vlad Dracul (also called Vlad the Elder).[8]
He allegedly ousted his half-brother Alexandru Aldea from the throne of Wallachia.[5]
In 1444 AD, he accompanied his father and brother Radu on the road to the Ottoman Empire, where they planned to negotiate for peace. They were ambushed en route by agents of Sultan Murad II, who held the sons captive, forcing Vlad the Elder to favor Turkey. This eventually led John Hunyadi and Vlad's other advisers to revolt against him, killing him and his son Mircea. After five years of torture, Radu had died in captivity, but Dracula escaped to claim the title of Voivode of Wallachia at the age of 18. His reign lasted only a year before he was forced to flee the principality, fearing his father's killers.[8]
In 1451, Dracula, finally tired of running, threw himself at Hudyadi's mercy. Hoping to add legitimacy to his regency, Hunyadi took Dracula under his wing, teaching him the arts of war, and overseeing Vlad's pre-arranged marriage to Zofia (whom he despised). After a year of marriage Dracula (with Hunyadi having died in the meantime) considered all his obligations fulfilled, and expelled his wife and their daughter, Lilith. Lilith was left in the care of a gypsy woman named Gretchin, while Zofia decided to take her own life rather than live as a peasant.[9]
Again assuming the throne, Dracula married his love Maria and sired a son, Vlad Tepulus. He also ordered everyone associated with his father's death impaled and ordered a massive assault on Turkey. Misled by "visions" from Varnae -- who saw potential in the young despot -- Dracula was defeated in battle in 1459. Dracula was supposedly defeated by the Turkish warlord Turac, who left him alive, hoping to use him to seize control of Transylvania.[10] Other accounts have suggested that he defeated the Turkish army but was actually mortally wounded by the nearly immortal mutant En Sabah Nur (now better known as Apocalypse) and his band of Dark Riders.[11] In any event, Dracula was taken to the Gypsy Lianda for healing. Instead, Lianda (secretly a vampire) vampirized Dracula. Dracula came to grips with his new, dark powers too late to save Maria from Turac, but soon avenged her by slaying the warlord.[10]
Vlad next set out to attack the Gypsies, who he blamed for his transformation into a vampire. When Gretchin lost her son to the prince's depredations, she used spells to transform Lilith into a vampire as well in retaliation. Gretchin also made her immune to most vampiric weaknesses, ensuring that the girl who grew up hating her father would now trouble him for all eternity. Soon after, Varnae empowered his servant, Nimrod to act as Vampire Lord, secretly leading him into a fight with Dracula as a test of his strength. Dracula slew Nimrod, proving himself worthy of taking Varnae's title as the true Vampire Lord[12]. Dracula drank of Varnae's blood, and seemingly he destroyed the vampire lord as he assumed his powers for his own.[13] Dracula also reclaimed Castle Dracula from its new occupant, the vampire Bordia. It was during this conflict that he first learned of the Darkhold, and the Montesi Formula for destroying vampires. Dracula sent the thief Murgo to retrieve the tome from the Vatican, but the thief was slain and the book stolen by the sorcerer Cogliostro, beginning a centuries-long feud with Dracula. Dracula also vampirized several women, making them the first of his so-called "brides", and avenged himself against Murad II.
Following an assassination attempt in 1471, Dracula abdicated the throne but remained at Castle Dracula (near Sargov) for over a century after. During that time, he was forced to confront and kill his son, Vlad Tepulus, who had been raised by gypsies and taught to hate him. In 1496, Dracula was approached by emissaries of Bologna, Spain, and Prussia, requesting that he remain out of their respective countries. This only irritated Dracula, and, after slaughtering the emissaries, he began his first tour of greater Europe. Though he eventually returned to Transylvania, he was pursued by a man known only as Hans, who sought vengeance against the vampire. Suffering from frostbite, Hans was nursed back to health by Rachel van Helsing, and the two became lovers. When Hans recovered enough to fight Dracula and was subsequently killed, Rache (pregnant with Hans' child) vowed that her line would oppose Dracula until the monster was finally destroyed.[14]
1500s
During this century Dracula also encountered alchemist Esteban Diablo and battled Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane. Kane escaped with his life but soon returned, feeling guilty for leaving Dracula alive. Kane and Morgit just barely managed to defeat Dracula, staking him with a sharpened, ornate cross. It was only a few hours, however, before a hungry band of travelers arrived at Castle Dracula, reviving him when one took the valuable cross from Dracula's seemingly-ancient skeleton. At one point, a man named Durenyi managed to steal Dracula's diary, which revealed several of his weaknesses and would eventually become one of the sources adapted by writer Bram Stoker into the novel Dracula.[14] Around the turn of the century, Dracula relocated to a new Castle Dracula, this time near Burgo Pass, which served as his main base of operations off and on for over four centuries.
1600s
In 1606, Dracula encountered Elizabeth Bathory, a distant relation now known as the Blood Countess, due to her custom of bathing in virgin blood to stem the effects of aging. The macabre tradition also allowed her to resist Dracula's control, and almost to entrap him. He eventually gained the upper hand and slew her.[15] For a time Dracula ruled over a Spanish province but was driven out following the first of many encounters with a radiant, Golden Angel. In 1661 Dracula tired of his wanton brides, and sought out a more reserved bride. He settled on an American woman, Charity Brown of Salem, Massachusetts. Before he could arrive to claim her, however, she was framed for witchcraft and publicly executed. In retribution, Dracula manipulated the slave Tituba into setting into motion the infamous Salem witch trials.[16] In the 1670s Dracula found himself without sustenance in rural Switzerland, kept from human prey by the rural farmers' extensive (and extensively superstitious) anti-vampiric defenses. Forced to make do with cow's blood, Dracula inadvertently created the bizarre Bessie the Hellcow. The hellish heifer would spend three centuries trailing Dracula before it met its end at the hands of Howard the Duck[17].
1700s
In 1753, Dracula was in Cologne, Germany when a group of villagers managed to capture him and tie him to a stake. The village priest Father Eisner doused him with holy water and drove a stake into his chest. Present at the execution was Eisner's adopted daughter Marie. After destroying the vampire, Father Eisner suffered a massive heart attack. That evening, little Marie Eisner removed the stake from Dracula's chest, resurrecting the vampire. She struck a bargain with him, swearing that she would acknowledge Dracula as her savior if he agreed to use his powers to save Father Eisner's life. Dracula agreed, but rather than save Eisner's life, he instead tore his heart from his chest and presented it to Marie as a demonstration of his vile power. He then attacked her again, but Marie dangled her cross charm in front of Dracula's face, forcing him to flee. Dracula swore, that one day she would beg him to give her life everlasting. It would be seventy years before the two saw one another again[18].
Castle Dracula itself was endangered during the eighteenth century, first by pirate Hellyn deVill (who was killed by her own crew when Dracula exposed her as a witch), and then by the combined military threats of Turkey and Catherine the Great's Russia. Dracula was forced to flee Transylvania, and he relocated to France in 1762. There he rekindled his feud with Cogliostro (after destroying a gargoyle animated by Cogliostro's agent, Jack DuBois)[12]. After becoming an adviser to King Louis XVI in 1775, Dracula surmised Cogliostro no longer had the Darkhold. No longer fearing the Montesi formula, Dracula vampirized Cogliostro's wife, Lorenza Serafina, as retribution for past slights.[19] In 1789, Dracula was nearly destroyed by Montplier, one of Cogliostro's agents, but escaped in the confusion of the storming of the Bastille.[20] Fleeing France, Dracula vampirized Austrian Henry Sayge, and soon after Transylvanian lady Louisa Russoff. In 1795, he was staked by her husband, Baron Grigori Russoff, who was bitten by a female werewolf in the attempt. Grigori thus became the first in a long line of Russoffs bearing the curse of Lycanthropy.[21] After the stake was inadvertently removed and he was reanimated, Dracula decided to augment the Castle's defenses with various traps. Not the least of these was Dracula's infamous "Pit of Death".
1800s
When Lupescu infiltrated Castle Dracula in 1809 to recover his abducted wife, Velanna, he was soon trapped in the Pit and forced to combat four of Dracula's brides (including Velanna).[22] Lupescu survived, and arranged the brides' staked corpses in the shape of a giant cross, ensuring that Dracula would never be able to get close enough to reanimate them.[23]
In 1823, Dracula returned to Cologne, Germany to fulfill a promise he had made over seventy years ago. He forced his way into the hospital room of the dying Sister Marie Eisner at the Reichenbach Clinic and demanded that she acknowledge him as her savior. Sister Marie always knew that Dracula would one day return to claim her, but still, she renounced him. As the vampire lunged for the frail woman, she slipped a crucifix necklace about his neck, forcing him to recoil. Sister Marie then peacefully passed away.[18]
Dracula vampirized numerous victims in that century, including the young wife of Count Vryslaw. Vryslaw kept his wife imprisoned but sustained on animal blood. After twenty years of captivity, the Countess refused to drink anything but human blood, and the Count turned to killing local women to appease her. Drawn out by the rumors of the "vampire killings", Dracula tracked down and confronted Count Vryslaw. Vryslaw was so terrified of the vampire lord (and his inability to hurt him) that he decided to kill his wife with a wooden arrow before he died himself of a heart attack.[24] Dracula also used the Children of Judas vampire cult to vampirize the wife of Abraham van Helsing, reviving his old feud with the van Helsing family. Dracula was again drawn into politics when Lyza Strang convinced him to kill her husband, Archibald Strang, thus assuring that Otto von Bismarck would become Minister-President of Prussia. Lyza ultimately betrayed Dracula, having him ambushed and staked; when he recovered, he vampirized Lyza in retribution. Charmed by an American woman he had met in Europe, Dracula purchased the frigate Raven in 1862, and traveled to Savannah, Georgia. (It may have been during this trip to the American South that he vampirized Suze Harlow, a young girl whose vampiric DNA would later be extracted and cultivated by Hydra to create a vampiric soldier, Bloodstorm One.) Arriving in Savannah, Dracula agreed to bolster the Confederacy with his Legion of the Damned in exchange for Anabelle's return to Transylvania. Though the Legion slaughtered all Union troops they came across, Anabelle's father recognized Dracula for what he was, and staked him. Anabelle, determined to honor the bargain, removed the stake and returned to Transylvania with him.[25]
In 1870, Dracula took advantage of the onset of the Franco-Prussia War by using his vampire legions to occupy Vienna. Upon entering the Imperial Palace, however, Dracula was again confronted by the mysterious Golden Angel, and forced to flee the city. When the pirate Captain Cutlass looted a French ship bearing some of Dracula's wealth in 1875, Dracula vampirized the captain in front of his three-year-old daughter, Marianne. Somehow, Marianne managed to contain and care for the captain until 1903, when they crossed paths with Dracula again in Madrid.[26] In 1879, royal Phineas Kroner selected Count Dracula as an appropriately noble suitor for his daughter, Maria (Phineas having killed all other suitors for being too poor). Clearly, Phineas did not know of Dracula's vampiric nature. At some point, an American Marshall -- hired specifically to exact revenge on the vampiric Count -- destroyed Dracula with a blast silver buckshot. Though he was later revived, minute particles of silver remained in his body, weakening him, and causing him to age quickly when he had been without fresh blood for too long.
Dracula is probably most famous for the events of 1890, which would later be compiled from various journals and clippings and adapted by Bram Stoker into his most famous novel, Dracula. During this episode, Dracula summoned Englishman Jonathan Harker to Castle Dracula on the pretense of by land. There Dracula became intrigued by an image of Harker's fiancé, Mina Murray. Holding Harker captive, Dracula traveled to England. There he enlisted the mad Renfield as his servant and fed off the people of Whitby, including Mina's closest friend, Lucy Westenra. By the time he had gotten close to Mina and began to enthrall her, Lucy had died and Harker escaped, mobilizing Dr. John Seward (one of Lucy's former suitors), Abraham van Helsing (Seward's mentor), and Quincy Morris (Lucy's fiancé) to seek out and destroy Dracula. Dracula escaped to Transylvania but was there impaled and decapitated by Seward and Morris. Since the knives Morris and Seward had used were neither wooden nor silver, Dracula had only been somewhat injured, but elected to use his power to transform into mist to trick his attackers into believing him dead.[27] In 1896, the last piece of the story fell into place when Dracula's stolen diary finally fell into Stoker's hands; Dracula was published a year later[14]. Oddly enough, Dracula read the novel and penned a venomous letter accusing Stoker of lying, Harker of an opium addiction, and van Helsing of being part of a long line of charlatan magicians bearing a grudge against him. For good measure, he cursed the letter, writing that any who found it would be devoured by his Children of the Night. American journalists Mark Cordier and David Frazier became the first to discover the letter a century later and did indeed fall victim to the curse.
In 1897, Dracula discovered the existence of Clan Akkaba, and its relation to En Sabah Nur. Dracula then began a vengeful campaign against Clan Akkaba, slaughtering many before van Helsing determined he was involved. While most of Clan Akkaba eventually became vampires and were destroyed in the conflict, Apocalypse and van Helsing managed to gain the upper hand. Dracula was impaled and decapitated by Apocalypse with his own limbs but refused to follow van Helsing's "superstitious" rituals to permanently destroy the vampire[11]. Dracula soon recovered, but was tracked down and staked by van Helsing in Castle Dracula, thanks to the help of a young boy named Carl von Harbou, one of Dracula's servants. Persons unknown eventually discovered the body and, recognizing the danger, placed it inside a coffin, which was then moved to a deep cave blocked by a heavy stone. In 1898, a vampir
|
battery,” a fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen from the air to create a steady stream of current that can be used to run electric motors. The only thing steaming from a fuel-cell vehicle’s tailpipe is water vapor.
More from The Detroit Bureau:Chevy Offering Limited Edition Corvette Stingray - Complete with Matching Luggage
The technology could take the country closer to “weaning ourselves off petroleum,” according to Charlie Freese, GM’s global director of fuel cell development.
Together, the two makers have about 200 prototype fuel-cell vehicles, or FCVs, undergoing field tests to see how they perform in day-to-day, real-world use. Other manufacturers, including Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are also experimenting with hydrogen propulsion.
Both Honda and Toyota hope to launch low-volume production of new FCVs by 2015, though American Honda CEO Tetsuo Iwamura stresses that anything close to mass market levels will likely not occur before the end of the decade — or later.
Fuel cells were initially developed over 100 years ago, but the first serious application only occurred with the launch of the U.S. Apollo missions in the 1960s and early 1970s. During the Apollo flights, fuel cells provided electric power during the long trips to the moon. To make the technology viable under the hood of a car means bringing the size, weight and cost down by many orders of magnitude.
More from The Detroit Bureau: Auto Thefts Back on the Rise
And then there’s the issue of creating a hydrogen infrastructure. Today, there are just 10 filling stations in California available to consumers and only a handful more in the rest of the United States. California regulators are studying measures that would add perhaps another 100 by decade’s end, but considering there are tens of thousands of gasoline stations, that’s not likely to encourage potential customers.
GM is testing the viability of its hydrogen-powered Equinox prototype as part of a Hawaiian pilot program. The Detroit Bureau
The hurdles facing hydrogen power are similar to those facing battery propulsion. Electric vehicles are still costly, offer limited range and require time to recharge — with relatively few public charging stations yet available. So, even while more plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles reach market every month, total demand is so far less than half of one percent of the overall U.S. automotive market.
The problem, cautions Dr. David Cole, chairman-emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., is that “there’s no silver bullet,” no single solution that can achieve the switch away from petroleum.
More from The Detroit Bureau: Feds Investigate Brake Problems with 343,00 Honda Minivans
If there’s no easy way to abandon petroleum entirely, can we at least declare partial independence?
Conventional hybrids, which recapture energy normally lost during braking and coasting, are perhaps the most immediate — if partial — solution. As costs come down, it becomes easier to justify the premium when considering the amount of fuel saved over the life of the vehicle. Yet even a decade after the introduction of the original Toyota Prius, hybrids make up less than 4 percent of the U.S. market.
Another alternative is the diesel. So-called “oil burners” account for nearly half the European market and typically deliver about 30 percent better mileage than comparable gasoline vehicles. Chrysler last week announced plans for a version of its full-size Ram 1500 pickup — the first light-duty diesel truck on the market. GM and Mazda both have new diesel passenger cars coming and almost a third of some Volkswagen models are being ordered with these high-mileage engines. But most Americans are still reluctant, and even with new models coming, diesel sales have yet to catch up with hybrids.
More from The Detroit Bureau:Toyota to Launch Hydrogen-Powered Car for 2015
With the country literally floating on reservoirs of natural gas, CNG is another technology with plenty of proponents. But it, too, has its drawbacks – for one thing, you’ll sacrifice much of your trunk space for the big storage tank this fuel requires. And there aren’t many places to fill up on CNG, either, so this relatively clean fuel is likely to appeal to commercial and government fleets, such as the natural gas-powered buses that have popped up in many American cities.
One of the more intriguing alternatives under study by VW’s Audi brand would use excess wind power, water and CO2 emissions to create synthetic natural gas -- something could obviate the need for the controversial drilling process known as fracking.
But like virtually all alternatives to petroleum, it would be costly. And that, ultimately, is the real issue.
As Americans, we talk of independence but when we put a price tag on it – at least when it comes to fuel – we’re not quite ready for a revolution. Ironically, the longer petroleum prices remain affordable, suggests CAR’s Dr. Cole, the more difficult it will be to justify an energy declaration of independence.
More from The Detroit Bureau: Women Quoted Higher Prices for Car Repairs than MenGoogle Maps gets 3D on the web with WebGL
Have you see the view of Google Maps with the buildings that pop out at your face as you’re driving through the city with your mouse clicker? It’s time to take a look. Google this week has enabled MapsGL, an option that will allow you to see 3D buildings rendered to replicate the buildings that are actually standing on site throughout their massive mapping of the earth. Through the power of WebGL, those of you using Firefox beta, Chrome, Safari (if you enable it), and starting today Opera 12 Alpha, can all see the buildings, the lovely, lovely buildings.
You may recognize these buildings if you’re an Android user, as they’ve been active for more than a few weeks now – in fact, I remember seeing them all the way back at Mobile World Congress 2011 in the Google pod, now that I think of it. Now we’ve got it everywhere!
Other features relatively new to the web-based version of Google Maps are the swoop transition between Street View and birds-eye view, and the ability to rotate the map so that North isn’t the only direction that can be facing up. By god, what kind of world do we live in where North isn’t up!? The greatest place you can use such an ability at this very moment is at the Piazze del Collosseo, Roma, Italia. For those of you unawares, that’s the colluseum you see in the movie Gladiator, the one with the lions and whatnot. This location was chosen by Google to demonstrate the awesome power of a 360 degree view at 45 degrees – and oh my goodness is it awesome.
Go now, instantly, to Google Maps with your Chrome browser and start the tour by hitting the button in the lower left-hand corner, then come back and tell us how it went. Google Maps! What will you attain and display next?!
Bonus! Watch out for the paper trains. They still exist! This one found in Minneapolis, Minnesota.SOUTH TOMS RIVER, NJ — A pair of training torpedoes uncovered in the ground during the demolition of a dilapidated building in South Toms River are inert and posed no danger to workers or anyone near the site, officials said Wednesday.
The torpedoes were uncovered as workers removed the building formerly called the Shanty House, which was an old gardening and antiques business on Atlantic City Boulevard in South Toms River. The property, which also includes the Meineke Car Care Center next door, is owned by Mark Ott.
An employee at Meineke who didn't want her name used said Ott had owned the site since the early 1980s.
It's unknown how long the torpedoes, which are post-World War II, according to explosives experts at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Wall, may have been in the ground. Bob Addison, the public affairs officer for NWS Earle, said the torpedoes were 12 inches in diameter and 7 feet long. Members of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 12 Detachment Earle were able to determine at the scene that the torpedoes were safe because they were hollow, Addison said.
The Meineke employee said the torpedoes were discovered as the demolotion crew began working on knocking down the Shanty House.
The Shanty House, a garden center, fell into disrepair and had to be demolished. The torpedoes were found during the demolition. Photo via Google Maps
"All of a sudden he (the crew foreman) came in here and said, 'We've got a problem,'" the employee said.
The South Toms River Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff's Department and New Jersey State Police also responded to the site and kept onlookers away until the explosive ordnance team declared the torpedoes safe.
The site is less than half a mile down the road from the Jersey Shore Base Submarine Memorial in Marine Park in South Toms River, where ceremonies are held annually to honor sailors who've lost their lives serving in the U.S. Navy's submarines.
The site, the centerpiece of which is a larger inert torpedo painted to look like a live one, was chosen because of Toms River's rich naval history.
The Jersey Shore Base Submarine Memorial in South Toms River. Behind it is the Toms River, where early submarine ideas were tested. Karen Wall photo
Some of the earliest submarine testing was conducted in the Toms River by Simon Lake. The area also was home to Admiral Farragut Academy, the former military preparatory school that sat on the banks of the Toms River in Pine Beach for decades before closing in 1994 as enrollment dwindled. It boasted a few prominent alumni, but none more famous than astronaut Alan Shepherd, the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the moon. A heavy chain that surrounds the torpedo and commemorative granite blocks came from the school, officials with Jersey Shore Submarine Base have said.
In addition, there are stories that some U.S. Navy operations were conducted out of the Toms River area during the World War I era.
Addison said the torpedoes caused some initial concern because they looked like live ones, but the ordnance crew soon discovered the blue paint that designates training rounds had been painted over so they looked like live torpedoes, he said.
Whether the torpedoes found in the ground Wednesday have any historical significance, given their proximity to the former Admiral Farragut site and to the Toms River, is unknown. It's not uncommon for people to discover all manner of inert ordnance that has been kept as a souvenir, so their original source may never be determined.
Addison said the torpedoes were taken back to Naval Weapons Station Earle, but what would be done with them was unclear.
"If they had been live, obviously we would have destroyed them, but since they're inert, that's not necessary," he said.
Torpedo photos and photos of police and Navy personnel via the Meineke employee.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
July 25, 2017, 1:21 AM GMT / Updated July 25, 2017, 11:35 AM GMT By Leigh Ann Caldwell
WASHINGTON — With a razor-thin margin for success in the balance, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. — recently diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor — will return to Washington Tuesday to take a critical vote on health care.
"Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue to working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," McCain's office said in a statement Monday.
McCain's return would give Republicans a crucial vote in support of the motion to proceed to begin debate on health care legislation.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning tweeted his thanks to McCain for returning and said, "Brave — American hero!"
Republican leaders are working to get the support of 50 of the Republican conference's 52 senators. McCain recently underwent surgery to remove a blood clot near his brain and was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor last week.
Still, less than 24 hours before an expected vote to begin debate on health care, Senate Republicans still haven’t been told exactly what kind of reform they will ultimately be voting on, creating even more uncertainty about the chances of gaining a majority of Republicans needed to proceed.
Tuesday's vote on a motion to proceed to debate on health care legislation will take place after a Republican policy luncheon where members could learn the details of what amendments might be included in the eventual legislation.
Related: Trump Says 'Obamacare Is Death'
Republicans could be voting on the most recent version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act, an updated version of the bill that addresses the concerns of senators, a simple repeal of the Affordable Care Act or some combination of them.
Vice President Mike Pence spent about 30 minutes in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office in the Capitol Monday night. "It's time to vote," Pence said as he left.
The meeting took place shortly after McConnell met with members of his leadership team and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who has been unable to come out and say he'd support any of the health care proposals.
A group of moderates huddled in an unmarked office in the Russell Senate office building Monday night but Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., stayed for a short time. Murkowski left the meeting saying she was still undecided on how she'd vote.
As Senate Republican leaders continue to try to find at least 50 GOP votes, Trump gave his first extended remarks devoted to health care since his news conference in the Rose Garden after the House of Representatives passed its health care bill on May 4.
“Every Republican promised immediate relief from this law,” Trump said Monday at the White House, pressuring recalcitrant Republicans who have objected to part of the proposed bill. “We as a party must fulfill that solemn promise to the voters of this country to repeal and replace — what they’ve been saying for the last seven years, but so far Senate Republicans have not held up.”
Trump traveled to West Virginia Monday night to speak at the Boy Scouts Jamboree in a state that he won by more than 40 points but also home to Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito who has been reluctant to support the Senate bill.
Related: Trump Says 'Obamacare is Death'
This time Trump put pressure on his Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, whom he said, perhaps in jest, that he needs to get the job done.
"By the way, you gonna get the votes?" Trump asked Price, who was standing behind him. "You better. Otherwise I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired!'"
He added: "You better get Sen. Capito to vote for it."
Capito joined Trump behind stage at Monday night, but she’s also weighing the 28 percent of West Virginians who are on Medicaid, one of the highest percentages in the country. The number of uninsured in the Mountaineer state could rise 299 percent, according to one study by the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, many because of reductions to Medicaid.
The quest for 50 votes is elusive, especially if McCain is unable to return. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, still appears to be solidly against the bill and so does Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., if there is no vote for a near-complete repeal of Obamacare. In an op-ed in The Hill on Monday, Paul harshly criticized the Senate process.
"'What bill?’ Good question. Remember that when you hear the clamoring of voices saying 'you have to vote to proceed to the bill' or worse 'you just have to be part of the team and vote for it!'" Paul wrote. "That's the kind of thinking that got us into this mess and I won’t be a part of it.'"
More than a handful of other senators have also expressed deep reservations and have not come out and said they’d support the motion to proceed.
Leadership is pushing Republicans to vote "yes" on the motion to proceed, insisting that they will be able to offer any amendment that pertains to health care that they want. For example, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, can offer an amendment to reduce the cost of health insurance, Sen. Paul can offer an amendment to repeal Obamacare and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, can offer one to beef up Medicaid spending.
“I don't think anybody has determined what the exact sequence will be, but it's not like anybody is going to get any favorable treatment, everybody's going to get a chance to get a vote on everything they want to get a vote on. Including Democrats,” said Cornyn, the Republican whip.
One proponent of the motion to proceed, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said the Senate should "debate in front of God and country."Greetings Citizens,
We’ve hit $47 million in funding! I’m betting that means there will be more than a few Xi’An scout ships flying around in the Star Citizen universe. The Xi’An ship is one of the ones I’m most excited about, because it’s really going to show off the depth of Star Citizen’s physics engine: with its unique thruster configuration, it will use the already-developed engine to fly very differently!
The Xi’An scout is a good example of how much goes into Star Citizen’s ship development process. As you may remember, we offered the scout earlier in the campaign without showing a picture. That’s because I decided the concept art we had didn’t represent the ship I wanted for this role. You can see that original art here; it’s a cool design, but didn’t get across the unique thruster system that makes the scout so special.
We went back to the drawing board… and eventually got to the concept model you saw on Friday! Going forward, we plan to share all the WIP concept models in this same fashion once I believe they’re on the right track. In the case of the new scout, I’m very impressed with the work the team has done… and I can’t wait to have it flying in Arena Commander!
Moving past the scout, the $47 million stretch goal that you earned today is the last of the player-voted reward items, the Engine Tuning Kit. Here are the details:
Engine Tuning Kit – Wilkes & Federman MaxTune Kit has become one of the best-selling starter kits for the discerning home enthusiast. Featured in Whitley’s latest Steal of the Year issue, this kit comes with everything the fledgling engineer needs to take a deeper look into the mechanics of their engine. With a Tap Analyzer, you will be able to view your engine’s current output and energy draw numbers in an easy and comprehensible way. Use the thirty-eight piece omnitool to access your engine to start tweaking. Wilkes & Federman is not responsible for damage incurred after tuning your engine. Please consult with manufacturer’s warranty before performing work.
Speaking of stretch goals, last time around we put their future up to a vote. 54% of Citizens voted that we should continue to offer goals, and we’re going to honor that choice. As I said last time, every dollar supports Star Citizen’s persistent universe… but I’m not comfortable promising additional features with each million unless they’re truly additive. When we have a new idea that really impacts the final game and needs the funding then we’ll offer it here… but you can expect a number of player rewards and new ways of highlighting Arena Commander as immediate goals!
But with the $49 million goal, we’re going to give you something that didn’t quite win the poll the last time around: the “space plant”! It’s actually a Xi’An tree, so it’s very appropriate for today’s post. Here are the details:
Xi’An Space Plant – Similar to a bonsai tree, the Centennial Bloom is a very famous Xi’An plant indigenous to Eealus III that blossoms for one night every one hundred years. They sell the plants in sealed terrariums to traders. Ever since their introduction to the UEE, Humanity has been fascinated by these beautiful plants and the wait for them to bloom.
As always, thank you for your incredible support. We’re working hard to make Star Citizen a truly special game… but you have already made it an incredibly special community.
— Chris RobertsUS President Donald Trump backed the House Intelligence Committee's efforts to investigate actions by US security and other officials under previous president Barack Obama, inserting himself into a political feud over its latest subpoenas in the Russia probe.
"The big story is the 'unmasking and surveillance' of people that took place during the Obama Administration," Trump said in a tweet on Thursday (Friday NZ Time), one day after the committee's Republican chairman subpoenaed the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency.
The big story is the "unmasking and surveillance" of people that took place during the Obama Administration. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017
Democrats shot back, accusing Trump, a Republican, of diverting attention from the ongoing scandal that has now hangs over his young presidency and criticising committee Chairman Devin Nunes' subpoenas.
READ MORE:
* Is sleep deprivation impairing Donald Trump?
* Trump's, Flynn's lawyer ordered to front probe
* Comey to confirm Trump pressured him on Flynn
JOSHUA ROBERTS/REUTERS Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes.
On Wednesday (Thursday NZT), Nunes asked the agencies for details of any requests made by two top Obama administration aides and the former Central Intelligence Agency director to "unmask" Trump campaign advisers inadvertently picked up in top-secret foreign communications intercepts, according to congressional sources.
Another congressional source, who also requested anonymity, said Democrats were "informed and consulted" about the subpoenas ahead of time, but some committee aides said they were not.
In April, Nunes recused himself from leading the panel's investigation into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election following a secret visit he paid to White House officials, but retains subpoena power. A senior committee aide said Wednesday's subpoenas were not part of the Russia probe.
Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, replied to Trump's tweet, calling it a "pathetic distraction."
Ed Markey, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN: "Nunes is too close to the Trump White House."
Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, a House Foreign Relations Committee member, also questioned Nunes' actions in a separate CNN interview.
Americans' names picked up in foreign communications intercepts must be concealed unless senior officials request them to be disclosed for intelligence or law enforcement purposes. Any such requests undergo rigorous legal reviews, and US officials have said all such requests under Obama, a Democrat, were conducted properly.
PUTIN DENIAL
In a separate statement on Wednesday, Republican Representative Mike Conaway and Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who are leading the committee's Russia probe, announced subpoenas for Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as their firms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied leading efforts to interfere in last year's US election, and on Thursday (Friday NZT) said some Russians might have acted on their own but not with their government's involvement.
Trump has denied any collusion between Russia and his campaign and has repeatedly questioned the US intelligence finding that Putin led an operation that included computer hacking, fake news and propaganda intended to swing the election in his favour over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
On Wednesday (Thursday NZT), Clinton said she suspected Trump's campaign guided Russian efforts.
The president's tweet also comes after White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Wednesday (Thursday NZT) directed any queries about the Russia investigations to Trump's outside counsel, Marc Kasowitz.
The House Intelligence Committee's investigation is one of several congressional probes into Russia, along with one by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also, the US Department of Justice recently appointed a special counsel.
Former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired last month, could testify as early as next week and planned to confirm the president's pressure to drop the agency's investigation into Flynn, according to CNN.
The Guardian newspaper on Thursday (Friday NZT) said leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage was a "person of interest" in the FBI probe but has not been accused of wrongdoing. Farage, a Trump supporter and former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, said he had no Russia connections.
Separately, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration was moving toward returning two Russian compounds in the United States to Moscow.
The Maryland and New York compounds were seized under the Obama administration in December as part of a larger action over what the former president said was Russian involvement in hacking political groups in the November 8 US presidential election.
Russian officials had pledged to wait for Trump to take office before reacting but last month said they might retaliate.Researchers say an experimental blood test has shown promise as a novel way to diagnose autism in children.
The test appears to be nearly 98 percent accurate in kids between the ages of 3 and 10, the researchers claimed.
“The test was able to predict autism, regardless of where on the spectrum an individual was,” said study co-author Juergen Hahn, referring to varying degrees of autism severity.
“Additionally, the test indicates with very good accuracy the severity of certain autism-related conditions,” added Hahn, who is head of the department of biomedical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y.
Brain study spots early signs of autism
The study was small, involving just 83 children with autism and 76 children without the disorder. More follow-up research is planned, the researchers said.
And a senior official with a leading autism advocacy group said he had some concerns about the new study.
In the United States, it’s estimated that 1 in 68 children has an autism spectrum disorder. This is the term for a range of conditions that may involve problems with social skills, speech and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors, according to Autism Speaks. Boys seem at higher risk than girls.
The current standard approach to diagnosing autism typically entails a consensus drawn from a group of medical professionals, including pediatricians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech and language experts.
But the new blood test takes a different approach, focusing instead on identifying the presence of key metabolism markers.
To test the idea, the study authors collected blood samples from all 159 children. The analysis turned out to be nearly flawless in diagnosing autism cases, the researchers said. It was also more than 96 percent accurate in identifying those children who did not have autism, the researchers added.
The findings were published March 16 in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
Hahn said it remains unclear if the test’s preliminary success would extend to children younger than 3.
“Ideally, one would like to test this on children 18 to 24 months of age,” he said. “But this has not yet been done, and as such we do not know where the limits are.”
Hahn added that it’s also unknown whether the test might forecast the onset of autism among children who have not yet developed any clinical signs of the disorder.
Other researchers have made headway on both fronts.
A study published last month in Nature by researchers at the University of North Carolina reported that brain scans had shown early promise at predicting whether an infant under the age of 1 might develop autism in his or her second year of life.
Mathew Pletcher, vice president and head of genomic discovery at Autism Speaks, expressed reservations about the way the current blood test study was designed.
“There has been considerable work done in this area, and a number of studies have produced preliminary data suggesting the presence of a single or a combination of molecular changes that could differentiate individuals with autism from those without autism,” Pletcher said.
But while the blood test study “follows very much in the footsteps of this previous work,” he took issue with some of the methodology used.
Pletcher also cautioned that “it would be surprising if there was a single molecular diagnostic test that would work for all the various subtypes of autism.”
Regardless, Pletcher said it would be worth repeating the analysis in a more rigorous manner, and with a larger number of participants.The Post Sports Live crew debates whether Bryce Harper's comments about manager Matt Williams's lineup are potentially damaging for a team that just got back to full strength on Monday. (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post)
The Post Sports Live crew debates whether Bryce Harper's comments about manager Matt Williams's lineup are potentially damaging for a team that just got back to full strength on Monday. (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post)
Late Sunday morning, Manager Matt Williams walked to the center of the Washington Nationals clubhouse and announced who among them had made the All-Star Game. The delight the players felt for Jordan Zimmermann lasted momentarily. It ceded first to surprise, then to confusion, and by evening it had hardened into anger that no one else in the room was guaranteed to join Zimmermann in Minneapolis on July 15.
Infielder Anthony Rendon might, but only if fans vote him in on the five-man final ballot. First baseman Adam LaRoche will not make the first all-star team of his career despite a.401 on-base percentage. Setup man Drew Storen, with a 1.33 ERA, received no recognition. Most egregious in the Nationals’ minds, closer Rafael Soriano — who owns a 1.03 ERA and 21 saves in 23 chances — will spend the all-star break at home in the Dominican Republic.
“It’s a joke, to be honest with you,” said reliever Tyler Clippard, an all-star in 2011. “I don’t know who’s going to make it. I’m sure there’s a lot of worthy guys out there in the league. But what Soriano has done this year, there’s no way he doesn’t make the all-star team, in my opinion. It’s incredible that he didn’t make it.”
At 48-39, the Nationals have the fourth-best record in the National League, and they have outscored opponents by 56 runs, best in the NL. But they settled for Zimmermann as their lone representative.
Zimmermann made his second consecutive all-star game by going 7-4 with a 2.79 ERA. In New York last year, a stiff neck reduced Zimmermann to an observer. This year, he will stand on a base line at Target Field and tip his cap. And then he will actually play in the game.
“I’m here to throw 200 innings and go deep into ballgames, give these guys a chance to win the game,” Zimmermann said. “I guess if you do that stuff, you get to become an all-star. That’s what’s happened the last couple years.”
Zimmermann grew up in tiny Auburndale, Wis., about a three-hour drive from Minneapolis. He played in the Metrodome in a college tournament, but he has never been to Target Field, the Twins’ new stadium.
“I’m sure I’ll have a decent amount of people coming over,” Zimmermann said. “Hopefully not too many so I don’t have to buy too many tickets.”
Zimmermann earned his spot with a mammoth surge in June. In May, Zimmermann posted a 5.06 ERA and the league hit.342 against him. His slider, his best pitch, lacked its usual bite. “Five weeks ago, I was thinking I’d be home, having a little vacation,” Zimmermann said.
In June, Zimmermann adjusted his motion, keeping his front shoulder closed longer in his delivery. The vicious, sharp break on his slider finally returned, and his season took off. Zimmermann has punched up a 1.26 ERA in his last seven starts, including the six scoreless innings he threw Sunday in a win over the Chicago Cubs.
“It means a lot,” Zimmermann said. “It’s a huge honor. I’m excited. I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t for those guys playing defense behind me every day and catchers calling the pitches. As much as it’s me going, it’s actually all these guys, too.”
Rendon may join him. In his first full season, the 24-year-old has stabilized both third base and second when needed. Among National League third basemen, Rendon entered Sunday ranked second in wins above replacement (3.2), third in batting (.286), fifth in on-base percentage (.343), second in slugging (.489), second in steals (eight), second in RBI (50), fourth in homers (12) and first in runs (60).
“If he doesn’t get on it, then I’m going to boycott the All-Star Game,” third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said.
Rendon will have to beat out Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee, Braves outfielder Justin Upton and Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau.
On Sunday afternoon, Rendon displayed the flat-line demeanor that has endeared him to teammates. As reporters crowded around his locker, he placed a folding chair in front of him. “I’m creating a barrier to get away from you all,” he said.
One reporter asked him his reaction to landing on the final vote. “It’s cool,” he said.
Another reporter wanted to know what it would mean to him to win the vote.
“It would mean that I would make the all-star team,” Rendon replied.
Rendon said he would not campaign, not even a little. Confidence flows within Rendon, but outwardly he betrayed no captivation with the first half of his season.
“I don’t know. It was all right,” Rendon said. “I got lucky a couple of times. I guess I’m doing all right.”
His teammates had higher praise. On a team besieged by injuries, Rendon has remained healthy and switched positions when necessary. The Nationals’ first pick in 2011, No. 6 overall, already has delivered on his pedigree.
“I feel like he’s carried us as a team offensively,” center fielder Denard Span said. “He’s played good defense. He’s done everything. Fifty RBI, 50 runs, 12 home runs: What more can you ask for from a middle infield guy?”
The Nationals had plenty of other questions, too. They believed their performance warranted more than one all-star, and they questioned how much popularity plays into the selections.
“The all-star game isn’t really what it used to be,” Zimmerman said. “I think a lot of people don’t get recognized that should. Hopefully they will, but if not there’s really nothing you can do about it.”
Soriano’s demeanor may not have helped him. He pitches with a blank face, and after saves he angrily rips out his shirttail, an affront to the baseball etiquette hard-liners within the sport.
“How much does that matter when he’s got numbers like he’s got?” Clippard said. “It’s eye-popping stuff. You have to take notice. Somebody didn’t take notice, and it doesn’t really seem right.”Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his spokesman in Parliament and even the U.S. ambassador reached out Friday to clarify whether Canada will expand its role in the battle against Islamic militants in the Middle East.
The Conservative government has faced sharp criticism for a lack of transparency on the role the Canadian Forces will play in dealing with the threat of the violent Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant taking shape in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
Harper made it abundantly clear that Canada could well end up providing more of a contribution than the 69 special-forces "advisers" who are currently taking part.
"There is a real threat against us," an animated Harper, flanked by European leaders in town to cement their new trade relationship with Canada, told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
"We cannot have a terrorist caliphate controlling a large swath of territory and carrying out terrorist attacks against targets here and around the world. We cannot accept that."
Harper revealed during a public interview with the Wall Street Journal in New York this week that the U.S. had recently asked Canada to expand its role in the battle against the marauding al-Qaida splinter group known as ISIL.
The comment only fuelled criticism back home that he had not been forthcoming with Canadians about military plans, since he had been pressed for that kind of information in the Commons.
A news report Thursday that said it was Ottawa that approached Washington with a military offer, rather than the other way around, added to the confusion.
"I find this kind of bizarre," Harper said when asked about the report. "Is this seriously suggesting that Canada is dragging the U.S. into military conflict? Let's be serious here."
U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman waded in saying Washington asked Canada for help, insisting that the sequence of conversations and communications between the two countries is of no matter.
"We're actually not delineating in public conversation exactly what we're asking for. We're leaving that to dialogue and conversations between our two governments," Heyman said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"But we are asking very specifically for additional support and help at whatever level Canada feels comfortable providing."
Harper said the American requests are under consideration.
"I don't want to suggest for a second that we do this reluctantly," he said.
"We will always make our own decision, but we will make those decisions based on our capacity and based on our objectives. Ultimately, it is not our intention not to support our allies."
He went on, presumably to make clear where his Conservative government stands on the question of taking the fight to ISIL.
"This phenomenon is a direct threat to the security of this country," Harper said.
"People in this country should be under no illusion about this, as they are not in most of the world. These are extremely dangerous people who have continued to operate like this (and) will almost certainly launch terrorist attacks against a range of targets across the world, including this one. That has to be countered."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Thursday that if Canada were to contemplate playing a combat role, such as participating in airstrikes, it would be subject to a vote in Parliament.
Shortly before Harper's news conference Friday, his parliamentary secretary Paul Calandra offered an emotional apology to the House of Commons for failing to answer direct questions on the military plans.
When NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had asked him about the Forces, Calandra responded repeatedly with a non-sequitur on Israel.
"I allowed the passion and the anger at something I read to get in the way of appropriately answering a question to the leader of the Opposition," said Calandra, whose responses had been the fodder of viral social media ridicule.
"For that I apologize to you and to this entire House and to my constituents."
Mulcair said he accepted Calandra's apology. He encouraged the Conservatives to make public any exchange of letters that had transpired with Washington.
"I think we have to get to that point where we understand that Parliament's not an afterthought," Mulcair said Friday.
"Harper when he was leader of the opposition promised a consultation, full information, a vote on any military mission...We are expecting the government to come, provide full information and a proper vote."Environmental lawyers are claiming in court that land, rivers and other natural features have intrinsic rights and should own themselves, rather than being considered property — similar to how the law
|
margin debt rises dramatically every time new Tethers get issued… a point I make out in one of my previous posts.
What’s most interesting is how they redacted information we already know. For example, their first bank account with $60 million is in the name of an individual for the benefit of Tether. Who might that be?
Let’s see…
If the shoe fits, you must wear it.
Of course, their lawyer! Which isn’t a big secret. So, the question remains, why redact it? I guess they redacted it for transparency…
Literally the first name I try fits perfectly in their little redaction box.
So much for a good faith effort.
The transparency of blockchain companies needs to exceed non-blockchain companies
The whole point of Bitcoin and Crypto-currencies, is full transparency. Not secrecy and hiding important information and releasing misleading reports.
The goal of blockchain, and Bitcoin, is for more transparent markets. Not hiding things. Not redacting critical information.
Tether is holding the public’s money and is accountable to the public.
And right now, unless you’re in their ‘cool club’ you can’t actually withdraw your money from Tether, or Bitfinex.
The onus is on Tether to prove its own legitimacy.
Transparency is mandatory. Hiding information which isn’t private to begin with is unacceptable and simply breeds mistrust.
We know when Bitfinex gets Bitcoins, we know when they send Bitcoins.
We know when Tether issues Tethers.
We see every Tether transaction on the blockchain.
We see every Bitcoin transaction on the blockchain.
If Tether is a legitimate, on the up and up, ‘blockchain’ company, then they have nothing to fear by providing even just the name of their bank and jurisdiction.
They could set the standard for what a blockchain company that provides a token allegedly tied to fiat, should do. Unfortunately, they’re just spewing marketing and misleading information.
I also missed this bombshell, in my previous post regarding Tether.
What does this mean?
We have no idea if the money Tether shows was transferred in hours before their ‘report’.
Don’t forget…
Bitfinex and Tether are not in this mess because “banks hate bitcoin” or “banks attacking Bitcoin”.
Bitfinex and Tether are in this mess because they played shell games with banks for years and filed frivolous lawsuits and their past has caught up with them.
And well, here’s Phil Potter admitting this in an interview that WhalePool deleted.
Conclusion
There is precedent for what Tether is doing.
It’s called Liberty Reserve. And it will end the same way, with regulators shutting them down.
I will end with this, if only a select few traders can withdraw USD from Bitfinex and Tether, then the significant majority of the volume we see on Bitfinex, is going to be between a very small group of people.
Which raises the question if they could be wash trading among themselves, and here’s an example of such a trade.
This small group of people could be trading among themselves while taking positions on other exchanges, such as Bitmex, Bitstamp, etc, and literally moving the price anywhere they want without actually buying or selling anything on Bitfinex by just wash trading with each other.
I exposed this before in my ’Meet Spoofy’ Article post, showing a single entity wash trading 24,000 BTC, or at the time over 20% of all of the Bitcoins held on Bitfinex.
Notice the astronomical rise in shorts without the price falling, and 24,000 BTC short INSTANTLY covered.
To me, Tethers release of this ‘report’ is them simply trying to buy time. People who disagree with me and come to the defense of Tether routinely, called it an “audit” and called me out for being “rekt”.
To Tethers credit, they themselves did not call it an audit, and Tether defenders had to backtrack on their “audit released, BITFINEXED PWNED LOL!”
But their redaction of the report, leads me to wonder if during their real ‘audit’, if they intend to continue to hide critical information.
Are they going to redact their real audits too? Should we really trust a redacted audit?
I would not accept a redacted audit as sufficient, and neither should anyone else.
I have been invited to come speak to Bitfinex on their TeamSpeak, but this report proves to me that would have been a waste of time.
They would not have answered any questions of substance.
Trade carefully.
-Bitfinexed“We changed the block on the main to a double one so it’s easier for you to control,” – said Jony.
I was sitting in the driving seat of a paraw, a traditional boat in the Philippines. Those boats are out on the water all day in Boracay, taking tourists around the island and out to the reef. Around 4:30 pm their renting rates double as the sun starts to go down. By 5:30 the entire horizon is full of blue sails in the rays of yet another stunning sunset.
By the time I decided to try and control one of those boats my holiday was almost over. The very next day I was flying back to Australia and my parents were heading back to Russia. I missed three twilights on my own boat while being on holidays and felt very homesick every Friday from 6 pm Sydney time onwards, checking the results to make sure that my crew were destroying my handicap while I was away. They were. I am the least experienced person on my own boat so it was to be expected. The crew posted photos of the trophy glasses, rum and beer on my Facebook wall to celebrate another win. I was staring at the perfect beach on Boracay, drinking cocktails and thinking about what I left at home.
The White Beach is about 5 kilometres long and it’s covered with – you guessed it – very fine white sand. We would usually drop our towels under a beautiful big tree and go swimming or paddle boarding. The beach is full of hawkers, mostly selling sunglasses, hats and selfie sticks. Lots of them also sell water sports, including a cruise on a blue sailed traditional boat with two outriggers on each side. They didn’t call the boats “paraws”, at least not while talking to tourists (I had to look up the correct name on Wikipedia). Filipinos speak fairly good English in general but a lot of the time their vocabulary is very functional, just enough to sell whatever they are selling. I still managed to talk to a few sailing people who described capsizes around marks during races, explained divisions in regattas and talked about sponsors and money prizes.
Jony was probably the most talkative hawker and he was the one who convinced me to try to steer the boat after my parents and I had already gone on a couple of cruises. “There was this woman from Singapore who told me she’s a sailor,” – he told me. “But when I tried to get her to steer she just wouldn’t do it!” I knew then that I would have to do better than the unnamed woman from Singapore, even though I’ve been told that I was not allowed to capsize the boat.
He told me that paraws can go as fast as 19-20 knots. They certainly never go that fast with tourists on. As soon as you turn the corner away from the White Beach, the water gets rougher, the wind starts to blow, tourists get wet and slightly uncomfortable. The boats mostly reach around, avoiding gybes in too much wind. When the locals race the boats, one person steers and trims the sails, the rest of the crew (usually 4 people) move around for better weight distribution. There are no kites. The outriggers make the boat look stable like a pair of skis attached to a plane but it’s just an illusion. When one side starts lifting too much out of the water, tourists are asked to move closer to the windward side (usually with gestures). Waves inevitably find a way to make every single tourist wet from head to toe, even if they decide not to go snorkelling. “It was so much fun,” – my Mum said after our first cruise. “I just wish there was no wind.”
Jony was late on the day when I was supposed to take the boat out. Other people from different boats said hi to me and suggested to go on a cruise with them instead but I decided to wait. When he finally showed up, he was wearing a short wetsuit. “I thought I was not allowed to capsize?” – I said. “Just in case,” – he answered. Mum looked at me anxiously and asked me to be safe. I was pretty sure she didn’t know what “capsizing” meant and it was something to be grateful for.
When we got on the boat, both sails were already up, two local boys looking at me curiously. Jony decided to get the boat out of the busy area before we swapped places. When I finally sat down in the driving seat, I was excited but cautious. There is a rudder but no tiller on the boat – instead, you have to pull on ropes on each side of the hull and do finer control with the sails. You can’t really see the headsail while sitting down. There are knots along the headsail sheet that allow trim for a particular angle. No finer controls, no boom vang or cunningham, no lead cars or outhaul. No telltales or a windex, it’s driven entirely by feel.
First time I tried to bear away in a gust I was not very successful. The weather helm was impressive but easing the main didn’t help much. “Don’t ease, you are losing power!” – Jony said. We were reaching at around 10 knots in 15 knots of wind, and the other two boys were jumping on the outrigger making encouraging noises and yelling “Faster! Faster!” The other outrigger lifted out of the water, waves splashing over the bow. “Um, I guess burying the bow is not that big of a problem on this boat?” – I asked Jony. “No, never had a problem with it.” – He reassured. Jony lives on the mainland and catches a boat to Boracay and back every day. He asked me not to gybe.
My first tacking manoeuvre turned out to be fairly easy – I had enough momentum not to stall the boat. The second one, however, stopped midway so Jony had to backwind the jib. I wasn’t too concerned though as every single tack during our previous cruises was like that. Soon enough I was able to bear away again and we reached back with a lot of splashing and lifting.
“Do you know Harken?” – Jony asked when we got back.
“Yes,” – I said.
“If you have some spare blocks, can you send them here? They are so expensive here!”
“Not exactly cheap in Australia either,” – I said. He gave me his postal address anyway, just in case.
When I connected to Wifi, there was a bill from a rigger in my email inbox and a Facebook message from my main trimmer. “You gotta learn to sail your boat by feel,” – the message said. “That’s how you become a good sailor.” I could still feel the breeze on my face and my palms holding the main sheet without gloves. I closed my eyes. A week later I would race my own boat again.The recent boomlet of murderess music videos doesn’t represent a totally new phenomenon, though. The stars of Dixie Chicks’s “Goodbye Earl” offed an abusive husband in 1999, Ashanti grimly pondered stabbing an adulterer in 2008’s “The Way That I Love You”, and at least three Lady Gaga shorts—“Paparazzi,” “Bad Romance,” and “Telephone”—feature the poisoning or burning of men. But often, these videos fall into two categories: ones that take place in total fantasy worlds—think Kesha mounting James Van Der Beek’s head on her wall after he hunted one too many unicorns, or Britney Spears as a sci-fi assassin/flight attendant—or ones where the killer’s desperation is so abject that it feels like a Very Special Episode.
Few of the recent crop of such videos quite fit into those categories, though. Justice often is less the point than the thrill and spectacle of violence, just as is usually the case in Hollywood action films and popular video games. In “Magnets,” Lorde isn’t dating the “douchey boyfriend,” nor is she the one being abused by him; she kills the guy on another girl’s behalf, and—dancing around in her slick leather tunic before ignoring his pleas for mercy—seems to relish the task. Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” rampage is a cheeky overreaction, and “Bad Blood” is a superhero-film sendup where friend and foe alike are mostly women. The joke of “High by the Beach” is that Lana needs a huge rocket-launcher to maintain her chill, while “Bitch Better Have My Money” is all about the comedy of carnage, with the evil banker’s crimes telegraphed only midway through, perfunctorily.
Rihanna offers a nice case study in how mores around music videos, gender, and violence may have subtly shifted over just a few years. In 2011, she released the video for “Man Down,” a classic victim’s revenge tale in which she fires a revolver at her rapist. The video is mostly remembered for the controversy it caused, with the Parents Television Council condemning it as “an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song” (a sentiment that’s similar to the one that caused country channels to ban Garth Brooks’s “The Thunder Rolls,” about a woman’s attempted reprisal against an abuser, in the early ’90s). But the PTC has made not a peep about the much gorier “Bitch Better Have My Money” video, perhaps because it—like many new music clips, now that online streaming is the number one way people receive music—was never meant to be shown on TV.
The change in venue has enabled greater levels of explicitness; just three years ago, Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body” video featured male victims who spewed cartoonish blue paint, while today Rihanna lounges in a box of lifelike banker blood. The Internet has shifted the nature of backlash, too. Instead of “what about the children?” protests to the FCC and networks, people write think pieces about whether a given clip is feminist or not. One school of thought says that the violence is an empowerment move that might even help warn off would-be attackers of women; another says it all plays into attitudes about right-through-might that, in the end, can favor male dominance in society.Fourteen-year-old Carla Corley was last seen at her home in Birmingham, Alabama on August 12, 1980.
The next morning at 4:30am, her mother discovered the doors to their house open, chairs pushed back from the living room table, a soft drink bottle was overturned, and Carla's new sandals (which were tan with a gold emblem on them) were next to the couch where she left them before.
A month before she went missing, Carla was abducted and raped by a group of men for three hours near Lake Purdy. A week before she went missing, the men came over to the Corley residence, but they were not allowed inside.
Authorities have been searching for Carla since 1980, but her case remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected in her case and her mother believes that Carla was raped and murdered after she disappeared.
Carla was last seen wearing a blue blouse with a Peter Pan collar & three white buttons and blue corduroy pants. She has epilepsy and suffers from seizures due to her condition.
If you have any information about Carla's case, contact the Birmingham Police Homicide Department
LOVED BY ALL WHO REALLY KNEW HERHelen Thomas On Her one Question for Obama
By Real News
DC's most experienced journalist says Obama lost credibility when he dodged question on Israeli nukes
In part one of his interview with Helen Thomas, longest-serving member of the White House Press Corps, Paul Jay asks her about her first question for President Obama. The question, asking President Obama to name all the countries in the Middle-East that have nuclear weapons, was avoided by the President, who claimed to not want to "speculate". Thomas claims that knowledge of Israeli nukes is very public in DC and Obama's answer shows a lack of credibility. She explains the importance of this question for U.S. policy in the region. Finally, she confides that she has not been called on by the President since that day, but that if she does, she will ask him whether or not he has found any more information about nukes in the Middle-East since their last encounter.
Posted March 27, 2010
More at The Real News
Helen Thomas is an American news reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and author She was the first female officer of the National Press Club and the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association. Her latest book, co-authored with Craig Crawford is Listen Up, Mr President: Everything you Always Wanted Your President To Know and Do.New official figures from the Austrian Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS) show that NONE of the 90,000 Muslim fake refugees in that country are employed, and that all are still parasiting off the welfare system nearly three years after they invaded that country.
But, as the report pointed out, a further 3,000 “refugees” do not appear in the AMS’s unemployment statistics “due to insufficient German language skills” and tens of thousands of others are “missing” from the statistics.
Quoting AMS board member Johannes Kopf, the report also revealed that the new figures do not include “refugees” taking basic German courses in the regions of Salzburg, Tyrol, Vienna, and Vorarlberg—where most are congregated—because they are still busy with “basic German language courses.”
The article went on to point that that “there is a stark discrepancy with the Ministry of the Interior’s asylum statistics and those registered at the Public Employment Service.” According to the Ministry’s figures, in the period January 2016 to September 2017, there were 49,775 “positive” asylum application outcomes.
“As a result, around 20,000 recognized asylum seekers are missing in the unemployment statistics or in the German AMS courses,” the article pointed out. Contradictory figures about the number of invaders who have “disappeared” during the asylum procedure are also evident.
The report says that according to the Federal Office for Aliens and Asylum, 11,477 asylum seekers have disappeared since the beginning of January 2016—but as the employment figures indicate, this figure is in excess of 20,000.Kevin Proctor is looming as the player the Roosters are looking at to replace Sonny Bill Williams after the Melbourne Storm second-rower flew in to meet with Roosters management yesterday.
Meanwhile, several sources have claimed that Blake Ferguson to the Roosters next year is a done deal.
Rugby League Week’s Tony Adams — aka “The Mole” — reported the news last night that Proctor met with Roosters coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis yesterday, and it’s all true.
26 Rounds can confirm that this interest was not just out of the blue, however — discussions with Proctor’s management have been going on for weeks. A source alerted 26 Rounds of the interest a few weeks ago, but at that stage the talks were in the early stages and the Dragons were seen as the club most likely to snag Proctor should the Storm be unable to re-sign him.
But the meeting yesterday was “very positive” according to the source.
For what it’s worth, the source did not mention anything about Blake Ferguson — but several different sources have told 26 Rounds that the deal is all but signed, assuming the NRL clear him to play.
The Roosters gave about as uncommitted a denial as they ever could at the start of the year that they were chasing Ferguson, when Brian Canavan told the Australian that:
“At this point in time he’s a de-registered player and there’s been no correspondence whatsoever from us with the NRL.”
That statement answers the age-old question: how do you say no while leaving it open to eventually saying yes, without saying maybe?
The rumours started pretty much the moment he was sacked by the Raiders, which was just a month after Ferguson tore the Roosters to shreds in a game the Roosters won by just six points in round 22 last year. A two try effort had the higher-ups smitten, and despite the Roosters already possessing Grand Final broken jaw hero Shaun Kenny-Dowall, the rumours never quit.
Brent Read broke the story that the Roosters were chasing James Tedesco. But he sent out a series of Tweets following his initial story which had Peter O’Sulllivan say on the record that the Roosters were indeed not chasing Tedesco. I followed up with a question about a question:
I’ve been loathe to believe these stories, but several sources claim it’s pretty much over the line — assuming Ferguson gets that clearance from the NRL.
Salary cap, you ask? Well, let’s do the maths.
The Roosters are already losing Sonny Bill Williams next year, which will free up roughly $700-800K from the cap, while Anthony Minichiello is expected to retire, especially if the Ferguson signing eventuates. He’s on roughly $200,000.
The Roosters also have Sam Moa off contract, but the Roosters are likely to want to re-sign him despite also having Kane Evans, Remi Casty and Dylan Napa on the books. However, should the Roosters manage to sign Proctor, the Roosters may struggle to keep the Grand Final-winning prop who could command top dollar from other cashed-up clubs such as Parramatta or the Dragons.
Proctor is reportedly asking for $500-600K per season, while Ferguson will come cheap with his reputation and career in tatters — the $300K figure has been mentioned to 26 Rounds, a figure which is roughly the size of the salary cap increase for next year. If signed, Shaun Kenny-Dowall will shift to the wing.
Proctor would be a ready-made replacement for SBW. Both are right-side second rowers and Proctor has been excellent this year running at the edges for Melbourne — although the Roosters have some pretty handy second-rowers already in Mitch Aubusson, Aidan Guerra and Boyd Cordner.
Clearly nothing is official yet, but who would you want at the club next year? Both? Either? Neither? Let us know in the poll below.
AdvertisementsBack in my college film class there was this pretentious surfer dude who could never shut up about Baraka, and I ended up never seeing it out of spite. In retrospect this might have been a mistake, as Oscilloscope just released a new trailer for Samsara, from Baraka director Ron Fricke, and I think my retinas just got type two diabetes. Jesus Christ, I almost puked from the majesty (happened to Walt Whitman all the time). The opening shot in the banner pic (I’d highly recommend clicking to enlarge) would be enough for me to watch the whole thing, but pretty much every shot in the trailer is equally majestic. According to the trailer, it was shot entirely in 70 mm over the course of 25 years. It opens August 24th, and so far my only hesitation in seeing it is that it’s going to make my copies of National Geographic look like truck stop bathroom fart limericks.
[HD version at Apple]It would appear that some of the folks who were hoping that Donald Trump was actually an isolationist "jobs" president, rather than the authoritarian white nationalist with imperial ambitions that he clearly showed himself to be on the stump, are now being forced to face reality. Everything he has done since his inauguration proves he is dead serious about unleashing the military and the police to enact his agenda, and he wants the other branches of government to understand that if they obstruct him he's going to make sure his rabid followers know whom to blame.
According to Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker, legal scholars of all stripes, even the torture advocate John Yoo, whom I wrote about on Tuesday, are disturbed by Trump's executive actions and what he's saying about them. Pretty much across the board, they anticipate that Trump will blame the courts, the media and the political opposition in the event of an attack. They believe he is anxious to use an attack as an excuse to "take the gloves off" in whatever way he deems necessary.
Advertisement:
That could mean everything from registering and deporting Muslims to enhanced surveillance or an attack on a foreign country and the reinstatement of torture and "black site" prisons. (A draft executive order on the black sites has made the rounds already.) All we know at this point is that Trump is looking for an excuse, and odds are there will be one at some point.
But as much as the prospect of such civil-liberties violations are chilling, this isn't the only area where Trump is getting ready to pounce. He has made no secret of the fact that he generally wants law enforcement to become tougher and more repressive. This is one of his bedrock beliefs going back to the late 1980s when he took out a newspaper ad in response to the Central Park Five case, headlined "Bring Back the Death Penalty, Bring Back Our Police."
He ostentatiously dubbed himself "the law and order candidate" during his presidential campaign and actively courted police unions. In his "New Deal for Black America," the second item on his list is for his administration to "invest in training and funding both local and federal law enforcement operations to remove the gang members, drug dealers, and criminal cartels from our neighborhoods."
Trump has been vague about his policy on marijuana, generally saying that legalization should be left to the states. But he has made many comments about the need to stop drug trafficking at the border, including his announcement of his presidential bid when he famously declared that undocumented workers were flooding across, "bringing drugs" and "bringing crime." He has made it clear that he is determined to jump-start the drug war, and the man he has chosen to lead up the Department of Justice, Sen. Jeff Sessions, is a hard-core drug warrior.
Sessions is famous for quipping that he thought the Ku Klux Klan was all right until he found out that some of its members smoked pot, an odious comment on many levels. But his record goes far beyond that. Sessions is hostile to all bipartisan congressional efforts to roll back federal authority on marijuana laws, such as the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act. Known as the CARERS Act, it would fix federal laws that prevent legal pot businesses from using the banking system and paying taxes.
He opposed the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which protected states with medical marijuana laws from federal interference, and the McClintock-Polis amendment, which would have done the same for states that have legalized pot for recreational use. The principal sponsors of those bills, Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Tom McClintock, are both conservative Republicans.
Advertisement:
Sessions is also an enemy of sentencing reform, one of the few bright bipartisan efforts of recent years. Most observers believe the reform effort is probably dead under a Trump administration. Nobody wants to put people in jail and throw away the key more than Donald Trump. It's a terrible setback because the cost in dollars and human misery of our current sentencing practices is a national disgrace.
Another criminal justice issue that has drawn bipartisan concern is asset forfeiture, a corrupt practice whereby police agencies seize the property of suspected criminals and keep the booty. You can imagine that the incentives are very skewed. There has been a concerted effort in recent years to address the unfairness of stealing someone's property without any due process. Even those who are not convicted of any crime are almost always out of luck when the whole thing is over. It's a bonanza for law enforcement agencies but makes a mockery of our commitment to the idea of a presumption of innocence.
I cannot say I'm surprised that Trump is a big fan of that practice as well. After all, he believes "to the victor belongs the spoils" and is perhaps the only Republican in the country to defend "eminent domain," which is the right of the government to force people to sell their property at a fair market value so it can build necessary public infrastructure. Opposition to eminent domain has been a central element of the right-wing agenda for decades, but rank-and-file Republicans proved it was more of a talking point than an article of faith when they didn't bat an eye at Trump's defense of a practice that he once used to line his own pockets.
Yesterday the president invited a group of sheriffs who endorsed him to the White House and allowed cameras in the room as they chewed the fat about border security, "law and order" and other issues they felt had been ignored by the previous administration. One Texas sheriff brought up asset forfeiture, explaining that a state senator had produced a bill that would require a conviction before law enforcement could seize a person's property.
Advertisement:
Trump was aghast that anyone would suggest such a thing, replying, "Can you believe that? Who is the state senator? Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career."
All the sheriffs laughed heartily, but other people in the room visibly winced. We know that Trump likes to threaten people and if his early executive orders are any example, he's serious about carrying through on his promises.
As former GOP congressman David Jolly said on MSNBC:
Advertisement:
The president of the United States could destroy a member of Congress with a single tweet. And that's why no member of Congress wants to speak out too much.
If that doesn't work, he has the whole Department of Justice and half the police in the country at his disposal. People may think he's just joking, but Trump isn't really a funny guy. His threats are real, and people should be careful about what they say to him.
That sheriff wisely refused to name names. Whether to do that is a question many people will have to ask themselves in the coming days. When it comes to bringing the strong arm of the law down hard, Donald Trump isn't kidding.Cats are awesome, and one security engineer is making them even more awesome by transforming them into "WarKittehs" -- cats that are capable of scouting for Wi-Fi hackers.Gene Bransfield equipped a cat with a device that can detect when wireless networks are vulnerable to attack.Bransfield said the idea is pretty simple. The cat roams a neighborhood and the device maps wireless networks, detecting which ones aren't secured. From there, the hacker can squat outside a location and go to work."If I'm going to do some sort of hacking or some sort of malicious activity, I won't want to do it from my house because they can track me to there. I can go to somebody else's house, connect to their Wi-Fi hotspot through their open Wi-Fi, and then if you want to do hacking or something terrible like child pornography, you can download it via that open Wi-Fi access point. And when the FBI shows up, they're going to show up where that access point was, not the guy who connected to it," Bransfield said.He said a third of the two dozen wireless networks his cat scanned were vulnerable. In order to protect themselves, wireless users should set their routers to use the latest encryption method, WPA 2Walter Robb, the company’s co-president, acknowledged that Whole Foods was fighting strong consumer perceptions about the chain’s prices, and he added that some of that was deserved. But he said the company had made a strong effort to challenge its competitors on price.
“I’m getting a little tired of that tag around our neck,” he said, referring to the nickname. “We are a lot more competitive than people give us credit for. We challenge anyone on like items.”
Whole Foods’ makeover comes amid a tumultuous time in the grocery industry, as customers struggling to pay for higher-priced fuel and food are trading down to lesser products and discount-oriented stores.
Photo
A July survey by TNS Retail Forward, of Columbus, Ohio, found that 20 percent of shoppers have changed where they buy groceries and household essentials because of the economy. The biggest beneficiaries have been dollar stores and discount grocers like Aldi and Save-a-Lot, which offer a limited selection at extreme discounts.
The losers have been convenience stores, drug stores, health and natural food stores, and conventional supermarkets.
In the last month alone, grocery chains like Safeway, Supervalu and Delhaize Group, whose stores include Hannaford Brothers and Food Lion, have lowered their earnings outlooks because of higher energy costs and consumer penny-pinching. On Thursday, Winn-Dixie executives said increased budget offerings in the most recent quarter had bolstered sales but hurt the company’s earnings.
“The economy caught a lot of them off guard,” said David Orgel, the editor in chief of Supermarket News, a trade publication. He said that many grocers, aiming to compete with the likes of Whole Foods, have spent the last few years positioning their stores for a “more upscale experience.” They are suddenly scrambling to give consumers the budget items that they are demanding.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
Making matters worse for Whole Foods, consumer interest in organic food appears to be leveling off after several years of double-digit growth, according to the Hartman Group, a market research firm specializing in health and wellness.
Laurie Demeritt, president of the Hartman Group, said core consumers for organic goods, about 15 percent of the population, are becoming even more committed. But people less attached to such items are continuing to buy organic dairy products, produce and meat, and are buying fewer organic goods among packaged items, like cereal and crackers, she said.
“They don’t see those center-store categories as being so important,” she said. “The economy has only exacerbated that situation.”
The downturn in the economy comes during an inglorious stretch in Whole Foods’ otherwise remarkable 28-year history. It was not long ago that Whole Foods was the toast of Wall Street and the envy of its competitors, with its gleaming stores stocked with organic produce, hormone-free meats and premium cheeses.
Photo
But Whole Foods’ stock has been sliding for two and a half years, in part because it was not able to maintain the double-digit same-store sales growth that was once routine and because its margins have been hurt by an aggressive strategy for adding new and bigger stores.
(The chain’s same-store sales increase, 6.7 percent in the second quarter, and its gross profit margin, 35 percent, remain among the best in the industry.)
In the last earnings report, in May, Whole Foods executives said it was not clear how the weak economy was affecting sales. On Tuesday, the company will report earnings for the most recent quarter, one in which many other grocers struggled.
Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.
“It’s becoming clear that this worsening economic environment is having an impact on consumers at all economic levels,” said Mitchell P. Corwin, an analyst at Morningstar. “The Whole Paycheck image can really hurt you.”
Mr. Corwin said it would take time for Whole Foods to change that image. “When you walk into these big beautiful stores, it’s hard for a consumer to think that it is a value-oriented type of retailer,” he said.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
Andrew Wolf, an analyst for BB&T Capital Markets, said Whole Foods was “a tale of two stores.” He said the grocery items in the middle of the store are competitive if not cheaper than those at other stores offering the same products, mentioning items like Kashi cereal.
But he said that Whole Foods was more expensive on the perimeter of the store, where it sells produce, meat, seafood and prepared foods, items that account for the majority of sales.
“They’ll say the price is higher, but the quality is higher,” he said. “It’s kind of, ‘You get what you pay for.’ ”
Photo
With the economy still deteriorating, a big question for Whole Foods is whether even its core customers will continue to pay prices like $6.99 a pound for all-natural, air-chilled chicken breast or $12 for a bag of cherries.
“We’ve seen evidence of people being more careful with their choices,” said Mr. Robb, the co-president, who said that consumers were still buying items like wine and cheese, but perhaps buying cheaper varieties.
Despite the economic turmoil, he said consumers remained intensely interested in health and the quality of their food, where he believes Whole Foods has an edge.
The company’s budget strategy is on prominent display at its expansive store in Edgewater, N.J., which competes with a Trader Joe’s down the street. A tomato-colored “Weekly Buys” flier is clearly visible by the front door, and sale signs are sprinkled throughout the aisles.
Burger patties were on sale recently for a dollar each, while value packages of fresh cod and salmon were a dollar a pound less than smaller amounts purchased at the fish counter.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
Still, it was hard to find a shopper who considered Whole Foods a bargain, though many raved about the store’s organic goods, produce, meat and fish.
“It’s a great store, but I don’t see it as a value,” said Linda Martino, 41.
But Susan Davis, 56, said she had noticed more sale signs. “I came for something else one day and was shocked to find the meat on sale, so I bought it and put it in the freezer,” she said.
At the conclusion of the “Value Tour” in Philadelphia one recent evening, one participant, Katera Moore, said she thought it had been worthwhile because she had learned about a few bargains, like frozen fish fillets and domestically produced cheese.
Even so, she said she considered Whole Foods expensive for average people. Ms. Moore, 34, said, “It was only cheap if you were a vegetarian willing to eat beans and tofu.”Bitsquare: The 'Missing Link' for Decentralized Bitcoin Exchange
The need for trading cryptocurrency on a safe exchange means a lot to the digital currency community, especially after the failure of many businesses. Compromised exchanges, either by hacks or “exit scams,” have plagued the Bitcoin space for a while now. A decentralized exchange is one concept that has been introduced to the discussion and is currently being developed by a
|
And then there were five. The Daily Beast has learned that another man has stepped forward to accuse Michael Jackson of sexually victimizing him.
The latest sexual assault complaint, filed in court last Friday, remains sealed, but two sources close to the case revealed that the man involved is James Safechuck, who appeared in a Pepsi ad featuring Jackson in 1987 and proceeded to have a close association with the singer for several years. Safechuck was mentioned as a potential abuse victim by employees of Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in court documents filed ahead of the star’s 2005 criminal trial, but he always denied that Jackson had molested him. Now, the sources said, Safechuck’s complaint claims that Jackson groomed him and molested him for several years beginning when he was 10 years old.
Safechuck added his name to a suit originally filed by Wade Robson in May 2013. Robson, an Australian who is now 31, testified in Jackson’s defense at the singer’s 2005 trial, where the pop icon was found not guilty of child molestation and other charges. But later, Robson changed his mind. Last year, he alleged in a civil suit against Jackson’s estate that the singer had forced him to perform sex acts. Both Robson, who was once a top Hollywood choreographer, and Safechuck, 36, are represented by the L.A. law firm of Gradstein & Marzano. Partners in that firm declined to comment on their latest filing.
“It’s the same type of sex abuse claim as Wade’s,” a source close to Safechuck said. “Only with a different set of facts … and dates. According to the source, Safechuck alleges that he “was molested from the age of 10 to about 14 or 15.”
Asked why Safechuck, now a married computer programmer with two young children living in Southern California, would come forward with an allegation after all these years, one source said he was motivated by Robson’s very public announcement last year that he had come to the realization that Jackson was a “child molester and pedophile.”
“Once you start having children and you see what it’s all about … your perspective on life changes,” the source said, requesting anonymity because they lacked authority to speak on the record. According to the source closest to Safechuck, he now believes that “some of his current issues” stem from his long-ago relationship with Jackson.
(Jackson's attorney, Howard Weitzman, did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this story).
Like Robson, Safechuck had long denied rumors that he had been sexually victimized by the former superstar. It was only after seeking intensive therapy, according to one source, that he was able to begin to deal with his undisclosed issues.
“It is very common for males who are sexually abused to delay disclosure for a long time,” according to Christopher Anderson, the executive director of MaleSurvivor.org. “In fact, research shows that the average delay in disclosure for men who have been sexually assaulted is 20 years.” Anderson says some of the men who come to his self-help organization have waited over 60 years to reveal their abuse.
Safechuck was 10 years old when he was cast in a Pepsi commercial designed to promote Michael Jackson’s first solo world tour, the Bad Tour. It was 1987, and the tiny, smiling blond boy seemed perfectly suited to play the part of a mischievous Jackson fan that sneaks into the star’s dressing room to catch a glimpse of his idol.
Watch: James Safechuck’s 1987 Pepsi Ad
By early 1988, little Jimmy Safechuck seemed constantly at Jackson’s side. In February, the odd couple was photographed at the Kahala Hilton Hotel in Hawaii, where they attended a Pepsi conference. (The beverage maker was the sponsor of Jackson’s concert tour.) In March, they were in New York and joined by Liza Minnelli to catch the opening performance of The Phantom of the Opera. There was also the obligatory shopping spree at the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store across from Central Park. In July, Safechuck traveled with Jackson to England for an awards ceremony for the wildly popular entertainer and a string of Bad Tour concerts at Wembley Stadium. In June, Jimmy and the 30-year-old Jackson were in Paris for more concert appearances. And, it was Jimmy who appeared at the final Bad Tour concert in Los Angeles, dressed exactly like his much older friend and performing the Moonwalk dance right alongside Jackson.
Sources said that in the sealed complaint, Safechuck claims “childhood sexual abuse” by Jackson and gives a detailed account of how the boy and man first met, their early correspondence and the various “grooming” steps Jackson is alleged to have taken as he inserted himself into young Safechuck’s life.
In court documents filed by the prosecution ahead of Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, various employees from Jackson’s Neverland Ranch were quoted saying Safechuck was a frequent and familiar guest. Several were set to testify that they saw or suspected Jackson was molesting young Safechuck. An estate manager was quoted in one court submission saying that he saw Jackson standing in the Jacuzzi with his hands “down the front of Jimmy’s underpants and was manipulating the boy’s genitalia.” In the same document filed by the prosecution, a trusted master bedroom maid said she saw the pair in bed together, nude from the waist up, both inside the main house and on a bed overlooking the Neverland theater screen. But since Safechuck had never made a claim of sexual abuse, the judge ruled the jury could not hear any of those prosecution claims.
In late 1993, after I broke the original story that a young boy named Jordie Chandler had accused Jackson of molesting him, La Toya Jackson held a news conference in Tel Aviv and said she could no longer be a “silent collaborator” to her brother’s “crimes against innocent children.”
“This has been going on since 1981,” she said into the camera, “And it’s not just one child.” Later, La Toya would claim she made that statement under threat of violence from her abusive husband, Jack Gordon.
In 1994, La Toya also told the TV interviewer Geraldo Rivera a story of how she and her mother once found a canceled check she said Michael had written for $1 million, made payable to the father of one of Michael’s most frequent boy pals. She did not name the child.
“The father, supposedly, is a garbage collector,” La Toya said. Jimmy Safechuck’s father was—and still is—employed in the rubbish disposal business. Howard Weitzman, an attorney for the Jackson Estate, has called Robson’s lawsuit a money-grab, “transparent … outrageous and sad.” Dispensing money to make problems go away was not an unusual thing for Michael Jackson back in his heyday. My book on the case revealed the specifics of the monetary settlement hammered out for Jordie Chandler, complainant #1. His divorced parents agreed to a package of more than $20 million (including payment of all their legal fees) in exchange for their perpetual silence. No complaining witness, no trial.
Related: British Paper: Jackson Spent $34 Million to Silence Alleged Victims
Complainant #2 was Jason Francia, the young son of one of Jackson’s longtime maids, Blanca Francia. She told me in a 1993 interview that Jackson often urged her to bring her 7-year-old boy to work with her. After catching them in a darkened room nestled inside a sleeping bag, Francia said her son admitted Jackson had told him to keep something secret: three $100 bills the singer had stuffed in young Jason’s pocket. Francia eventually quit the job because her son had become angry and depressed and, as she put it, she couldn’t take the procession of Jackson’s little “special [boy] friends” anymore. After the Chandler allegations hit Jackson lawyers doubled-back and Francia was quietly offered a $2 million dollar settlement to keep mum. Again, no complaining witness, no trial.
In 2003, a young cancer survivor named Gavin Arvizo became complainant #3. He alleged Jackson had shown him porn, fed him “Jesus Juice” (alcohol) in a Diet Coke can and sexually molested him during sleepovers inside the master bedroom suite at Neverland. Those charges resulted in Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, at which he was acquitted of 14 charges. Jackson’s defense team vilified the Arvizo family repeatedly, calling them “grifters and liars” who were out for Jackson’s money. Defense attorney Tom Mesereau proudly spoke about the strength of his lead-off witness, Wade Robson. Back in 2005, Robson had energetically defended Jackson and swore that when he was a child the defendant had never touched him inappropriately.
Related: Gavin Arvizo’s New Beginning: Jackson Abuse Accuser Gets Married at 24
Today, as complainant #4, Robson says he was brainwashed by Jackson to keep their ugly secret. During his Today show appearance in May 2013 Robson said Jackson had “performed sexual acts on me and forced me to perform sexual acts on him,” beginning when he was 7 years old and lasting until he was 14. He says it wasn’t until he had his own child that he came to understand what Jackson did to him was a crime. Robson’s lawsuit now claims that he suffered two nervous breakdowns in recent years which forced him to turn down lucrative choreography jobs. Although he has worked with top musical celebrities—Britany Spears,*NSYNC, Usher and Pink to name a few—Robson says he remains unable to work.
Now that a fifth man has come forward claiming he was victimized is Jackson’s former prosecutor, Ron Zonen, surprised?
“Not at all,” he said during a telephone call. “I don’t think we’re done yet.” Zonen, now retired, mentioned the years-long Jackson investigation conducted by the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office and added, “All these people, these suspected victims, are now in their early 30s, all young adults and they are coming to grips with what happened to them.”It’s not uncommon to have a hunch about someone’s name based on their facial features. As it turns out, there’s scientific evidence to back up this idea, according to research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published online in February 2017.
It all boils down to the “face-name matching effect,” a way in which, the researchers say, “both a social perceiver and a computer are able to accurately match a person’s name to his or her face.” They found that participants were able to do so “significantly above chance level” and that cultural associations (“stereotypes”) about names play a role, and this may be partially because what people thought about the names was reportedly specific to a participants’ background.
In case you think it’s just human bias: robots think we look alike too. The researchers found that computer that had been taught to match names to faces with a learning algorithm, when presented more than a whopping 94,000 pictures of faces, succeeded the majority of the time, nailing between 54% and 64% of its guesses.
Who participated in the study
The researchers carried out eight studies total— six where hundreds of French and Israeli participants matched names to faces (done in varying formats, with each study having different numbers of people) and featuring computer that had been taught a algorithm.
But no matter who was participating in the study— human or machine— the participants were shown pictures of faces of people they didn’t know, each one accompanied by different names‚ one of which was the person’s actual one.
What the researchers found
Of all of the findings, here are a few that stood out.
As the press release points out, during each study, human participants did better picking the right names (25-40% correct) than doing so randomly (20-25% correct), “even when ethnicity, age and other socioeconomic variables were controlled for.” It also states that when a computer participated during a study, it was 54-64% accurate, compared to 50% accurate when doing so randomly, and that the results were “culture-specific” when humans participated.
Study 5 also helped illustrate that people did better than choosing at random. Participants were shown a picture of a man with the choices Jacob, Josef, Nathaniel and Dan. Spoiler: his name was Dan— they picked this name 38% of the time compared to “the 25% chance level of a random guess.”
But it works both ways— people’s names sometimes impact their faces, which they hypothesize is somewhat of a “Dorian Gray Effect,” citing prior research.
The study found that “the face-name match implies that people ‘live up to their given name’ in their physical identity. The possibility that our name can influence our look, even to a small extent, is intriguing, suggesting the important role of social structuring in general and naming in particular in the complex interaction between the self and society. We are subject to social structuring from the minute we are born, not only by our gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, but also by the simple choice that others make in giving us our name.”
Lead author Yonat Zwebner, a PhD candidate at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem when the research was carried out, commented on the findings in a statement, showing that stereotypes can play a role.
“We are familiar with such a process from other stereotypes, like ethnicity and gender where sometimes the stereotypical expectations of others affect who we become…Prior research has shown there are cultural stereotypes attached to names, including how someone should look. For instance, people are more likely to imagine a person named Bob to have a rounder face than a person named Tim. We believe these stereotypes can, over time, affect people’s facial appearance,” Zwebner said.
We sometimes attribute certain names to people based on cultural stereotypes, but it’s also possible for our names to impact how we present ourselves.Discounts and promotions on food and drink
Given the amount of our food and drink that is purchased on discounts and promotions, the Committee is urging the Government to follow the evidence-based advice to create "a level playing field". It was Industry representatives themselves, when giving evidence to the Committee, who explained that the current Government plans risk being undermined unless there is regulation. Retailers who act responsibly on discounting and promotions should not be put at a competitive disadvantage to those who do not.
The Government's plan to tackle childhood obesity was published in August 2016. Although the Health Committee welcomes the measures the Government has announced on the sugary drinks levy, they are extremely disappointed that several key areas for action that could have made the strategy more effective have not been included.
Call for Government to set clear goals
Chair of the Health Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, says:
"We are extremely disappointed that the Government has rejected a number of our recommendations. These omissions mean that the current plan misses important opportunities to tackle childhood obesity. Vague statements about seeing how the current plan turns out are inadequate to the seriousness and urgency of this major public health challenge. The Government must set clear goals for reducing overall levels of childhood obesity as well as goals for reducing the unacceptable and widening levels of inequality."
The soft drinks industry levy
The Committee also calls on the Government to ensure that manufacturers pass on the cost of the levy to ensure that there is a price differential at the point of sale between high- and low- or no-sugar drinks. The Committee feels that this would enhance the effect of the levy in encouraging low or no sugar choices and that failure to pass on the levy would result in consumers having to cross subsidise high-sugar products.
The Committee has welcomed the tiered levy and recognises that this has already started to drive reformulation and further recommends that it be extended to include milk-based drinks with added sugar.
Distribution of income from the levy
The report welcomes the Government's positive response to the Committee's recommendation that the proceeds of the soft drinks industry levy should be directed towards measures to improve children's health including through increasing access to school sports and to breakfast clubs. The Committee will follow up how the income from the levy is distributed, including the ways in which this can help to reduce the inequalities arising from childhood obesity.
Further information
Image: iStockphotoPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Senior Iranian political figures appear to have snubbed the formal endorsement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His predecessors as president, Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, did not attend the ceremony. Also missing were the two opposition candidates defeated in June's election - that was mired in claims of rigging - Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Later, riot police reportedly prevented several opposition protests in Tehran. After the 12 June election, thousands of Iranians took to the streets in the largest mass demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Hints of tension The BBC's Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, says public protests have ebbed since, in the face of mass arrests and a strong police presence on the streets. The BBC was sent video of a purported opposition protest in Tehran on Monday But Iran's political elite has been in open disagreement about how to move forward and opposition to the president continues to grow, our correspondent adds. Mr Ahmadinejad will be inaugurated for a second term on Wednesday, and will have two weeks to form a government that must be approved by parliament. In Monday's ceremony, broadcast live on the state-run Arabic and English TV, but not on the Farsi channels, Ayatollah Khamenei formally gave his backing to Mr Ahmadinejad. Describing last month's poll as a "golden page" in Iran's political history, he declared the incumbent the victor with more than 60% of the vote. ANALYSIS Jon Leyne
Tehran correspondent, BBC News
By endorsing the disputed election victory, Ayatollah Khamenei has tied his political future, and perhaps even the future of the Islamic Republic, to the fate of this controversial president. Today that bond was sealed.
But the leader must already be wondering whether he might need to jettison the president to secure his own future, even though it would cause him enormous political damage.
The real threat to Mr Ahmadinejad could come from his former allies. An increasing number have been expressing doubts about the president's behaviour since the election. As the president attempts to form a new cabinet, and win approval by parliament, his troubles could just be beginning.
Send us your comments "Iranian people have voted in favour of a fight against arrogance, to confront destitution and spread justice," al-Alam TV quoted the Supreme Leader as saying. Mr Ahmadinejad, 52, accepted a decree from Ayatollah Khamenei, bowing as the Supreme Leader offered his hand. There was apparent confusion between the two men as the Supreme Leader appeared to offer his hand, only for Mr Ahmadinejad to reach out and kiss his shoulder. The official Irna news agency later reported that Mr Ahmadinejad had not kissed Ayatollah Khamenei's hand or cheek because he had a cold. Whatever the reason, the strangely awkward moment was a graphic representation of the sometimes difficult relationship between the two leaders, says our correspondent. After the ceremony, witnesses said hundreds of people had attempted to hold a demonstration in Vanak Square in the north of Tehran, but that they were dispersed the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij militia and police. One protester called Maryam told BBC Persian the protest had been peaceful and that they were attacked indiscriminately. "Plain-clothed officers started attacking people from the middle of the crowd," she said. "People were chased away and many were beaten up. Electric batons and tear gas were being used to displace the crowd." Splits on show: how Iran's political elite has changed from 2005 to 2009
Enlarge Image
There were also reports of a demonstration being prevented by riot police in Vali Asr Square. Mr Karroubi is also said to have appeared at one rally. Our correspondent says the real challenge to Mr Ahmadinejad after his swearing-in could be whether he can assemble a credible government that can be endorsed by parliament. He has been dogged by controversy in recent weeks, becoming embroiled in a series of disputes with conservative politicians who would normally be his allies. He promoted a close ally, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, who had angered the establishment by suggesting that Iran was friends with the Israeli people. The appointment led to anger among conservatives and the resignation of one minister. Protester trials The confirmation took place as the authorities continue a crackdown on many of those they allege were involved in directing mass demonstrations after the election results. About 100 reformists and activists were put on trial in Tehran on Saturday. Both Mr Mousavi and former President Khatami denounced the hearings, which continued on Sunday. The charges include conspiracy, rioting and vandalism. INAUGURAL WEEK Monday: endorsed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday: sworn in by parliament
Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Who's who in Iran They were among thousands of Iranians who rejected the official declaration that Mr Ahmadinejad had won the election. Televised confessions have been broadcast, in which a former vice-president, among others, thanked his interrogator for showing him the error of his ways. But the process looks more like an attempt to intimidate the opposition than to present credible evidence, our correspondent says. Mr Mousavi accused the authorities of forcing detainees to confess to the crimes. "Witnessing such trumped-up trials, the only judgment that the conscience of humanity can make is the moral collapse and discredit of its directors." Foreign media, including the BBC, have been restricted in their coverage of Iran since the election protests turned into confrontations with the authorities in which at least 30 people were killed.
Bookmark with: Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionSt. Louis Rams punter Johnny Hekker tried to get in on the contact part of football, but it wasn’t long before he changed his mind about being more involved.
After a punt in the first quarter of Sunday’s game in Seattle, Hekker shoved Seahawks linebacker Cliff Avril to the ground while he was on his way back to the sideline. Hekker was flagged for the cheap shot, but on his next punt, Avril and Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett wanted to make sure he never tried that again.
And Hekker willingly obliged.
This is funny, watch @STLouisRams punter Johnny Hekker dish out a hit but then want no part of taking one pic.twitter.com/6coMXaj6R2 — Chris Clark (@Cdclarksports) December 28, 2015
That’s pretty much the reaction anyone would have after being charged by 260 and 274 pounds of Seahawk. However, Bennett apparently still was upset about it after the Seahawks’ 23-17 loss, and he proceeded to bash Hekker in a locker-room interview.
#Seahawks locker rm video: Michael Bennett: Rams P Johnny Hekker "like a little girl" cowering after hitting Avril pic.twitter.com/gXdEHIGvUW — Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) December 28, 2015
Sounds like he got his point across.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@STN_SportsCLEVELAND, Ohio - The Pro Football Hall of Fame is offering an admission discount for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Anyone dressed in the attire of either of the AFC North teams - who face each other in Monday's game in Cincinnati on Dec. 4 - will receive $5 off admission by mentioning the promotion. The promotion will run for the rest of the season.
The hall is at 2121 George Halas Dr. NW, Canton, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The Steelers have 21 players enshrined, third most by any current franchise, trailing only Chicago (27) and Green Bay (24). Cincinnati has two. The hall has 310 bronze busts.
Throughout the season, the Hall of Fame runs assorted admission discount promos for fans of various teams, from Yankees and Indians backers during the American League Division Series to all of the AFC North teams at the beginning of the football season and others.FOURTEEN MEMBERS OF a Pakistani village council have been arrested for ordering the rape of a teenage girl as punishment for a rape committed by her brother, local police said today.
The incident occurred earlier this month in the neighbourhood of Raja Ram in Muzaffarabad, a suburb of the central city of Multan, investigators told AFP.
“A jirga (village council) had ordered the rape of a 16-year-old girl as punishment, as her brother had raped a 12-year-old,” said Allah Baksh, a local police official.
He said the village council was approached by a man who complained that his 12-year-old sister had been raped by their cousin.
‘Revenge rape’
The council then ordered the complainant to rape the sister of the accused in return, Baksh said – an order which was duly carried out.
The allegations were confirmed by Rashid Taheem, the police officer heading the investigation.
“Both the parties had filed cases of rape against each other at the local police station after the incident that happened last week,” he told AFP.
“We have arrested 14 people of the village council so far,” he said, adding that the “main accused” – the man who raped the 12-year-old – was still at large.
Jirgas, or village councils formed of local elders, are a traditional means of settling disputes in Pakistan’s rural areas, where courts and lawyers are not always accessible or trusted.
But such councils are illegal and have been under fire for their controversial decisions, especially regarding women.
A jirga was involved in one of South Asia’s most infamous cases of sexual violence against women when, in 2002, it ordered the gang rape of a woman called Mukhtar Mai after her brother was falsely accused of rape.
Mai made the unusual decision to defy her rapists and take them to court. Her attackers walked free but she went on to become a high-profile women’s rights activist.
Her story inspired an opera, Thumbprint, which opened in New York in 2014 and premiered in Los Angeles last month.
© – AFP, 2017Simple At less than 10 square metres, filter studio is simple to install when used as an accessory building
filter studio: the prefab backyard studio
If you're looking for extra space, filter studio is your compact, prefab solution:
Prefab: out of sight
filter studio is built off-site and arrives ready to connect. That means no noise, no dust, and no disruption while it's built. Simplified process
Because filter studio is under 10 square metres, it requires no building permit when used as an accessory building. It's fast and easy, with no delay, no headache. Adaptable
Your layout and your interior can be customized to meet your needs. High standards
Among other features, filter studio comes standard with efficient LED lighting, solid hardwood flooring, and healthy low-VOC interior finishes.
How it works
1. Get in touch
Talk to us about how filter studio can work for you. Our team is happy to help you find the best solution for you. 2. Foundation
While your studio is built, a foundation is prepared on site. While every site is different, we are happy to provide foundation services or help you or your contractor to do the groundwork. 3. Delivery
Once your filter studio is ready, we deliver it complete to you and install it onto the foundation. Free delivery within lower mainland British Columbia! 4. Connection
A licensed electrician can connect to your electrical service. We are happy to make a recommendation.Leroy Jetta in action for Australia. Credit:Getty North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas risked a delayed start to the AFL season after his heavy bump forced Irish defender Colm Boyle from the field. The Irishman needed help from team doctors and assistance in leaving the field in the first term. Played was stopped for several minutes after Thomas was late to a marking contest and flattened Boyle with a high bump. He was off the ground at the point of contact. However Thomas has been cleared of any wrongdoing, with the match review panel officiating the series having reviewed the tape and declaring the Roo had no case to answer. Any suspension from this series would have carried over into the AFL home-and-away campaign.
Angry by their lack of effort in the opening Test loss in Cavan, the tourists emerged with the purpose of roughing up their opponents. However, all this did was grant the Irish a pair of free kicks within the opening 30 seconds - the second resulting in the first score, an over, of the game. In front of a disappointing crowd of 28,525, the Irish soon had control, dashing to a 27-8 lead by quarter-time and stretching this to 53-16 by half-time. They continued to dominate after half-time, scoring freely. The Irish were tougher and far more proficient with the round ball. Skipper Michael Murphy was superb as a key forward, destroying opponent Cameron Ellis-Yolmen with his marking and kicking for goal, and reinforced why he has had several AFL clubs chasing his signature. Conor McManus, Ciaran Sheehan and Lee Keegan also dominated possession. The tourists barely had a player who provided consistent drive. Steven Motlop and Lewis Jetta only showing flashes of skill through the midfield, while Eddie Betts worked hard deep in attack without the help of a key tall. Australia's performance could not have come at a worse time, for the future of the series is uncertain, with even next year's return bout in Australia yet to be locked in.
The AFL has said it will attempt to persuade the game's best players to again take part. If it cannot do this, it's doubtful whether the GAA will be keen for the series to continue. The Irish have caught up in terms of strength and speed in recent years, with the Australians now after rule modifications to again help them be competitive. Goals: Ireland: McManus 2, Murphy, McCaffrey, McBrearty, Begley, Australia: Betts, Neade
Overs: Ireland: Murphy 4, McManus 4, Keegan 3, Sheehan 3, Munnelly 2, McBrearty 2, Kilkenny, Flynn, McKaigue, Cavanagh, Shields. Australia: Lewis Jetta, Wellingham, Betts, Thomas, Hill. Best: Loading
Ireland: Murphy, McManus, Keegan, Sheehan Australia: Motlop, Lewis Jetta, BettsBecome a white hat hacker and learn all the practical techniques for penetration testing with this amazing course which will provide conceptual framework to your security training. The course not only covers theoretical concepts but cover the practical demonstrations of various tools like Metasploit, Scapy and WireShark.
The course is divided into the following main sections:
Ethical Hacking Concepts
-What is Ethical Hacking? Know about different types of hackers. Get to know about hacktivism and practical pen testing techniques
Real World Information Gathering
-Learn about foot printing and reconnaissance, Email harvesting, Learn and master SSL scan, Maltego, Whatweb, HttpRecon. Work on techniques like IP address geolocation, DNS and Mail Server Enumeration
Scanning and Vulnerability Gathering
-Learn to use scapy for packet crafting and port scanning, Learn to use network scanning techniques and work on vulnerability identification
Network Attacking Techniques
Master techniques for password cracking, MITM, Sniffing SSL and RDP attacks
Web Exploitation Techniques
Learn about password attacks, SQL Injections, RCE and DOS attacks
Wireless Network Security
Standards in Wireless security, WEP encryption, Wireless sniffing, Protecting Wireless networks
Metasploit
Learn to use the metasploit tool for your projects
Detection Evasion
Learn about the detection evasion techniques
This exhaustive course covers everything you need to know to be a ethical hacker. Get the Knowledge & the Expertise.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Vince Cable: The Tory immigration target is "totally unenforceable"
Business Secretary Vince Cable has accused the Conservatives of "lying" by claiming they can eliminate the budget deficit without the need for tax rises.
He told the Lib Dem conference the Conservative Party was "obsessed" with spending cuts, with many public services already "cut to the bone".
And he said the Lib Dems could "not go along with" Conservative proposals for £25bn of further spending cuts.
The Conservatives said voters would decide on their tax plans next May.
They have pledged to eliminate the deficit without increasing taxes.
In a speech which saw his most outspoken attack yet on his party's coalition partners, Mr Cable said: "The Tories are ideologically obsessed by cuts. They see it as a way of destroying public services and the welfare state, which they detest.
"Any politician who tells you that the next government can balance the budget and avoid tax increases is lying to you."
In other developments at the conference:
Deputy PM Nick Clegg said David Cameron's plans to renegotiate Britain's relationship with Europe would turn out to be "largely synthetic"
Mr Clegg unveiled proposals to build 50,000 new homes at towns along the route of a re-opened railway line between Oxford and Cambridge
Health minister Norman Lamb warned the Lib Dems to think twice before going into coalition with Labour while Ed Miliband was its leader
Mr Cable said airport expansion at Gatwick was "a preferable alternative" and "less problematic" than expansion at Heathrow, which is near his Twickenham constituency
Lib Dem delegates backed calls for a review of Universal Credit; reform of the Hardship Fund; changes to the Work Programme; an easing of benefit sanctions and more support for claimants
After his speech Mr Cable told BBC Radio 4's The World at One "any government" would have to include tax rises in its strategy.
Services like the British Army or the police were "already operating very close to the edge", he said, adding: "It simply isn't possible without doing enormous harm to achieve the deficit reduction simply by spending cuts alone, and that is why I made the strong statement I did."
The business secretary said the Conservatives had set out some tax cuts, but said he was "pretty confident" they would have to increase "other taxes" if they took office.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption David Cameron promised a balanced budget and tax cuts at the Conservative conference
Asked whether the Conservative plans for £25bn of spending cuts would be a "red line" in any future coalition negotiations, he said it was "a fundamental area of difference" but added that he was not discussing the scenario of future coalitions.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said people would "raise an eyebrow" at Mr Cable's comments about his coalition partners.
The language used would be "hard to simply paper over", he added.
A Conservative Party source said: "We respectfully disagree with Mr Cable - if the Lib Dems want to argue for tax increases on working people, then we will make our case for tax cuts to the electorate."
In his speech, Mr Cable said more taxes would be needed, but added that public borrowing for investment was a "no brainer".
The business secretary also said banks were "still taking more money out of small and medium sized companies than they are putting in".
Mr Cable told the conference the Lib Dems had joined the coalition "because there was a national economic emergency".
Image caption Nick Clegg and Vince Cable had a chat in the audience before the speech
"We worked with the Tories because voters chose them as the largest party - not because we liked them, or because we are like them."
The party has "abandoned the politics of perpetual protest", he said, crediting leader Nick Clegg with this "massive transformation".
One of the other areas of policy which Mr Cable highlighted as being different between the parties was immigration, saying the "uncomfortable truth" was that the "vast majority" of migrants benefited the economy.
"Our party has a massive responsibility - to be the voice of sanity, seriousness and sense. Standing up to the purveyors of panic, prejudice and pessimism."
Minimum wage
He also proposed a pay rise for apprentices, to come into effect next October, if cleared by regulators.
Mr Cable said he was writing to the Low Pay Commission recommending that the apprentice rate of the minimum wage and the 16/17-year-old rate be combined.
Most apprentices already earn more than the minimum wage but about 31,000 people are expected to benefit from the move, with their hourly rate going up from £2.73 to £3.79.
The £1.06 hourly increase is backed by the Conservatives.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam visited a Glasgow school on Monday morning
Labour's shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "You can't trust Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrats. They broke their promises and have been too weak to stand up to the Tories."
He pointed to the increase in tuition fees and said working people were £1,600 a year worse off since 2010.
The Conservatives have accused the Lib Dems of "trying to wriggle out of" making £25bn in cuts and asked how the Lib Dems would find the savings the Conservatives plan to make with a benefit freeze.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Vince Cable warned of "an obsession over ever-deeper cuts in public spending"
On the proposal to raise apprentices' pay, Katja Hall, deputy director general of business group the CBI, said it was "unwise" to increase the cost to firms of taking on young people, saying it would "put off many smaller firms from getting involved".
The Lib Dem conference has been dominated by attacks on the Conservatives, with former leader Sir Menzies Campbell even stepping in to urge his colleagues to rein-in their "extravagant" language.
What has upset senior party figures the most are Conservative plans - announced last week - to freeze working-age benefits and raise the threshold of the 40p income tax rate.
BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Cable's comments were the latest move by a senior Lib Dem to distance themselves from their coalition partners.
Lib Dem president Tim Farron accused the Conservatives of being "borderline immoral" for trying to "balance the books on the back of the poor".
At the Conservative conference last week Chancellor George Osborne said "the option of taxing your way out of a deficit no longer exists, if it ever did".
He said the UK was the fastest-growing economy of any developed nation and said the Conservatives "here resolve that we will finish the job that we have started", in getting the economy on track and eradicating the deficit.SpaceX said today that it continues to narrow the investigation into what caused the on-pad fire that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and its Amos-6 satellite on September 1. The root cause still has not been determined, although the company hopes
|
comment.
“We have no response at this time,” a spokesperson for the Department of Justice wrote in an email.
If you know anything about Capitol Ministries, governmental Bible studies, or Dominionism on Capitol Hill or in the White House, please get in touch.
Advertisement
This story was produced by Gizmodo Media Group’s Special Projects Desk.You must sign in or register to continue reading content.
OLYMPIA — Rep. Mary Helen Roberts wants to get the state tuned in and turned on about the need for new dope laws.
Possessing a little marijuana should be decriminalized for sure and maybe even legalized, contends the Lynnwood Democrat.
“What harm would it do anybody if I grew a plant in a pot on my back deck,” Roberts said this week.
Today, the woman some lawmakers teasingly call the Pot Queen will share her views in a podcast — or is that a potcast? — hoping to ignite a dialogue on changing how the state deals with marijuana users.
“We are not even having the conversation,” she said. “It is going on but not everyone is engaged. This budget crisis is engaging more of us.”
She calculates millions of dollars can be saved and communities made safer if cops spend less time cracking down on marijuana smokers and more on capturing violent offenders.
And cash-depleted coffers of the state and counties might get a little boost from “Mary Jane” with properly crafted policies.
Legislation introduced in the House and the Senate in January sought to do that.
The bills made possession by adults of up to 40 grams — less than 1.5 ounces — of marijuana an infraction rather than a misdemeanor. Those cited would face a $100 fine with the money going into health care funds.
The House bill never got a hearing, while the Senate version didn’t get a vote.
Sen. Joe McDermott, D-Seattle, a sponsor of the Senate measure, said the state could save up to $7 million a year by not investigating and prosecuting thousands of possession cases.
“We need to be smart about how we spend those resources and recognize what pot is and what it isn’t,” he said, applauding Roberts for her planned podcast.
Roberts, 61, said she inhaled while working in Olympia with a state commission dealing with women’s issues in the 1970s. So, too, did many of the staffers from the legislative and executive branches of government she hung out with.
“It was a weekend, casual drug. None of us moved on to harder things and none of us wound up in jail,” she said, noting she stopped smoking long before becoming a mother.
She picked up the Pot Queen nickname in January when an e-mail she wrote to the author of the House bill became public. Today, some colleagues pass by her desk mimicking the enjoyment of a joint.
“Why aren’t we making possession of a small amount legal,” she wrote to Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines. “I think the public is ready for this. I know I am.”
Rick Steves of Edmonds is past ready.
For a decade, the travel writer, whose work appears in The Herald, has talked of the need for marijuana law reforms. Thursday he sent a letter to lawmakers iterating support for the ideas behind the legislation.
Part of his message was that backing decriminalization does not make one pro-drugs.
“It’s not an issue of being soft on drugs or hard on drugs. It’s a smart on drugs on policy,” he said in an interview.
“Eighty million Americans have tried it, including a president who enjoyed it,” he said.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, [email protected] Delegate and Republican Senate candidate Bob Marshall, who led the battle against the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor, appeared on CNN Thursday and defended his position, saying, among other arguments, that “sodomy is not a civil right” and that he was worried how a gay judge would rule in the case of a “bar room fight between a homosexual and heterosexual.”Virginia’s House of Delegates defeated the nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland earlier this week, after what The Richmond Times-Dispatch called a “late-hour lobbying offensive by social conservatives.” Thorne-Begland would have been the first openly gay judge elected in Virginia.
In his CNN appearance, Marshall criticized Thorne-Begland, a former Naval officer who came out as gay 20 years ago, for lying about his sexuality to the military.
“He displayed a pattern of behavior that was inconsistent with what we have come to expect in Virginia judges,” Marshall said. “We’ve never appointed an activist of any kind along these lines, much less somebody who has a long history of this.”
“Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks never took an oath of office they broke,” Marshall said, in response to a question from host Brooke Baldwin. “Sodomy is not a civil right, it’s not the same as the civil rights movement. You have to look at the past. In late 2011, he was critical of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ He criticized our attorney general simply for explaining what the law of Virginia is with respect to certain protected classes. So, he has gone beyond that. He can be a prosecutor, if he wants to. We don’t want advocates as judges.”
Baldwin then asked: “You bring up sodomy. Is the reason why you voted against him because he’s gay, pure and simple?”
“No. Sorry, you’re mischaracterizing that,” Marshall said. “I said sodomy is not a civil right and there’s an effort by homosexual lobbyists to equate the two. That’s wrong.”
Watch:
Â
Â
Â
Â
ÂWe need your help to make this happen!
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
DATE: APRIL 25-26, 2014
Free Festival Kick Off Party on Friday complete with live music and a food truck rodeo @Durham Central Park
Image courtesy of triangleexplorer.com
Free Outdoor Stage for the Ultimate Day Party to be held at American Tobacco on Saturday. This will include family friendly programming and kids activities.
Multiple Indoor Venues for the Club Pass Series on Friday and Saturday Nights. These venues are: Motorco Music Hall, Pinhook, Casbah and PSI Theatre @ Durham Arts Council.
Two Night Headliner Series @ The Carolina Theatre featuring legendary jazz icon Maceo Parker and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble.
Maceo Parker
MAF
VIP Venues: There will be a VIP experience for this festival which will include access to “secret” areas on the festival footprint.
Panel Discussions: We will host a panel discussion at Full Steam Brewery. This discussion will be around the word jazz and its link to hip hop culture. We will invite local jazz leaders to be on the panel.
Master Classes: We will be asking our premier performers to hold masterclasses on neighboring university campuses.
Wait? Who Are We Anyway?
Art of Cool, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, aims to present award winning world-class jazz-roots musicians based locally as well as nationally in a festival atmosphere. We aim to pair this live music experience with the best food and beer/wine Durham, NC has to offer. We want to bring new, unusual, exciting artists and curate unique collaborations. The festival will take place in the best outdoor spaces and indoor music venues in downtown Durham, NC. Enveloped by old tobacco warehouses Durham has an urban industrial cool factor that is unmatched in the region.
What if I don't like jazz?
The number one question that we have been asked when shopping this festival to the community stakeholders is...."What if I don't like jazz?"
The advantages to mounting such a festival are numerous.
1.This festival will attract new people to downtown Durham and help promote the assets that make it unique and viable.
2.The festival will be tailored to fit the cool image/identity of downtown Durham.
3.This festival will get people thinking about what is important and worth preserving in downtown Durham and encourage them to invest in the places they live.
WHY DURHAM, NC & WHY JAZZ?
Durham has the talent, venues, and audience to launch a successful jazz festival. Durham is currently home to three-time Grammy nominated jazz saxophonist, Branford Marsalis; six-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon; Grammy nominated jazz bassist, John Brown; and Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Kate McGarry. These Durhamites are great examples of world-class local talent that live among us in the Bull City. In 2012 The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) finished #5 in box-office sales and Carolina Theatre finished in the top 100. Both of these venues are in 1 city block (5 minutes walking distance) from one another in proximity. The audience for jazz is well-educated, high-income earners, and between the ages of 35-55. The Triangle area with its abundance of universities, health care and research companies, and technology startups is a great pool for a jazz roots audience. With these 3 elements (talent, venues, and audience) working in our favor, Durham is poised to tap into its rich music tradition of jazz/blues roots and produce a two-day multi-venue festival downtown in 2014.
LET'S TALK NUMBERS
We are currently in our second round of funding. We have raised funds through private donor parties and corporate sponsorships. Our financial budget relies on cash income from several sources: corporations, consumers, grants and private donations.
Putting on a world-class 2-day festival is a costly endeavor. We cannot produce such an event without your help. Our expenses include: accounting & legal fees, audio-visual rentals, performer fees, insurance, licenses & permits, marketing & advertising, security, production fees, venue rentals, signage, ticketing fees, taxes, and much more. All funds received will go directly to performer expenses.
OK I'm Sold...What's in it for me?
UPDATE: New reward - JUST ADDED
LOCALLY COOL: Rewards 1 and 2 + 2-day wristband that includes admission for ONE person to all club shows and The Carolina Theatre + curated local merchandise from small businesses on the festival footprint.
NOTE: Rewards #8 ($500 level) and #9 ($1000 level) still include the VIP experience.I recently asked a friend of long standing, involved in law enforcement in California, how the state’s massive immigration looked, in the streets and court rooms, to someone actually there. The following is his answer, edited only to remove identification. It is consisten with what I have seen myself, though a decade ago, and what other friends in other parts of the US report. I have put in bold type parts that seem to me indicators of what we will see in the future.
Fred,
The following are my opinions based mostly on anecdotal evidence–what I’ve seen and heard in this area (Central California), including things told to me in some cases by deputy district attorneys thoughout this state. I attend frequent state wide conferences wherein we are given week long seminar courses to update our knowledge and to maintain our “continuing education” required to keep our State Bar memberships current. Where my opinion is based on provable facts, I will so note.
The future of Hispanics in California: California will gradually revert to a Mexican/Spanish majority state, thanks both to legal/illegal immigration as well as the higher birth rate amongst that population, particularly in the lower income brackets (this is of course the case with any lower income population, which relates directly to education levels: the higher the education, particularly of women in a population, the lower the birth rate goes).
Politicians in this state are already splitting between Hispanic (meaning mostly Mexican-Americans) and White, with a very few Asian politicians, including Indians. I am not certain of the percentages, but in places like the state legislature, Hispanics have occupied the key positions in the recent past. The mayors of some of the larger cities are Hispanics. Places like San Francisco and its nearby Silicon Valley (actually mostly Santa Clara County/San Jose, and San Mateo County) will continue electing white liberal politicians, coming from the wealthier enclaves whose inhabitants live behind gated communities and use cheap Hispanic labor whilst decrying discrimination against the same folks they are exploiting.
The fantastic wealth generated in Silicon Valley remains firmly in the hands of whites, for reasons too complex to relate here. That money buys elections for “people like us” meaning the white liberals will contribute lots of money to white campaigns in their communities. I don’t see white liberals donating money to Mexican-American citizens for elections within their own communities, although I know they are willing to help elect hispanics to run Los Angeles, Stockton, and other major cities.
Cities are seeing more and more Hispanics running locally for office, though they still don’t have as much political clout as their numbers would suggest. For instance, it is believed that San Joaquin County is nearly 50% Hispanic, with a significant portion of that being from illegal immigration. I see that in court every day. I handle a lot of midsdemeanor cases, which include domestic violence (DV), drunk driving (DUI), drugs, shoplifting and minor thefts, and so on.
I can say from my perspective that around 50% of the DUIs are hispanic, and of those, the majority are here illegally. We cannot ask them in court their legal status in the US, but it is fairly obvious. We keep a Spanish language interpreter on hand every day, as we usually need him for a few of the cases. Most of the illegals speak enough English to make it through a court appearance without an interpreter, so the ones who need it are rare and stand out as illegals even more than others. But we have DUI cases where the driver is carrying a Mexican driver’s license–not recognized in California–or presents a Mexican Counselor ID card to prove his identity.
Those ID cards, by the way, are obtainable for the asking, without proof of birth in Mexico or other evidence, so are virtually useless in determining ID–critical in finding out whether the subject has prior arrests, convictions, etc.–but are accepted in court and law enforcement.
DV is so common amongst Mexican-Americans and the illegals that we call it “Mexican foreplay”. Probably 60 to 70 percent of my DV cases involve Mexicans/Hispanics. The remaining cases are mostly white, often precipitated by drugs or alcohol. Tweakers and alcoholics seem to have tendencies to beat their wives/gfs–or sometimes the tweaker girls beat their boyfriends. For some reason, DV is rare in the black community.
DUI seems to be a Mexican national hobby. I get far more hispanic defendants in that category than any other. And they seem to be most likely to repeat.
As for overall crimes, Mexican gangs pretty well drive the shootings, drug wars, and murders in this area. When I arrived here seven or eight years ago, the area was well saturated with black, asian and hispanic gangs, seemingly of equal status and numbers. The whites who had gang tendencies ended up in the biker clubs, which avoid gang wars, handle meth distribution, and ride motorcycles. Kind of an “odd man out” syndrome for the whites.
The black and asian gangs here have been fairly well marginalized over the past few years since I began here, by the Mexican gangs. The real power is in the Norteños here. The Norteños pride themselves in being mostly “legal” Mexican Americans, whereas the Sureños have a lot of illegal Mexican immigrant kids in their gangs. The drug cartels in Mexico are beginning to run the drug distribution networks in California, whereas in the past it was rather like a contract deal: whatever gang could handle the drugs and get rid of the competition got the drugs to sell. Now, it seems as if the cartels are sending direct orders to various gangs–all Mexican.
ORDER IT NOW
We are hearing of direct murder orders as well coming from the cartel bosses, which was not the case in the past. I expect then that the Sureños will ascend in power, given their more direct dealings with the Mexican cartels. The real dividing line in this state between where the Sureños are the most powerful gang and where the Norteños are the leading gang seems to be Bakersfield, from what I’ve been told and have seen. Meaning of course, that the Norteños are more powerful north of Bakersfield, while the Sureños rule in the southern California areas. That is not true everywhere, as some areas are disputed and some are changing all the time.
This has implications not recognized by most people. When you get sentenced to county jail (and most crimes are being turned into county jail crimes, not state prison, under a series of new laws “liberalizing” criminal behavior) as a Sureño in San Joaquin County, you are in for a rougher ride than most; the jails are populated by a majority of Norteños, who make life Hell for their Sureño rivals. The state prisons have to provide separate dorms, cell blocks and facilities to keep Sureños and Norteños apart. I’ve toured state prisons and was told by guards that this or that entire cell block/buliding was “ruled” by Nortenos or Surenos–the guards really didn’t have control.
Whites and blacks often are housed in the same cell blocks together as there are not enough whites or blacks to take over entire cell blocks in some prisons, whereas the Mexican gang members are present in large enough numbers to require that in order to maintain peace and provide for the safety of the felons. Yes, yes, the State is responsible if they whack each other and will lose millions of dollars in lawsuits by families represented by weird “civil rights” lawyers who hate themselves for being rich, white or male, or all the above.
How widespread is crime? One city of which I am aware had a murder rate two years ago that was six times the national average–virtually all due to gang fights and drug deals gone wrong.
The past year, following saturation by combination patrols and sweeps of Federal, State, County and City police, the murder rate there dropped to about two to three times the national average. It is climbing again this year, rapidly. The drop was brought about by an interesting strategy: numbers-crunchers noted that about 50% of the major crime was caused by only 5% of the criminal population (repeat offenders–most of what I deal with are people with rap sheets–prior crimes). Those same 5% also committed about 80-90% of the murders and other violent crimes. Focus on those, it was opined, and violent crime should drop.
So they went after those people ID’d as violent, repeat offenders, most of whom were on parole or probation–virtually all of those were “searchable”, meaning their conditions of parole or probation, agreed to by them in order to obtain relase from prison, included a requirement that they submit themselves, their persons, property, homes, vehicles, etc. to search without probable cause. Those types were followed, watched, monitored in every way possible and legal, and when a search condition arose (in spite of the “anytime, anywhere, no cause needed” terms of the probation/parole, the cops still need a valid reason to stop them like broken taillights, suspicious behavior, etc.), they would be searched immediately. They nearly always carry something wrong: a baggie of MJ, a rock of crack, a knife, a gun, a crystal of meth–or the stolen property they just lifted from somwhere. And they would go back to the prison on a parole/probation violation.
Parole and probation violations are dealt with rapidly–no waiting for trial, some hearsay testimony is okay, and the case gets a hearing within days or weeks, not six months to a year–and no release on probation (after all, he is in court because he couldn’t meet the terms of his probation).
The joint task force efforts are on-going but I think have eased up because of the enormous cost to other agencies whose mandate doesn’t include local policing, like BATF, FBI, DEA, Highway Patrol and others. In addition things are changing about probation and parole–most cases will now go to county jail instead of away to state prison. And the county jails are overflowing, releasing prisoners every week per Federal court requirements.
Thus, we’ve seen the murder rate jump up again. And it is again mostly Mexican gangs doing the killing. I can read the reports on local murders and see the hispanic suspect names, the fact that the victim was hispanic, in the local park after dark (usually around midnight or up to 4am), and the age and know immediately that it was a gang event.
Relations between white, brown and black? The hispanics generally despise blacks. I have been told by people who know that once hispanics move into a low income neighborhood in Los Angeles, the gangs go down the street and warn young black males to be out of that neighborhood, ASAP–move, run away, whatever, but just don’t be seen here next week. Neighborhoods that were once “black” and had a black gang culture have been transformed–the blacks driven out. The black gangs don’t seem to have it together as well as the hispanic gangs. Can’t say why but you can speculate as well as I can.
As for whites and hispanics, first the whites don’t generally have gangs except for the Aryan Brotherhood in prison and the occasional biker gangs, but they don’t operate like the other racially oriented gangs. Perhaps because, as the dominant culture, they don’t have to. The Mexican gangs don’t usually bother the whites, unless something affects both cultures.
One example about “cultures” and the gangs: I’ve been approached in a health club locker room by Nortenos who were upset by the fact that white and asian men were walking nude with their towels from the lockers to the showers–a “normal” behavior for both cultures. But Mexicans frequently do not want to show their bodies off; I often see them showering with their shorts on. They may then change into dry shorts at the locker, but are half hidden when they do. Or they put their outer clothes over their wet shorts.
ORDER IT NOW
So the Norteno gang members let us know they were enforcing “community standards” (meaning both Mexican and Mexican gang culture) on us and the locals. They emphasized to us that they were “soldiers” tasked with that job. We were advised not to walk nude to and from the showers again. There was no doubt they were Nortenos and what they were doing. Their actions became the subject of some activity by our local police gang task forces–we were never bothered again, and in fact, we haven’t seen obvious gang members at that health club since.
The relations between whites and hispanics on a macro level are reasonable, though some whites are aware that they are losing political power in this state to hispanics. There is some friction at the political area where that is becoming obvious as some hispanic activists make political demands of white politicians and point out the demographics and projection figures, which favor them. I think the friction between the black politicians and hispanic politicians is more egregious, given that their activists are splitting the same pot: entitlements, special consideration, and handouts. But that doesn’t spill over into the general populations of both races/ethnic groups.
At least with the hispanic politicians and activists, they span the spectrum of income levels and education: hispanics, like whites and asians, promote education, work ethic, and moving up the socio-economic ladder, whereas the black activists assume their racial demographic will remain uneducated, low income, etc., without any movement, needing help like children for generations to come. It’s all caused by slavery you know.
(Fred note: “The University of California has admitted more Hispanics than whites for the first time….”:Wall Street Journal.)
Crime has definitely increased due to recent Mexican immigration. And it’s been the worst sort of crime: murders, drug dealing, cartel stuff, and so on. Add to that the significant “minor” crimes of DV and DUIs, and you have quite a drain on our criminal justice/court system.
Assimilation? Mexican Americans are becoming a bit more isolated from other races as they gain demographic advantage, meaning that they retain much of their culture rather than assimilating. Unlike German, Irish, English, Danish, Nowegian, Indian children of immigrants, they don’t try as hard to be “American” but keep calling themselves hispanic or Mexican, celebrating–and demanding the rest of America celebrate–Mexican national holidays and adopt Mexican habits and lifestyles. (I like the food, but really, insisting that Cinco de Mayo be an American holiday??) I don’t see much antagonism to mixed race marriages/relationships between hispanics and whites, though I am sure it exists–just not at the level of mixing blacks and whites (to both races–many blacks, especially black women, hate any black male who mates with white women). And by way of note, the prejudice against mixing Asians and any other race, whether white, black or hispanic, comes from Asians–they are tremendously racist, as a general attitude. (I am speaking in sweeping generalities here–but one cannot speak truth any more, as it is not politically correct).
I think I gave you far more than you expected, Fred. In fact, I have to work for the taxpayers now…. got to go!!Honda’s all new Civic lineup is a refreshing return to form of the Hondas that many of us knew and loved before the brand shifted focus to boring crossovers. For those that find the Type R to be a bit much, the next Civic Si should be just right.
The Honda nuts over at CivicX forum apparently received a note from Honda revealing the torque figure of the upcoming turbocharged Si.
Now you may find it curious why Honda would leak the torque figure and not the horsepower number. The reason most likely has to do with the fact that previous Si models were never really lacking in how many ponies were running under the hood, but rather those motors could be a bit deficient in the twist department. But that was part of their character, they were high-revving four-cylinders that had to be wound up to feel the full power potential. There was a special joy in rowing Honda’s super slick gearbox and shifting at higher RPMs.
Advertisement
Back in the day, Honda’s performance motors had amazing specific output, otherwise known as horsepower-per-liter. For example, the sixth-generation Si sold from 1996-2000, made 160 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 1.6 liter motor, but only made 111 lb-ft of torque. It was a great little screamer of an engine if you had the room to let it out, but could be frustrating for point and shoot type of driving.
The next generation Si will use a tuned version of the 1.5-liter turbo available in the regular Civic that already makes an impressive 167 lb-ft and is fairly quick for your average commuter car. A boost up to 192 lb-ft means the Si should make for an excellent daily driver, but not nearly as extreme as the Type R. In regards to horsepower that is still undisclosed, but a safe bet is probably in the 220 to 230 HP range.
Check out the video below where the Si engineers and product planners talk about preserving legacy and the character of previous Si models in this new turbocharged car.School incidents involving hate symbols and racial slurs appear to have more than tripled during the past school year in a suburb outside Washington and are helping drive a surge in bias-related acts investigated by police.
Since October, more than three dozen bias incidents have been reported by or linked to schools in Montgomery County, mostly involving vandalism with swastikas, racial epithets or other bigoted messages, according to a Washington Post analysis of information provided by police and school officials.
The incidents started amid a divisive presidential campaign last fall and went on long after Election Day, even as the district’s top leader called the acts unacceptable and warned of disciplinary action. More than 25 schools reported problems, including graffiti saying “Brown people suck” and “Heil Hitler.” Images of swastikas appeared on desks, walls, mirrors, a laptop computer and a high school football field.
“The swastika — a symbol of intolerance and hatred — has absolutely no place in our school,” Louise Worthington, the principal at Baker Middle School in Damascus, wrote to parents in one of many such letters that went home from county schools in recent months.
While the incidents have affected just a fraction of the county’s 204 schools, they have sparked concern among leaders who are proud of Montgomery’s diverse population and progressive policies.
Police data shows that bias incidents across the community have soared more than 80 percent for the first half of this year compared with the same period last year — with 68 incidents, up from 37. Among them were three noose incidents, including one in Montgomery Village in June, and anti-gay vandalism.
But police say nearly 43 percent of bias incidents they investigated during the past six months were related to schools.
“We believe some of that increase can be attributed to an increase in awareness,” said Officer Rick Goodale, a county police spokesman. “Many people are calling us to report things they may not have in the past.”
Bias incidents have been on the rise nationally, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which documented more than 1,800 between Nov. 9 and March 31 and said it has never been so inundated with reports. The center found that the most frequent reports were anti-immigrant, followed by anti-black, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts.
[Surge of hate graffiti on bathroom walls, other areas, has Maryland county rattled]
Montgomery school officials say they won’t have exact figures on incidents until late fall or early winter. A year earlier, the district recorded 10 such incidents, according to a school district report. The year before that, six were reported. In 2013-2014, it was two.
The causes of the spike are under study, said schools spokesman Derek Turner, but the district has been seeking to address the problem.
“Regardless of the reason for the increase, we know the solution is conversations with our students addressing issues of racism, bigotry and hate head-on,” he said, noting that such discussions have taken many forms during the past school year.
Jack Smith, Montgomery County’s schools superintendent, has denounced such conduct, calling it unlawful, disturbing and “simply wrong.”
Patricia O’Neill, a longtime county school board member, said that this year’s surge is shocking but that it is also possible schools are reporting more of what they encounter — which she would welcome. “It’s hard to wrap our arms around how big a problem it is if it’s not reported,” she said.
A majority of hate incidents were in high schools and middle schools, information from police and schools shows. District officials say that offenders were sometimes tough to identify — especially in instances of restroom graffiti — but that when possible, they were disciplined.
Winston Churchill High School in Potomac stood out among schools, with at least five incidents. In November, a “Whites only” sign was posted on a restroom door. Later, someone wrote a racial epithet and “Heil Hitler” on a desk. There were two cases of swastikas in restrooms, and an anti-Semitic text message was sent to a student.
[Anti-Semitic incidents under investigation in two Md. schools]
Churchill Principal Joan Benz did not respond to a request for comment. In a message to the school community on March 9, she wrote, “We must stand together to stop these devastating hate-based incidents.”
Some in Montgomery suggest there are more school offenses than the numbers reflect.
The Rev. Mansfield Kaseman, the county’s interfaith community liaison, said that in his experience many school incidents don’t get reported and that many minority and immigrant families are reluctant to come forward. Faith leaders are working with families to encourage more reporting and with the school system on issues of hate-based bullying, he said.
“We know it’s a more serious issue than most people think, deserving of more serious attention from the faith community as well as the school system,” he said.
The district launched an arts competition in March to spur student projects focused on combating hate — an idea partly inspired by a video called “The Lie,” created by fourth-graders at Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village. More than 200 student teams entered, with 35 emerging as winners in different categories.
[Ten-year-olds tackle ‘The Lie’ of demeaning stereotypes in video]
Educators also have taken on initiatives school by school. At Westland Middle in Bethesda, a candlelight vigil was organized as students, parents and staff reeled from vandalism involving swastikas and came together to show that it did not reflect their school.
At Damascus High, former principal Jenn Webster said she decided to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion through “study circles,” used as a way to build relationships and spark tough conversations on race, religion and culture.
Webster went large with the idea — doing it schoolwide for two full days in June.
[Swastika drawn on restroom wall in Maryland high school]
Daniel Bidwick, 17, a rising senior at Damascus High, said the candor made a difference. He recalled students opening up to tell stories about difficult times in their lives that made them who they are — and leaving others so touched they wiped away tears.
“I think it helped kids become more open to situations, and understand you don’t know what people have gone through or are going through and everybody has a story,” he said.
Some families have not been happy with the way their schools have handled such issues. At Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown, one student recalled becoming dispirited by anti-Semitic remarks and bigoted comments about race and sexual orientation made by other students. She said the problem was “a constant issue,” even after it was raised.
The school had sent a letter to parents in February reporting “multiple incidents of students making bigoted remarks,” with the principal describing the conduct as unacceptable and promising that the school would do more to educate students and convey expectations.
Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called on school district leaders to take more forceful action. Denouncements are important, he said, but there must be a greater emphasis on educating students about diversity and bias on a monthly or quarterly basis to “hammer it in.” Punishments should be public and severe, he said.
“There can’t be any tolerance for this,” he said. “No student should ever feel uncomfortable learning in a classroom setting or not feel safe on school property because of who they are or their background.”
The broader issue has sparked community-driven efforts.
In April, nearly 50 community groups in the county launched Communities United Against Hate, a nonprofit organization supporting those affected by hate and discrimination. The group is planning a fall conference to discuss hate in schools.
“We hope to bring the discussion to the forefront,” said David Lee, one of the leaders. “I think with the increased incidents, students especially will be able to find a place to discuss what’s happening in schools in an open setting and get support and resources.”WATER, by Jiyani
Associated directly with food is water. These two are essential to life. Many men died because they did not know how nor where to look for water in apparently dry and arid regions.
WATER IS EVEN MORE ESSENTIAL THAN FOOD FOR SURVIVAL.
Thus one has to know how to find it and fast if one is to survive! We know today that you can go up to 60 days without solid food. You will be tormented by hunger, but you can not survive without water.
Many different forms of life are certain indicators of water in your vicinity. Bees MUST have water. Pigeons and all grain eaters MUST have water, but the flesh eaters such as the crow, hawk and eagle can go without water for a long time. By knowing something of the nature of insects, birds, animals and reptiles you can often find their hidden stores of precious water.
WATER
Since most common diseases in a survival situation are water-born, pollution of drinking water MUST BE RIGOROUSLY AVOIDED.
NEVER! NEVER! EVER TAKE THE SLIGHTEST UNNECESSARY RISK WITH DOUBTFUL WATER. Any one of us can generally get along a while longer without a drink. One drop of contaminated water can so sicken us that if nothing worse, we will become too weak to travel.
STRANGE COUNTRIES and CAUTION
When in strange country it is safer not to drink tap water. Buy and drink bottled water. The safest principle in any event is to assume ALL WATER to be IMPURE until proved otherwise, positively and recently!
PURITY
How can you tell if water is pure? Short of a laboratory we can not. Even where a mountain rill bubbles through sheer mountains, the putrefying carcass of an animal may be lying a few yards upstream.
The folklore that any water a dog will drink is pure enough for his master is false. We have often seen dogs drink from toilets. The same notion for a horse is also false. Smell or [lack of it] is no guarantee. Sulfurous water stinks [horribly], yet it is safe to drink boiled or when not polluted.
The fact that natives may assert a water source is pure could indicate they have built up a degree of immunity. To their systems, the water is not tainted (polluted). Even the loneliest wild stream can be infected with this so called rabbit fever by wild animals such as muskrats and beavers.
Yet taking chances with drinking water in a well-settled community is in one sense a lot less dangerous than trying out water in a wilderness away from medical help.
MAKING SURE IT IS PURE
Water can be rid of germs by boiling. The exact time required to accomplish this depends on altitude, the nature of impurity and several other factors. A safe general rule is at least 10 minutes, longer is by no means a waste except for fuel.
If there is reasonable doubt water is contaminated, don't take chances even if in hurry. A great deal more inconvenience and delay can result from using just any water.
BOILING TAKES ONLY 10 MINUTES
Getting sick takes days even weeks before feeling better; sometimes it results in death. This applies to water actually consumed and with equal gravity, to any water entering the human body. For example, the water in which a toothbrush is dipped, water in which food and utensils are washed, and water used in cooking (except when kept at high enough temperatures for a sufficient time to insure purity) could all be sources for disease.
Boiled water tastes flat. Air and taste can be restored by pouring the cooled water back and forth between two buckets or by shaking it in a partially filled jar or canteen. If one is in hurry and has salt, just add a pinch of salt.
STAGNANT WATER and POLLUTED WATER
Both can be made safe to drink without equipment. If time permits, such water can be filtered through a sieve of charcoal. This will both clarify and to a large extent, purify the water. It is ALWAYS SAFER TO BOIL WATER BEFORE DRINK
|
Israeli ground offensive would "undoubtedly increase the death toll and exacerbate civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip."
2:00 A.M. Rocket sirens sound in northern Negev towns.
1:24 A.M. The alerts that were sounded just after midnight in the Western Galilee were due to the launching of several missiles from within Lebanon, the IDF spokesman says, adding that no injuries were caused in the attack. The IDF also said that massive artillery fire was directed at the source of the shooting in response, and that "severe messages" were conveyed to the Lebanese authorities via the UN's UNIFIL forces. (Eli Ashkenazi)
1:16 A.M. Rocket alert sounds in Eshkol Regional Council
00:27 A.M. Rocket alerts sound in Western Galilee.
For the full updates blog of July 13, click here
A picture taken from the southern Israeli Gaza border shows rockets being launched from the Gaza strip into Israel, on July 13, 2014. AFP
Rocket land site in Golan Heights, July 14, 2014. Gil Eliyahu
Operation Protective Edge, day 6Henderson Mine - Colorado Native Brew Crew Project
Project Date: July 26th – 28th Colorado Work Difficulty: Difficult
CDTC is partnering with AC Golden Brewery’s Colorado Native Brew Crew to provide this weekend-long frontcountry project in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest. Water erosion and high traffic has led to significant damage on the segment of CDT east and west of the Stanley Spur Junction near Jones Pass and Henderson Mine. This high-altitude project is between 10,000 and 11,000 feet – so make sure you’re ready for some thin and brisk Colorado air! Brew Crew Volunteer Projects are open to Colorado Native Brew Crew Members – the Official Adopters of the CDT from Herman Gulch to Berthoud Pass.*
* Not a Brew Crew Member but interested in joining? Go online to register as a Brew Crew Member (for free!) and join us on the trail: https://www.coloradonative.com/brew-crew/register/.Donald Trump: Bio
From captivating billionaire to reality TV star, from WWE Hall of Famer to the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump has truly done it all.
As one of the most famous men in the world, Trump has been recognized as an innovator of real estate, politics and reality television. And how could you miss him? The Donald’s surname — synonymous with wealth and power — has been emblazoned in giant gold letters across skyscrapers and high-rises in the biggest cities in the world. But long before he stepped into the Oval Office, Trump was helping to shape the future of the squared circle. In fact, he had been making a consistent impact on WWE since the days when Andre the Giant was still king.
The Donald’s Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, N.J. hosted both WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V — the only venue to present The Show of Shows two years in a row. Since those unforgettable nights, Trump has remained a familiar face in the front row of WWE events, but it wasn’t until 2007 that the billionaire got in on the action.
In January of that year, The Donald interrupted Mr. McMahon’s “Fan Appreciation Night” on Raw and dropped tens of thousands of dollars from the rafters of the arena onto the WWE fans below. Red-faced that a rival would steal the spotlight from him, Mr. McMahon challenged Trump to a “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 23 with the stipulation that the loser of the bout would have his head shaved bald.
A record number of viewers tuned in to watch The Donald back Bobby Lashley to victory over Mr. McMahon’s Umaga and subsequently shave the WWE Chairman’s signature mane in the center of the ring.
The business magnates locked horns again in June 2009 when Trump purchased Monday Night Raw and immediately announced that next week’s show would air commercial-free and that every WWE fan that who purchased a ticket would be given a full refund. The trademark Trump public relations flourish nearly made Mr. McMahon’s head explode and forced him to buy his show back from The Donald for twice the price.
Following this on-screen rivalry with WWE's Chairman, Trump focused beyond his ever-expanding real estate empire and Emmy-nominated reality television show “The Apprentice,” embracing the world of American politics.
After trading in his favorite television catchphrase “You’re fired!” for a national promise to “Make America Great Again,” Donald Trump won his first presidential campaign against key contender Hillary Clinton and officially took the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2017 to become the 45th President of the United States — the first time in history a WWE Hall of Famer would ever hold the distinguished title of U.S. Commander-in-Chief.
Continue ReadingWhat could be more embarrassing than your favorite black dress or sweater speckled with these annoying dandruff flakes, that are not only unappealing but contribute to itchy dry skin on your scalp?
While some degree of dandruff is absolutely normal, excessive shedding of dead skin cells on the scalp could be a sign of a dermatological condition or improper hair and skin care.
Majority of dry scalp treatments contain excessive amounts of chemicals like sodium laureth, parabens and lauryl sulfate that can only exacerbate itchy dry skin on the scalp. Are there any natural dandruff remedies and alternatives to chemically-laden commercially produced dry scalp shampoos and conditioners?
Let’s take a look at what could become great natural dandruff remedies and help you achieve healthy hair and scalp.
1. Limit intake of sugary foods and drinks, even natural fruit juices and sweeteners like honey, agave and brown rice syrup and many more, since most dandruff conditions are caused by excessive fungal activity that feed off natural scalp oils. High amounts of sugar contribute to fungal growth and inflammation of the skin worsening the problem.
2. Omega 3 fatty acids, both plant and animal-based, are great dry scalp remedies working by supplying body with vital ingredients for healthy skin and hair. Omega 3 also works by reducing inflammation and boosting your immunity naturally. Flaxseed oil, walnuts and fish oil are great natural dandruff remedies that help fix the problem from the inside out.
3. Mix equal parts of apple cider vinegar and warm water, massage all over your hair and scalp, leave on your hair for 30 minutes for one of the best dry scalp remedies that has additional antibacterial and antifungal properties. Apple cider vinegar additionally helps balance hair’s natural PH balance.
4. Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in some water overnight and puree them the next morning to a fine paste, apply to your scalp for 30 minute, rinse properly.
5. A couple of teaspoons of lime or lemon juice should be added to a large container with water and used as a final hair rinse to leave you with dandruff-free and shiny hair. Acidity in citrus juices will help control scalp oil and is considered among the best natural dandruff remedies.
6. Brushing your hair and massaging your scalp daily will help improve blood circulation in your scalp and help remove dandruff scales to reveal healthier and shinier hair.
7. Put kitchen herbs to work as great natural dandruff remedies that can address your itchy dry skin. Steep a handful of oregano leaves in hot water, strain and rinse your hair, massaging the scalp thoroughly since oregano possesses very strong antibacterial and antifungal properties.
8. If your dandruff problem is exacerbated by especially oily scalp that makes getting rid of dry flakes difficult, use organic extra virgin coconut oil that will help soften, loosen up and massage away those pesky white scales. Follow by a hot rinse and enjoy your newly dandruff-free and silky hair.
9. Aloe Vera gel is one of the oldest and most reliable natural dandruff remedies and should be squeezed directly from the aloe plant for maximum benefits and applied directly onto hair and scalp.
10. The last but not least among natural dandruff remedies is tea tree oil that can be added to your favorite natural shampoo to help fight bacterial and fungal overgrowth. Just a few drops of this oil will do for one hair wash.Marvel Secretly Cuts Off Hands As A Star Wars Tribute, Here's Proof By Eric Eisenberg Random Article Blend Star Wars franchise: someone gets a hand or an arm cut off. It happens to Luke Skywalker; it happens to both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader; it happens to Mace Windu… the list goes on and on. What you may not know, however, is that Marvel Studios took a great deal of inspiration from this piece of trivia, and that’s why every single film in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe includes a scene in which a character gets a hand or arm cut off.
This may sound like a crazy fan theory, but it's 100 percent real. How do I know? Because Marvel Studios President
Think that’s impossible? Here's video proof in one special supercut. You may not know this unless you’re a hardcore Star Wars fan, but there is one particular violent act that occurs in just about every single film in thefranchise: someone gets a hand or an arm cut off. It happens to Luke Skywalker; it happens to both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader; it happens to Mace Windu… the list goes on and on. What you may not know, however, is that Marvel Studios took a great deal of inspiration from this piece of trivia, and that’s why every single film in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe includes a scene in which a character gets a hand or arm cut off.This may sound like a crazy fan theory, but it's 100 percent real. How do I know? Because Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently gifted me with this fun bit of information when I sat down to interview him during The Avengers: Age of Ultron's press day in Los Angeles. The producer/executive admitted to me that the "tribute" didn’t start out as intentional, but eventually it was decided that the movies in Marvel’s Phase Two would all have the same little nod to George Lucas’ legendary franchise.Think that’s impossible? Here's video proof in one special supercut. Star Wars nod, he explained
So is this a spoiler for Ant-Man… not really. I’m obsessed with Star Wars. Who’s not? I’m 40 years old. I’m in the movie business. I went to USC. So I’m obsessed with Star Wars - and it didn’t start out as intentional, but it became intentional, including that beat that you referenced. It sort of happens in every Star Wars movie, but I was sort of looking at it, ‘Okay, is Phase Two our Empire Strikes Back?’ Not really, but tonally things are a little different. Somebody gets their arm cut off in every Phase Two movie. Every single one.
Given that Phase Two isn’t quite over yet, our supercut above is incomplete, but this is still pretty awesome, right? Not only is Marvel Studios regularly including little Easter Eggs from the history of
Did this blow your mind like it did ours? Hit the comments below with your thoughts! It was in the middle of our conversation that Kevin Feige revealed this amazing Easter Egg – wearing the wry smile of a man who has successfully kept the lid on an awesome secret for a number of years. Discussing the origins of Marvel's secretnod, he explainedGiven that Phase Two isn’t quite over yet, our supercut above is incomplete, but this is still pretty awesome, right? Not only is Marvel Studios regularly including little Easter Eggs from the history of Marvel Comics, but they are finding a way to squeeze some great Star Wars tributes in there as well.Did this blow your mind like it did ours? Hit the comments below with your thoughts! Star Wars IX Title Leak: Is This It? And Where’s the Trailer? Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topU.S. Briefs
November 21, 1995
Web posted at: 3:20 p.m. EST
Senator Specter to quit '96 presidential campaign
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania will announce Wednesday he is dropping out of the presidential race, senior campaign officials said Tuesday.
Specter will not endorse any of the other Republican presidential contenders at this time, but may do so later, CNN has learned.
Hurt by the potential presidential bid of Colin Powell, Specter's campaign suffered from fundraising problems and lack of support for the senator's moderate message, campaign officials acknowledged. With California Governor Pete Wilson already out of the presidential race, Specter was the only Republican contender who favors abortion rights.
In his withdrawal announcement, planned for Philadelphia, Specter is expected to say he is "suspending" his campaign and will leave open the possibility of re-entering the race later.
But sources said this was a technicality to make sure Specter qualifies for federal matching funds to help retire his campaign debt. It's doubtful he would actually will jump back in, his aides say.
Murder trial moved in Polly Klaas killing
SANTA ROSA, California (CNN) -- The father of murder victim Polly Klaas agrees with a decision to move the trial of her accused killer. After a week-long hearing, a judge ruled Monday that the murder trial of Richard Allen Davis will be held in Santa Clara County, about 100 miles from Petaluma, California where Klaas lived. The judge said publicity about the case had "permeated every nook and every cranny," of Sonoma County, where Petaluma is located.
Marc Klaas praised the ruling and said it was time to get on with the trial. The decision followed two-months of jury selection that failed to seat a jury. Davis is charged with kidnapping 12-year-old Polly Klaas from her bedroom in October 1993. Prosecutors allege he strangled her and dumped her body beside a highway.
Reluctant judge gives longer sentences in crack cocaine case
OMAHA, Nebraska (CNN) -- A judge who claims federal sentencing guidelines in crack cocaine cases discriminate against blacks reluctantly gave longer terms Monday to four black men. U.S. District Judge Lyle Strom, who apologized during the resentencing, was obeying orders from a higher court. Two brothers who originally received 20-year terms for crack cocaine distribution were resentenced to at least 30 years each. Two other men originally given 10 years in prison also had their sentences extended. One received 14 years, the other 14 years and seven months.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sent the case back to Strom, ruling he could not give sentences more lenient than the guidelines. Strom has criticized the guidelines because they call for longer sentences for convictions involving the less expensive crack cocaine than those involving powder cocaine. Strom contends the guidelines are discriminatory because more crack defendants are black. Statistics show nine of 10 crack defendants in Nebraska are black.
Anti-abortion trooper who delayed couple is fired
SEATTLE (CNN) -- A state trooper who delayed a couple's trip to an abortion clinic last year will appeal his firing. Lane Jackstadt was fired Monday for "code-of-ethics and unbecoming-conduct violations" after an internal Washington State Patrol investigation. At his trial last spring on charges of unlawful imprisonment and official misconduct, jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the case.
Jackstadt, who describes himself as an anti-abortion Christian, was accused of detaining Justin Cooper, 20, and Deanna Thomas, 18, for 45 minutes after stopping them for speeding and learning they were headed to an abortion appointment. Prosecutors said Jackstadt changed the speed on Cooper's ticket from 75 to 65 mph after the couple agreed to follow him to a church-run counseling session. Thomas had the abortion the next day. Jackstadt has been on administrative leave with pay for much of the past 16 months.One of the Environmental Protection Agency's top outside scientific advisers says a high-ranking political official tried to interfere with her congressional testimony.
Internal EPA emails reveal that chief of staff Ryan Jackson told Deborah Swackhamer, chairwoman of the EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors, that he needed to contact her "as soon as possible to get a copy of her testimony and discuss her question period before the Science Committee," according to a report by NBC News.
Advertisement:
Although Schwarckhamer reassured Jackson that she wouldn't "cross the line" by revealing non-public information during her May 23 testimony, this didn't stop Jackson from emailing her one day prior to her appearance in which he said he had read her prepared testimony (even though it was under embargo at the time) and suggested that she stick to the EPA's "talking points."
"It is customary for the office of general counsel and the chief of staff to provide guidance to an EPA employee testifying in front of Congress," said a spokesperson for the EPA to NBC News, "including the importance of providing factual information and to clarify if they are speaking as an individual, rather than on behalf of the agency."
By contrast, ranking Democrats from the Senate and House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committees sent a letter to the EPA's independent inspector general Arthur Elkins claiming that Jackson's emails "were inappropriate and may have violated federal regulations."
"The right to communicate with Congress is guaranteed," they added. "Attempting to interfere with or obstruct the testimony of any individual to the U.S. Congress is a matter that should be taken extremely seriously and we trust that you will conduct a thorough investigation of the matter."Facebook’s algorithm isn’t surfacing one-third of our posts. And it’s getting worse
Kurt Gessler Blocked Unblock Follow Following Apr 17, 2017
Starting in January of this year, we at the Chicago Tribune started to anecdotally see a fairly significant change in our post reach.
We weren’t seeing a huge difference in post consumption or daily average reach, but we were just seeing more misses than hits. At the Tribune, we have a fairly stable and predictable audience. We had around a half million fans at the end of March and have seen slow but steady growth in the last year. Most Facebook posts fell into the 25,000 to 50,000 reach range — with a few big successes and few spectacular failures each day, usually based on the quality of the content or the quality and creativity of the share.
But starting earlier this year, we started to see far more misses. And not reaches in the low 20,000's but 4,000 reach or 6,000 reach. Digital Editor Randi Shaffer was one of the first to notice.
Some of our data looked fairly normal. Our average daily organic reach looks volatile but familiar. We used average daily because Facebook doesn’t give you monthly.
But, our per post metrics were falling. Our average organic post reach was on the decline, but not that far off a prior low of mid-2016.
Still, averages can be strongly affected by outliers. It was our median organic post reach that was far more revealing. Yes, we were on a downward trend — and that trend put us at record lows. The middle was falling precipitously. Our median post was being seen by fewer and fewer people, organically.
To try to get a handle on the nature of the issue, I decided to download 15 months of Facebook post data — no small feat since Insights only lets you grab 500 posts at a time. Then I merged the 30 csv files and sorted the organic post data into four buckets: less than 10,000 reach, 10,001–25,000, 25,001-50,000 and 50,001+. The results literally stunned me. The number of posts that fell into the category of lowest efficacy—the ones seen by the fewest number of people — was skyrocketing.
In December of 2016, we had only 8 posts with 10,000 reach or less. In January of 2017, that had grown to 80. In February, 159. And in March, a ridiculous 242 posts were seen by fewer than 10,000 people. And while late 2016 saw record lows in that lowest quartile, that 242 is far above any prior month in our dataset. And we were seeing a steady decrease in that 25,001 to 50,000 quartile. That had gone from 248 in January 2016 to 141 in March 2017.
What did this mean? In baseball terms, we were hitting far fewer doubles and we were striking out 1 every 3 times at the plate. Four months earlier, we struck out 1 of every 90 at-bats.
And it was happening despite solid growth on our Facebook page — which, logically, would translate to increased reach.
Yet many of our posts were seeing diminished organic reach despite picking up more than 130,000 Facebook fans.
So why could this be happening? Let’s look at some of the possible factors.
Increase in post frequency
One possible explanation is that during this period we slightly increased the number of posts per day. However, the rise was quite small and doesn’t coincide with the recent trend.
We went from roughly 20 posts per day to 24 posts per day. And however small that may look per day, that number adds up over time. In this timeframe, that represented a 25 percent increase in monthly posts.
However, Facebook’s formal guidance is roughly 24 to 48 posts per day. And we looked at the cadence of 23 other newspaper Facebook pages and determined we were in the mid- to low-end. For the last six months, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (661,551 fans) posted 74 times per day and the Houston Chronicle (385,086 fans) 58. Big thanks to Digital Editor Elizabeth Wolfe for crunching these numbers with CrowdTangle to prove our normalcy.
While it may be unlikely that frequency is our culprit, it’s a change in behavior we have to consider.
And moving ahead, this may be more of an issue. NewsWhip in its dive into three years of social data directly recommended quality over quantity in its five primary takeaways: “Post fewer but quality content that delivers value to your audience’s lives.”
Content type mix
In addition to frequency, Facebook also has its optimal content mix — 50 percent links, 25 percent video and 25 percent photos. To be honest, we don’t come close to this. But neither does any media organization comparable to the Chicago Tribune. Of those same 23 newspaper Facebook pages we looked at, most were posting majority link content types in the last 6 months. USA Today had the lowest percentage of links at 78.14% and the Sun-Times the most at 99.28%. But in general, most newspapers were sharing links on their primary Facebook page around 90% to 95% of the time. So the Tribune, at 97.2%, was slightly high but not atypical.
And given that our content mix hasn’t changed substantially in the last 15 months, this would have to be a somewhat remote possibility.
Still, NewsWhip reported last year that links were seeing less engagement even as video was on the rise, however artificial. And we’re posting mostly links.
Facebook Instant Articles
Another factor could be our lack of Instant Article adoption. Our parent company has been circumspect in regards to Instant Articles. We’ve been testing Instant Articles, but we have yet to deploy them in Chicago. Given the changes announced last month, giving publishers a bit more control, I’m hopeful this will change.
But again, since we’ve not changed posting formats, this would seem an unlikely factor … unless the algorithm changed.
So what about that Facebook algorithm …
What I inevitably come back to is that something changed on Facebook’s side of the equation.
The last algo update mentioned in Facebook’s newsroom blog was “New Signals to Show You More Authentic and Timely Stories” on Jan. 31. This is around a month after we identified our shift, but still curiously close. Of course Facebook didn’t foresee any hiccups: “We anticipate that most Pages won’t see any significant changes to their distribution in News Feed.”
Given that I hope the Tribune passes muster for “authentic,” let’s focus on the second half. What exact signals are being used to determine what “timely” means? It purports to favor topics that are being discussed in real time.
For example, if your favorite soccer team just won a game, we might show you posts about the game higher up in News Feed because people are talking about it more broadly on Facebook.
So exactly how much reach lift is conferred by dovetailing with Facebook-defined trending topics? Conversely, does this punish topics not being discussed? Or did the Facebook real-time algorithm become more like Instagram’s, prioritizing content based on the volume of immediate comments, shares, likes and reactions—and squelching posts that are initially ignored? That could be “timely.”
Beyond that, the usual sites that track Facebook changes haven’t noted anything else that would account for our massive shifts in audience.
The Friends and Family newsfeed change in mid-2016 didn’t seem to strongly affect the Tribune. And Nieman reported in mid-August that the Friends and Family change seemed to have little impact on all publishers. Ephemeral also is months late. Maybe it’s a little of everything.
So here we are. The data show that we are having the fewest number of our most successful posts and the most of our least successful at a time when our strategy hasn’t significantly changed and our fans have grown.
So, is anyone else experiencing this situation, and if so, does anyone know why and how to compensate? Because if 1 of 3 Facebook posts isn’t going to be surfaced by the algorithm to a significant degree, that would change how we play the game.Resolution adopted at the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Sydney Branch Meeting, 25/7/17:
The MUA Sydney branch resolves:
To pledge our resolute solidarity with the people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian Revolution.
To reject the intervention of the US and other capitalist powers in Venezuela.
To oppose the attacks by violent, fascist gangs of the right-wing opposition in that country.
To call on the Australian labour movement to express solidarity with the Venezuelan people, and against right-wing attacks on Venezuelan democracy.
To call on the government and parliament of Australia to dissociate itself from US intervention in Venezuela’s internal affairs, and to express full support for a peaceful resolution of the current crisis in Venezuela.
To support the upcoming action against Trump’s proposed sanctions on Venezuela this Saturday, July 29, 12 noon at Sydney Town Hall
Carried Unanimously
——–
Resolution adopted at the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) Victoria Branch Meeting, 26/7/17:
This CFMEU Branch Meeting resolves:
To pledge our support with the people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian Revolution Socialist Government.
This meeting notes the Venezuelan government is a democratically elected government and we reject the intervention of the US and other capitalist powers in Venezuela.
We call on the Australian labour movement to express solidarity with workers in Venezuela and against fascist and violent gangs.
We call on the Australian government to dissociate itself with the US intervention and to work towards a peaceful resolution to this crisis in Venezuela.
Carried UnanimouslyOverview Defensive back-quarterback who also played basketball, wrestled and ran track as a California prep. After redshirting in 2009, he was primarily used as a special teams player in 2010 and had 14 tackles in 12 games. In 2011, reported to fall camp listed as third on the depth chart but moved into the starting lineup because of injuries and never looked back. Started all 12 games at right cornerback and registered 68 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception with one tackle for loss. Started 13 games in 2012 and recorded 75 tackles, 13 pass breakups and three INTs with 1.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Was limited in the 2013 spring after undergoing off-season knee surgery (cyst removal) before participating for OSU in track (60 meters). During the fall, he tied for the conference lead in interceptions, starting 13 games and tallying 61 tackles, four pass breakups and six INTs with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles. Set a school single-game mark with two fumbles returned for touchdowns in the Hawaii Bowl against Boise State, earning game MVP honors. Had six punt returns for 31 yards (5.2-yard average). Team captain.
Analysis Strengths Instinctive with good eyes, anticipation and awareness. Very athletic. Tied for the quickest short shuttle among cornerbacks at the combine (4.00 seconds) and was one of the top performers in the bench press (20 reps) and three-cone drill (6.72 seconds). Transitions easily with loose hips and clean footwork. Quick, agile and light on his feet. Aggressive in run support. Solid tackler. Plays with discipline. Good leaping ability. Has a special-teams temperament and excels as a gunner. Extremely intelligent and football smart. Outstanding intangibles, including leadership traits. Durable and experienced. Weaknesses Thinly built and lacks ideal strength. Can be knocked back in a pile and could stand to strike with more pop and explosion. Recovery speed is only average. Draft Projection Round 3 Bottom Line Athletic, sticky coverman whose position-specific traits and consistent performance inspire confidence he has what it takes to contribute readily in the pros. Has starter-caliber physical ability, a natural feel for the game and sterling intangibles. Underrated, low-risk prospect. -Nolan NawrockiToday’s Programming Praxis problem is about Ternary search tries, which are basically hashmaps of strings to values, but which can be faster in some cases. We have to implement the data structure and provide functions to find, insert, update and delete items and a function to convert the trie to a list. In order to match the provided solution, we will test our code by putting all the words in the bible, as well as their frequencies, into a ternary trie. Our target is 52 lines (the size of the provided solution). Let’s go.
Our imports:
import Data. Char import qualified Data. List. Key as K import Prelude hiding ( lookup )
The data structure has two small differences from the one in the provided solution: I use a Maybe instead of the bool+value approach, since it’s more idiomatic Haskell, and the split is a list instead of a single type. The reason for this is that it makes the ternary trie far more generic: the provided solution works only for strings, because in the insert function it uses the first ASCII character as a default. By making the split a list, I can use an empty list as the default, which means I can also define a trie with e.g. lists of Int as the key. This would not be possible with a single item, since there is no way to get a default value for an arbitrary type.
Another thing you might notice are the strictness annotations on the three branches of a node. If you omit these (as I initially did) and try to cram the bible in a trie you’re going to go through stack space like a hot knife through butter, which means the program will be terribly slow. Note that in order to see the benefit you will have to compile the program: running it in ghci will still produce a stack overflow.
data TernaryTrie k v = Empty | Node { val :: Maybe v, split :: [ k ], lb ::!( TernaryTrie k v ), eb ::!( TernaryTrie k v ), gb ::!( TernaryTrie k v ) }
For lookup we have two terminating cases (an empty node is reached or the key is found). The rest is just simple recursion.
lookup :: Ord k => [ k ] -> TernaryTrie k v -> Maybe v lookup _ Empty = Nothing lookup [] t = val t lookup ( x : xs ) t = case compare [ x ] $ split t of GT -> lookup ( x : xs ) $ gb t LT -> lookup ( x : xs ) $ lb t EQ -> lookup xs $ eb t
Insert, update and delete all follow the same pattern. To get rid of the boring ‘take the correct action for each branch’ code I factored that out into the modify function to better comply with the DRY principle.
insert :: Ord k => [ k ] -> v -> TernaryTrie k v -> TernaryTrie k v insert k v Empty = insert k v $ Node Nothing ( take 1 k ) Empty Empty Empty insert [] v t = t { val = Just v } insert k v t = modify ( flip insert v ) k t update :: Ord k => [ k ] -> v -> ( v -> v ) -> TernaryTrie k v -> TernaryTrie k v update k v _ Empty = insert k v Empty update [] v p t = t { val = Just. maybe v p $ val t } update k v p t = modify ( \x -> update x v p ) k t delete :: Ord k => [ k ] -> TernaryTrie k v -> TernaryTrie k v delete _ Empty = Empty delete [] t = t { val = Nothing } delete k t = modify delete k t modify :: Ord k => ([ k ] -> TernaryTrie k v -> TernaryTrie k v ) -> [ k ] -> TernaryTrie k v -> TernaryTrie k v modify f k t = case compare ( take 1 k ) ( split t ) of LT -> t { lb = f ( drop 0 k ) $ lb t } EQ -> t { eb = f ( drop 1 k ) $ eb t } GT -> t { gb = f ( drop 0 k ) $ gb t }
And more recursion for the enlist method.
enlist :: TernaryTrie k v -> [([ k ], v )] enlist = enlist'[] where enlist'_ Empty = [] enlist'k t = maybe [] ( \v -> [( k, v )]) ( val t ) ++ enlist'k ( lb t ) ++ enlist'( k ++ split t ) ( eb t ) ++ enlist'k ( gb t )
And we test it by finding the 25 most common words in the bible.
main :: IO () main = print. take 25. reverse. K. sort snd. enlist. foldl ( \t k -> update k 1 succ t ) Empty. map ( map toLower. filter isAlpha ). words =<< readFile "bible.txt"
And there we go. With 35 lines it’s not a huge reduction (although the provided solution grows by about 15 lines if you reformat it to the 65-ish character limit I use on this blog), but that was to be expected since it’s mostly basic recursion, which doesn’t easily lend itself to alternative solutions. Still, it’ll do.
Advertisements
Like this: Like Loading... Related
Tags: Haskell, kata, praxis, programming, search, ternary, trie, triesSlight intro: these crafts are made by Melody, who will be coming up with inventive ideas on different projects that can be done using our burlap fabric. If you have any ideas of what you’d like to see made, post on our Facebook wall and we’ll be glad to mention the idea to her! We hope to be rolling out some video look-ins on these DIY tutorials too!
9 Simple Steps to Making Burlap Flowers:
These are easy to make, and require no hot gluing or sewing, so even young kids could make them. It took me about 15 minutes to make each one.
Here is a look at the finished craft from a couple of different angles:
Step 1: Gather your supplies. To make this flower, you will need:
- Burlap
- Plain Fabric of whatever color you want
- Flower patterned fabric
- A bead
- 18 gauge wire
- Scissors
- Wire cutters
- Something to mark fabric with
2. Cut out a flower from your flower fabric to be your center.
3. Trace flower shapes onto your plain fabric and burlap about ¼ inch larger than the center flower.
4. Cut out flower shapes, 5 out of burlap and 5 out of the plain fabric.
5. Cut a length of wire twice as long as you want the stem to be.
6. Attach the bead by putting in the center of the wire, folding the wire over it, and giving the wire one tight twist below the bead.
7. String on the flower pieces, beginning with your flower pattern piece, then burlap, then plain fabric. From there, continue alternating the burlap and cotton fabric until they’re all on.
8. Pull all the flower pieces as tightly as possible to the bead and then twist the wire.
9. Continue twisting the two wires together along the length of the stem. The best way to do this is to keep the wires spread apart as you twist them together.
And then you’re done! I chose an empty can to display them in for an extra touch of rustic-ness.Alessandra Mussolini (born 30 December 1962) is an Italian politician, the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, and a former actress and model. She has been a member of the Italian Senate since 2013, was elected for The People of Freedom which later became part of Forza Italia, and since 2014 has been a Member of the European Parliament for FI.
She was the founder and leader of the national conservative political party Social Action; from 2004 until 2008, Mussolini also served as a Member of the European Parliament, and she has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament, for The People of Freedom.[1]
Some of Mussolini's noted stances are in regard to social views on women's and children's rights and the role within both the family unit and society in general.[2]
Personal life [ edit ]
Alessandra Mussolini was born in Rome, the daughter of Romano Mussolini, the fourth son of Benito Mussolini, Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943, and Anna Maria Villani Scicolone (born 11 May 1938, Rome). The actress Sophia Loren is her maternal aunt.
From 1976 to 1980 she went to high school at the American Overseas School of Rome. She graduated in 1986 from Sapienza University of Rome, where she got her master of science in medicine and surgery.
She married customs policeman Mauro Floriani on 28 October 1989. Going against tradition, she proposed to him.[3] Together they have three children,[4] Caterina, Clarissa, and Romano – the last named after his grandfather. Later, the children adopted their mother's surname, but she went through a complex legal process to allow them to do so. She has since campaigned for Italian law to be changed to allow all children to take
|
analysis, as used in common group level inference. We displayed the resulting statistical significance levels in different colors: green for mild significance (0.01 < p < 0.05), blue for moderate significance (0.001 < p < 0.01) and red for high significance (p < 0.001).
The explicit consideration of inter-individual differences, on the other hand, offers interesting further possibilities for research. Given that there are differences across subjects, it is worthwhile to compute comparisons between individual activation patterns (Thirion et al., 2007). Furthermore, it is highly interesting to systematically investigate the origin of such variations in brain activity within a population (MacDonald et al., 2006; Horn et al., 2008; Kherif et al., 2009; Miller et al., 2012), which may interestingly reflect inter-individual cognitive styles and strategies.
Yet another problem arises in relation to spatial smoothing and averaging across subjects. This relates to the irreversible loss of information that this entails, which also has a bearing on the likelihood of false positives. In theory, the process of Gaussian smoothing can be reversed using deconvolution with the same kernel (Kamitani and Sawahata, 2010). Once smoothed data have been averaged across subjects, however, the original detail of any given subject is no longer retrievable by a deconvolution operation, especially if the smoothing kernel is much larger than the voxel size (as is the custom) and data are somewhat noisy. Combining smoothing and averaging then becomes an irreversible, effectively non-linear, operation. Furthermore, such methods are coupled with the extreme non-linearity of thresholding at a specified level of statistical significance, which transforms a continuously varying t-score into a binary variable defining whether or not a given voxel is significant. Taken together, it is easy to see that the final extracted parameters such as location and spatial extent may have a very limited relationship with the original data.
In summary, we propose that inter-subject variability should be considered in most neuroimaging studies (i.e., in addition to intra-subject effects). Studying such variations offers rich insights and allows drawing a much more complete and realistic picture of human brain function, from which models of neural mechanisms can be postulated. Studies ignoring such inter-subject variations should be interpreted with far greater caution, as they may present many false positive and false negative findings.
Model and Reliability Issues
Statistical parametric maps of neuroimaging data aim to visualize the involvement of brain regions in a given task, which is hypothesized to be associated with specific postulated brain mechanisms. Typically, this is achieved by fitting a response function to the neuroimaging data. The quality of the fit between this model and the experimental data is then evaluated using various statistical measures. For instance, in the case of the GLM, a response function is constructed by convolving a generic hemodynamic response function with the onset timing of each task or condition. The parameters giving the best fit between the generated response function and the experimental neuroimaging data are then statistically further evaluated.
Crucially, the data explained by the overall model is considered signal, while the remainder is considered noise. This practice, however, raises a few issues. In particular, the generative models may only explain a very small fraction of the signal’s variance. However, instead of reporting the quality of the fit in terms of explained variance or effect size, results are often reported exclusively on the basis of the probability of the rejection of the null hypothesis. Low p-values (i.e., high t or Z-values), however, should not be confused with large effect sizes or an adequate fit between the model and the data – in fact highly significant models can go hand in hand with a non-existent model fit (Lohmann et al., 2012). Hence the ascription of noise (often termed physiological noise) to the portion of data that remains unexplained may be premature. Much of this noise has indeed been shown (Bianciardi et al., 2009) to arise from spontaneous fluctuations of neural activity. For instance, Lohmann and colleagues (Lohmann et al., 2010) used fMRI data from several language and non-language experiments and regressed out all model contributions derived from a GLM approach. Using only this residual “noise” data, it remained possible to identify temporally correlated networks that were present exclusively for the language experiments, networks that are suggested to form part of a general framework in the language domain. Importantly, the time-locked experimental variance (which was regressed out) only accounted for a comparably minor fraction of the variance in the empirical data.
The results of neuroimaging studies thus critically depend on the choice of analysis model. It is more than likely that simplistic analysis methods, such as GLM-based methods, are unable to reveal the full picture. In particular, such massively univariate methods consider neuronal communication processes only indirectly as they mainly evaluate whether significant activity occurs at any specified voxel. Since the major functional role of neurons is to transmit co-ordinated activity to separate places in the brain, more sophisticated analysis methods which consider simultaneously the BOLD signal at multiple voxels may thus be better suited to analyze human brain function (Lohmann et al., 2013b). It is vital to recognize, however, that not all multivariate models considering neuronal communication (e.g., in terms of effective connectivity) are free of problems. In particular, dynamic causal modeling (DCM) has been shown to be especially problematic due to several critical methodological flaws (Lohmann et al., 2012, 2013a; Friston et al., 2013). Taken together these issues severely limit the scientific validity of the conclusions that can be drawn when using DCM.
The analysis model, however, is not the only factor yielding diverging results. The particular choice, order and parameters of the preprocessing steps (e.g., spatial normalization, motion correction etc.) have also been shown to have a considerable impact on the resulting activation maps (Carp, 2012a). The amplitude and location of the peak activation have been shown to be especially unstable and subject to considerable variability. This issue becomes especially problematic for two reasons: firstly, many authors do not describe design and analysis decisions in sufficient detail (Carp, 2012b). Secondly, this variability of outcome can easily tempt researchers to implement various different sets of preprocessing pipelines (in a trial-and-error fashion) and to selectively report the most favorable results (Carp, 2012a).
Furthermore, the extent of brain activation can be severely underestimated using traditional scanning paradigms. In a recent ground-breaking study, Gonzalez-Castillo et al. (2012) demonstrated that traditional fMRI paradigms may suffer from inadequate power in detecting true effects. Instead of scanning a large number of subjects for a relatively short time period, the commonly used procedure, they scanned very few subjects for a long cumulative duration, over many scanning sessions. In total, an unconventional number of 100 runs per subject were acquired (achieved by concatenation over about ten scanning sessions per subject). For the experiment, the subjects performed a simple visual discrimination task. The authors then systematically investigated how the resulting activation maps (derived by a GLM analysis without spatial smoothing) depended on the number of runs included in the analysis. This was achieved by inputting only a subset of the runs into the analysis, and then averaging over this subset. When including a conventional number of runs (i.e., about five to ten), the resulting activation maps were sparse. This is well in line with previous imaging studies, which indicate that only a small fraction of all voxels becomes active for such basic tasks. The situation changed however, more runs were included. Generally, the number of activated voxels increased monotonically when more runs were taken into the analysis. Interestingly, when all of the 100 runs were included into the analysis, about 70% to 90% of all voxels were labeled as active. The number of significant voxels furthermore depended on the response model used for the GLM analysis; the number of significant voxels was higher when allowing more unconventional response shapes (e.g., in the form of deactivations). Furthermore, the number of active voxels failed to converge within the tested regime, for either of the different GLM response models.
The study thus indicates possible brain-wide modulations of BOLD activity in response to tasks that are not of random nature. This result raises the fundamental issue that virtually every fMRI study may have overlooked the involvement of many brain areas, simply because there was not sufficient power (i.e., scans) available. In other words, the study suggests that there is a substantial false negativity problem, inherent to all spatial scales. The second important issue regards the interpretation of results; if it is true that even for a simple task the entire brain becomes involved, then the dichotomy of labeling brain areas as active or inactive is no longer meaningful and scientifically relevant. To put it pointedly, these results may herald the end of qualitative activation-based neuroimaging.
Conclusion
In our article we have outlined the most important sources of false positive and false negative attributions that are inherent to widely used techniques for human brain mapping (as shown in Figure 2). We have argued that the quantity of false attributions incurred by these techniques is unacceptably large, and thus provides a misleading impression of human brain function. This, in turn, may lead to quite unrealistic models of brain mechanisms, and severely limit the validity of the scientific conclusions that can be drawn from brain mapping studies. The intrinsic unreliability of traditional methods that involve spatial smoothing, warping to a template and averaging may render the process of scientific theory and hypothesis testing inherently problematic.
In particular, the qualitative nature of the inference process may limit reliability and validity of brain-mapping studies. On one hand, the location and extent of the resulting thresholded activations (“blobs”) depends sensitively on the parameters and order of preprocessing and analysis procedures (such as smoothing, spatial normalization and statistical thresholding). On the other hand, the extent of activation maps strikingly depends on the available power of signal detection, as impressively demonstrated by the recent findings of Gonzalez-Castillo et al. (2012) that show that the number of activated voxels may – under optimized conditions – cover almost the entire brain. All in all this brings into question the adequacy of qualitative brain mapping: What can we usefully learn from the binary labeling of brain areas as active or inactive, if the entire brain may be involved in the representation of even the simplest tasks and associated functions?
Moreover, even the notion of an abstract brain is beset by problems. Such an abstract brain arises from generalizing from individual brains to a “group brain” representing group brain activity. The resulting findings and proposed mechanisms may never be adequately reflected in the individual brain, the only place where specific neurophysiological mechanisms can actually operate. Rather than being considered as a source of nuisance variables, the individual brain and its own inherent dynamics should be regarded as providing a gold standard for the investigation of functional mechanisms. The acid test of any proposed mechanism should be: Does it work in an individual brain?
Implications on the Epistemological Level
Above we have summarized our criticisms at the level of a single study viewed in isolation. In the following, we discuss the implications of our critique on a broader level of scientific inference.
Within the discussion section of neuroimaging papers, the supra-threshold group-level findings (“blobs”) of the respective studies generally are put into perspective with previous literature. This corpus of literature usually has examined either similar brain functions or found similar brain regions to be involved. In other words, neuroscientific inferences and conclusions for the interpretation of the present findings are drawn from a network of related evidence regarding structure–function mappings. Unfortunately, however, the overwhelming majority of the studies comprising this network of references suffer from exactly the same methodological weaknesses as those we have described here. These weaknesses are consequently carried over onto a broader level of scientific inference. “Garbage in, garbage out” is the dictum of data analysis—and the custom of spatial smoothing has the unfortunate effect of transforming good data into garbage. This may severely spoil any qualitative theory or meta-analysis that compiles and integrates structure–function relationships across studies. Above all, the lack of resemblance of the averaged data to the results from any of the individual subjects may severely hamper the testing of hypotheses and theories.
From an epistemological perspective further rather general issues arise. On this broader level, the qualitative argumentation and inference process for establishing structure–function relationships is prone to problems: as the number of fMRI experiments is ever increasing (as shown in Figure 1), it is frankly impossible for researchers to link and discuss the relation of their present findings with the entire relevant corpus of literature (namely studies concerning similar brain functions or revealing similar activations). Consequently, the reasoning can never be based on the full picture, but rather on a sparse selection of articles. Ultimately, there may be a temptation for researches to include studies which rather support their particular qualitative theory, as opposed to findings that cannot be integrated satisfactorily into their relevant explanatory framework. Large-scale data mining projects, collecting and making searchable results from neuroimaging studies, are likely to mitigate the dangers of such practices. Most critically, such data mining should not be based on the reported results of individual studies [such as the Neurosynth project (Yarkoni et al., 2011)], because their results suffer from the same plethora of false positive and negative voxels, and mislocalization of activation maxima. To avoid these pitfalls, data mining efforts should be based on the actual raw fMRI data.
Terminology of Psychology
Apart from the methodological issues concerning fMRI-based brain mapping experiments, it is worthwhile mentioning controversies regarding the terminology of cognitive neuroscience. This primarily considers the factors that differentiate the experimental conditions (see Figure 2A) and their interpretation. Unfortunately, many widely used terms are ambiguous (Poldrack et al., 2011), as miscellaneous definitions are used in the literature. However, it cannot be emphasized strongly enough how important an objective terminology is when it comes to adequate scientific reasoning. Consider for instance terms from neuroscience such as synapse, neuron, action potential, cortical column, gyrus and sulcus (Turner, 2012). It is easy to define such terms objectively, thus allowing qualified scientists to identify and investigate the object of research. This is, however, not always the case for terms used in cognitive neuroscience: consider for instance terms such as perception, consciousness, attention and altruism. These terms are often vaguely defined, if at all. Thus, the employed terminology is often beyond objective scientific definability (Turner, 2012). Curiously enough, there are even cases where the terminology of brain-mapping studies closely resembles Gall’s phrenology (Poldrack, 2010). Finally, the terminology of cognitive neuroscience may depend on the cultural background and the current Zeitgeist. It thus remains unclear whether a consensus ontology is achievable at all.
Beyond Basic Brain Mapping
There have been encouraging recent developments that may help to avoid some of the most egregious misuses of fMRI and MRI data. We describe what we consider to be the most promising perspectives.
A desirable trend is to publish entire data sets, including the fMRI raw data and behavioral paradigms (Poldrack et al., 2013). Critically, this would allow other researchers to re-analyze data with the help of new methodological developments and furthermore help to assess the reliability and stability of the results. Additionally, data-mining efforts can be based on such databases.
Changing the order in which the statistical analysis of fMRI data is carried out may help the interpretability of the data. In principle, what should be averaged across subjects are the model parameters extracted from analysis of each subject (Turner, 2013). This directly allows one to examine inter-subject variation, and hence to decide whether the model is worth pursuing further. In particular, it would be possible to test whether the proposed mechanisms actually take place in the individual brain. In practice, conjunction analysis (Heller et al., 2007) may be of great usage here, as the functional variability across subjects is taken explicitly into account. Crucially, such analysis allows reporting effects on the group level but at the same time how frequently the effects actually are found in the individual brains. In the same breath cross-validation procedures should be mentioned, as these allow testing for the reliability of effects across subjects. The procedure may reduce the type I error rate while at the same time maintaining high levels of sensitivity.
This requires, however, a spatially precise normalization to a group template. An important step towards this can be achieved by explicitly taking into account the individual myeloarchitecture (Tardif et al., 2013). Ultimately, single-subject cortical parcellation enabled by in vivo observation of myeloarchitecture may offer the most reliable results (Geyer et al., 2011; Bazin et al., 2014); however, this would not result in a spatial map of brain activity.
Preprocessing of the data should omit spatial smoothing. Thus, multivariate approaches are a natural choice for data analysis, as no smoothing is required here (Carlson et al., 2003; Kamitani and Tong, 2005; Haxby et al., 2011). Furthermore, integrating information from many brain locations may be more sensitive for identifying brain mechanisms as compared to univariate approaches (Norman et al., 2006). Particular mention is to be made in regards to the ongoing rapid development of multivariate machine-learning methods, although Nishimoto et al. (2011) have already shown that sequences of stimuli can be reconstructed from the measured fMRI data. Network modeling may come to be a key strategy for identifying relevant functional structures in the human brain (Sporns, 2013). Effectively, such network-based approaches may help to characterize the brain on its own terms as a complex dynamic system (Lohmann et al., 2013b). Simulation of brain dynamics using biophysically realistic simulations (Deco et al., 2008; Markram et al., 2011; Gerstner et al., 2012) offers promise for the identification and understanding of brain mechanisms, in particular by bridging all spatial scales.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The Associate Editor Dr. Daniel S. Margulies declares that, despite having previously collaborated with the authors, the review process was handled objectively. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Acknowledgment
We thank Dr. Mike Hove for valuable comments on the manuscript.
Footnotes
A more thorough description of the fMRI framework can be found here (Ramsey, 2002). As a side note, the transformation into standard space itself is not without controversy due inter-individual differences in brain anatomy (Brett et al., 2002; Carp, 2012b). The effective smoothness consists of the intrinsic (biophysical) smoothness and the explicit smoothing applied as preprocessing step. The term “cluster” is used historically in fMRI research, however in general such spatial structures are referred to as “connected components.” More generally and particularly in the context of unsupervised learning, clusters are referred to as groups of similar objects. Such “abstract brains” are typically also the object of Dynamic Causal modeling. Noteworthy, this form of reverse inference is controversial, as the functional relevance of brain activations is not necessarily comparable across studies (Poldrack, 2006).
References
Benjamini, Y., and Heller, R. (2007). False discovery rates for spatial signals. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 102, 1272–1281. doi: 10.1198/016214507000000941 CrossRef Full Text
Bianciardi, M., Fukunaga, M., van Gelderen, P., Horovitz, S. G., de Zwart, J. A., Shmueli, K.,et al. (2009). Sources of functional magnetic resonance imaging signal fluctuations in the human brain at rest: a 7 T study. Magn. Reson. Imaging 27, 1019–1029. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2009.02.004 Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text | CrossRef Full Text
Carlson, T. A., Schrater, P., and He, S. (2003). Patterns of activity in the categorical representations of objects. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 15, 704–717. doi: 10.1162/jocn.2003.15.5.704 CrossRef Full Text
Fawcett, T. (2004). ROC graphs: notes and practical considerations for researchers. Mach. Learn. 31, 1–38. doi: 10.1.1.10.9777
Fischl, B. (2013). “Estimating the location of Brodmann areas from cortical folding patterns using histology and ex vivo MRI,” in Microstructural Parcellation of the Human Cerebral Cortex, eds S. Geyer and R. Turner (Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer), 129–156.
Fischl, B., Sereno, M. I., Tootell, R., and Dale, A. M. (1999). High-resolution intersubject averaging and a coordinate system for the cortical surface. Hum. Brain Mapp. 8, 272–284. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0193 (1999)8:4<272::AID-HBM10>3.0.CO;2-4 CrossRef Full Text
Friston, K. J., Holmes, A. P., and Worsley, K. J. (1995). Statistical parametric maps in functional imaging: a general linear approach. Hum. Brain Mapp. 2, 189–210. doi: 10.1002/hbm.460020402 CrossRef Full Text
Geyer, S., Weiss, M., Reimann, K., Lohmann, G., and Turner, R. (2011). Microstructural parcellation of the human cerebral cortex–from Brodmann’s post-mortem map to in vivo mapping with high field magnetic resonance imaging. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 5:19. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00019 Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text | CrossRef Full Text
Horn, J. D., Grafton, S. T., and Miller, M. B. (2008). Individual variability in brain activity: a nuisance or an opportunity? Brain Imaging Behav. 2, 327–334. doi: 10.1007/s11682-008-9049–9049 CrossRef Full Text
Logothetis, N. K., and Wandell, B. A. (2004). Interpreting the BOLD Signal. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 66, 735–769. doi: 10.1146/annurev.physiol.66.082602.092845 CrossRef Full Text
Lohmann, G., Müller, K., and Turner, R. (2013a). Response to commentaries on our paper: critical comments on dynamic causal modelling. Neuroimage 75, 279–281. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.07.041 CrossRef Full Text
Lohmann, G., Müller, K., Bosch, V., Mentzel, H., Hessler, S., Chen, L., et al. (2001). LIPSIA–a new software system for the evaluation of functional magnetic resonance images of the human brain. Comput. Med. Imaging Graph. 25, 449–457. doi: 10.1016/S0895-6111(01)00008-8 CrossRef Full Text
Malonek, D., and Grinvald, A. (1996). Interactions between electrical activity and cortical microcirculation revealed by imaging spectroscopy: implications for functional brain mapping. Science 272, 551–554. doi: 10.1126/science.272.5261.551 CrossRef Full Text
Markram, H., Meier, K., Lippert, T., Grillner, S., Frackowiak, R., Dehaene, S., et al. (2011). Introducing the human brain project. Proc. Comput. Sci. 7, 39–42. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2011.12.015 CrossRef Full Text
Miller, M. B., Donovan, C.-L., Bennett, C. M., Aminoff, E. M., and Mayer, R. E. (2012). Individual differences in cognitive style and strategy predict similarities in the patterns of brain activity between individuals. Neuroimage 59, 83–93. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.05.060 Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text | CrossRef Full Text
Miller, R. G. (1981). Simultaneous Statistical Inference. New York, NY: Springer New York. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4613-8122–8128 CrossRef Full Text
Mumford, J. A., and Nichols, T. (2006). Modeling and inference of multisubject fMRI data. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag. 25, 42–51. doi: 10.1109/MEMB.2006.1607668 CrossRef Full Text
Penny, W. D., Holmes, A. P., and Friston, K. J. (2003). “Random effects analysis,” in Human Brain Function, 2nd Edn, eds R. S. Frackowiak, K. J. Friston, C. D. Frith, R. J. Dolan, C. J. Price, J. Ashburner, et al. (San Diego: Academic Press), 843–850.
Poldrack, R. A. (2010). Mapping mental function to brain structure: how can cognitive neuroimaging succeed? Perspect. Psychol. Sci. 5, 753–761. doi: 10.1177/1745691610388777 CrossRef Full Text
Ramsey, N. (2002). Functional MRI experiments: acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 12, 517–526. doi: 10.1016/S0924-977X(02)00101–103 CrossRef Full Text
Shinkareva, S. V., Mason, R. A., Malave, V. L., Wang, W., Mitchell, T. M., and Just, M. A. (2008). Using FMRI brain activation to identify cognitive states associated with perception of tools and dwellings. PLoS ONE 3:e1394. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001394 Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text | CrossRef Full Text
Tardif, C. L., Dinse, J., Schäfer, A., Turner, R., and Bazin, P.-L. (2013). “Multi-modal surface-based alignment of cortical areas using intra-cortical T1 contrast,” in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, eds L. Shen, T. Liu, P.-T. Yap, H. Huang, D. Shen, and C.-F. Westin (Cham: Springer International Publishing), 222–232.
Turner, R. (2012). The need for systematic ethnopsychology: the ontological status of mentalistic terminology. Anthropol. Theory 12, 29–42. doi: 10.1177/1463499612436462 CrossRef Full Text
Turner, R. (2013). “Where matters: new approaches to brain analysis,” in Microstructural Parcellation of the Human Cerebral Cortex, eds S. Geyer and R. Turner (Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer), 179–196.
Viswanathan, S., Cieslak, M., and Grafton, S. T. (2012). On the geometric structure of fMRI searchlight-based information maps. arXiv q-bio.NC.
Worsley, K. J., and Friston, K. J. (1995). Analysis of fMRI time-series revisited-again. Neuroimage 2, 173–181. doi: 10.1.1.163.2565ı CrossRef Full Text
Worsley, K. J., Marrett, S., Neelin, P., Vandal, A. C., Friston, K. J., and Evans, A. C. (1996). A unified statistical approach for determining significant signals in images of cerebral activation. Hum. Brain Mapp. 4, 58–73. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0193 (1996)4:1<58::AID-HBM4>3.0.CO;2-O> CrossRef Full Text
Appendix
pubmed.org Search String (Figure 1)
We used the identical search as used by Carp (Carp, 2012b) string on pubmed.org for counting the number of human fMRI studies per year (substituting YYYY with the year of interest).
“YYYY”[Date - Publication] AND (fMRI[Title/Abstract] OR functional magnetic resonance imaging[Title/Abstract] OR functional MRI[Title/Abstract]) AND brain[Title/Abstract] AND humans[MeSH Terms].
7T fMRI (Figure 3)
We used experimental data from an ultrahigh-field experiment at 7T, recorded by Heidemann et al. (2012) using a voxel size of 0.65 mm isotropic (the detailed scanner paradigm can be found at the original publication). The functional paradigm consisted of a simple visual stimulation, realized by blocks of 28 s stimulus-on and 28 s stimulus-off. In total 15 epochs were used and the total acquisition time was 14 min. The stimulus-on blocks consisted of a flickering black and white checkerboard (at 8 Hz), while for stimulus-off, an isoluminant gray background was presented. One single representative subject was selected for the presentation in our results. We applied five levels of smoothing (no smoothing, 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm and 8 mm) and afterwards fitted a standard GLM model using LIPSIA (Lohmann et al., 2001) on the data. For the t-maps, we applied a statistical threshold of p < 0.001, without incorporating a multiple comparisons correction.
Signal Mixing Due to Smoothing (Figure 4)
We created a volume of the dimension 101 × 101 × 101 (voxel size = 3 mm) filled with zeros. The central voxel then was manually set to the value of 1. Next we applied spatial smoothing on this original volume, using different values for the size of the smoothing kernel, ranging from 0 to 5 voxels in steps for 0.5 voxels (i.e., 0–15 mm in steps of 1.5 mm). The value of the center voxel indicated how much of the original signal remained at this position. The sum over the entire volume discarding the central voxel then represents the fraction of the signal spreading outside the center voxel.
Minimum Cluster Sizes (Figure 5)
We constructed 500 original volumes by sampling each voxel’s value from a Normal distribution N(0,1). The volumes were then smoothed using different smoothing kernel sizes. The kernel sizes (FWHM) ranged from 0 to 5 voxels in steps of 0.5 voxels. After this, the volumes were rescaled using a global factor so that the variance was equal to 1. The volumes were binarized by the application of a z-threshold of 2.33 (i.e., voxel i was set to 0 if its value x i < = 2.33 and set to 1 if x i > 2.33). Next we counted the resulting cluster sizes s of the binary images and computed their histogram H. After normalizing this histogram so that ∑ s = 2 ∞ H(s) = 1, we determined the smallest cluster size u for which ∑ s = 2 u H(s) > 0.95 (i.e., cluster sizes with a probability of occurrence smaller than 5%). The procedure was repeated for each level of smoothness.
Heterogeneous Subject Group Simulation (Figure 8)
For each level of considered effect size s (s = 0, 1,…,5) we sampled n values representing non-responders (n = 0, 1,…,20) from a Normal distribution N(0,1) and r values representing responders (r = 20 – n) from a Normal distribution N(s,1) with an offset s(representing the effect). We computed a t-test against zero using this combined sample of 20 values. For each value of n and s, the procedure was repeated 500 times and the resulting p-values were averaged.A jury was right to acquit George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin, former president Jimmy Carter said Tuesday evening.
"I think the jury made the right decision based on the evidence presented," he told Atlanta's WXIA. "Because the prosecution inadvertently set the standard so high that the jury had to be convinced that it was a deliberate act by Zimmerman and that he was not defending himself and so forth. It's not a moral question, it's a legal question, and the American law requires that the jury listens to the evidence presented."
Zimmerman could have been found guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter. For both charges, the prosecution had to prove that he acted with intention.
As to whether race played a factor in the decision, Carter said he couldn't say that the jurors who acquitted Zimmerman were not as sensitive to the issue as anyone else. "I would presume that they listened to the evidence," he said.Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been breaking down the good and the bad of what’s happened so far during the 2015 NHL offseason. After going through all four divisions, looking at the players that teams have added and subtracted, and how they’ve spent their money, I figured I would put together a big list of which teams are winners and losers, and which teams are floating in their own category somewhere in the middle. Hey, it’s the summer and we still have like seven weeks until the season starts, so it’s the perfect time to sit back and speculate.
Now, what constitutes a winner and a loser? And what does it mean to be somewhere in the middle? I figured it was best to look at each team in the context of their division, rather than trying to make broad comparisons across the entire league. It’s pretty easy to summarize what a winner and a loser is: they’re the teams who had the best, and well, the worst offseasons in their divisions based completely on the moves they made, and didn’t make. But it isn’t exactly that simple, which is why we have the “everybody in the middle category.” A winner, to me, isn’t just the team who had the best offseason in the division. A winner can be a team who did enough to maintain their playoff spot from the year before, or it can be a team who made such good moves that they’ll be able to overtake somebody else’s position. In contrast, a loser is a team that got worse in the short term, or made stupid moves that hurt themselves in the long term. Long story short, I’m trying to base each team’s grade on what the context of their division is, what the team is trying to accomplish short and long term, and how good of a job they did at accomplishing it because different teams can be winners and losers for different reasons.
Read on past the jump for my take on which teams should be considered winners, losers, or something in the middle. Oh yeah, I also put links to my offseason divisional breakdowns at the top of each section. That way, if you want to take more of a purely objective, informational approach to the offseason rather than reading my hot takes, you can.
It’s difficult to say which team in the Pacific Division has been the winner of the offseason so far, but it’s pretty obvious that the title belongs to one of the teams in Alberta. On one hand, you have the Edmonton Oilers, who managed to completely flip around what appeared to be a failing rebuild by putting an end to the Old Boys Club regime, adding a Head Coach and General Manager with impressive resumes to their name, and of course, drafting the best prospect to come around since Sidney Crosby. Even if Peter Chiarelli had stood pat after drafting McDavid and gave himself a full year to assess his roster before making any decisions, this offseason would have been a win for the Oilers. Instead, the new GM signed Andrej Sekera, arguably the best defenceman on the UFA market, and traded for Cam Talbot, giving the team a reasonable upgrade in net over the combination of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth they trotted out last season. On the other hand, you have the Calgary Flames, who were everybody’s trendy pick to take a huge step backwards after a breakout campaign last year. Then they went and acquired Dougie Hamilton from the Bruins for a very, very underwhelming package of draft picks, adding to an already elite blue line. When July 1 rolled around, the Flames inked UFA forward Michael Frolik to a five year deal, who’s strong possession and production numbers make him an excellent secondary scoring option. Not only did both of these teams take massive steps forward this summer, they did so without really compromising their future in any way. Is it fair to say the Battle of Alberta is close to becoming something worth mentioning again?
Right in the middle, in purgatory are the Arizona Coyotes. They didn’t get any better this summer, but that was their goal. It isn’t exactly a secret, but the Coyotes are doing pretty much everything they can — like trading their highest scoring forward for the contract of a player who was just recently inducted to the Hall of Fame — to increase their odds of drafting local hero Auston Matthews first overall on June. So there’s no point in calling the Coyotes a winner or a loser, because they’re technically winning by losing games, so I’ll stuff them in their own little tanking category.
Also in the middle are the San Jose Sharks and L.A. Kings. Obviously they aren’t in the same category as the Coyotes, who are doing their own thing, but neither of them had good enough of an offseason to be considered winners. The Sharks added Paul Martin and Joel Ward through free agency and Martin Jones through trade, but even though those are nice moves, it’s likely too little too late for glory in San Jose. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau’s best years are behind them, and while they could make a return
|
’re doing some health and safety things. Those conversations are ongoing. We’ve talked about the idea of what are they doing for programming on the NFL Network, could we be a positive source of amazing content? I’m entirely on board with sharing our game with more people around the world … and I’m not just talking about the U.S. market. We should stop being so Canadian and shy about this. With three downs and a big field and it’s wide open and these are world-class athletes – we’ve got the greatest game in the world.”
If the NFL Network was to add CFL programming, it makes sense that more emphasis would be put on the background of the Canadian league’s players – many of them come from major U.S. college football programs. Again, that would help secure an audience largely unfamiliar with the CFL.
The CFL already has a relationship with Draft Kings, a wildly popular fantasy football provider. Fantasy footballers tend to watch games. That would sit well with the NFL, which recognizes the value of that relationship and a built-in audience. Also a plus, the NFL doesn’t view the CFL as a competitor, it’s more of an ally.
The commissioner is open to exploring any ideas that can give increased exposure to the CFL product. The NFL Network would open up doors worldwide.
Said Ambrosie: “We should be saying, ‘What’s possible for us?’ Our content is world-class and we’re talking to the NFL about bringing our world-class content to the NFL and using some of the things they’re doing internationally to broadcast their games. There are some limitations, but could we take our game to other parts of the world with a partner? I’d like to see Canadian Football League fans around the world, I think our game is worth it.”DeMarcus Ware knows that if the Dallas Cowboys ultimately cut him, he would have no shortage of suitors.
The defensive end will listen to the Cowboys' overtures regarding restructuring his contract, but Ware doesn't want to take a pay cut, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill reported.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Cowboys have reached out to Ware about lowering his contract figure.
According to Hill, Ware knows he has value on the open market and might not be so inclined to acquiesce to the Cowboys' proposals. The 31-year-old expects to be back to his old self following elbow surgery this offseason. It's likely Ware would rather push money to future seasons than take an actual pay cut.
Ware is due $12.25 million in base salary in 2014. The Cowboys can save about $7.4 million if they cut Ware. Dallas sits a shade over the salary cap, so the question will be how much they ask him to shave. If it's significant, Ware is likely to prefer testing the open market.
Because of his versatility to still play a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker very productively, even when injured, Ware would vault to the top of the free-agent market.
In the end, Jerry Jones might be able to convince Ware to get a salary haircut. However, if the seven-time Pro Bowl player doesn't like the setting of the Cowboys' clippers, he would be fine standing firm or walking out the door.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" talks the latest news, Jimmy Graham and the best fits in free agency.Saturday evening on Fox News Channel's 'Justice with Jeanine Pirro' former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani suggested that a grand jury already has enough evidence, from WikiLeaks and the FBI, to charge "Clinton Incorporated" with racketeering under the RICO laws that were originally designed to go after the mafia.
"I was shocked, back in July," Giuliani said about FBI Director James Comey's recommendation against charges for Clinton. "He laid out almost a prosecutorial memo and then came to a conclusion that he shouldn't come to--that the Justice Department should--that she shouldn't be indicted."
"A special prosecutor should be appointed. A special prosecutor --a non-Republican, non-Democrat-- should redo this whole investigation. And Obama should be requred to promise he is not going to pardon any of these Clinton Incorporated-- I think it's a racketeering enterprise honestly," he said.
"I have a whole bunch of statutes they've violated," he said. "This is racketeering. This is a RICO statute--Clinton, Inc. I think it was one of the WikiLeaks that said this was 'Clinton Inc.' He does the speeches, they put the money in the pocket, she does the favors in the government. It all links up. Why did they destroy 33,000 emails? Because it shows the link."
"Whatever caused this [FBI announcement] is something very serious," he concluded.Very few things scare Miles Robinson.
Not spiders or snakes, or any other common fears. The steely 6-foot-2 center-back can hardly afford to cower at the sight of opposition forwards, either. No, only one thing unsettles the 19-year-old defender.
"I hate losing," Robinson admitted to theScore, in a phone interview Wednesday. "I feel like it's a fear of losing."
Robinson's cool confidence turned heads when he arrived for the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, and, in keeping with projections, he was quickly snapped up No. 2 overall by Gerardo Martino's expansion Atlanta United side.
Robinson didn't pay attention to rumors on the draft floor. Instead, he sat and waited, confident his name would eventually be read. It's a luxury not every college-aged player has to boast.
Whatever nerves he did feel were quickly relieved... though Robinson says he wouldn't have let it bother him anyway.
"You just have to push (those nerves) aside and realize that this is a great experience and great opportunity to have," Robinson said of the draft.
Confidence and Fear
Atlanta is a new opportunity for Robinson, in more ways than one; the newly assembled squad is set to play in a newly constructed stadium, with a manager navigating his first season in MLS.
The city itself is familiar to Robinson - he has family in the area, and has visited a few times - but the challenge he faces is in how he handles a rookie season at the same time his team goes through its growing pains.
For example, the team's core players - Designated Players Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba - speak Spanish, as does Martino. Communication will be a touch tricky for Robinson, though he looks at the chance to learn as an opportunity, not an obstacle.
There are a few league veterans on the team, but for the most part Robinson has as fresh a slate as any. He's not sure if that's an advantage, though.
"You always have those little nerves, coming into a new situation," he explained. "But once you brush those aside, it's more of an excitement. You just need to realize, 'I'm here for a reason' and you play how you've been playing your whole life."
Fearlessness is a trait learned from his favorite defender Vincent Kompany.
"You never really want to have self-doubt, I'd say," Robinson explained. "It's more a confidence and an eagerness to show myself."
The learning curve
Confidence and eagerness proved invaluable traits at Syracuse, where Robinson quickly made a name for himself under coach Ian McIntyre. He quickly became a starter but knows the same isn't guaranteed in Atlanta.
"It's in the past," Robinson said of his school days. "College is very different from MLS."
Unlike many players coming through the draft, Robinson did not complete his full four years at Syracuse, choosing instead to leave after just two. It was a choice born of self-belief.
"I've been with the U-20 (U.S.) national team for the past year, and a lot of those guys are already pro, or have been for a while," Robinson explained. "I figured, you know what? I can play with these guys"
He's been in contact with D.C. United midfielder Julian Buescher for advice, as the two played together at Syracuse in 2015. But he's also being helped by New England Revolution legend Shalrie Joseph - a player he looked up to in his youth, and one that he now counts as friend, too.
Homecoming
Born in Arlington, Mass., Robinson was a Revs fan in his youth and surely has one eye on a Sept. 30 visit to Gillette Stadium. But he's also making sure to keep things in perspective. MLS seasons are long, and full of tribulations.
"You never want to over-visualize or try to over-sell yourself," Robinson said. "I just visualize myself in preseason, working hard and showing Tata Martino and the coaching staff what I have to offer for the team.
"I'm just trying to be my own player. I want to make my own statement in this league and hopefully have other kids look up to me. But, we're a long way from that. I definitely just have to prove myself in preseason first."
Still, he does have some goals he wants to meet.
"First off, I definitely want to get my MLS debut. That's a major goal."
Second on his list is buying a car. He's wanted one for a while. But what kind?
"I know Atlanta's making the Mercedes-Benz Stadium," he joked.We've just seen the end of a four-day orgy of lies and gratuitous, harsh, baseless attacks. There's nothing like watching mean white people get all hepped up on Bloody Marys and Ovaltine and then attack anybody who doesn't look or act like them. (Anybody miss Rep. Westmoreland's "uppity" comment about Sen. and Mrs. Obama?)
Sure, I was moved by John McCain's recounting of his prisoner days. And the conclusion of his political speech was great political theater. But that's all it was: theater. Time to fight back, hard, and not by staying on the defensive.
Here are fifteen clear, forceful statements Democrats and independents can use to to counterattack. And the themes that should never be far from the conscious mind are: Electing McCain's too risky. He's compromised himself. Palin's an extremist. And, same old same old.
_________________________________
1. He's Big Government John now. As a Senator, John McCain has voted nearly all of the time with the president who has created the largest government and run up the biggest deficits in American history. That's not change you can believe in, my friends. He's 90% Bush, 9% Rove, and 1%That's-For-Me-to-Know-and-You-to-Find-Out.
2. She's Pork Barrel Palin. She's always been an expert in draining earmark money off the hardworking taxpayer. She submitted $197 million in earmarks - more per person than any other state -- in her current budget. And the citizens of her little town got fifty times as much federal pork as the average American! How'd she do it? She hired a DC lobbyist. That's right: A K Street shark to fill her Main Street coffers - and advance her career in the bargain.
If you don't like the way Washington does business, you don't like her. What's the difference between Sarah Palin and an old-style GOP crony? Lipstick.
(Research and graph by The Center for American Progress, which is more measured on this topic than we are.)
3. McCain is actually more extreme right-wing about Iraq than Bush/Cheney: The Bush/Cheney administration has come around and accepted the Obama vision of a schedule for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Better late than never, I suppose. Yet McCain's last definitive statement on the topic was that we could be there for fifty or one hundred years.
4. McCain thought the Surge would fail! The press hasn't seen fit to mention this, but McCain said that he was "very doubtful that we have enough troops" there to get the job done. So if you believe "the Surge" worked, McCain's military judgment was wrong. And it also means he was more extreme about the war than Bush and Cheney. (See #3, above).
5. McCain's economy will be more of the same. If you like the economy we've got, vote McCain. Every time a Republican runs for office he pretends he'll do things differently. Bush said the same things in 2000. Look at McCain's voting record. Wonder what McCainonomics would look like? In the words of the old ad, you're soaking in it right now.
6. McCain has a massive new tax on the middle class, while Obama will cut taxes for 90% of Americans.McCain wants to make health benefits taxable for working Americans who are lucky enough to have health insurance. The tax credit he offers won't make up the difference after he's done making you buy insurance on your own (which is the other part of his plan.) And he'll help the rich get more breaks while leaving the rest of us where we are.
Obama will cut middle-class taxes.
7. McCain doesn't support the troops -- he fought against better benefits for returning vets -- and, perhaps as a result, the troops don't support him.
8. He may be too old. Don't be shy about saying it. It isn't ageism, and it isn't unkind, because it's not the years that concern us. Rather, it's how he comes across, his apparent lack of understanding of basic details (like Sunnis and Shi'ites), and his already reduced weekly work schedule.
If you want to elect a vital, dynamic, and clear-headed 72-year old Republican -- hey, Dennis Hopper seems pretty fit.
9. Who is this guy and what he has done with John McCain? The maverick's gone. He's sold out to the same group of "advisors" and special interests that have run the Republican Party for years. He'll do exactly what they want him to -- which is exactly what we've been getting.
10. What glass ceiling? The Democrats nominated a woman for VP a quarter-century ago! If they're only that far behind real change, I guess that's progress -- for the Republicans, anyway. During the civil rights struggle they were about a century behind. But stop pretending they've done something new -- or that they've done it for anything but cynical, poll-tested reasons.
11. Don't believe McCain's sweet talk about the environment. His very first executive decision was to pick an oil-company-friendly politician who doesn't believe in climate change to be his VP. Barry Goldwater said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice." But Palin's wacky climate theories are "extremism in the defense of Exxon."
The planet may not survive four more years of that kind of government.
12. Women must not lose control of their bodies. If your 14-year-old daughter was raped and became pregnant, Palin and McCain would force her to have the baby -- no matter what your family thought was best. Whose "family values" are those?
13. That Sarah Palin sure is an extremist. She doesn't like moderates, and apparently they don't like her. Did you know she spoke a few months ago to a radical separatist group whose founder said he hated the American flag and American institutions? That her husband was a longtime member? And that the party's founder died in an illegal deal gone bad -- to buy plastic explosives?
14. Experience? Did you know that Sarah Palin has more executive experience than John McCain? True, by the GOP's definition. But did you know that Barack Obama provided services to more than 90,000 people as a community organizer? That's more than 10 times the size of Palin's little town.
Obama's community organizing work was done for a faith-based initiative. Maybe he should've hired a lobbyist instead.
Obama's state senate district was more than 14 times bigger than Palin's town. And did you know Obama manages a budget in the hundreds of millions and hundreds (or thousands) of employees as head of the most successful political campaign in recent memory? That's effective executive experience.
15. Exploiting the dead and wounded of 9/11 with this video? Shame on them. It's like they'd crawl over graves just to win an election. Come to think of it, isn't that what they're doing?
At long last, sirs -- have you no sense of decency?
_______
I've always liked John McCain. But he seems to have fallen in with a bad crowd -- and he's letting them call all the shots. As the guy who shares 90% of McCain's political DNA once said, "Fool me twice, you don't get fooled again."
Actually, this would make the third time we've been fooled.April 22nd, 2014
---- 2 ±±±± 1 ±±±± 0 ±±±± 1 ±±±± 2 ++++
[Welcome, National Newswatch readers!]
Thirty new ridings, plus now fourteen fifteen retiring MPs and counting, adds up to a lot of open seats in the next election. And without the incumbency advantage, open seats always come with a higher risk of turnover. That means a lot of competitive races to watch in 2015.
[UPDATE: Mike Allen also announced his retirement this past March, so that’s fifteen, now. Thanks to a reader for pointing this out, though I would have gotten the post updated earlier had not our power gone out at nearly the same time.]
[RE-UPDATE: Now that our power is back on, I’ve added a bullet point on Allen’s New Brunswick riding, and also added the missing retirement details for Barry Devolin and Irwin Cotler as well.]
In addition to the 12 MPs who have resigned from the House of Commons since the 2011 general election plus the two who died in office (9 of whom have already been replaced in by-elections), a further 14 15 MPs ( 10 11 Conservatives and 2 each NDP and Liberals) have already announced they won't be running for re-election in 2015.
According to the Conservative Party strategy documents obtained by the Toronto Star in February, 11 caucus members did not intend to re-offer in 2015, and 16 others were "unsure". Given that document would have been written after the Ted Menzies and Brian Jean resignations, but before Jim Flaherty's sudden passing, the 10 11 Conservatives listed below plus Jim Flaherty would [UPDATE: more than] account for the 11. I take this to mean that if any of the unsure 16 are to announce their retirements, it may not come until closer to the expected election date in October, 2015.
The five vacant seats awaiting by-elections (remember they are currently vacant, and so are 2003 Representation Order ridings) are:
Macleod, AB – after Conservative M.P. Ted Menzies resigned to pursue private sector opportunities and help his community of High River recover from last year's floods. The Conservatives and Liberals both have nominated candidates in place, and the last day for the PM to call the by-election (May 17) is fast approaching.
Fort McMurray-Athabasca, AB – after Conservative M.P. Brian Jean resigned suddenly to pursue other opportunities. The NDP and Liberals both have nominated candidates in place, with the Conservatives set to nomination over a three-day period this coming Thursday to Saturday, laying the groundwork for a call as soon as Sunday.
Trinity-Spadina, ON – after NDP M.P. Olivia Chow resigned to run for Mayor of Toronto. The NDP has a nominated candidate in place, while the Liberals need a whole separate blogpost to do their candidate situation justice.
Scarborough-Agincourt, ON – after Liberal M.P. Jim Karygiannis resigned to run for a municipal seat on Toronto City Council. No-one has yet nominated a candidate here, although I'm hearing that Liberal memberships are being signed up at the furious pace you'd expect in the former seat of "Jimmy the K".
Whitby-Oshawa, ON – after the late and lamented former Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty passed away suddenly of a heart attack the other week in his Ottawa condo. The unexpected timing of this vacancy might see this riding and Scarborough-Agincourt … and perhaps Trinity-Spadina … put off until the early fall before the Ontario municipals on October 28.
But since we're about to spend lots of time looking at the by-election ridings over the next few months, let's look at the retiring MPs' seats now instead, and see what impact their leaving could have, by looking at the new ridings that will wind up being open seats.
British Columbia (5 retiring MPs)
* Conservative M.P. James LUNNEY – (currently Nanaimo-Alberni, BC; announced his retirement on Oct 11, 2013 because of the new riding boundaries) – Lunney's seat is to be split 60:40 between its primary descendant seat, the new more NDP-friendly Courtenay-Alberni riding, and the all-new seat of Nanaimo-Ladysmith. [Open seat is Courtenay-Alberni]
* NDP M.P. Jean CROWDER – (currently Nanaimo-Cowichan, BC; announced her retirement on Jan 23, 2014 in order to spend more time with her family; Crowder has agreed to serve as co-chair of the 2015 NDP national campaign, however) – Her old riding splits almost exactly in half, with slightly more going to its primary descendant, the new Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, and slightly less going to the all-new Nanaimo-Ladysmith seat. [Open seat is Cowichan-Malahat-Langford]
* Conservative M.P. Russ HIEBERT – (currently South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, BC; announced his retirement on Feb 20, 2014, saying he never intended to be a "career politician") – Three-quarter of Hiebert's current seat will live on as the new South Surrey-White Rock, while the Cloverdale portion goes to the all-new Cloverdale-Langley City riding, both of which would be expected based on demographics and historic voting patterns to remain strongly Conservative. [Open seat is South Surrey-White Rock]
* Conservative M.P. Colin MAYES – (currently Okanagan-Shuswap, BC; announced his retirement on Apr 12, 2014, saying that after 10 years as an MP it was time to move on) – There will be very little change to Mayes' riding (certainly no population change) as a result of the redistribution, although it is being renamed *North* Okanagan-Shuswap. It would be expected to stay Conservative, barring some unusual shifts and vote-splits (the last time it didn't was during the free trade election of 1988). [Open seat is North Okanagan-Shuswap]
* NDP M.P. Alex ATAMANENKO – (currently British Columbia-Southern Interior, BC; announced his retirement on October 29, 2013, citing his upcoming 70th birthday in 2015 and saying that was time to retire) – The primary descendent of Atamanenko's current seat is the new somewhat-less-NDP-friendly South Okanagan-West Kootenay riding, with the Nelson area going to the new now-more-NDP-friendly-than-it-was Kootenay-Columbia, and another less populous portion centering on Princeton going to the new Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola. Meanwhile the new west Kootenay seat gains the Penticton area from the old Okanagan-Coquihalla, along with Nakusp and the east side of Upper Arrow Lake from the old Kootenay-Columbia. The NDP has always held a strong core vote in the south interior of BC, but could not win many federal seats after the Liberal vote collapsed completely and folded into the Conservatives. The two Kootenay ridings come into play for the NDP when the old populist "Reform" vote is weak, and the Liberals regain enough strength to cut into the red tory side of the Conservative base. [Open seat is South Okanagan-West Kootenay]
BC Analysis: The net result in BC is five open seats, with two of them book-ending a brand-new seat on Vancouver Island, and another contributing a portion to the brand-new seat in Cloverdale. The fourth is almost unchanged, while the fifth is part of a significant realignment of boundaries in the province's southeast corner. At this stage, I don't expect the Liberals to be a factor in any of them. The upper Vancouver Island seats are not exactly historic Liberal territory, nor are the Kootenay ones. South Surrey and North Okanagan should stay Conservative (the former more strongly than the latter), the NDP would be expected to pick up Courtenay-Alberni (notwithstanding its status as a narrow nominal NDP loss in the 2011 transposition, this is the most ideal configuration of a central Vancouver Island seat for the dippers) and keep Cowichan-Malahat-Langford (close in the transposition, but I don't believe it will be as close with actual candidates when the times comes), while South Okanagan-West Kootenay will be a toss-up between the orange and blue teams, and depend on candidate recruitment and campaign effects. The Christy Clark government will be mid-term by the time the federal election comes around, which is the only NDP upside of not winning the last provincial election.
Alberta (2 retiring MPs)
* Conservative M.P. Laurie HAWN – (currently Edmonton Centre, AB; announced his retirement on March 10, 2014, saying that reaching 68 years of age at the next election meant it was time to move on) – All but approximately one-sixth of Hawn's current riding will carry on as the new Edmonton Centre, with the remainder (reportedly more Conservative-friendly polls) being added to the new Edmonton West riding, while a smidgen of the old Edmonton-Spruce Grove gets added in. [Open seat is Edmonton Centre]
* Conservative M.P. Diane ABLONCZY – (currently Calgary-Nose Hill, AB; announced her retirement on July 4, 2013 ahead of a cabinet shuffle, citing the changing boundaries and her 22 years of elected service by 2015) – Ablonczy's seat is almost exactly bisected into the new Calgary Rocky Ridge riding (its primary descendant by a hair) and the new Calgary Nose Hill, with a small surfeit going to the new Calgary Confederation. Current Conservative Calgary Centre-North M.P. Michelle Rempel has just been acclaimed in the new Nose Hill, while Rocky Ridge remains an open seat, though apparently at least under consideration by current Calgary West Conservative M.P. Rob Anders now that he's lost his bid for the Calgary Signal Hill nomination to Ron Liepert. [Open seat is Calgary Rocky Ridge]
AB Analysis: The net result in Alberta is two open seats: one each in Edmonton (which is being heavily targetted by the opposition, in spite of the early nomination and then sudden withdrawal of the NDP's star candidate Lewis Cardinal) and Calgary (which could still be back-filled by Conservative M.P. Rob Anders after losing his bid for Calgary Signal Hill). While the former riding could change hands in 2015, the latter is less likely than other Calgary seats to do so.
Saskatchewan (4 retiring MPs)
* Conservative M.P. Ray BOUGHEN – (currently Palliser, SK; announced his retirement on Aug 27, 2013, saying a policy of two terms and out makes sense) – The primary successor of Boughen's seat is the new Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan riding where current Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre (RLLC) M.P. Tom Lukiwski plans to run in 2015, leaving the new much more NDP-friendly Regina-Lewvan riding as the open seat. Palliser split 60:40 between the new Moose Jaw seat and Lewvan in the redistribution, while RLLC split 25:75 between those same two seats. The NDP has just unfrozen nominations in Saskatchewan, and economist Erin Weir recently announced a bid to challenge Regina-based lawyer and 2011 Palliser candidate Noah Evanchuk for the Regina-Lewvan nomination. The meeting is expected to be held sometime in June, while the Liberals are expecting to nominate here over the summer. To date I have not seen a Conservative name in circulation for the Lewvan nomination. [Open seat (domino effect) is Regina-Lewvan]
* Conservative M.P. Maurice VELLACOTT – (currently Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, SK; announced his retirement on Jun 25, 2013, citing a variety of reasons including a desire to spend more time at home with his family after 19 years of elected office) – Here again, with Vellacott out of the running, the primary descendant of his current seat is the new Humboldt-Warman-Martensville-Rosetown which circles Saskatoon, and that's where the current Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar Conservative MP Kelly Block has finally decided to run, leaving the new Saskatoon West as the open seat and a nominal NDP win. [Open seat (domino effect) is Saskatoon West]
* Conservative M.P. Garry BREITKREUZ – (currently Yorkton-Melville, SK; announced his retirement on Apr 11, 2014, saying it was time to spend more time with his family) – This is one of the ridings least touched by the redistribution in Saskatchewan, and is considered a safe Conservative seat since Lorne Nystrom lost it for the NDP to then-Reform Party candidate Breitkreuz in 1993. Before then it was part of the pro-Canadian Wheat Board "red square" of rural ridings, but grain marketing and transportation seem to have taken a back seat to gun registration and natural resources as vote-determining issues in rural Saskatchewan. Until that changes, voting patterns are unlikely to change here. [Open seat is the new Yorkton-Melville]
* Conservative M.P. Ed KOMARNICKI – (currently Souris-Moose Mountain, SK; announced his retirement early on Feb 28, 2013, as he anticipated heavy competition for the nomination to replace him) – Also largely untouched by the redistribution, and will be Conservative until the cows (and all other livestock) come home. Not surprisingly, a fifth candidate has just announced a bid for the Conservative nomination here, which is expected to come to a conclusion in the fall of this year. [Open seat is the new Souris-Moose Mountain]
SK Analysis: The net result in Saskatchewan is four open seats, two of which should easily stay with the governing Conservatives and two of which seem headed to the opposition NDP. A January 2014 story from CP's Jennifer Ditchburn, however, suggested Conservative insiders don't rule out future retirement announcements from (Saskatoon) Blackstrap MP Lynne Yelich and Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Gerry Ritz, although the latter was on Dimitri Soudas' list of MPs recommended for an early nomination meeting in February.
Ontario and Quebec (3 retiring MPs)
* Conservative M.P. Barry DEVOLIN – (currently Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, ON; announced his retirement to his riding association on Nov 13, 2013, after serving three terms) – All but 6% of Devolin's current riding will live on under the same name (with the rest added to neighbouring Peterborough), and the new and old ridings are equally strong Conservative seats. [Open seat is the new Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock]
* Liberal M.P. Irwin COTLER – (currently Mount Royal, QC; announced his retirement on Feb 5, 2014, citing a desire to spend more time with his family) – While the Conservatives have longed for a chances at this seat, given its significant Jewish profile, their candidate from the last election Saulie Zajdel was caught in the net of the Montreal corruption investigation last summer. The riding should remain a strong Liberal seat, given the resurgent support of Quebec anglophones and allophones for the Trudeau Liberal party, and the new version is virtually unchanged from the boundaries Cotler currently represents. [Open seat is the new Mont-Royal]
* NDP-turned-Liberal M.P. Lise ST-DENIS – (currently Saint Maurice–Champlain, QC; a Liberal party official told the Daniel Leblanc of the Globe & Mail on Jan 24, 2014 that she "was not coming back") – The once-and-again seat of former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien, this riding went Conservative for a term in 1988 after Chrétien resigned the first time, and then Bloc for three terms after he retired, before getting swept up in the orange wave of 2011. Even St-Denis herself seemed to credit Jack Layton for her win, when she crossed the floor to the Liberals after reportedly refusing the NDP's demands she move into the riding. Her treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma no doubt also played into her desire to stay in the Montreal area and leave politics. [Open seat is the new Saint Maurice–Champlain]
Central Canada Analysis: The net result in Ontario and Québec will likely be the status quo, with Devolin's seat staying Conservative, Cotler's seat staying Liberal, and Saint Maurice–Champlain seeming likely to return to the NDP based on the expectation of a further BQ-to-NDP vote shift.
[UPDATE: Mike Allen is a late edition to this post. Thanks to a reader for pointing out his retirement announcement to us.]
Atlantic (1 retiring MP)
* Conservative MP Mike ALLEN – (currently Tobique – Mactaquac, NB; announced his retirement on Mar 19, 2013, saying it was time to pursue other opportunities that would allow him to be home more) – The riding is another one barely touched by redistribution, and has nearly always voted Conservative, save for the days when the party split into Reform and PC wings allowing the Liberals up the middle. It certainly would be expected to stay that way now. [Open seat is the new Tobique-Mactaquac]
Conclusion
In addition to the open seats created by the 30 new ridings and associated incumbent MP shifts that we looked at last time, the 14 15 ridings which will wind up as open seats as a result of MP retirements also offer some opportunities for opposition pick-ups at the governing Conservatives' expense, including 2 in Saskatchewan, 1 in Edmonton, 1 on Vancouver Island, and a couple of possible Conservative pickups from the opposition.
Remember, though, that to win a majority, the Conservatives have to keep every seat they currently have, and pick up at least another 8-10 of the 30 new seats being added to the Commons. This is looking like a harder and harder task.
—————-
In coming blogposts, we'll look at the by-election riding nominations, party nomination counts for the next general election, and then start to catch up on all the rest of the nomination news.For O’Hair, who struggled with his driver most of the day, hitting just 6 of 14 fairways, it was like a punch to the stomach. O’Hair, a personable two-time winner on the tour, hung in until the end.
After losing the lead with a bogey at 16, O’Hair pulled even with a par to Woods’s bogey at the 17th. But Woods was undeterred. Like flicking dust from his lapel, Woods dismissed the bogey, and after O’Hair missed a 38-footer for birdie at the 18th, he closed the deal.
“The last three days, I hit the ball fantastic,” O’Hair said. “I think that’s kind of the outcome of today was the ball-striking wasn’t there.”
Photo
The drama that played out at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Sunday was like something from two dreams — a sweet one for Woods and a nightmare for O’Hair. On the putting green before the round, the two laughed about Woods’s two workouts before their tee time when Woods joked, “I don’t sleep.”
O’Hair responded that sleeping was something he did best, “except last night when I was thinking about playing you today.”
It did not take Woods long to get serious. He quickly established that a five-stroke deficit was not insurmountable by going for the jugular early.
Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters.
He birdied the second hole to close the gap to four strokes, and he birdied the third, hitting his wedge to 6 feet. O’Hair had trouble on No. 3, sending a pitch from 25 yards right of the green 12 feet past the hole. He missed the par putt and settled for bogey.
Missing greens and fairways, bereft of the ball-striking that had carried him to a five-stroke lead after three rounds, O’Hair suddenly found himself in Woods’s world. In the caldron where throngs of people were screaming Woods’s name and shouts of “He’s baaaack!” were heard across the course. The crowd was getting just what they had come to see — a Woods charge, and a tight race to the end.
Advertisement Continue reading the main story
O’Hair was not in a pleasant place. He bogeyed the seventh hole with a three-putt from 25 feet, and his lead was down to one. But he kept coming, birdieing the ninth to temporarily restore a two-stroke cushion.
Cutting O’Hair’s lead to two at the turn had been Woods’s goal from the start. It was exactly the position he had been in last year when he came back to win.
And when it came time to close it out, he got into the mind-set he needed, the feeling he had during every one of his previous 65 victories flooding back. At the par-3 14th, after finding his ball buried in a bunker for the second time, he blasted it out to 12 feet and threw his wedge at his golf bag. He was burning with a controlled anger, laser focused, and he rolled in the putt.
That putt, he said later, was the shot of the day for him. “You just remember how to do it,” he said. “It hasn’t been that long for me, but you just have that feel of what to do. And it’s a matter of getting it done.”I don’t want to wait! I kind of want to enjoy it now
|
bid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion,” and an expression “substantially beyond customary limits of candor.” Possibly sensing that the scattershot nature of his definitions simply provided prosecutors with more weapons, Brennan tackled the problem from another direction. He defined what would not count as obscenity. “All ideas having even the slightest redeeming social importance—unorthodox ideas, controversial ideas, even ideas hateful to the prevailing climate of opinion—have the full protection of the guaranties,” he wrote. “Implicit in the history of the First Amendment is the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming social importance.” Looked at one way, Brennan’s opinion in Roth was a setback for anticensorship forces. After all, it was the lead opinion in a decision that confirmed the conviction of a notorious pornographer. But, looked at another way, Brennan gave Grove a lot of language to work with. Rembar saw that the path to changing obscenity law was not to get Roth overruled but to get Brennan’s opinion restated as an anti-censorship decision. The task took Rembar and the rest of the legal team at Grove seven years to accomplish. The first move was easy. In Grove’s case against the Post Office, Rembar got the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to agree that “Lady Chatterley” was a serious work of literature, since it was published by a reputable press and had impressive scholarly accoutrements (and thus was not “pandering,” the basis for the crime for which most pornographers were convicted). “Chatterley” easily met the “social importance” test in Roth. The charge that the book offended contemporary standards—which is what the “customary limits of candor” test amounted to—was met by the fact that the Grove edition had been well received by the literary establishment. By the time the opinion overturning the ban was released, in July, 1959, the Grove “Lady Chatterley” had already sold over a hundred thousand copies; by fall, it was No. 2 on the Times best-seller list. It was still uncopyrighted. In the end, Knopf declined to enter the lists, but other publishers were not so punctilious. By the end of the year, there were five paperback editions on the market. Only one, published by Dell, paid royalties to Grove. Ultimately, six million copies of Lawrence’s novel were sold. As Rembar could see, the “Chatterley” decision was not exactly a ringing call to end censorship. The court basically said, If it’s good enough for Archibald MacLeish, it’s good enough for the United States Constitution. Lawrence may have opened the gate, but it was not obvious that Miller was going to squeeze through it. “Tropic of Cancer” was a much harder case. There were several problems. The first was that Lawrence was a moralist and Miller was an anarchist. Miller didn’t give a damn. “Social importance” was just the kind of cant he deplored. A second problem was that “Tropic of Cancer” and “Tropic of Capricorn” had been republished in Paris after the war by Maurice Girodias, Kahane’s son, who had taken his mother’s Gentile name during the Occupation, and, afterward, launched a press, Olympia, designed to reproduce Obelisk as a publisher of avant-garde writing and pornography. (Olympia was the first publisher of “Lolita.”) Someone tried to bring copies of the Paris edition of “Tropic of Cancer” into the United States, and the books were seized by Customs. In 1953, a federal court upheld the seizure. “Practically everything that the world loosely regards as sin is detailed in the vivid, lurid, salacious language of smut, prostitution, and dirt,” the judge observed of Miller’s novel. “And all of it is related without the slightest expressed idea of its abandon.” It was “Well of Loneliness” again: it wasn’t that the acts were sinful; it was that the author so clearly didn’t mind. The worst problem was that the Department of Justice advised Customs and the Post Office not to interfere with the distribution of “Tropic of Cancer.” Rosset had already published the book (it could not be banned in advance of publication, because of the rule against prior restraint) and had agreed to indemnify bookstores for their costs if they faced charges. This meant that the book was subject to any number of local prosecutions. In the end, there were nearly sixty “Cancer” cases across the country. The word went out that all the police had to do was go into a store, pick up a copy, and turn to page 5, where the “ream out every wrinkle” sentences appear, and they could seize all copies. Meanwhile, a Supreme Court decision was looking remote. Rosset had to keep appealing losses in state courts and hope for a grant of certiorari to stop the bleeding. As “Catch-22” was beginning its delayed but spectacular liftoff, Rosset was trying to plug a dike with sixty holes in it, and keep Grove solvent. In 1962, Grove had a breakthrough, when the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, on a four-to-three vote, reversed a trial-court judgment against the book. It was a big win for Grove, but, to Rembar’s dismay, the state did not appeal, so he could not get a Supreme Court decision out of the result. The litigation slogged on. Finally, and unexpectedly, in 1964, the Supreme Court reversed, without opinion, a Florida conviction against Grove, and issued, on the same day, an opinion in a case called Jacobellis v. Ohio, reversing the conviction of a movie-theatre manager for showing a French film called “Les Amants.” In his lead opinion, Brennan essentially restated what he had said in Roth, except, this time, to reach an anti-censorship verdict. Roth, he explained, held that “a work cannot be proscribed unless it is ‘utterly’ without redeeming social importance.” “Les Amants,” and, by implication, Miller’s novel, clearly had some social importance. As for “customary limits of candor,” which could be interpreted as a community-standards test, Brennan said that he could not have meant the standards of local communities, such that each jurisdiction would be free to impose its own bans. The Constitution is a national Constitution, and the First Amendment applies everywhere, so the standard must be a “national standard.” By the time of the Jacobellis decision, “Tropic of Cancer” had already sold more than two million copies. The Justices must have sensed that the market had established that the national-standard test had been met.Making a full time living as a writer is no easy task, even for the most prolific and talented scribblers. Many a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author slogged away at a miserable day or night job for years to make ends meet before the world got wind of their genius.
Some authors spent their entire lives working in unglamorous professions using their off hours toiling away at literary masterpieces that no one would read until after their death.
So aspiring bestselling authors pumping petrol and washing dishes take heart. Everybody has to start somewhere and many famous writers found inspiration for some of their most revered pieces of writing from jobs that seemed like dead ends.
1. Kurt Vonnegut Worked at a SAAB Dealership
The weird and wonderful worlds described in Kurt Vonnegut’s novels may never have existed if he’d only been a better car salesman. Before his writing career took off, Vonnegut opened up the first Saab dealership in the United States on Cape Cod in 1957 in an effort to try to support his family.
Vonnegut admitted later in life that he was a lousy salesman and an even worse mechanic, but said the lack of customers gave him time to pen his novel “Sirens of Titan” and also helped shape the character Dwayne Hoover in his classic novel “Breakfast of Champions.”
2. Stephen King: high school janitor
Before becoming one of the most prolific and widely read authors of his time, Stephen King made his living as a high school janitor. We imagine King must have mopped up a lot of horrific messes that could have inspired some pretty great scenes, but we know for sure that the first novel he sold, “Carrie,” was inspired by time he spent cleaning up in the girls’ locker room. Is there any scarier place in the world?
3. Jack London was an Oyster Pirate
Before the renowned author of classics like “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang” got his break as a novelist, he made his living as a San Francisco area “oyster pirate” —a more poetic term for fish burglar. London would raid the oyster beds of large companies at night and resell his haul in the fish markets in the daytime. His early career in seafood looting is referenced several times in his novels.
4. William Faulkner was a Mailman
Imagine getting your electric bill handed to you by a Nobel Prize winning novelist. William Faulkner worked as a Mississippi mailman before his novels about the American South were recognized as something special. Faulkner reportedly lost a great deal of the mail he was charged with delivering, discarding pieces of correspondence he considered to be “insignificant.”
His powerful writing voice was apparent even in his resignation letter from his post office job where he stated “I will be damned if I propose to be at the beck and call of every itinerant scoundrel who has two cents to invest in a postage stamp.”
5. Harper Lee was an Airline Reservation Clerk
Before Harper Lee wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird,” she just wanted to know if you were a “window person” or more of an “aisle type.” The Pulitzer Prize winner worked as an airline reservation agent in New York City in 1949 while she was seeking a literary agent and writing the book many consider to be the greatest American novel of the 20th century. Pick up a copy the next time you get stuck in the middle seat. It makes the trip almost bearable.
6. John Grisham was a Plumber
The crime fiction author who has sold more than 275 million books worldwide has always been willing to delve deep into the dark and dirty underworld of the legal system. Before he made it big as a novelist, though, he explored another dark and dirty underworld in one of his first jobs as a plumber’s assistant.
At some point when he was digging for pipes under a customer’s house, he decided that an office job would be a dream come true. He was on the pipeline to becoming a lawyer and the world was about to have some very compelling reading material which, incidentally, has likely been read in bathrooms around the globe.
7. Charles Dickens worked at a Shoe Polish Factory
If you’re wondering where Charles Dickens developed his uniquely bleak point of view, it may have something to do with one of his early jobs working in a shoe polish factory. Dickens was sent to work at the factory at the tender age of 12 to help earn for his family when his father was sent to debtors’ prison.
His own familial struggle and the brutal working conditions faced by him and other children during the industrial revolution in Britain informed such classic works as “Oliver Twist” and “Hard Times.”
8. JD Salinger was a Cruise Line Activities Director
Those who hopped aboard the luxury Swedish American cruise liner the MS Kungsholm back in 1941 got a special treat along with their all you can eat buffet. Their activities director was a 22-year-old J.D. Salinger. The future bestselling author of the epic teen angst novel “The Catcher in the Rye” worked one of his first jobs keeping the patrons on the luxury liner entertained. We wondered if he called shuffleboard enthusiasts a bunch of “phonies” to their faces.
9. Nicholas Sparks was an Over-The-Phone Dental Product Salesman
Who says there’s nothing romantic about getting your gums scraped? Before bestselling author Nicholas Sparks was discovered for writing the wildly popular romance novel “The Notebook,” he made his living by selling dental products over the phone. A literary agent discovered “The Notebook” in a slush pile and turned it into a New York Times bestseller, giving Sparks more to smile about than any dental floss sale he’d ever made.
10. T.S. Eliot was a Banker
Ever wonder what inspired T.S. Eliot to write a poem as grim as “The Waste Land”? Apparently, working as a banker can be pretty depressing. Before Eliot became a celebrated poet, he worked in the foreign accounts department at Lloyd’s Bank in London. Even after “The Waste Land” was published, Eliot continued to work in a basement office at Lloyd’s. His business experience may have helped inform his later work as director of Faber & Faber publishing house.
11. Margaret Atwood Worked the Counter at a Coffee Shop
Always tip your waitress well. They could turn out to be one of the greatest speculative fiction writers of our time. Margaret Atwood, author of such popular novels as “The Handmaid’s Tale” worked as cashier and java slinger at a coffee shop counter before she got her big break as a writer.
Atwood said the service element of her job wasn’t so bad, but that the cash register she was charged with managing could only be described as “perverse”—opening on its own, jamming shut for no reason and making eerie noises when she was nowhere near it. Luckily, Atwood’s bestselling novels allowed her to move away from food service for good and focus on the perverse nature of modern society instead.
12. John Steinbeck was a Construction Worker
Before building a writer career that highlighted the plight of migrant workers, John Steinbeck made a living as a construction worker in New York City. He didn’t last long in the profession and soon headed back West to focus on constructing brilliant narratives including the Pulitzer Prize winning “The Grapes of Wrath.” Steinbeck eventually won the Nobel Prize, so thank goodness he stopped hammering nails and focused on hammering away at that typewriter.
13. George Orwell was an Indian Imperial Officer
The author of the dystopian masterpiece “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and the fractured fairy tale “Animal Farm” had inside insight on what it was like to be an agent of social control thanks to his position as an officer with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. Born in British India, Orwell showed little academic promise in school and was encouraged to join the police force by his family who doubted he could get a scholarship to a university.
Luckily, the writing bug was too infectious for Orwell to shake and he eventually moved back to Europe where he worked for years as a journalist before become an international superstar with “Nineteen Eight-Four” in 1949.
14. Agatha Christie was an Apothecary’s Assistant
Before she was intoxicating audiences with her mystery novels, Agatha Christie worked as an apothecaries’ assistant, distributing drugs of a different kind. Christie got her start in the professional as a hospital volunteer during World War I, then eventually passed the exam to become an official “dispenser.” Christie’s pharmacological experience was essential in shaping her knowledge on the effects of the many poisons referenced in her murder mysteries.
15. Fyoder Dostoyevsky was an Engineer
The Russian novelist entered the Military Engineering-Technical University in St. Petersburg after the death of his mother when he was just 16 years old. Engineering provided Dostoyevsky with a stable income and job security, but he ditched the safe road to pursue a literary career against all odds.
It has been posited that the world of military engineering was so rigid and strict that it drove Dostoyevsky to swing to the other end of the career spectrum—that of a creative artist. He found success with his very first novel “Poor Folk” which was published when he was 25.
16. Franz Kafka was a Legal Clerk and Abestos Factory Co-Owner
Ever wonder how Franz Kafka gained his incomparable insight into the world of bureaucracy? It may have something to do with his early career in the legal profession. Kafka studied law at University and then clerked for a year in the civil and criminal courts after graduation.
He later went on to work for two different insurance companies dealing with personal injury and worker’s accident claims. And then, in a Kafkaesque twist,, he went on to be co-owner of an asbestos manufacturing factory. Kafka earned no fame for his iconic works until after his death from tuberculosis at age 40.
17. Arthur Conan was a Surgeon
Before creating the world’s most famous sleuth Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle was a physician and surgeon. Doyle began writing short stories during medical school, then spent time serving as a ship’s surgeon, then returned to writing when business got slow in his private practice. Holmes was reportedly based on one of Doyle’s university professors Joseph Bell who informed Doyle’s knowledge of “deduction and inference and observation.”
Of course Holmes’s partner Dr. Watson was a physician as well, so Doyle’s medical training helped to create two unforgettable characters.
18. Douglas Adams was a Bodyguard
Even though he had gotten a seemingly huge break by writing a sketch for “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Adams still struggled to make a full time living as a writer before “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” became an international megahit. Adams took a position as a bodyguard to a Qatari family to make ends meet.
Adams later fell on hard times, suffered from depression and eventually moved back in with his mother. “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” eventually broke through as a BBC radio series so that Adams got to permanently close the book on his career in personal security.
19. William S. Burroughs was an Exterminator
Burroughs became a seminal figure in the 1950s “Beat Generation” with wonderfully bizarre ramblings in works like “Junkie” and “Naked Lunch,” but before he shared his writing with the world he held his share of odd jobs including a stint as an exterminator. He reportedly enjoyed the gig because he made his own hours and got to meet interesting characters on his house calls.
Although it wasn’t his most famous work, Burroughs wrote a collection of short stories called “Exterminator!” which featured a piece about a professional bug killer and later collaborated on a collection of short stories called “The Exterminator” with Brion Gysin.
20. Anne Rice was an Insurance Claims Examiner
Ever feel like your insurance company is bleeding you dry? Maybe that’s how popular vampire fiction writer Anne Rice got her inspiration. Rice worked as an insurance claims processor to make a living while she was in college. Her breakthrough novel “Interview with the Vampire” wasn’t published until almost fifteen years later after she spent years pursuing advanced degrees in literature.
About The Expert Editor
We are Australia’s leading editing and proofreading service, specialising in books, theses and dissertations, and business documents.ES Football Newsletter Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
Former Queens Park Rangers striker DJ Campbell is one of the six people arrested in connection with a football spot-fixing investigation.
Campbell, 32, currently plays for Blackburn Rovers after joining on a free transfer in the summer. The player's booking against Ipswich in a Sky Bet Championship game last week is at the centre of police enquiries, The Sun newspaper alleges.
Blackburn confirmed that Campbell (above) had been arrested as part of the National Crime Agency's investigation, after it acted on information passed to it by the Sun on Sunday newspaper.
In a statement, Rovers said: "Following reports in today's national media, Blackburn Rovers can confirm that striker DJ Campbell has been arrested.
"The club will be making no further comment on what is now an ongoing legal matter."
Campbell signed for QPR in 2011 but was released this summer after an injury-hit spell.
The tabloid reported that an undercover investigator met former Portsmouth player Sam Sodje, who allegedly said he could arrange for footballers in the Championship to get themselves a yellow card in return for tens of thousands of pounds.
The 34-year-old also claimed he could rig Premier League games and even said he was preparing to fix matches at next year's World Cup in Brazil, the newspaper reported.
Detectives from the NCA were still questioning the six men this morning.
Responding to the claims about Sodje on Sunday, Portsmouth spokesman Colin Farmery said: "If these serious allegations are true then we are extremely shocked and saddened by them, as match-fixing of any type goes to the heart of the integrity of the game.
"The player in question no longer plays for the club and we have not been contacted by the authorities, but of course we would cooperate fully with any inquiry."
It was also reported that Oldham player Cristian Montano failed to get a yellow card in return for money in a match against Wolves on October 22 and offered to take part in another rigging incident.
Oldham said in a statement: "Oldham Athletic Football Club has been made aware of the incident and allegation surrounding one of its players, Cristian Montano. The club will commence an immediate internal investigation to establish all the relevant facts of the case.
"The club is co-operating with other agencies in this matter and cannot comment on specific facts at this stage. The club will not be issuing any further statements at this time."
An NCA spokeswoman said: "An active NCA investigation is now under way and we are working closely with the Football Association and the Gambling Commission.
"Six people are in custody and are being questioned by NCA officers. We cannot comment further at this stage."
The NCA is already carrying out a separate investigation into an alleged international illegal betting syndicate.
Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, both 22, were charged last week with conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law.
The pair, who played for Conference South club Whitehawk FC in Brighton, were dismissed by their club and will appear in court on Wednesday.
Two other men, Chann Sankaran, 33, from Hastings, East Sussex, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, 43, from Singapore, were charged last month with plotting to defraud bookmakers and will also appear in court this week.
Speaking about the latest reports, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "We treat any allegations of criminal activity in our competitions with the utmost seriousness."
In a statement, the Football Association said: "The FA is aware of the National Crime Agency investigation and is working closely with the NCA and other authorities. We will make no further comment at this time."
A Gambling Commission spokesman said: "The Gambling Commission has responded quickly in supporting this ongoing National Crime Agency investigation and continues to liaise with both the NCA and the Football Association."
Meanwhile, Marcus Gayle, manager of Conference South team Staines Town, has claimed his players were offered match-fixing bribes just three weeks ago.
The former Wimbledon and Watford player told BT Sport he was furious when he discovered the approach, which was made to one of his players by telephone.
Gayle said: "We reported the incident straight away to the FA. That shows we have done the right thing. Our players are absolutely furious.
"I never thought match-fixing was possible but now I have changed my mind for obvious reasons, now I am convinced it's all over the place, at least that's how it appears to be to me.
"After what has happened at my club I am angry and I want to stand up for the integrity of the game, even if that means standing up alone, so be it.
"As a club I believe we have done the right thing reporting it to the FA and I am sure they will be passing on that information to the police. We reported it to the FA 24 hours after I found out about it.
"It does worry me just how much is going on in the game at the moment, and I am sure it is far more than people think."
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said: "These allegations, if proven, unfortunately demonstrate the real issue football faces in terms of corruption and highlights the necessity of the work carried out by the PFA and other stakeholders in the game in educating players of these risks.
"We take the issue of integrity very seriously and will continue in our efforts to eradicate this evil from our game.
"In terms of these specific reports, due to the ongoing investigation by the National Crime Agency, we are unable to comment further at this time."Tehran, Iran, Oct. 27
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
Some 2,000 birds in a wetland near Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran have died over the past 15 days..
Announcing the news, West Azerbaijan Province Environment Department Director Parviz Arasteh stated that the deaths were not due to bird flu, IRNA news agency reported Oct. 27.
He said the birds were of different kinds, mostly coot, cotton pygmy goose and mountain cock.
He said experts surmise that low precipitation and the flow of domestic and industrial waste into the wetland may lie behind the situation.
Low precipitation and unbridled usage of surface and underground waters has run Iran into a serious water crisis.
Lake Urmia, the biggest inland Iranian lake has shrunk by degrees in the past decades and is facing a critical situation. If the lake dries out completely, serious environmental hazards will threaten the lives of people in the area.
Edited by CN
Follow Trend on Telegram. Only most interesting and important newsTwo boats carrying hundreds of passengers have capsized in a 24-hour period in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Italy, possibly leaving dozens of refugees dead, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Barbara Molinario, public information officer at the UNHCR's Italian branch, said rescue operations are complicated by the large volume of passengers on the vessels carrying refugees and migrants.
"Usually nobody really knows the exact number of people on a boat like that," she told Al Jazeera by telephone on Thursday.
"We are now waiting for the survivors to come so we can talk to them. That's going to be the only way to know there are people missing."
The Italian coastguard released images of a shipwreck a day earlier, in which at least five people died when the boat went over off the coast of Libya.
The blue fishing vessel, its deck heaving with people, tipped over on Wednesday after passengers rushed to one side on spotting a rescue ship.
Those on the boat, many of them men, some already wearing orange lifejackets as a precaution, were captured in rare photographs as they clung to the boat's rails or each other, or dropped into the sea.
Some are seen hanging on to the starboard edge by their fingertips as the trawler rolls, while others try to balance on the rim.
Pictures taken seconds later show the waters around the boat filled with people trying to get away from the vessel which, now overturned, begins to sink, with people still perched on its upturned hull.
The navy said its Bettica patrol boat had spotted "a boat in precarious conditions off the coast of Libya with numerous migrants aboard" but the trawler overturned shortly afterwards "due to overcrowding".
The Bettica threw life-rafts and jackets to those in the water, while another navy ship in the area sent a helicopter and rescue boats.
Survivors can be seen in the photographs wearing life-rings, some swimming towards the Bettica as the helicopter whirrs overhead.
The navy said 562 people had been pulled to safety.
The operation wound up late on Wednesday without finding any further survivors or victims.
Those on board had sounded the alarm by calling for help using a satellite phone some 18 nautical miles off Libya.
The Bettica went on to save another 108 refugees and migrants from their dilapidated vessel in a second rescue operation on Wednesday.
In a separate incident on Thursday, reports suggested that several people died on board or fell over on a boat that arrived on the Italian coast, said the UNHCR's Molinario.
"It takes at least three days from Libya to Italy and many more from Egypt. These are very dangerous routes and accidents are just waiting to happen," she said.
"Our position is that people who are forced to flee and cannot return home need to be given a safe means to get to Europe and ask for protection. If they are forced to risk their lives and turn to smugglers, then this is what's going to happen."
According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 1,370 people have lost their lives so far this year trying to make the crossing to Europe.
The latest arrivals bring the number of people rescued and transferred to Italy since the start of the year to nearly 40,000 following the rescue of more than 6,000 since Monday, according to figures collated by UNHCR and the coastguard.
The overwhelming majority of those arriving in Italy so far this year have been from sub-Saharan Africa.
Italian media reports warned that the number of minors arriving was on the rise.
The UNHCR, aid organisations and the Italian government say there is no sign yet of Middle Eastern refugees switching to the Libyan route to Europe following moves to restrict access from Turkey via the Greek islands.As some scholars argue, there is insufficient proof of the ‘neoliberal’ nature of the policies that outgoing Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama has led. What has happened instead is an increase of local state capitalism, marked by the roles of local government-owned enterprises in Jakarta’s development. Notwithstanding this fact, structural problems still are pressing in Jakarta, and are mostly related with land and spatial planning issues. Here I want to explore those structural problems in Jakarta that the governor-elect Anies Baswedan will deal with in office. One of pressing problem in the capital city remains unsolved: namely, chaotic spatial planning and its further consequences for the environment, including exacerbating flood disasters, and for vulnerable groups who need state the most—the poor.
Land, of course, is an important resource in Jakarta. With population growth of 3.7% annually, scarcity of land is a pressing issue. UN-Habitat estimates that in 2050, population living in the cities in the world will be 66%. According to BPS data n 2012, 54% of Indonesian population live in the cities. There is no hard data on land prices in Jakarta, but it is plan to see that it has spiralled annually, and become unaffordable for the poor. The number of poor in Jakarta—that is, living below the official poverty line—is 3.5% of total population, or 320,000, similar to the population of Canberra. Scarcity of land and its constant increased price make it hard to access housing in Jakarta for the middle class, let alone the lower class.
Within this context, small groups dominate and control land. Many of the top 40 richest men in Indonesia (according to the business magazine Globe Asia) are in the property businesses. (It’s important to note that the Indonesian rich is limited not only to Chinese Indonesians, but also includes many indigenous (pribumi) tycoons.) These private developers provide housing for the middle class and upper classes in Jakarta. In the late 1980s, housing estates were largely located in fringe of Jakarta. Ciputra, the so-called ‘king of developers’, developed a satellite city of Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) in Southwest Jakarta as well as Pantai Indah Kapuk in North Jakarta. Lippo Group, belonging to the Riady family, constructed Lippo Karawaci in Tangerang, and Lippo Cikarang in Bekasi, East Jakarta. Ciputra actively lobbied Soeharto to convert the peatland in North Jakarta into a residential area before the Salim Group, belonging to the notorious New Order crony Liem Sioe Long, took over the project. These are the examples mentioned in Arai’s research in 2015. All of developers found their close connections to Soeharto to be instrumental in building vast land holdings, according to Winarso and Firman’s research.
But as traffic jams worsened, and Jakartans who lived in these suburbs spent more and more time on the road commuting, the business of high-rise apartment buildings in the city centre started to take off in the early 2000s. Agung Podomoro Land (APL) owned by Trihatma Kusuma Haliman was as one of the pioneers in this area. Other developers followed in APL’s footsteps and moved their focus back into town to build high-rise apartments there. Summarecon group constructed much of Kelapa Gading. The prominent politician-cum-businessman Aburizal Bakrie had Rasuna Episentrum in Kuningan area. The Lippo Group developed high rise mixed use complexes for the upper middle class in Kemang and West Jakarta. The Murdaya family, taking over the property business of the Salim group, now has its own property projects in Jakarta’s CBD.
Colliers International data from 2016 shows that the price for apartments in Jakarta averages Rp32,100,000 (A$3,200) per square metre. For rentals, the average price is Rp365,610 (A$36)/sq. m/month CBD and 218,625 (A$21)/sq. m/month for South Jakarta. Compare this price to the rent cost for vertical social housing (Rusunawa) in Marunda area, North Jakarta. At the fourth floor there, tenants pay Rp128,000 (A$12)/month for 30square metres, or IDR 4,266 (A$4)/sq.m/month.
The Jakartans who can afford to purchase or rent their own apartments are perhaps part of the lucky 18% of those in the middle class population celebrated by such entities as McKinsey. At the other side, the social class that manages to pay rent for rusunawa is those with provincial minimum wage is IDR 3.35 million/month, or less. Here we see stark extremes of housing pricing among social classes, which also reflects the tremendous inequality between social classes in the capital.
According to market directory of apartments in Jakarta, there are 334 apartment developments, and 116 under construction. Data from Colliers states that total supply of in 2012 was almost 150,000 units. The figure may increase around 20% of that number in 2017. If we compare these numbers with rusunawa in Jakarta, the difference is stark. According to the provincial government’s data, the total number of rusunawa public housing developments in Jakarta is 24, representing fewer than 10% of all apartments. In 2016, the Jakarta government planned to build 21,000 units with budget allocation Rp3.3 trillion (A$330 million). Again, we see more inequality, this time in terms of housing provision: the rich and middle class have more housing supply, while the poor have to struggle to access limited quantities of affordable housing.
If during Soeharto the era it was the central government who had control on spatial planning, in the post-Soeharto era it is local government through their local bylaws or perda.. These set guidelines for urban development in spatial planning (RTRW) documents with a time frame of 20 years, with possible revision every 5 years. In more detailed accompanying spatial plans, provisions for zoning—residential, commercial, or green space.
There has been violation of these planning regulations, especially conducted by the developers I introduced above—and the Jakarta provincial government seems to approve of it. Kemang in South Jakarta is one good example. According to the Jakarta RTRW document, it was a conservation area. In early 1980s, 70% of the area was green. But the areas was rezoned for commercial use, with cafes and shopping areas proliferating in the 1990s. Due to this conversion, green areas intended to be a catchment area have deteriorated. As a result, water has inundated the suburb every rainy season since the mid-2000s. There has been little concrete action that taken by the government in response.
Another prominent source of spatial law violations is the case shopping mall construction. According to data collected by Deden Rukmana in 2015, there are five main areas where the designated uses in Jakarta’s 1985–2005 were violated, as can be seen in table below.
Spatial plan violations in Jakarta
Areas Size Designated uses in Jakarta spatial plan 1985-2005 Converted use Kelapa Gading,
East Jakarta 3182 acre Water catchment area Mall, shopping centre, residential area Pantai Kapuk, North Jakarta 2053 acre Protected forest area Residential area, Golf course, Mall Sunter,
North Jakarta 3605 acre Water catchment area Residential area, Automotive factories Senayan,
Central Jakarta 689 acre Green areas Mall, Hotel, Apartment Tomang,
West Jakarta 172 acre Urban forest Mall, Apartment, residential area
Source: Rukmana (2015)
While the Jakarta government relaxed its regulation towards developers, they are very hard on violations of spatial planning by poor communities. Between 2015–2016, according to Jakarta’s Yayasan LBH (Legal Aid Foundation), there have been more than 300 cases of forced eviction in Jakarta, with more than 14,000 victims, making it the largest forced evictions in Jakarta’s modern history.
This inconsistency brings severe effects for the whole city. Construction of high rise buildings in the capital has resulted in the increased rate of land subsidence, which the World Bank estimates has been occurring at the rate of 4-6 cm per year. These high rise buildings extract water from the ground, which deteriorates the soil, leading to subsidence. At the same time, green area remains less than 7% of Jakarta’s surface. These all have worsen floods every year in Jakarta, and has made the capital achieve the title of a ‘sinking city’. The whole city and its population bear the cost.
Jakarta’s election in 2017 has absorbed us all with the prominence of issues of religion and identity, which are indeed quite worrying for the future of Indonesian democracy. However, looking towards Jakarta’s future, persistent urban issues such as land, environment, and spatial planning, which has both reflected and reproduced spatial inequality among social classes, remains. This issue are material for all of Jakartans in the next five years, no matter their religion or race.
……………
Amalinda Savirani is head of department of Politics and Government, Fisipol, Gadjah Mada University. She is also a visiting fellow at Department of Politics and Social Change, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National University.
Photos via Flickr user Jean-Baptiste Roux, used under Creative Commons.A pensioner was slashed with a knife by a man who tried to sell him drugs at a south London train station.
The 70-year-old man was walking through Thornton Heath station just after 10pm last Monday, August 29 when the inicdent happened.
He
|
unofficial referendum on democracy in the southern Chinese gambling hub of Macau showed 89 percent of nearly 9,000 people who took part don’t trust their leader, who was re-elected on Sunday as the sole candidate.
Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui speaks at a news conference after winning Macau's chief executive election in Macau July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
An official panel elects Macau’s leader, similar to neighboring Hong Kong where a committee of largely pro-Beijing loyalists chooses who gets on the ballot, effectively rendering the ability to vote meaningless.
Fernando Chui was returned to office by a panel of 400 largely pro-China loyalists in Macau, a former Portuguese colony.
Data released on the poll’s online site showed that 7,762 of 8,688 voters did not have confidence in Chui, while 95 percent of the voters said they supported universal suffrage by 2019.
Authorities were quick to disrupt the unofficial poll, shutting polling booths and arresting five people for breaching privacy laws.
“We are still very vulnerable to police harassment,” Jason Chao, 27, one of the organizers, said.
“The Chinese government was the one who ordered the rampant suppression of the civil referendum initiatives. Now the Chinese government wants to be tougher against civil movements in Macau and Hong Kong.”
Activist groups in Macau had staged the unofficial referendum among the 600,000 residents to coincide with Sunday’s re-election, following a similar informal vote in the former British colony of nearby Hong Kong.
Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, followed two years later by Macau, now the world’s biggest gambling center.
Both enjoy wide-ranging autonomy and free speech not permitted on the mainland, but Communist Party leaders in Beijing fear calls for democracy in the “special administrative regions”, as Hong Kong and Macau are known, could spread to cities on the mainland.
Macau authorities have moved to smother civil movements, taking a harder line than in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy activists have been pushing for universal suffrage, prompting a clash with police on Monday after China ruled out full democracy.I’ve been asked a lot this afternoon about whether I think the St. Louis Rams could make a play for Oakland third-string quarterback Matt McGloin since news broke that their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, will be lost for the season with a knee injury.
While anything is possible, I’d be surprised if the Rams pursued McGloin to be their starter. McGloin is looked at more as a backup around the league. I think the Rams would consider players such as Mark Sanchez, Ryan Mallett or Matt Barkley before McGloin. However, if the Rams opt to promote backup Shaun Hill, perhaps they’d try to get McGloin as the backup.
Then, the issue would be compensation. The Raiders really like McGloin, who started six games as an undrafted rookie last season. He has looked good in the preseason (against third-string defenses) and coach Dennis Allen said he has confidence in McGloin. So, the Raiders simply won’t give him away even though he is behind starter Matt Schaub and rookie Derek Carr.
Frankly, even if the Rams aren’t interested, I could see another team possibly making a play for McGloin in the next week (Houston and his former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien perhaps could show interest). But unless the price is right (a conditional mid-round pick perhaps), I’d think Oakland would rather keep McGloin as a developmental player.New surveillance footage is shedding light on a hostage situation that took place at a Texas Wal-Mart last month. (Published Thursday, July 7, 2016)
Amarillo SWAT officers shot and killed a man who took two people hostage inside a Wal-Mart Tuesday afternoon, police say.
Amarillo police tweeted the end of the hostage situation shortly before 12:45 p.m. saying the hostages were safe and the gunman was dead.
Officer Jeb Hilton, with the Amarillo Police Department, said as officers were clearing the store they found the armed person and fatally shot him.
No other injured people were found inside the store, Hilton said, other than the one shot by SWAT officers.
The Amarillo Police Department released a brief statement late Tuesday afternoon identifying the suspect as 54-year-old Mohammad Moghaddam.
Police say he took two people hostage, including a manager with whom he had a work-related dispute.
New surveillance footage shows the gunman leading the hostage all the way to the back room.
No other details have been released about Moghaddam or what may have led to the incident. Police say neither hostage was injured.
“As soon as we heard about the situation at our store in Amarillo, Texas, we acted immediately. All customers and our two associates who were held hostage are safe. This was a very difficult situation and we are thankful for the quick response from law enforcement," said Deisha Barnett, Wal-Mart spokeswoman.
The Randall County Sheriff's Department said the Georgia Street exit ramp on southbound Interstate 27 was closed to all traffic and the entire area surrounding the Wal-Mart was closed to traffic during the incident. Sheriff's deputies added northbound I-27 was backed up and there are reports of crashes along on the highway.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC ChicagoCongress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra will no longer be exempted from pat downs at domestic airports, with the union civil aviation ministry on Wednesday removing him from the no-frisking list.
Minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma said the order was issued after Vadra himself asked to be removed from the list.
46-year old Vadra welcomed the government action in a post on his Facebook account and expressed the hope that there would be no more political controversies over the privilege extended to him.
I appreciate that my name will not appear in the VVIP list anymore. I hope this is a dead issue now and will not be used against me.My Best wishes. Posted by Robert Vadra on Wednesday, 16 September 2015
"I appreciate that my name will not appear in the VVIP list anymore. I hope this is a dead issue now and will not be used against me," he said.
The government's order came two days after Vadra himself took a jibe at the Narendra Modi government for retaining his name in the VVIP list despiter making an issue out of it during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.
"Plans to visit every terminal in the Airports in India and add a white tape on my name from the VVIP list and my signature on top!! So look out.." he said in an FB post on Monday.
The no-frisking privilege is granted to constitutional figures and those who have elite Special Protection Group (SPG) cover, including Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi - the two top leaders of the Congress party - and her daughter Priyanka.
Plans to visit every terminal in the Airports in India and add a white tape on my name from the VVIP list and my signature on top!!So look out.... Posted by Robert Vadra on Sunday, 13 September 2015
They are spared security checks that every other passenger has to go through at airports. BJP has repeatedly targeted Vadra over controversial land deals and accused him of abusing VIP security privileges granted to his wife.
Last week, the government had said that there were no plans to remove his name from the VIP list, prompting Vadra to allege a that there was a "conspiracy to malign his image."
"This is something Priyanka had herself asked for, Vadra had asker for...This is essentially an issue because of SPG rule book," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said, adding, "No one in the Congress or Vadra family or Gandhi family wanted it."
First Published: Sep 16, 2015 17:55 ISTThe Harper government made a "political" decision to cut flying times for CF-18s and other military aircraft so it could save money and campaign on a balanced budget in 2015, says a former Conservative MP and ex-fighter pilot.
But Laurie Hawn says any decline in combat readiness caused by the 2014 decision was only temporary and shouldn't be seen as evidence of a capability gap within the Royal Canadian Air Force now — an idea he says the current Liberal government has "fabricated."
"The military is costly, and this wasn't [just the] CF-18, this was across the air force in every fleet — every single aircraft had flying time reduced so that we didn't have to spend money, so that we could run on a balanced budget," Hawn said of the Conservative government's decision. "So that was political as well.
"I objected at the time on paper with people well above my pay grade, [and] said, 'Look, this is going to have an impact on operational capability.'"
Documents obtained by CBC News reveal the Conservative government was warned by the air force in late 2014 that CF-18 pilots weren't getting enough training time and that "resource reductions" were squeezing maintenance budgets.
The documents, dated Dec. 17, 2014, make clear the military was concerned the combat readiness of its fighter fleet was declining a month after six CF-18s began conducting combat strikes on ISIS targets in Iraq.
Hawn said the decision was rectified the following year. Flying time was increased and it didn't have a long-term effect, he said.
In 2014, Stephen Harper's government decided to reduce flying time for CF-18 pilots as part of its effort to balance the budget before the 2015 election, his former MP Laurie Hawn says. (Shaun Best/Reuters)
The air force has confirmed that a readiness issue was identified in 2014 and it "was the result of a one-year reduction of flying hours allocated to the CF-18 fleet in response to financial resource constraints."
Maj. Scott Spurr, with the directorate of air force public affairs, said "the RCAF recognized this issue and the trend has been reversed by an increased allocation of flying hours in subsequent years."
'Capability gap'
Hawn made the comments in light of the Liberal government's decision to purchase up to 18 Super Hornets to fill what it says is a "capability gap" in Canada's fleet of fighter jets.
He said the Liberals created the gap idea to provide political cover for their decision to buy Super Hornets from Boeing and fulfil Justin Trudeau's election promise not to purchase Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets.
That decision "is 100 per cent politically driven," he said.
"It is not in the best interests of Canada or our own sovereignty or our finances, or Canadian industry. It is all about preserving the reputation of the prime minister."
Justin Trudeau campaigned in 2015 on a promise not to purchase Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets. (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press)
Hawn is a former CF-18 pilot and retired air force lieutenant-colonel. He spent 30 years in the air force before serving as an Edmonton MP from 2006 to 2015. He spent 3½ years as parliamentary secretary to the defence minister and served on the defence committee.
He also served as Canadian co-chair of the Canada-U.S. Permanent Joint Board on Defence, reporting directly to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a variety of issues affecting the overall defence and security of North America. He didn't run for re-election in 2015.
In an email, Conservative defence critic James Bezan said "the previous Conservative government was committed to balancing Canada's budget. The Department of National Defence did its part to ensure the efficient use of public funds and to generate savings for Canadians, while safeguarding the ability of the CAF to be ready to take on the challenges of the 21st century."
He said the majority of savings were gained through efficiencies, such as streamlining contracting and internal processes.
Replacing fighter jets
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced in late November the government will begin the process of buying Super Hornets to supplement the aging CF-18s, insisting the air force doesn't have the jets needed to carry out all of its duties.
The Liberal government says it needs to buy new planes on an interim basis to bridge a 'capability gap' with its current fleet of CF-18 fighter jets. (Combat Camera/Department of National Defence)
Sajjan rejected Conservative allegations the government has "fabricated" the capability gap. In the House on Monday, he said the government has "commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this by risk management.
"That is the capability gap that we talk about."
He has also said the government will launch an open competition to replace the entire CF-18 fleet, but that could take up to five years to set up.The second game of the traditional Sweden-Finland Challenge ended up going Sweden’s way, winning in both full time and the following penalty shootout.
Although the Finns would start off strongest. After 5:42 Janne Hoikkanen scored the first goal of the game, assisted by Joonas Pylsy. Sweden had the opportunity to equalize it when Eemeli Salin was given a 2 minute penalty 7 minutes in. Despite having a strong Powerplay lineup with goal scorers like Kim Nilsson and Rasmus Enström, no goal was scored. Instead Finland increased their lead when Jani Kukkola from his classic point position hit the net, making it 2-0 going in to the second period.
Changes were made in the Swedish lineup – Alexander Rudd who initially started on the bench replaced Linus Nordgren and joined Rasmus Enström and Jonas Svahn in the second line. Nordgren was instead placed in the third line where he replaced Falun’s Simon Cederström.
The changes gave good result for the Swedes and 11:53 in to the second period Rasmus Enström scored the first goal for Sweden, assisted by Jonas Svahn. Shortly after that Kim Nilsson equalized it in a typical Nilsson manner, using his long reach to go around his opponent, and then placing it in the lower end of the goal.
The synergy between Enström and Svahn continued and already after 1:33 in the third period Sweden was in the lead for the first time in the game. Chances were exchanged between the teams but no goal was scored until 15:36 when Linus Nordgren extended the lead for Sweden to 2-4, assisted by David Gillek who played his first game for Sweden in 3 years.
With 1:31 left Finland took a timeout and decided to take out their goalkeeper and play 6v5 instead. But it wasn’t enough and Sweden ended up winning the game in full time after a least to say successful change in the lineup.
As always in the Sweden-Finland Challenge the game is followed by a penalty shootout. The first penalty was taken by Finnish penalty specialist Mika Moilanen, who ended up hitting the post – although nevertheless a good attempt. None of the following four penalties resulted in a goal. It was only in the sixth and final penalty that the Swedish captain Johan Samuelsson scored the only goal in the shootout and gave Sweden the extra point.
Floorball Worldwide Facebook Group - 1.920 members! Become a member For lovers of floorball worldwide! Here you find the latest news about floorball!
Join the Floorball Worldwide Facebook Group(Analysis) Even as investigation into criminal activity at super-sized banks continues to uncover more wrong doing, the trend for both larger size and greater industry concentration continues (see chart). Since 1999, when Congress repealed the provisions limiting bank activities and mergers by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, the number of banks with more than $100 billion in assets – super-sized banks, has increased from 6 to 19. This trend for larger and riskier bank size continues unabated after the recession of 2008-9, which exposed the potential for real economic damage that these super-sized banks can cause.
In Dec. 2012, the market share of commercial bank assets for super-sized banks is an astounding 61%, up from 55% in Dec. 2007 (the beginning of the “Great Recession”) and 26% in Dec. 1999. Politicians who promised “action” to control Wall Street have not delivered any meaningful change to this industry.
Labor and working families are rightfully worried by these trends. Through no fault of their own, they are suffering into a sixth year after the start of the 2008-9 recession. Since government proves unwilling or incapable to control a trend that many analysts believe is responsible for the “Great Recession” – larger and riskier banks, worry by workers about when another financial crisis will occur is widespread.
Given no effective government action to control bank size, it is incumbent upon labor and working families to patronize community banks in an effort to show their concern and unhappiness with super-sized banks. Credit unions are an especially safe and sound financial institution that should receive business from workers. Faced with a political system that is corrupted by large campaign contributions from super-sized banks, effective government action is unlikely anytime soon.
AdvertisementsIndia’s paradoxical relationship with beef took a new turn last month, when the environment minister imposed a ban on the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter at animal markets.
Cow slaughter has been banned for decades in India because of the cow’s traditional status as a respected creature in Hinduism, the largest religion in India. In some cases, penalties for slaughter can be equivalent to five times the price of the animal slaughtered, or as severe as life in prison.
Despite a huge meat trade in India, estimated at $4 billion annually, only boneless meat of buffalo, goat, sheep and birds are permitted for exports, whereas exports of beef (cow and calf) are prohibited. Some states have extended the ban to bulls and oxen because lawmakers say they should be protected and used for farming. But consecutive droughts have caused farmers strife and they want the ban lifted.
According to a 2016 US Department of Agriculture report, since the late 2000s, India’s exports of beef—in this case, water-buffalo meat, a cheaper, lower-quality meat—have expanded rapidly, making the country the world’s largest beef exporter by 2014, accounting for 20% of trade in the commodity. This growth was predicated on the rising demand for relatively low-cost meat in developing nations, India’s large and mostly untapped water buffalo herd and the emergence of private-sector, export-oriented Indian processors effective in meeting export demand, which is predicted to grow for the next decade.
The ban will undoubtedly have major ramifications for India’s meat-processing trade, as 90% of buffalo purchased for slaughter comes from animal markets. It also will upset the global beef trade by choking off supply. Since India banned the slaughter of its cattle, meat prices have traded higher on concerns of reduced supply. With no resolution in sight, the trend seems likely to persist.
Meanwhile the battle of opinion rages on. Religious activists have become verbally and physically aggressive toward those in possession of cows. Two years ago, a mob killed a man over rumors that his family ate beef, while today, vigilante “cow protectors," operating with impunity, kill people just for transporting cattle.
Many Indians say the ban has severely affected the lives of cattle farmers and could effectively kill India’s thriving buffalo meat trade and eliminate millions of jobs. There are no buyers for older bulls, and farmers cannot afford recurring maintenance expenses. There are about 190 million cattle in India, and tens of millions go out of the system annually either to die or because they need to be slaughtered. There arises the issue of unwanted cattle crowding towns and cities, disrupting traffic and spreading disease.
The government argues that it’s not an outright beef ban, does not refer to any religious or sacred purposes of the Hindu religion, and is meant to protect agriculture. Legally this might be true, according to a Kerala high court, but in practice the lines are fuzzy. The laws governing cattle slaughter vary greatly from state to state. Although about 18 states have banned it entirely, others allow slaughter with restrictions depending on factors such as age, gender and continued economic viability.
Import demand for Indian beef is growing from nations that are substantially outpacing traditional markets for US exports. The top five export destinations for Indian beef (2013-15) are Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, while China and Russia could potentially become major markets if trade hurdles could be surmounted.
Indian water buffalo meat exports are not competitive with US beef exports as they don’t meet US quality preferences and animal health regulations. Although US beef suppliers may be able to compete for “high-end" consumer segments in India’s developing-country markets, they likely cannot vie for the faster growing, low-cost segments served by India. Top US beef export destinations are Japan, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and South Korea.
While many state governments are planning a challenge in court, this will take time. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, viewed as pro-economic growth, ran on a platform that included banning cattle slaughter and imposing a national cow protection law.
In the long term, the ban will likely be reversed or relaxed. For one, not all of India is Hindu. Beef has been an important part of the diet and culture for Christians and Muslims as well as for millions of Indians, such as the Dalits and others of less socially dominant castes. Opponents believe the ban has elements of cultural imperialism, goes against the interests of minority groups, and is a brazen attack on India’s secularism and constitutional values.
In addition, meat-eating habits of Indians have been changing rapidly in the last couple of decades. Chicken, once considered a “dirty bird," is now the most popular meat. Furthermore, as Indian agriculture adopts more mechanized approaches to farming, the use of oxen will be phased out. But for the immediate term expect supply pressures and global price increases. Bloomberg ViewWe have no rituals for coping with extinction, ecological destruction or environmental loss. And that’s a problem. Now, an impassioned group of artists and activists are trying to create them.
In early 2010, artist, activist and mother, Persephone Pearl, headed to the Bristol Museum. Like many concerned about the fate of the planet, she was in despair over the failed climate talks in Copenhagen that winter. She sat on a bench and looked at a stuffed animal behind glass: a thylacine. Before then, she’d never heard of the marsupial carnivore that went extinct in 1936.
“Here was this beautiful mysterious lost creature locked in a glass case,” she said. “It struck me suddenly as unbearably undignified. And I had this sudden vision of smashing the glass, lifting the body out, carrying the thylacine out into the fields, stroking its body, speaking to it, washing it with my tears, and burying it by a river so that it could return to the earth.”
Pearl felt grief, deep grief, over the loss of a creature she’d never once seen in life, a species that had been shot to extinction because European settlers had deemed it vermin. Yet, how do we grieve for extinct species when there are no set rituals, no extinction funerals, no catharsis for the pain caused by a loss that in many ways is simply beyond human comprehension? We have been obliterating species for over ten thousand years – beginning with the megafauna of the Pleistocene like woolly rhinos, short-faced bears and giant sloths – yet we have no way of mourning them.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Martha flies again. Martha was the world’s last passenger pigeon, who perished on September 1, 1914. Once the most populous bird on the planet, passenger pigeons vanished remarkably quickly due to overhunting and habitat destruction. In 2014, mourners carried this model up Mount Caburn and burned it in a pyre. Photograph: Robin Taylor
Still, Pearl didn’t push the grief under or ignore it. Instead, she sought to share it. In 2011 Pearl, who is the co-director of the arts group, ONCA, and the theatre group Feral in Brighton, helped organise the first ever Remembrance Day for Lost Species. Held every November 30th, it’s since become a day for activists, artists and mourners to find creative ways to share their grief for extinct species – and reinvigorate their love for the natural world.
“We hope the Remembrance events will function as funerals for humans do,” Rachel Porter, a co-founder of Remembrance Day for Lost Species and a movement therapist, said. “Such rituals are ancient, embedded within us. We are just placing this common ritual into an unfamiliar context.”
Most of these events are not large – they are not thousands of people marching on government buildings – but more like the number of people who would attend a funeral for a loved one. They are communal and largely intimate events, full of things you might expect and others you might not: such as burning pyres, chanting, poetry reading, bell tolling and processionals.
Frog goes extinct, media yawns Read more
But there are no rules to the Remembrance Day for Lost Species and anyone can start a public event or hold a private ceremony. This year, they are going on all over the world, including a dinner for the dodo in London, a poetry reading in Berlin, and a remembrance ritual for the thylacine outside of Brisbane, Australia.
Graphic designer and art therapist Julia Peddie, who is hosting the thylacine ritual in Australia this year, said she remembers as a child first learning about how humans wiped out the dodo – and how the knowledge crushed her.
“I can only imagine how children feel now, witnessing such enormous losses, and wonder if they are desensitising in order to cope,” she said. “Remembrance Day for Lost Species provides an opportunity for children and adults to connect with their grief, and in doing so, reclaim a part of themselves.”
The vitality of grief
But let’s be honest, many of us probably find the idea of attending a funeral or walking in a processional for a vanished species a little foolish. It may even make us feel something more profound: vulnerable. But Pearl said this is only to be expected.
“If grieving for a lost person is difficult, grieving for ecosystems and species is entirely novel and challenging.”
A memorial to extinct species outside Whitehall in 2010 created by Persephone Pearl, Jessie Martelhof, and Thomas Daniell. Photograph: Persephone Pearl
She said that as a global society we have lost the knowledge of how to grieve even for our closest loved ones, quoting teacher and author Stephen Jenkinson who writes that our society is “death phobic and grief illiterate.”
“We struggle to talk about death and dying,” Pearl said. “It is seen as a terrible thing, to be avoided at all costs. We are afraid of upsetting people, and of awkward conversations.”
But at what cost? According to Porter, our inability to show grief – or even allow ourselves to feel it – may lead to mental illness.
“The grief might become misplaced if it’s not recognised and misguided grief could be destructive, it could manifest as depression or anxiety.”
We need to imagine and invent new rituals for the Anthropocene. Persephone Pearl
In contrast, displaying grief can result in catharsis. In an emotional process first described by Aristotle over 2,000 years ago, pent up, intense feelings are allowed safe release through ritual. Afterwards, mourners are able to move forward, maybe even with more wisdom than before.
“Actual grief is hardly practiced today,” Megan Hollingsworth, a poet and founder of the collaborative art project ex·tinc·tion wit·ness, said. “If it were, children would neither be murdered in war nor would they go hungry and homeless in the streets of the world’s ‘wealthiest’ nations. Water would be protected. The desires of ‘grown’ men and women would not ever trump the needs of any single child, let alone whole communities.”
Hollingsworth, also one of the founders of the Remembrance Day for Lost Species, will be holding a bell tolling ceremony in Montana on the 30th.
Tear your hair for the extinct
But grief doesn’t occur only when we lose loved ones. Ask anyone who has seen a local forest they once played in as a child demolished for another cookie-cutter development or has watched as fewer bees and butterflies show up in their garden each summer. Or ask any conservationist who has to witness year-after-year as the species they work with slowly vanish, ask any marine biologist about coral reefs or any Arctic biologist about sea ice. Grief can extend far beyond our human parochialism.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A ceremony for the Caribbean monk seal, which was last seen in 1952. From Remembrance Day for Lost Species in 2012. Photograph: Ben Ellsworth
“We realised that there was a hunger for a way of grieving ecological loss through ritual,” said Porter who in 2011 directed a Funeral for Lost Species through her group, Feral Theatre. This was an outdoor theatrical performance in a churchyard that included various traditional forms of mourning and tilted between somber and whimsical.
Grief can provide a pathway for taking responsibility, and making a commitment to take action. Julia Peddie
Porter believes many people are simply “stuck in a kind of denial” when it comes to extinction, biodiversity loss and environmental crises.
“If we face it honestly and fully we have to face our own collective shadow, our out-of-control destructive urges and acts. These are terrible, terrifying things to face alone,” she said.
Part of this denial is also due to our growing disconnect from nature.
“Many humans now solely interact with domesticated animals and plants. Some have no experience whatsoever of intact forest, field, and aquatic community. The total loss of other community members, their families, and life affirming ways then is an utterly distant abstraction,” Hollingsworth said. “Yet in grief, as in love, humans are wired for intimacy. “
According to the founders of the Remembrance Day for Lost Species, grieving in a ritualised ceremony removes our isolation from other mourners – we are after all grieving communally – and cuts through the denial.
“For those in denial bearing witness to acts of remembrance and honouring reminds them non-aggressively of something that they are pushing away. That is why making these rituals public is so very important,” Porter said.
In the end such rituals may help people transform their perfectly understandable anger – which is “connected to the disregard and destruction of the natural world,” according to Porter – into something ultimately productive.
Providing a real outlet for grief could help people finally take action and change the world for the better.
“Potentially, in our sadness, we can vow not to continue to let it happen, and acknowledge the role we humans are playing in causing the extinctions,” Peddie said. “Grief can provide a pathway for taking responsibility, and making a commitment to take action.”
Such rituals also allow us to view extinction in a novel way. So much of the information we receive about extinctions and biodiversity decline today comes from science, not from personal experience in the wild. And while science is necessary, it is often represented in wonky papers or press release that are bloodless, cold, even inhuman – a recitation of facts rather than a proper elegy for the lost.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A processional for the great auk during the Remembrance Day for Lost Species in 2011. The great auk went extinct in 1844 after the last two known animals were killed violently by men seeking their eggs. The species was pushed to extinction by killing for its feathers, eggs and even to use as fishing bait. Photograph: Persephone Pearl
“Telling the stories of recently extinct species is a way of capturing people’s imaginations to this end,” said Pearl. “It’s not science or statistics, it’s history, it’s real life – and in an age of cultural amnesia, storytelling inspired by historical events is a way to learn lessons from the past.”
But many probably fear that allowing themselves to feel the grief – really feel it – will result in a personal collapse. Hollingsworth said that an environmental studies professor once told her: “‘I can’t think of this as grief. That would be endless.’”
But this is “where the misconception lies,” according to Hollingsworth. Grieving doesn’t bring endless suffering, but healing and health.
“What happens when I don’t grieve someone’s death? What does it mean not to feel or express sorrow when someone passes unnecessarily due to my negligence? Just the thought of this is chilling to me as the sociopath is brought to mind,” she said.
Grief can be funny too
This doesn’t mean such events have to be sombre and drowned in tears. No emotion is wrong, according to the founders of the Remembrance Day for Lost Species. They are not afraid to throw humour and whimsy into their rituals.
If you can make people laugh, you are halfway to love. You can take people to deep places. Persephone Pearl
“Often at human funerals people share funny stories about the dead person and it gives a relief, a release from weight of loss, and it can bring a celebratory feel,” said Porter.
Laughter can be incredibly powerful, even during a ritual mourning.
“Humour allows us to softly break through denial and isolation, to damp down the tempers fire, to create space in between the agony, the fear, the chaos,” said Porter.
Recently, Pearl attended the Stories of the Anthropocene Festival in Stockholm where she held a remembrance ceremony for the thylacine. Attendees were asked to share their stories about extinction – but first they had to step through a glitter curtain.
“If you can make people laugh, you are halfway to love. You can take people to deep places. You can encourage them to take risks,” she said.
But sombreness is okay, too, the founders insist. It all depends on what you are hoping to create within the context of the ritual.
Grieving in the Anthropocene
Legend says the world’s last thylacine died cold and alone. The story is that it was mistakenly locked out of its nighttime quarters at the zoo in Hobart, Tasmania during an unusually cold night in 1936. The animal, which was never even identified as a male or female, perished from exposure. That was 80 years ago this year.
While the last thylacine may not have actually died from the cold, it certainly died in a kind of loneliness that is almost impossible for humans – seven billion and rising – to comprehend. It was, after all, an endling. The last of its kind.
And yet do we barely remember it, let alone weep for it.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest A child visits the ‘grave’ of Bombus franklini, a bee that went extinct in 2006, during the Funeral for Lost Species. The memorial was made by Eri Meacock. Photograph: Abi Horn
Julia Peddie said the 80th Anniversary of the extinction of the thylacine “went fairly unnoticed in the mainstream media” even in its native Australia.
Despite little media around the anniversary, Australia still has a lot of “nostalgia” for the thylacine, said Peddie, to the extent that some people believe it still inhabits the wild lands of Tasmania.
Perhaps, this is a kind of denial in action, an inability to accept the extinction of what once was; a denial that may continue to allow Australians – and people around the world – to ignore the losses going on right in front of them.
Australia is an epicentre of extinction. It has the highest mammal loss of any country on Earth. Since European arrival, the country has lost at least 30 species of mammal. And another was lost just this year: the Bramble Cay melomys, the world’s first mammal known to have gone extinct due to climate change.
“The stories of lost species remind us that things do end, they do die, that we are causing irrevocable and deeply distressing changes – but that the ending’s not yet written for the stories of rhinoceros, of hedgehogs, of phytoplankton,” said Pearl.
So, really, why don’t we grieve for the passenger pigeon, the golden toad, or the Yangtze River dolphin? Or how about Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog which just vanished from the Earth in September? Why don’t we rend our garments for the woolly mammoth, or tear our hair for the dodo or smear our windows with ash for the great moas that once roamed New Zealand? It can’t hurt. It could only heal.
“We need to imagine and invent new rituals for the Anthropocene,” said Pearl. “What would a memorial for the Caspian tiger or the elephant bird look like? A memorial for the Great Barrier Reef? For 350 parts per million of atmospheric CO2?”
The age of the Anthropocene is an age of grief, put simply. Not showing, sharing or indeed feeling that grief will make it all the more unbearable. But a collective keening may be key to moving forward and creating a new society that fully respects and cherishes the millions of life forms that call this planet home.Story highlights The Olympic torch arrives in Sochi after a nearly 35,000-mile journey
Suspected mastermind of twin bombings in Volgograd is killed, Russian state media report
57% of Americans think a terror attack on the Sochi Games is likely, a CNN/ORC poll reveals
Champion U.S. snowboarder Shaun White withdraws from a Sochi event
With two days to go before the Winter Olympics open in the Russian city of Sochi, more than half of Americans think a terrorist attack on the Games is likely, a poll shows.
The results of the CNN/ORC poll come a day after U.S. officials said they had specific reasons to worry about security in Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian state media reported Wednesday that the suspected mastermind of twin bomb attacks in the city of Volgograd was killed in a police operation in the restive North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.
The man died in a shootout at a house in the town of Izberbash, the official Itar-Tass news agency said. The attacks on Volgograd's public transit system in late December left 34 people dead and about 100 injured -- and sparked wide concern about security in Russia.
Of those surveyed for the CNN/ORC poll, 57% said a terrorist attack on the Sochi Games was likely. That compares with the 51% who believed before the 1996 Summer Games started in Atlanta that a terrorist act would occur. Sadly, the latter prediction proved true.
JUST WATCHED Reporters share Sochi hotel nightmares Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Reporters share Sochi hotel nightmares 02:28
JUST WATCHED Sochi skier smiles through the pain Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Sochi skier smiles through the pain 02:54
JUST WATCHED Are Sochi officials poisoning stray dogs? Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Are Sochi officials poisoning stray dogs? 03:09
The survey of more than 1,000 Americans, carried out on Friday and Sunday, also revealed some wider negative views about Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin.
It found that 54% have
|
ho o livro está à venda nas livrarias, e com o jornal PÚBLICO. Está ainda disponível nas lojas do jornal (Alcântara e Colombo) e na loja online e no site da Tinta-da-China. A partir de 9 de Junho estará apenas à venda na Feira do Livro de Lisboa.
Esta série foi realizada em parceria com:It wouldn't be Independence Day without fireworks. Here's a list of big shows around the state where you can watch the giant sparklers.
There is no better way to celebrate our nation's independence than watching fireworks light up the night sky.
We made a list of some of the places around Minnesota where you can watch fireworks. All events take place on proper Independence Day — Tuesday — unless noted.
Albert Lea: Fireworks at Fountain Lake-City Beach starting at 10 p.m.
Apple Valley: A parade at 1 p.m. will kick off the festivities. Fireworks are at Johnny Cake Ridge Park East at 10 p.m.
Blaine: Fireworks are 10 p.m. at the National Sports Center
Bloomington: The city's Summer Fete event is July 3. It includes a carnival and fireworks at about 10 p.m. at Normandale Lake Park.
Brainerd: The celebration kicks off with a corn on the cob feed and the night closes out with fireworks starting at dusk at Brainerd High School south.
Chaska: Fireworks start at 10 p.m. at the Chaska Commons.
Coon Rapids: The celebration runs July 2-4, concluding with fireworks at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Located on the grounds of the Coon Rapid Ice Center, the celebration with have food and live music.
Cottage Grove: A cookout followed by fireworks takes place at Kingston Park. Fireworks start around 10 p.m.
Delano: Celebrations begin on Friday and go through Tuesday in Delano. Events include a parade, softball tournament and fireworks at Central Park starting at 10:30 p.m.
Duluth: The festivities start at 4 p.m. and include a live performance by Kat Perkins from the Voice. Fireworks begin at 10:10 p.m. at Bayfront Festival park.
Eagan: The Eagan Funfest is July 3-4. The celebration concludes with a fireworks show at 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Eagan Community Center. Funfest includes a parade, carnival and live entertainment.
Eden Prairie: Events in Eden Prairie include karaoke, a high-jump contest and fireworks at 10 p.m. at Round Lake Park.
Edina: Edina will start its celebration with a parade at 10 a.m. from city hall to U.S. Bank. Fireworks take place at Rosland Park starting at 10 p.m.
Elk River: Fireworks start at 10 p.m. at Lion John Weicht Park.
Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka: Festivities include live music and a fireworks display starting at dusk.
Hastings: Fireworks are at the Dakota Pines Golf Club at 10 p.m.
Lakeville: Lakeville's Pan-O-Prog event lasts all week (July 2-9) and includes a carnival, parade and fireworks at Lakeville North High School starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Mankato: Live music and fireworks at the Vetter Stone Amphitheater. The event starts at 7 p.m. and fireworks start at 10 p.m.
Minneapolis: Minneapolis has fireworks all over the place. You can watch fireworks displays from the Stone Arch Bridge, Gold Medal Park, Mill City Museum, the Guthrie's Endless Bridge, various restaurant rooftops, Lake Calhoun — which is currently at the center of a renaming effort — and more. There are also marathons, food vendors, live music and a hot dog eating contest.
Moorhead: At the Moorhead celebration, you'll find 5K and 10K walk/runs, horse drawn wagon rides and lots of food. Fireworks begin at 10:30 p.m. at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Prior Lake: Prior Lake holds its annual boat parade on the fourth at 1 p.m.. Fireworks follow at 10 p.m. at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi Grounds.
Rochester: The Rochester Concert Band performs at 8:30 p.m., followed by fireworks at 10 p.m. at Silver Lake Park.
Roseville: A parade, a party in the park and fireworks are all part of Roseville's Fourth of July festivities. Fireworks start at 10 p.m. over Bennett Lake.
Shakopee: If you're feeling adventurous, you can watch the fireworks from roller coasters at Valleyfair. The fireworks are July 3 at 9:50 p.m.
Stewartville: Celebrations go from July 1 to July 4 and include live music and Shakespeare in the Park. Fireworks start at 9 p.m. in Florence Park.
St. Paul: You can watch the fireworks at CHS Field. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a showing of the movie "Space Jam" at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks start at 10 p.m. CHS Field is accessible by light rail.
Stillwater: Live music starts at 6:15 p.m. followed by fireworks at about 10 p.m. at Lowell Park.
White Bear Lake: West Park and Memorial Beach will host Fireworks at night.
Woodbury: Festivities including a concert by the Thrillbillies and fireworks at the Bienlenberg Sports Center start at 7 p.m.
Correction (June 30, 2017): An earlier version of this article included incorrect information for Blaine's fireworks.
Correction (July 5, 2017): An earlier version of this article included incorrect information about the name of Lake Calhoun. The story has been updated.[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his is the video Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration doesn’t want you to see.
On its own, it’s disturbing enough. It shows Denver Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Ford booking a man into Denver’s downtown detention center, walking over to him, belting him in the face and then apparently kicking him. If there was provocation or a perceived threat from the inmate, Kyle Benton Askin, it’s unclear from the videotape.
What’s also not apparent from the video is that Sheriff’s Officer William Lewis, a 12-year veteran of the department, wrote an inaccurate report about the incident, according to a city news release.
“Sheriff (Gary) Wilson shares the community’s concerns as it relates to deputy misconduct and in March he created four Taskforces to conduct a top to bottom review of the Denver Sheriff Department,” the new release states.
Sunday’s beating and the misleading report about it aren’t lone incidents of official misconduct in Denver’s Sheriff’s Department. Not even close. Department officials have been the subject of a long string of misconduct cases.
Among them was the unprovoked beating of inmate Anthony Waller at the hands of Brady Lovingier, son of the department’s longtime head, Bill Lovingier. In that case, it took the city a year to discipline Brady Lovingier with a 30-day suspension. Even after beating Waller, Lovingier was kept on duty teaching fellow sheriff’s deputies techniques of use of force. Sheriff Gary Wilson claimed not to have known that Lovingier was teaching that class.
In federal court, city inmate Jamal Hunter has accused Sheriff’s Deputy Gaynel Rumer of planning and encouraging a violent attack against him in his cell in 2011. Rumer did not help Hunter while Hunter was screaming as fellow prisoners beat him. U.S. District Judge John Kane chastised the department for conducting an internal affairs probe that Kane called a “sham.”
Last month, Frank Gale, chief of the Downtown Detention Center, was put on a leave of absence as Denver police investigate whether he gave preferential treatment to his colleague, Sheriff’s Captain Sonya Gillespie, ex-wife of Sheriff Wilson, after she was booked in the jail on a domestic violence charge that later was dropped.
Watchdogs say the misconduct incidents have gone on too long, and are becoming too frequent, for Hancock to keep quiet and for his administration not to enact major changes.
“What are people who are arrested? Punching bags? I guess that deputy missed his workout at the boxing gym and was trying to make up for it,” Carol Oyler, a longtime critic of Denver’s Safety Department, said after seeing the video.
“This culture of being allowed to hit people, it comes from above. If city employees felt that they wouldn’t be able to get away with it, they wouldn’t do it. If the deputy is doing the punching, you’ve got to look at the safety manager and to the Mayor and ask what kind of culture are they creating where people feel comfortable acting so violently on the job,” Oyler added.
She pointed out that excessive force cases have continued under the watch of Safety Manager Stephanie O’Malley, daughter of former Mayor Wellington Webb. O’Malley, who was appointed in December, is the Hancock’s seventh safety manager in two years. Some of her predecessors resigned or were fired under scandal.
“It doesn’t matter who he appoints,” Oyler said of Hancock. “The same culture is being repeated over and over again. The Mayor is allowing this kind of misconduct to go on in our city unchecked.”
O’Malley has expressed concerns about misconduct in the sheriff’s department. Her office has said it’s making internal changes, including efforts toward more transparency about misconduct cases. Still, it cited efforts to “preserve the integrity of the criminal and administrative investigation” Wednesday in refusing to disclose the video of Ford beating Askin. It also has refused to release videotapes from other misconduct cases.
The Ford/Askin video — obtained through another channel in the department — was taped on Sunday while Deputy Ford was booking Askin, 29, on what city documents show was a warrant for an out of state offense. Askin is 6’2 and weighs 170 pounds. From the video, Ford looks at least Askin’s size.
Curiously quiet about the string of misconduct cases, including the handling of the jailing of Captain Gillespie his ex-wife, is Sheriff Wilson himself.
In a news release Wednesday, his office announced that Deputy Ford and Officer Lewis, six-and-a-half-year and 12-year veterans of the department, respectively, have been put on administrative leave with pay as the beating and inaccurate report about it are investigated.
Wilson has cited stress as a cause of so many misconduct cases in his department. He has asserted that a newly instituted series of “wellness programs” addressing the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being of deputies is key to the solution.
As some watchdogs see it, forthrightness — not stress management — is the problem.
“As a clergy person who has tried to give this administration the benefit of the doubt, I feel such a sense of betrayal by the continued lies we are being told around the magnitude of this problem. Can it be possible that what is obvious corruption in the Detention Center has morphed into a full blown conspiracy?” said the Rev. Reginald Holmes of Denver’s New Covenant Christian Church/Alpha Omega Ministries.
“Why is there such silence and such cursory actions taken against these sworn protectors. It is as if our sworn protectors are more of a threat to community than are those incarcerated. We need protection from our protectors!”
“We aren’t getting any significant redress from our Mayor, his Administrators, the DA, or the City Council around this assault on the community,” Holmes added.
Holmes is calling for a Department of Justice investigation of Denver’s safety system.
“This administration is totally incapable of policing itself,” he said. “The only solution is for the DOJ to come in and correct and clean up this mess. This IS a mess!”
[Photo by Karen Pilling via Flickr.]This story appeared in the May 15, 2017 issue of Level Up by Forbes newsletter. Subscribe
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
While Airbnb has created its share of controversy around the globe, there's something else it has been creating: travel-based side hustles that are helping advance women economically, getting them out of poverty, funding their passions and more. In Kenya, a woman host earns enough, on average, to cover over one-third of the average annual household expenditures; in India, that number is about 31%.
For Kenyan wedding planner Pamellah Gakenia, maintaining two properties helps pay for food, clothing and her sister’s tuition. "That desire and passion that you’ve swept under the carpet for such a long time?" Gakenia told Forbes contributor Laura Begley Bloom, "It’s time to dust it and present it to the world. No matter how small an idea it is, just get it out there. Start where you are with what you have."I can't think of BioShock without thinking of Walt Disney. Aside from Andrew Ryan sporting the same haircut and moustache as the famous animator, both were perfectionist visionaries who would do whatever it took to create their own paradise. One built an underwater city, while the other was in the process of doing the same in a Florida swamp before he died. Disney may not have lived to see his dream come to fruition, but he at least left behind a hell of an amusement park, whereas Andrew Ryan's legacy was a rotting tomb at the bottom of the sea.
It's only fitting then that Irrational Games' follow up, BioShock Infinite, bears a resemblance to the Magic Kingdom. Its floating city of Columbia's quaint architecture is comprised of cobblestone roads, well groomed grass and pastel storefronts bringing to mind Main Street U.S.A., while the giant manors floating in the clouds resemble a cross between the Haunted Mansion and Snow White's castle.
The cultural and political turmoil that defined BioShock has returned - this time focusing on pompous nationalism, workers rights, and scientific pursuits of this alternate early 20th century - but whereas before the allegories and setting were thrust into the foreground, BioShock Infinite uses them as a backdrop for a character driven story.
"We've always been successful about immersing people in a space," BioShock creator Ken Levine says. "Now we want to immerse them in a relationship."
Before unveiling a new 15 minute hands-off demo at the Viceroy hotel in Los Angeles, Levine sets the stage: the player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker Dewitt, a man with a troubled past and gambling debts. He's given an offer he can't refuse by a mysterious benefactor who tasks him with flying to the floating city of Columbia and bringing a girl named Elizabeth back to New York.
Sky islands. I like to call them'skylands.'
Columbia was something of a travelling American emissary, a means of presenting its power unto the rest of the world. After it was involved in an international incident involving the destruction of a city in China during the Boxer rebellion, it seceded from the United States and became its own sovereign nation. Complicating matters, Elizabeth has mysterious powers and has been held prisoner in a tower since she was five years old.
As luck would have it she's also the key to a civil war within Columbia. The Founders, a group of ultra-nationalist religious fundamentalists, want her to stay in the tower, while the internationalist anarchist movement, Vox Populi, want her dead. Busting her out instigates the war, and places you firmly at its centre.
The demo begins with DeWitt and Elizabeth setting off in search of a man named Z.H. Comstock. He's the leader of the Founders, and the only person that can help Elizabeth control her powers.
BioShock Infinite's focus on characters is apparent from the off. DeWitt and Elizabeth enter the Columbia Flag Company, a touristy storefront. Filled with American flags and nationalist memorabilia, Elizabeth playfully throws on a Lincoln mask and begins to recite the Gettysburg Address. While her childlike naiveté kicks in (she mistakes cheap trinkets for solid gold) Dewitt is preoccupied with looting more practical things like cash, a pistol, and a Bucking Broncos Vigor, this iteration's equivalent to plasmids.Desmond Bishop Released, Chiefs Could Be Interested
Desmond Bishop Released, Chiefs Could Be Interested by Patrick Allen
Chiefs News And Rumors: 6/18 by Patrick Allen
The Kansas City Chiefs have finally announced their 2013 training camp schedule!
Here are the details:
Dates Times
Monday, July 22 Report Day (Rookies & QBs)
Coach Reid Available– 4 p.m. outside Scanlon Hall (Players TBA)
Tuesday, July 23 Practice – 8:45 a.m. (Coach Reid/Players Available)
(Closed to Public – Open to Media)
Wednesday, July 24 Practice – 8:45 a.m. – (Players Only)
(Closed to Public – Open to Media)
Thursday, July 25 Report Day – Media Access at Scanlon Hall TBA
Friday, July 26 Practice – 3:30 p.m. (Coach Reid Available) – $5 Admission Fee
First Practice Open to the Public – Entire Team Autograph Session
Saturday, July 27 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Pederson Available)
Sunday, July 28 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Monday, July 29 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Sutton & Toub Available)
Tuesday, July 30 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Wednesday, July 31 No Practice
Thursday, Aug. 1 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Friday, Aug. 2 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Pederson Available)
Saturday, Aug. 3 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
“American Family” Fun Day – Entire Team Autograph Session
Sunday, Aug. 4 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Sutton & Toub Available)
Monday, Aug. 5 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Tuesday, Aug. 6 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Pederson Available)
Wednesday, Aug. 7 No Practice
Thursday, Aug. 8 Team Travel Day – No Practice
Friday, Aug. 9 Preseason Game No. 1 – Chiefs at Saints – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 10 No Practice
Sunday, Aug. 11 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Monday, Aug. 12 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Sutton & Toub Available)
Tuesday, Aug. 13 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Pederson Available)
Wednesday, Aug. 14 Practice – 8:15 a.m. (Coach Reid Available)
Thursday, Aug. 15 Team Travel Day – No Practice – Camp in St. Joseph Breaks
Friday, Aug. 16 Preseason Game No. 2 – Chiefs vs. 49ers – 7 p.m.
*Practices July 23-24 are closed to the general public.
* Weather and field conditions are evaluated daily. All dates and times provided are subject to change.
For more information about training camp, please visit the Chiefs website at http://www.kcchiefs.com.
There you have it, Addicts! In just over a month, the Chiefs will be in St. Joe hitting each other and laying the foundation for what we all hope will be an exciting 2013 season.
Arrowhead Addict will be looking for training camp corespondents so be on the lookout for information.
Are any of you folks planning on going up to camp this season?About 2880 candles are seen lit during a World AIDS Day event in Jakarta in this file photo dated December 1, 2009. REUTERS/Dadang Tri
By Harry Pearl
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia declared on Monday the AIDS epidemic is no longer a public health issue there, a month after the United Nations adopted an ambitious target to eliminate the threat globally by 2030.
The government-backed Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and top scientists said the number of people being diagnosed with AIDS in Australia was now so small it was no longer reported.
AIDS cases in Australia peaked in 1994, at 953 cases, according to the Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society.
Since then, following the introduction of antiretroviral treatment, that prevent AIDS developing in people who are infected with the HIV virus, and awareness campaigns, AIDS diagnoses have declined sharply.
"Australia is incredibly fortunate to be in the position and its because of farsighted government policy,” said Darryl O'Donnell, chief executive AFAO.
“We had community organizations of gay men, sex workers and drug users doing outreach campaigns that were extraordinarily effective,” O'Donnell said.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Department of Health said while it was tremendous that AIDS was "not the automatic death sentence that it once was", approximately 1,100 cases of HIV are detected each year.
"We must not let down our guard."
Worldwide there are 36.7 million people living with HIV, according to the World Health Organization, with 180,000 people dying from AIDS-related illness in the Asia-Pacific region last year.
The United Nations agreed a new declaration on ending the AIDS epidemic at a meeting in New York last month.
The UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to ending the AIDS epidemic has a set of time-bound targets, including reducing the number of people newly infected with HIV from 2.1 million in 2015 to fewer than 500,000 in 2020, reducing the number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses from 1.1 million in 2015 to fewer than 500,000 in 2020 and eliminating HIV-related discrimination.
Andrew Grulich, head of the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Kirby Institute, said other countries could learn from Australia.
"The thing that has characterized Australia is a partnership between all sectors involved," he said. "Community, research and the government - and having bipartisan political support.”
(Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Robert Birsel)LEMONT, Ill. – This makes cement a semi-conductor and opens up its use in the profitable consumer electronics marketplace for thin films, protective coatings, and computer chips.
“This new material has lots of applications, including as thin-film resistors used in liquid-crystal displays, basically the flat panel computer monitor that you are probably reading this from at the moment,” said Chris Benmore, a physicist from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory who worked with a team of scientists from Japan, Finland and Germany to take the “magic” out of the cement-to-metal transformation. Benmore and Shinji Kohara from Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute/SPring-8 led the research effort.
This change demonstrates a unique way to make metallic-glass material, which has positive attributes including better resistance to corrosion than traditional metal, less brittleness than traditional glass, conductivity, low energy loss in magnetic fields, and fluidity for ease of processing and molding. Previously, only metals have been able to transition to a metallic-glass form. Cement does this by a process called electron trapping, a phenomena only previously seen in ammonia solutions. Understanding how cement joined this exclusive club opens the possibility of turning other solid normally insulating materials into room-temperature semiconductors.
“This phenomenon of trapping electrons and turning liquid cement into liquid metal was found recently, but not explained in detail until now,” Benmore said. “Now that we know the conditions needed to create trapped electrons in materials we can develop and test other materials to find out if we can make them conduct electricity in this way.”
The results were reported May 27 in the journal the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences in the article “Network topology for the formation of solvated electrons in binary CaO–Al 2 O 3 composition glasses”.
High temperatures applied to levitated liquid cement can turn it into liquid metal. This new material, a type of metallic glass, is used in liquid-crystal display screens. Image credit: Argonne National Laboratory.
The team of scientists studied mayenite, a component of alumina cement made of calcium and aluminum oxides. They melted it at temperatures of 2,000 degrees Celsius using an aerodynamic levitator with carbon dioxide laser beam heating. The material was processed in different atmospheres to control the way that oxygen bonds in the resulting glass. The levitator keeps the hot liquid from touching any container surfaces and forming crystals. This let the liquid cool into glassy state that can trap electrons in the way needed for electronic conduction. The levitation method was developed specifically for in-situ measurement at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source by a team led by Benmore.
The scientists discovered that the conductivity was created when the free electrons were “trapped” in the cage-like structures that form in the glass. The trapped electrons provided a mechanism for conductivity similar to the mechanism that occurs in metals.
To uncover the details of this process, scientists combined several experimental techniques and analyzed them using a supercomputer. They confirmed the ideas in experiments using different X-ray techniques at Spring 8 in Japan combined with earlier measurements at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source and the Advanced Photon Source.
Research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, and the Academy of Finland.
The research team also included Richard Weber from Materials Development, Inc. and the APS; Jaakko Akola from Tampere University of Technology, Aalto University and Forschungszentrum Jülich; Koji Ohara, Akihiko Fujiwara, Kiyofumi Nitta, and Tomoya Uruga from Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute/SPring-8; Yasuhiro Watanabe and Atsunobu Masuno from The University of Tokyo; Takeshi Usuki from Yamagata University; and Takashi Kubo and Atsushi Nakahira from Osaka Prefecture University.
The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is one of five national synchrotron radiation light sources supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to carry out applied and basic research to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the electronic, atomic, and molecular levels, provide the foundations for new energy technologies, and support DOE missions in energy, environment, and national security. To learn more about the Office of Science X-ray user facilities, visit the Office of Science website.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.(CNN) U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez has apologized for an ethnically touchy gaffe that was caught on cell phone video.
The Democrat, who is running to replace California's retiring Sen. Barabara Boxer, would otherwise seem like a paragon of diversity. But when she let out a stereotypical Native American "war cry" over the weekend, it marred that image and sent her running.
Literally -- away from a reporter trying to chase her down for comment on the gaffe that many found racially offensive. But late Sunday, she spoke about the slip-up.
Native Americans know she's watching out for them, she said at a Democratic Party convention in Anaheim, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "And they know what many of you don't know — that like so many Mexican Americans, I am proudly Native American on my mother's side," Sanchez said.
Sanchez apologized Sunday at the state convention, saying "in this crazy and exciting rush of meetings yesterday, I said something offensive and for that, I sincerely apologize," according to video from CNN affiliate KCAL KCBS.
Sanchez was ad-libbing at a California Democratic party convention in Anaheim, when she made a stereotypical Native American "war cry."
Raising her hand to her lips, she let out about two seconds of it.
"I'm going to his office, thinkin' that I'm gonna go meet with woo-woo-woo-woo, right? 'Cause he said 'Indian American,'" she said, using the gesture to try to discern between Indian Americans -- with ancestry from India's subcontinent -- and Native Americans.
Audience discomfort
Many in the audience at the Indian American caucus reacted with silence.
Uduak-Joe Ntuk was recording Sanchez's stump on his cell phone camera and shared the video with CNN affiliate KCRA. Many in the room found the gesture offensive, Ntuk said, including him.
"I was shocked and appalled that she would make the disparaging comments about Native Americans that way," he said. "It's just very undemocratic."
CNN is trying to contact Sanchez for comment on her gesture.
A reporter told Sanchez's opponent, Kamala Harris, also a Democrat, about the gesture. "I don't know what to say to that," she laughed, "except that...that's shocking. That's shocking."
Ethnic diversity
It might feel less so, coming from a politician with a different background and thrust. Sanchez is a career politician who has served in Congress since 1997, and is no stranger to public speaking.
And she highlights diversity in her carrier and in her concerns on her Facebook page, Twitter feed and website.
She is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and speaks Spanish during campaign appearances. She has criticized the plight of Vietnamese dissidents, participated in marches commemorating the Armenian genocide, demanded equal pay for equal work for women.
On her website, Sanchez encourages immigrants applying for legal status to contact her office, if they need help.
Big on homeland security
But she is also a strong proponent of conservative aspects of the immigration issue and at times displays a stricter side.
She is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Homeland Security, and she says immigration reform must be viewed "through the lens of national security."
"To that end, she strongly supports full funding of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), a cost-effective measure designed to identify and remove criminal aliens in the United States," according to her House of Representatives website.
SCAAP is a program to expedite the expulsion of undocumented immigrants who get in trouble with the law. It also helps fund local law enforcement agencies involved in apprehending and processing them.
Sanchez's district is in Orange County, which has a reputation for being conservative.
Politically incorrect moments
The "war cry" was not her first brush with political incorrectness, according to reports in California's press.
In 2010, she let loose on Spanish-language TV that the Vietnamese community was teaming up with Republicans to take her congressional seat. She called her opponent, Republican Van Tran, "very anti-immigrant and very anti-Hispanic," the Sacramento Bee reported.
Tran called the comments racist.
A decade earlier, Sanchez arranged for a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion, and fellow Democrats were displeased with the potentially sexist scenery.
After Saturday's gaffe, the congresswoman sprinted past a reporter asking her if she wanted to take back the "war cry" gesture. Waving her hands in the air, she cried, "We don't have time today. Sorry."
Then she ducked into a nearby building.North American anime licensing company Sentai Filmworks announced at its panel at Anime Boston on Saturday that it has licensed the Gatchaman, Di Gi Charat, and Godannar anime.
Sentai Filmworks will release the entire original Gatchaman television anime series bundled with the three-episode 1994-95 OVA series on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in October. The company will then release the OVA series separately on DVD only. The first Gatchaman anime premiered in October of 1972 and earned an average rating of 21%. It was only planned for two quarters (kūru or cours) of a year, but was extended to two full years and 105 episodes. Tatsunoko Production's classic sci-fi hero series follows five people who serve as agents of the International Science Organization in Tokyo in the near future. Galactor, a mysterious group whose technology far surpasses that of humans, has declared war on the entire world and has already subjugated half of it. Dr. Nanbu has assembled these five young heroes as humanity's last hope.
ADV Films released the Gatchaman television series on DVD before, and Urban Vision once released the video anime remake on DVD.
Sentai Filmworks will release the original Di Gi Charat television anime series on DVD only in October. Sentai Filmworks also has the license to the three Di Gi Charat OVAs that went with the first series and the Winter Garden special. The company did not reveal when it will release the OVAs and Winter Garden.
The 16-episode original Di Gi Charat television anime series aired in 1999. Synch-Point released part of the series in North America on DVD in 2005. The series follows the alien-hybrid cat-girl Di Gi Charat who wants to be a superstar as she works in an anime chain store called Gamers. The series of shorts was originally created as an advertisement for the Digital Gamers store in Akihabara. Hiroaki Sakurai (Cromartie High School, Maid Sama!) directed the series at Madhouse.
The 26-episode Godannar series originally aired in 2003-2004. Yasuchika Nagaoka (Crest of the Stars, Banner of the Stars) designed the original concept for the series and directed the series, and Takahiro Kimura (Brigadoon, Code Geass) designed the characters. AIC A.S.T.A. and Oriental Light and Magic animated the series. The sci-fi series revolves around Dannar and Anna, who met while fighting an alien force called Mimesis. On their wedding day, the Mimesis strike again, and Anna finds a secret robot known as the Neo-Okusaer and uses it to save Dannar. Dannar and the robot then merge to become the Godannar. ADV Films previously released the series on DVD in 2006-2008. Sentai Filmworks will release Godannar on DVD only in October.
Additionally, Sentai Filmworks revealed that it will release the first season of the AKB0048 television anime series on bilingual DVD and Blu-ray Disc in September. The company will also release the following titles in October: Hakuōki Reimeiroku on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, Campione! on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, and Kokoro Connect on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke has been named Oregon's defensive coordinator, the school announced Saturday.
"We are extremely excited to welcome coach Hoke to the Oregon family," Ducks coach Mark Helfrich said in a statement. "He's passionate, knowledgeable and tough and has an outstanding track record of success from a defensive standpoint."
Hoke's task is to repair a unit that finished last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, yielding an average of 37.5 points per game. Those defensive woes were on full display earlier this month in the Valero Alamo Bowl, when the Ducks held a 31-0 halftime lead over TCU, only to lose 47-41 in triple overtime. After the loss, defensive coordinator Don Pellum was demoted to linebackers coach.
Regarding the decision to demote Pellum, Helfrich said at Saturday's news conference: "We're kind of in a get-better business, and we felt as a program -- I felt as the leader of that program -- that that was the direction we needed to go, as a different voice, a different command over that unit. Brady was a guy who I think -- this is me talking, not his words directly -- I think being out of it for a year, his passion and desire, I think he wants to get back to not being a head coach, and solely focusing on his expertise [defense].
Brady Hoke compiled a 31-20 record during his four seasons as head coach of the Wolverines. Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
"We needed a different direction, and that will be schematic as well. Brady will be a walkaround coordinator in the spring, for two reasons: to make sure the scheme is installed exactly as he wants it and as we want it, and secondly, to evaluate and get to know the talent."
During his four years at Michigan, Hoke compiled a 31-20 record. His most successful season was his first, in 2011, when the Wolverines went 11-2, including a victory over Virginia Tech in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. He was named the Maxwell Football Club national coach of the year.
But the wins declined each year, and he was fired after a tumultuous 2014 season and eventually replaced by Jim Harbaugh, who led Michigan to a 10-3 mark in 2015.
Under Hoke, Michigan's defense went from 110th in the nation to ranking within the top 17 in three of his four seasons. For his final season, the Wolverines were ranked seventh nationally, allowing 311.3 yards a game.
Before Michigan, Hoke was the head coach at San Diego State from 2009 to '10 and at Ball State from 2003 to '08.
This will be Hoke's first coordinator job, having jumped from position coach at Michigan, where he was an assistant from 1995 to 2002, to head coach at Ball State in 2003. This is Hoke's second stint in the Pac-12; he served as an assistant at Oregon State from 1989 to '94.
Information from ESPN.com's Chantel Jennings and The Associated Press was used in this report.= Proposed System Wide Change: Systemd package split = https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/systemd_package_split Change owner(s): Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek Two new subpackages will be split out from the main systemd package. systemd-container will contain stuff for launching and managing VMs and containers. system-udev will contain udevd and other hardware-related bits. == Detailed Description == * systemd-container.rpm will consist of systemd-nspawn, systemd-machined, machinectl, systemd-importd, systemd-pull. * systemd-udev.rpm will consist of systemd-udevd, udevadm, udev rules, and the hardware database. Both new subpackages will be optional. systemd-container.rpm is useful only for people creating containers or VMs. systemd
|
, that wouldn’t be permitted. They would become pariahs and go to jail.” Well, it turned out everyone WAS doing it, and they hadn’t become pariahs because they are the whole industry. None of them have gone to jail. Literally, none.
The other big surprise, and it was a surprise, was the incredible incompetence and disorganization of the Bush administration in responding to the crisis. I thought having Henry Paulson as Treasury Secretary was an extremely bad idea because he’d been, in significant measure, responsible for causing the crisis. Therefore, he obviously had a great deal to hide. But at least I thought, “Since he’d been CEO of Goldman Sachs, he’s going to be competent. He might not do the things I consider ethically important, but at least he’ll be competent.” I turned out to be wrong about that. He, Ben Bernanke, and Timothy Geithner had done no planning whatsoever for a Lehman bankruptcy. They did not know that British and Japanese law would force the closure of Lehman’s London and Tokyo offices, or that the assets in Lehman’s London office would be frozen, which would then cause gigantic ripple effects throughout the financial system. They did not know a bankruptcy would have huge effects on money market funds and the commercial paper market. They didn’t know that – they really didn’t.
They also didn’t consult with foreign governments about what these effects would be. When I asked Christine Lagarde, the finance minister of France, when she heard Lehman would be going bankrupt, I didn’t know what answer she was going to provide. I assumed she’s say something like, “They called me two days in advance.” I was then going to ask her whether she had a debate with them about that, and what was the discussion like. Instead, she said she found out after the fact. You could have pushed me over with a feather when I heard that – my jaw was on the floor. In fact, in the film I put my reaction, which was to emphatically say, “Wow!”
You mentioned the consequences of Lehman going under, and for those who aren’t well-versed in how financial markets function, they can be difficult to understand. How much did you think about how best to communicate complex information?
We thought about it a lot. You tell me: did we succeed? From the very first day, it was my goal [for the film] to be as free of jargon as possible and accessible to a wide audience. There’s no need to make a film for me and my geeky friends. I wanted to make a film for the American people and, in fact, the population of the world. People need to understand why the economy is so messed up, why they themselves have lost their jobs, their life-savings, and their homes. I also wanted to make the point it’s both possible and necessary for everyone to understand what happened here. The details are complicated, but its essence is very simple and clear. It’s important to understand the problem because it hasn’t been fixed, so the American people must force their leaders to fix it.
You return again to the idea that the change happens from the bottom upward. What are some steps engaged citizens can make?
A lot of it depends on what position they occupy. There are things people can do in finance, politics, or media. For the rest of us, there are organizations that work on these things. There’s a new organization created by Harvard’s Larry Lessig called Fix Congress First, which is dedicated to changing the role money plays in American politics. Similar organizations are The Center for Public Integrity and Common Cause. There are other organizations that work specifically on finance – The Center for Responsible Lending is one.
Matt Damon is the narrator for Inside Job, who is more well known that Campbell Scott, the narrator No End in Sight.
We wanted someone with a recognizable voice and name, someone who was also known to be politically sensitive/aware in an intelligent way. Matt Damon proved to be all of those things. I didn’t know this in advance (although it was his public reputation), but he’s a wonderful guy to work with. He was very considerate and extremely professional. He had clearly read the transcript of the film carefully and had some very good suggestions for the film, which we adopted.
What were those suggestions?
I’m ashamed to say I wrote it, but the very end of the film was clunky and convoluted, which we knew was unsatisfactory. In fact, when Matt came in for his narration, practically the first thing I said was, “We know this is a mess. We’ll figure out how to fix it. We won’t force you to say it – it’s embarrassing.” He kind of laughed, looked at it again, and said, “It seems to me this is more complicated than it has to be. What you’re really trying to say it just this.” He then proceeded to say a close approximation of what the final words in the film are.
I read that some view Matt Damon’s narration as a symbol of Hollywood abandoning the Obama administration. Can you comment on that?
I don’t know whether that’s happened, but it wouldn’t surprise me. I think many people are getting very unhappy with the Obama administration, so it makes sense members of Hollywood would be among them. From reading what I read and conversations with my friends, I have a strong sense of disillusionment with Obama relative to his promise as a candidate.
Larry Summers recently announced he’s leaving a top post on Obama’s economic team [ed. note: Interview was held on 9/27]. If you could choose his replacement, who would it be?
There are many superior choices, so replacing him wouldn’t be hard. Actually, several of the people I’d choose were interviewed for the film. Simon Johnson, for example, who is a professor at MIT and who has been the chief economist at the IMF. Another strong candidate is Radghuram Rajan, a professor at the University of Chicago who was the one of the first people to warn about the financial crisis.
You begin Inside Job with a prologue about Iceland, and how it served as a model for what economics events were to come. What is the state of Iceland now?
Iceland has begun to take far more productive steps than the United States. It appointed a special investigative committee. They also appointed a special prosecutor. A number of people responsible for Iceland’s bubble and crisis are being pursued. Some of them have been sued by the government and had their assets frozen, whereas others are facing criminal prosecution. It’s not a perfect situation because a lot of these people now live in London and have hidden their assets in Switzerland, the Caribbean, and other tax havens. Again, the contrast with the United States is disturbing.
Do you think the United States could follow the Iceland approach?
The specific things we should do would be somewhat different, but should the President appointment an independent special prosecutor to look into the crisis? Yes. Should there be a large number of criminal prosecutions? Yes, absolutely. Should there be a serious attempt to take back their gains from the bubble? Yes. We are talking about tens of billions of dollars.
Thanks for talking with me!
Thank you for your interest.
Inside Job opens in theaters on Friday, October 22nd.Jaromir Jagr's agent reaches out to Red Wings, other teams
The agent for Jaromir Jagr has reached out to the Detroit Red Wings about signing the former NHL great.
It's a prospect the Wings are considering, with reservations. Jagr is 39 and hasn't played in the NHL since 2007-08, having spent the past three seasons in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. The last player the Red Wings embraced from the KHL was Jiri Hudler, who looked like he regressed during his time overseas.
But Hudler isn't as skilled as Jagr was in his prime, and Jagr has put up good numbers with Avangard Omsk, most recently producing 19 goals and 50 points in 49 games last season. He had 42 points in 51 games in 2009-10 and 53 points (including 25 goals) in 55 games in '08-09.
He was one of the best players in the NHL in the 1990s. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and got the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1999 (he was a finalist in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2006).
The Wings are intrigued by the thought of what Jagr might be able to do but noted that there are reservations. Any deal would be for one year and would have to be at a sensible salary cap hit, such as around $2 million, plus incentives.
The Wings are looking for a top-six forward, and a motivated Jagr could be lethal on the right side of center Pavel Datsyuk and help out on the power play. For the Wings, it comes down to deciding whether Jagr is the best value for their money as they seek to improve a team that has lost in the second round of the playoffs two years running.
Jagr also has approached two of his former teams, the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers, about signing with them.
Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.comAlleged hoon drives at police officer, rams petrol bowser in Alice Springs
Updated
A man is in custody after allegedly driving at a police officer and ramming a police car before crashing into a petrol bowser in Alice Springs.
Northern Territory police said it was very fortunate no one was seriously injured in the incident which happened about 1:00am on Friday.
Superintendent Louise Jorgensen said the 38-year-old man was doing burnouts in a black 4WD when a police officer approached him at the petrol station, only to have the man allegedly drive at the officer.
"Unfortunately, he found himself being targeted," Ms Jorgensen said.
The man then allegedly rammed the sergeant's police vehicle twice before ramming a fuel bowser and another civilian vehicle.
He also allegedly drove at a group of people.
Superintendent Jorgensen said the man then allegedly drove at an unmarked police car that had come to assist.
She said the man drove off at speed through the CBD, allegedly colliding with another car.
"It was so fortunate the 21-year-old driver of this vehicle was not injured nor was any other member of the public," Superintendent Jorgensen said.
The man was eventually taken into custody and is expected to face multiple charges.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, alice-springs-0870
First postedVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Vatican departments had more than a billion euros that were not declared on an overall balance sheet before new accounting standards kicked in last year, a financial statement showed on Thursday.
An overview of Saint Peter's Square is seen as Pope Francis leads the Palm Sunday mass at the Vatican April 13, 2014. REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito/Files
The man appointed to clean up Vatican finances said last December that departments had “tucked away” million of euros and followed “long-established patterns” in jealously managing their affairs without reporting to any central accounting office.
Thursday’s statement showed that such funds totalled about 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), the first time the Vatican has quantified the unreported funds discovered after Cardinal George Pell took up the newly created post of economy minister.
Pope Francis picked Pell, an outsider from the English-speaking world, to oversee the Vatican’s often muddled finances after decades of control by Italians.
Pell did not suggest any wrongdoing but said the departments had long had “an almost free hand” with their finances. The Vatican said at the time that Pell was not referring to any “illegal, illicit or badly administered funds”.
The financial statement for 2014, issued after a meeting of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, also showed that the Holy See, including most of its departments in Rome and embassies around the world, ran a budget deficit of 25.6 million euros, in line with the previous year.
Vatican City State, which has a separate budget, ran a surplus of 63.5 million euros, almost twice the previous year’s, due to strong revenue from the Vatican Museums, which draw about six million paying visitors a year, and other cultural activities.
Since the pope’s election in March, 2013, the Vatican has enacted major reforms to adhere to international financial standards and prevent money laundering and has closed many suspicious accounts at its scandal-rocked bank, the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR).
Last year, the Vatican adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and each department’s financial statements are now reviewed by am international auditing firm.
($1 = 0.9189 euros)Courtesy of the Santa Monica History Museum
When Texas native George Tate arrived in Los Angeles for the first time in the early 1950s as a student at the Art Center School of Photography, he felt he’d found a place where he truly belonged. As he described it, Southern California seemed like a modern-day Babylon.
“I think what he found here was like-minded people,” said the late photographer’s son, Greg Tate. “Texas was literally a cow town in the ’50s. He landed in L.A. and he said, ‘Now I feel at home.’ ”
After his education, George Tate worked as a freelance photojournalist, pursuing the stories and subjects that captured his interest. According to his son, Tate was drawn to things that were at once foreign and attractive to him: the beach, the sun, and the health-and-fitness scene that was just starting to catch fire in Southern California.
He spent a lot of time at Muscle Beach at the base of the Santa Monica Pier, where men and women were practicing adagio, a type of acrobatic performance requiring strength, balance, and coordination.
Courtesy of the Santa Monica History Museum
Courtesy of the Santa Monica History Museum
Courtesy of the Santa Monica History Museum
He also explored street photography, showing the everyday personalities of the city set against sidewalks, coffee shops, and stores. Greg Tate said his father shot with a Rollei camera resting on his chest, which helped him capture genuine moments undetected.
“He shot a lot of crowd stuff, and he’d capture the one or two anomalies in it that would make the photo,” Tate said.
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
One of George Tate’s most popular series, taken in the 1960s at the Venice Surfestival Beauty Pageant, zooms in on the fears and hopes of the contestants before they took the stage.
“It shows everything—the bodies, the interests of the people, the emotions,” Greg Tate said. “It’s a simple little beauty contest, but he gets right next to them.”
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
In the course of George Tate’s long editorial and commercial career, the focus of his work varied. He shot models and actors, gas stations and car washes. But Greg Tate said that no matter what his father was shooting, his human subjects always fascinated him.
“ ‘People are the most interesting things to look at,’ he’d say. So that’s what he shot,” Tate said.
Courtesy of the Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
Tate said that although his father had enough commercial success to support his family, he never pushed to have his work seen in shows or exhibitions during his lifetime.
“Like a lot of artistic people, he was just not a self-promoter in that way,” Tate said. “My mom worked in the office. Dad was a little more of a bohemian.”
With his son’s help, George Tate’s work is only now starting to receive attention for its artistic and historical value. Some of it is being housed at the Santa Monica History Museum, and a display will be on view at the Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif., through Aug. 31.If Arpaio is convicted of a felony, he would need to step down. | AP Photo Sheriff Joe Arpaio suffers another defeat in profiling case
“America’s toughest sheriff” just suffered another defeat at the hands of a federal judge.
U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow on Friday ordered another judge to rule on whether Joe Arpaio, the Republican sheriff of Arizona’s Maricopa County, and a deputy should be held in criminal contempt of court for repeatedly ignoring court orders to stop racially profiling Latinos.
Story Continued Below
The 84-year-old Arpaio, who has been sheriff of the metropolitan Phoenix area for 23 years and is running for reelection, was an early supporter of Donald Trump and spoke at the Republican National Convention last month. Arpaio, a hero on the right for his aggressive stance on illegal immigration, warned in his prime-time address that the federal government had allowed "terrorists coming over our border, infiltrating our communities, and causing massive destruction and mayhem.”
Snow’s referral means Arpaio could face criminal fines or even jail time. If he is convicted of a felony, he would need to step down.
In May, Snow — who was tapped for the federal bench in 2007 by President George W. Bush — found Arpaio in contempt of court, ruling that he and his aides had repeatedly ignored court orders to stop racially profiling Latinos.
“The Court finds that the Defendants have engaged in multiple acts of misconduct, dishonesty, and bad faith,” Snow wrote on May 13. “They have demonstrated a persistent disregard for the orders of the Court, as well as an intention to violate and manipulate the laws and policies regulating their conduct.”
The case stems from Snow’s ruling on a 2011 lawsuit, when he found that Arpaio’s office was unfairly singling out Latino drivers for special scrutiny and ordered that the practice be stopped. Two years later, Snow found that Arpaio had intentionally flouted his order, citing the sheriff’s own public comments, such as a 2012 interview with Fox News in which he declared, “I’m not stopping anything” and said he was “not going to bend to the federal government.”
Arpaio could be vulnerable as he seeks a seventh term — his margin of victory has been steadily declining in each election. In 2012, he won reelection with just 50.7 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Paul Penzone by 6 percentage points. But Arpaio outraised Penzone by millions in that race, and he has already amassed a $10 million war chest in 2016. Penzone is running again, however, and a recent poll puts him 3 points ahead.
Arpaio’s opponent in the Aug. 30 Republican primary is Dan Saban, a former local police chief who ran against him in 2004 and 2008. During their 2004 race, Arpaio opened an investigation into Saban for allegedly raping his own adoptive mother decades earlier. The case was dropped, and Saban sued Arpaio unsuccessfully for defamation.
In June, Penzone likewise threatened to sue Arpaio if he recycled ads from their 2012 contest, when the sheriff accused him of beating his ex-wife.
The sheriff’s office referred questions to Arpaio’s campaign, which said Snow’s referral was no surprise.
“This was fully expected,” said campaign manager Chad Wilhems. “The judge has made it clear that this was the direction he was going to go in.”
“We are somewhat relieved that this process is out of the judge’s hands and will go to an independent review for an unbiased look at the case and the law,” he said, adding that the campaign was “confident that these allegations will be seen as unfounded.”
“We’re confident that the sheriff will be reelected,” Wilhems said. “What it all boils down to is illegal immigration. If the conversation is: ‘Who do you agree with more on illegal immigration — do you agree with the Obama Justice Department and Eric Holder, who started this whole process, or Sheriff Joe?’, I think we will win that argument handily.”Malaysia Ravor-Black, 38, before her performance at WonderLust, in Jackson, Miss. She has been a drag queen for 20 years. (Annie Flanagan/For The Washington Post)
It was a big night for gay Mississippi.
House Bill 1523, the legislature’s attempt to establish a sort of Southern-fried sharia over the state’s LGBT population, had been demolished by a federal judge just hours earlier. It was the first state legislation to mimic an Indiana bill signed into law last year by Gov. Mike Pence (R), now Donald Trump’s running mate, that let businesses refuse service to any group they considered heretical to their religion.
Now the clock was ticking toward midnight inside WonderLust, locally designated as the hottest and most “Vegas” gay bar in perhaps the most homophobic state in America.
Inside the spacious, purple-lit club are maybe 30 patrons. A few young women shoot pool. A couple of guys chat at the bar, so modest that it stocks only six brands of booze. The dance floor is deserted. There is no ironic disco ball of happiness on this auspicious evening, no party, no rocking celebration.
“It’s kind of a time warp,” says Jesse Pandolfo, the bar’s owner, sitting in the back office, eyeing a monitor that displays security-camera feeds. She’s 32, a mom and a lesbian. Boston native. Wound up here seven years ago. “You have to live kind of an edited version of your life.”
Her year-old club testifies to that.
WonderLust is an unmarked, one-story concrete-block building on a side street in the north end of town, now open four nights a week, up from two. It is flanked by two empty lots and faces another. The Piggly Wiggly, the Dollar Tree and the Dollar General are just up the street.
Late at night, standing in the parking lot of chipped and broken asphalt, listening to crickets in the trees, the actual Vegas Strip seems a million miles away.
Mississippi has long been the poorest and most religious state in America. It is staunchly conservative, evangelical Christian, rural, and it forever seems to bounce between its bipolar social features: hate and hospitality. The crueler irony for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is that two of the cultural comforts against the age-old poverty and discrimination have been the church and family — both of which are often denied to them.
The 3,484 same-sex couples here represent just 3.14 of every 1,000 households, a ratio that ranks 49th in the nation, according to the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law that tracks gay life. Most of the couples live in the larger cities and along the Gulf Coast. Two-thirds of those identifying as LGBT are women.
The true number is much higher, almost everyone agrees, but many choose not to come out. No state in America has passed more restrictive legislation on gay life, more emphatically supported anti-gay referendums, or featured such blistering condemnation from the pulpit or the political podium. Here’s Gov. Phil Bryant (R), talking about his rejection of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage: “They don’t know that if it takes crucifixion, we will stand in line before abandoning our faith and our belief in our Lord and savior.”
Bryant promised an “aggressive appeal” of the U.S. District Court’s decision on HB 1523. But last week, his attorney general decided against it. “Continuing this divisive and expensive litigation,” Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said, “is not in the best interests of the state of Mississippi or its taxpayers.” Indiana, it should be pointed out, later amended its law, too.
(Bryant has appealed the decision privately, with pro bono representation from national groups.)
Still, the demise of that bill — which enjoyed overwhelming support in the legislature — seems like a pretty hollow reason to celebrate.
“It’s disappointing that once again the federal government has to stand up for justice and equality in our state,” says Rob Hill, a former Methodist minister and now the state director of the Human Rights Campaign.
As a result, gay life here plays out mainly as a don’t-ask-don’t-tell echo of days gone by. As a group, Mississippi’s LGBT residents draw remarkably little attention to themselves, either by preference or by a social necessity so long-standing that it seems as natural and casually oppressive as the humidity.
Sham Williams, 33, an African American banker, is sitting next to Pandolfo in WonderLust’s small, fluorescent-lit back office. The air conditioner isn’t working. Two floor fans beat the stale air. Williams and Pandolfo have been dating for nearly a year, an interracial lesbian couple, a yin and yang of Pandolfo’s exuberance and Williams’s seriousness, of Pandolfo’s Yankee origins and Williams’s been-here roots.
“Mississippi is home, even if it doesn’t always feel like it,” Williams says. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. But we are in the most racist and bigoted state in America. When I walk out that door I have three strikes against me — I’m black, gay and a woman.”
Jack Myers, owner of J.C.'s. J.C.’s was one of the first gay bars in Jackson, but it closed July 5. (Annie Flanagan/For The Washington Post)
Fondren, the historic arts district that lies about four miles north of the state capitol building, is Jackson’s “gayborhood,” home to WonderLust and a low-intensity magnet for a good bit of openly LGBT life.
The Eudora Welty house is nearby. There’s Walker’s Drive-In (a cafe with stunning food), the Pig & Pint, some trendy shopping, and a lot of deep-discount stores and fast-food joints. Like the rest of the city, it is predominantly black.
Down a narrow side street — you turn right across from the BFGoodrich tire store and go past a strip mall with the Money Man check-cashing place — is a dark-hued, one-story building with “J.C.’s” across the front. It is set behind a sagging chain-link fence.
This is Jack’s Construction Site, which was, until it closed two weeks ago, the bar and gathering spot for Jackson’s LGBT crowd for a quarter-century.
It wasn’t flashy, but if you are of a certain age it was something like Mississippi’s Official Gay Bar. It didn’t even have a liquor license. It just served beer and set-ups for your hard liquor. There were a couple of pool tables and some vintage Hollywood posters.
On a recent morning here sits owner Jack Myers, 71, the patron saint of Mississippi’s gay scene. He has run one gay bar or another in this town for 50 years, starting back when even interracial marriage was illegal.
He’s explaining that although J.C.’s always drew a steady crowd, you have to adjust for where you are: “A big crowd would be 70 or 80 people.”
As evidence, he pulls out the cash register total for last night, a Friday: $177. He shrugs. “It’ll pay the light bill.” But you can understand why, when the rent went up, he decided to finally shut the place down.
[What happens when a ‘gay bar’ becomes just a bar?]
Myers grew up in tiny Pelahatchie. His dad was a sawmill worker, and his mother worked at a chicken processing plant. The ancestral estate is a mobile home.
He came out as gay in his early 20s. His parents were supportive. He worked as an X-ray technician during the days and ran gay bars at night.
“You have a lot of ignorant people here,” he says. “They have this idea of what gay people do. They think gay people are all one way. They just don’t realize gay people have all sorts of preferences and jobs and things, just like they do. They think if you’re not limp-wristed or lisping, well, then, you’re not gay.”
The city council and state legislature left him alone, he says, because he ran quiet establishments off the beaten path. Police let him be, he says, because they realized a gay bar was the perfect place for married officers to take their mistresses.
“They’d say, ‘Nobody’ll ever say they saw me in here,’ ” he recalls with a laugh.
He looks around the bar. He doesn’t think he’ll open another one. He’s ready to retire, maybe go back home to Pelahatchie and open a general store at a crossroads near his parents’ old trailer. At his age, he says, there is a summing up.
“I just hate people won’t have this place to come to.”
London DuMore helps Ke'Charra Illuminati prepare for her drag performance at WonderLust. (Annie Flanagan/For The Washington Post)
Ke'Charra Illuminati prepares for her performance. (Annie Flanagan/For The Washington Post)
***
The great gay icon of Mississippi is one of the great gay icons of 20th-century America: Tennessee Williams, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Born in Columbus. Lived as a child in Clarksdale, the heart of the Delta.
In “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Williams focuses on a wealthy Delta planter and his mendacious family, torn apart by his closeted son, Brick, and his sex-starved wife, Maggie.
Maybe because “Cat” is a defining work of Southern gothic and a classic of American theater, people elsewhere always seem surprised that there are any openly gay people in Mississippi, like they’re giraffes that fell off a truck on Interstate 55, on their way to brighter lights and bigger cities.
This is not totally unwarranted.
The air itself seems to breathe Southern Baptist. Driving across the state, from university towns to beachside condos, from Delta farms to hill country pastures, you’ll see far more Confederate flags than gay-pride banners. Big gay personalities, such as Kevin Sessums, author of “Mississippi Sissy,” seem to have left a long time ago.
There has never been an openly gay member of the state legislature or of statewide elected offices. Williams, the banker, and Sidney Harper, a disc jockey at WonderLust, both attended Mississippi College, a private Baptist institution. They and other gay students joked that it should be called “Mississippi’s Closet” because so many gays and lesbians were there.
[For LGBT community, Orlando shootings reinforce the fear that nowhere is safe]
Gay Mississippians are not offered state-law protections from discrimination — a landlord can legally evict a tenant for being gay. And because the state’s laws are skewed toward business owners, anyone, not just gay employees, can be fired from any private-industry job for almost any reason.
In the past year, federal judges (appointed by both Democrats and Republicans) have struck down a state law outlawing gay marriages, a ban on same-sex couples adopting children (the last such in the nation) and HB 1523, which would have allowed people who professed a handful of conservative Christian tenets to refuse business services to people whom they believed to be gay.
It’s not a surprise then that in Mississippi, as in other areas with “religiously informed views that condemn homosexuality,” there are greater numbers of LGBT people facing conflict and rejection from their own families, says Doug NeJaime, faculty director at the Williams Institute.
“This means the LGBT population has a higher rate of homelessness and lower rates of education,” NeJaime says. “It means LGBT people are more vulnerable, raising more children, are more likely to be low-income, are more likely to be unemployed and are more likely to face discrimination in the workplace. All these things make it difficult to politically organize and live their day-to-day lives.”
Still, not all gay locals, particularly the ones under 40, think it is a terrible place.
Justin Kelly, 26, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, has filmed public service announcements for the Human Rights Campaign and says he has encountered very little negative feedback.
“It’s pretty easy to be out as a gay in my experience,” Kelly says. “But there is a certain expectation you’re not going to be that gay person.”
Down in Hattiesburg, Taylor Cross, 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, most certainly is that gay person. A 23-year-old African American, he describes himself as “flamboyant.”
“I swish,” he says, referring to his walk.
This only matters, he says, to people over 35. After going onstage to accept several awards at his high school graduation, he remembers the walk back to his seat.
“I’m strutting,” he says. “The first two rows are parents and families, and everyone there was silent, just staring, while my classmates were jumping up and down, screaming for me. The president of my class met me halfway. My friends were excited, but the parents weren’t — at all. Afterwards, my mom was rushing me out. She was obviously embarrassed.”
Ralp Shoop, 41, tending bar at J.C.'s, which was one of Jackson's first gay bars. (Annie Flanagan/For The Washington Post)
One of the reasons that Mississippi seems to have changed so little is that many believe that its young liberals, both white and black, leave for more hospitable environs.
That tide might slowly be ebbing. The percentage of people identifying as gay is on the rise, from 2.6 percent to 3.3 percent, according to the Williams Institute. There were four lawsuits filed against HB 1523 — from gay and straight Mississippians, white and black, male and female.
“I stay here because I’m from here and I love it,” says Hill, the Human Rights Campaign director. “I’m 41, and I want the best for this state and I fight for it. I think we’re better than what our legislators have demonstrated.”
He has a much younger ally in Bailey McDaniel, a junior at Mississippi State University.
She is president of the LGBTQ+Union committee and was recognized with a student leadership award from the MSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women.
But she’s also nervous.
“I could keep my mouth shut, but I often don’t,” she says. “A lot of people are not comfortable doing that. We’re in the South. We’re in Mississippi. Students are walking around with Trump signs. It’s not something you want to slap on your forehead. I feel vulnerable.”Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful "chest voice" singing, slide guitar skills, and originality that has influenced later generations of musicians. Even though Johnson's records sold well, as a street performer and preacher he had little wealth in his lifetime. His life was poorly documented, but over time music historians such as Samuel Charters have uncovered more about Johnson and his five recording sessions.
A revival of interest in Johnson's music began in the 1960s, following his inclusion on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, and by the efforts of the blues guitarist Reverend Gary Davis. Johnson's work has become more accessible through compilation albums such as American Epic: The Best of Blind Willie Johnson and the Charters compilations. As a result, Johnson is credited as one of the most influential practitioners of the blues, and his slide guitar playing, particularly on his hymn "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", is highly acclaimed. Other recordings by Johnson include "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed", "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine", and "John the Revelator".
Biography [ edit ]
Early life and career [ edit ]
Johnson was born on January 25, 1897, in Pendleton, Texas, a small town near Waco, to sharecropper George Johnson (also identified as Willie Johnson Sr.) and his wife, Mary Fields, who died in 1901.[1][2][3] His family, which according to the blues historian Steven Calt included at least one younger brother named Carl, moved to the agriculturally rich community of Marlin, where Johnson spent most of his childhood. There, the Johnson family attended church—most likely the Marlin Missionary Baptist Church—every Sunday, a practice which had a lasting impact on Johnson and fueled his desire to be ordained as a Baptist minister.[1] When Johnson was five years old, his father gave him his first instrument—a cigar box guitar.[1][4]
Johnson was not born blind, though he was impaired with the disability at an early age. It is uncertain how he lost his sight, but it is generally agreed by most biographers of Johnson that he was blinded by his stepmother when he was seven years old, a claim that was first made by Johnson's purported widow Angeline Johnson.[5][6] In her recollection, Willie's father had violently confronted Willie's stepmother about her infidelity, and during the argument she splashed Willie with a caustic solution of lye water, permanently blinding him.[7] Other theories have also been developed to explain Johnson's visual impairment, including that he wore the wrong spectacles, that he viewed a partial solar eclipse that was observable over Texas in 1905 or a combination of the two conjectures.[1]
Few other details are known about the singer's childhood. At some point he met another blind musician, Madkin Butler, who had a powerful singing and preaching style that influenced Johnson's own vocal delivery and repertoire.[8] Adam Booker, a blind minister interviewed by the blues historian Samuel Charters in the 1950s, recalled that while visiting his father in Hearne, Johnson would perform religious songs on street corners with a tin cup tied to the neck of his Stella guitar to collect money.[7] Occasionally, Johnson would play on the same street as Blind Lemon Jefferson, but the extent of the two songsters' involvement with each other is unknown.[7] In 1926 or early 1927, Johnson established an unregistered marriage with Willie B. Harris, who occasionally sang on the street with him and at benefits for the Marlin Church of God in Christ with Johnson accompanied on piano. From the relationship, Johnson had a daughter, Sam Faye Johnson Kelly, in 1931.[9][10] The blues guitarist L. C. Robinson recalled that his sister Anne also claimed to have been married to Johnson in the late 1920s.[11
|
out what, to them, was obvious.
“God is systematically destroying America,” the Rev. John McTernan, a conservative Christian pastor who runs a ministry called USA Prophecy, said in a post-Sandy blog entry that has since been removed. The reason God was so peeved, he asserted, was “the homosexual agenda.”
McTernan belongs to a subset of religious conservatives — including some well-known names — who see wrath and retribution in natural disasters.
Usually, their logic revolves around LGBT themes — Buster Wilson of the American Family Association insisted God sent Hurricane Isaac to stop an annual LGBT festival; the Rev. Franklin Graham blamed Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans’ “orgies”; and Catholic priest Gerhard Wagner called Katrina “divine retribution” for New Orleans’ tolerance of homosexuality.
Other times, the scapegoat is gay marriage, abortion rights or foreign policies seen as harmful to Israel.
Yet as Harvey, now a tropical storm, continues to turn its Super Soakers on Houston, those quick to see God’s angry handiwork in earlier storms have so far focused their efforts on praising Houston’s first responders and citizen volunteers.
“The ‘Cajun Navy’ is at it again!,” Graham shared on Facebook, referring to a band of Louisiana boaters involved in the rescue effort. “Out there with their boats rescuing people stranded by #HurricaneHarvey floodwaters. I thank God for people willing to step up and help others — real Good Samaritans!”
And Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who once blamed the Sandy Hook school shooting on America’s acceptance of gay marriage and abortion, commended “the heroic efforts of emergency personnel and the National Guard as they work to rescue and comfort those stranded and displaced by the flooding.”
Certainly, the vast majority of religious groups and leaders respond to all kinds of natural disasters with concern, prayer and warm outreach — as many are doing now. News stories from the flood zones note churches opening as shelters and pastors and others coming to people’s aid. Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups all have relief efforts aimed at Texas.
But the idea of a vengeful God is nothing new in America. It came here with the Puritans and was firmly established here with the Rev. Jonathan Edwards’ 1741 sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which is still studied by seminarians and history and English students alike.
And by no means is the idea limited to Christians. Muslim imams in Egypt blamed Sandy on an anti-Islamic film, and at least one Jewish rabbi blamed Katrina on the U.S. support of the Israeli pullout of Gaza.
But where conservative Christian leaders have sometimes apportioned blame for natural disasters, some are now publicly cautioning against it.
“[H]ad we been living in biblical times, we would have recognized a hurricane like this as a sign of divine judgment, repenting of our sins and asking for mercy,” Michael Brown, an evangelical Christian broadcaster and a member of President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board, wrote two days after Harvey hit the Gulf Coast. “We must be very careful before we make divine pronouncements about hurricanes and other natural disasters, as if they were specific acts of divine judgment against specific sets of sinners.”
Stephen T. Davis, a professor of philosophy at Claremont McKenna College who has written about Christian theodicy — the problem of why bad things happen to good people — said the idea of God’s punishment gets “very little traction” outside conservative religious circles.
He said in an email that “the secular world finds explanations like ‘God wanted to punish Houston’ ridiculous.”
But Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow at People for the American Way, which monitors the religious right, said the reaction from the usual finger-waggers “is different this time around.”
“I checked with my colleagues and we have a couple of theories.”
One theory is that Texas, with a few exceptions like the famously liberal Austin, is a religious right stronghold. Gov. Greg Abbott is popular with conservative Christians, so perhaps they are less willing to suggest God is unhappy with him. Abbott supports tougher abortion access laws and signed the “Pastor Protection Act,” which allows pastors to refuse to marry same-sex couples.
Another theory is that Christian conservatives don’t want to suggest Houston deserves divine retribution. In 2015, city voters soundly struck down an anti-discrimination bathroom law with support from many conservative Christian groups and leaders. They had a simple slogan: “No men in women’s bathrooms.”
“That makes it hard for the religious right to say there is some kind of collective sin in Houston that God wants to punish,” Montgomery said. “But if Harvey had hit New Orleans, you still would have had people dredging up decadence in that city, or if an earthquake had hit San Francisco, you would have had people saying it was because of homosexuality.”
Brown noted as much in his cautionary remarks, saying: “Houston is one of the few cities that has stood bravely against the rising tide of LGBT activism. Why would God single out Houston for judgment?”
Another theory is that the religious right voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. Texas, a red state, voted for Trump. And while Houston’s Harris County went blue, all but one of its surrounding counties — the majority of the flooded areas outside Harris County — went red.
“They think the election of Trump was one of their greatest accomplishments and has put the country back into the good graces of God,” Montgomery said. “If Obama was still president it might be deemed punishment for electing him.”SHOW NOTES
It started out with a song, which which was a nursery rhyme, which then became a theme tune for maniac cartoon characters!
Check out when our podcast deity Lin-Manuel Miranda (alongside Celia Keenan-Bolger and unhyphenated Colin Donnell) was in the Encores! production.
Have you ever seen “Six By Sondheim”? Well you should! Potentially the sexiest line up of Merrily ever? Jimi’s hyped-up libido certainly thinks so! Go look!
What do you think about LA? Are you team Charley or team Frank? Whatever the decision, the Tony Awards have successfully mocked those that tried. Will Jeremy Jordan be next? Who can say!
Hey! Have you got a favourite theatre game? We want to know cause we’re adult children! Hit us up over on Reddit and we’ll talk about them in another podcast if they’re good!People find themselves drawn to Paganism and Wicca for a variety of reasons. Some may be trying to escape some other religion. Others may be looking for a sense of personal empowerment. Still, others may realize that the beliefs they've held all along are in tune with those of a Pagan path. Regardless, once you've found your new path, there comes a time when you may ask yourself "How can I make this spiritual system part of my daily life?"
Are You a Weekend Wiccan?
Are you someone who thinks about the principles of your tradition all the time? If you honor a particular deity in your path, do you do so just only on the eight Sabbats? Are you constantly reading and learning, or do you figure everything you need to know is contained in the three books you already own? In other words, are you a "weekend Wiccan"?
Living a magical life is something one does 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Depending on the needs of your tradition, it may involve something as complex as daily rituals, or as simple as taking a moment to thank your gods each morning when you get out of bed. It means being in tune with the spiritual world around you, and staying in balance physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Does this mean you need to run around shouting "The Goddess loves you!" all day long? Not at all... in fact, the rest of us would appreciate it if you didn’t do that. It does mean is there's a difference between seeing Paganism and Wicca as something you "do" versus something you believe.
Incorporating Magic into Your Life
Try one, or more, of the following, and if something doesn't apply to your particular flavor of Paganism, don't sweat it. Use what you need, and set the rest aside.
Pay attention to the phases of the moon. Know what's happening in the skies, and notice how (or if) it affects the way you feel.
Recognize that you don't know everything there is to know. Continue learning and growing, and be willing to accept that sometimes new knowledge will come from unexpected sources. Don't assume that you're always right, just because you've always done or thought something.
Show respect for nature -- do things on a daily basis that are good for the planet. Recycle, compost, and cut back on excess energy consumption. If you believe the earth is sacred, treat it as such.
Get in touch with the land. Plant a garden, study the changes of the seasons. Realize how good it feels to grow your own herbs and vegetables.
Be empowered. Know that you have control over many of the things that happen to you. If someone or something makes you miserable, make the changes that are necessary to bring yourself happiness.
Understand that just as you have control over your life, you are also responsible for your actions. Take ownership of everything you do--even if that includes admitting you're wrong sometimes.Navajo code talker stands with his daughters at the Lion's Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, St. George, Utah, May 31, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Preston Holiday, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — After arriving by motorcycle escort at the St. George Lions Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, family and friends surprised Navajo code talker Samuel Tom Holiday with a party for his 90th birthday on Saturday morning. The Marine Corps League, Utah Dixie detachment #1270, lined the paved entryway to the front door and performed a gun salute.
This was the first time Holiday had ever been honored to this extent.
“For me the recognition for code talkers so far is not enough,” said Holiday’s daughter Helena Begaii. “In history books they only give the code talkers like two pages. The United States used 23 different tribes.”
(report continues below)
Videocast by Samantha Tommer, St. George News
From 1943-1945 Holiday served in combat with the Fourth Marine Division during World War II. Throughout this time he served duties on the island of Roi Namur, Kwajalien, Tinian, Saipan and Iwo Jima. Military historians note that during the first 48 hours of the invasions at Iwo Jima more than 800 coded messages were sent and received by Navajo radio units with 100 percent accuracy. The Navajo language was not recorded and almost impossible to learn. It served as a code the Japanese failed to crack; a language that Holiday was told as a child not to speak because Navajo had nothing to offer.
In an excerpt from his autobiography “Under the Eagle,” published in 2013, Holiday describes a memory from boarding school:
“There was also to be no more Navajo religion and traditional ceremonies. ‘Learning English will help you in your future’, she said. ‘the Navajo way will not help you; it has nothing so you must speak English.'”
Upon being discharged, Holiday was told not to unveil his duties as a code talker, but as he got older he wanted a full historical recount to be told. He collaborated with historian Robert S. McPherson and it took five years to finish and is the only book that recounts the entire life of a code talker not just the war.
Dressed in his code talker uniform — a red hat depicting the United States Marine Corps, turquoise jewelry representing the Navajo sacred stone, a gold shirt symbolizing corn pollen, with a patch on the arm denoting the Fourth Marine division, light-colored pants signifying mother earth and shoes the color of abalone which is also a sacred stone — Holiday shared his childhood and experiences as a code talker.
He grew up near Monument Valley by a mountain known as Eagle Rock. His family, members of the Todich’inii or the Bitter Water Clan, herded sheep and lived according to Navajo traditions. When Holiday was 4 years old he remembers being told about his great-grandmother being taken as a prisoner during the “long walk.”
“They rounded up all the Navajo — old ones, little ones — herded them up like sheep kept them for four years as prisoners, a lot them were Navajo,” Holiday said. “That’s the reason I was really scared of white people, I didn’t even know what they looked like.”
Holiday’s mother Betsy Yellow played a significant role in his early education. She taught him about herbal medicine, nature’s remedies and survival properties of desert plants.
“We didn’t know about white man’s medicine,” he said. “If you get thirsty out in the desert there are plants that hold water that you can suck the juice from. This is survival. All these teachings really came in handy during the war.”
It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that he encountered a white person; after an extended stay at the hospital for a knee injury, he was enrolled in boarding school.
Holiday enlisted to join the Marines when he was 18, just before he completed coursework for a vocation school in Provo. On the date of Pearl Harbor, he was at school playing basketball, somebody came to the door and yelled ‘the Japanese are attacking America,’ he said.
During basic training in California, the Marines would participate in 25-mile marches where they were only allowed to carry one canteen of water per person. After two or three days several of the marines would have to be picked up by a truck. This was a time that the Navajos showed their adeptness to survival because of a shared understanding of nature.
“There were plants we knew we could get juice from. All the Navajos made it to the end of the march,” Holiday said. “And you wonder why the Marines would say ‘those damn super Indians’?”
During the war, Holiday — whose grandfather was a medicine man — wore a traditional Navajo pouch around his neck, with four sacred stones and yellow corn pollen wrapped in a leather binding believed to provide protection and to calm fears. Many Navajo Marines wore these pouches or carried eagle feathers on their person.
During the years overseas, Holiday was mistaken twice for a Japanese soldier and suffered hearing loss in his left ear after walking past an exploding mortar shell on shore.
“I started yelling: ‘no I’m not going back. I came here to fight a war not to stay in Sick Bay,'” he said. “I couldn’t hear, there was noise all around, shots going off, and I couldn’t hear.”
After enlisting 39 code talkers, recruiters realized the significance of the Navajo language as a code. They promised Holiday that after serving he would receive an added bonus, that his mother would be taken care of, that she would get running water, but it didn’t happen. Instead he received around $300, orders to not talk about the code and returned to the still existing segregated America.
“After I was discharged I came back to Flagstaff (Arizona) and was trying to get a room at a hotel and they told me ‘it’s full, it’s all full’,” he said. “The next day, I went back to the main town, I said: ‘let’s go eat.’ They said: ‘no no no you can’t eat this food.’ That happened to me twice. It didn’t feel right. I fought next to black man, white man, Mexican and came back to segregation.”
After returning from the Marines, Holiday became a Navajo police officer and married Lupita Mae Isaac in 1954. Together they have eight children, 33 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
“He never made a big deal about himself as a code talker,” Begaii said. “He didn’t see himself that way. My dad feels like this is his land, his people’s land, with the four sacred mountains and the importance of taking care of it. He was fighting for his country. The best thanks are anonymous. Sometimes we are in a restaurant and we are waiting for our ticket and then we find out someone paid for it.”
Holiday’s grandson, Roderick Redhouse, sung and played a hand drum powwow circuit birthday song. Afterward, the color guard offered Holiday an honorable membership for detachment #1270.
“I never saw my dad as a Navajo code talker,” Begaii said. “He was always just daddy.”
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Related posts
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.Others who had ideas of military glory and huge salaries also disappointed
They were outraged by group's brutality and special t
The ICSR research shatters the Islamic State illusion of an Islamic 'utopia'
Report covers accounts of 58 jihadis who have left ISIS since January 2014
Dozens of ISIS defectors have told of how would-be jihadis are lining up to leave the terror group, a new report reveals.
The 58 deserters - 51 men and seven women - claimed ISIS followers have grown tired of the bloody executions, special treatment given to foreigners, and the broken promises of money and glory.
Among them are a jihadi bride whose husband was murdered by his fellow fighters, an Indonesian man who spent more time reading the Koran than fighting against 'infidels' and an Indian convert who was made to scrub toilets in Syria.
Almost two-thirds of these defections took place this year and that number is growing, the report's authors claim.
Deterrent: 58 deserters claimed the random killing of hostages, the systematic mistreatment of villagers, and the execution of fighters by their own commanders is inspiring many to defect from ISIS
Betrayed: Jamolbee Khamidova's (pictured) husband sneaked her into Syria after he was promised a life of luxury, only to be killed by his own fellow militants
Enough: As well as the bloody executions, crucifixions and public amputations, followers have also grown of the tired special treatment given to foreigners and broken promises of money and glory, the report claims
The landmark report by The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR), who analysed interviews with defectors since January 2014, shatters the group's self-proclaimed image of an Islamic 'utopia'.
In a sign of ISIS's global recruitment strategy, defectors came from 17 different countries - with two from Britain.
Many of them were appalled at the senseless executions of innocent people. They claimed ISIS fanatics killed hostages 'at random', tortured villagers who lived under their command and even executed its own fighters.
The former bodyguard of ruthless ISIS commander, Saddam Jamal, revealed how the extremist forced a mother and father to watch as he murdered their children.
Defector Abu Abdullah told the Telegraph how Jamal lined their children up by height and, starting with their 13-year-old son, beheaded each one and hanged their heads outside the school the family were hiding in.
He also saw an emir, or local leader, forcing his eight-year-old son to slit the throat of a captured rebel fighter.
Abdullah said: 'They kidnap and carry out assassinations. They think nothing of bringing down a whole building with women and children inside, just to kill one person.'
Read more of the latest Islamic State news and updates
Favouritism: In November, a defector from India, Areeb Majeed (pictured), 23, said 'racist' ISIS leaders forced him to clean toilets in Iraq
One defector revealed how ruthless ISIS commander Saddam Jamal (pictured) forced a mother and father to watch as he murdered their children
Fantasy: ISIS social media accounts post inviting pictures of parks and gardens which they claim await Muslims who come to its stronghold of Raqqa, Syria
Lies: Defectors' terrifying testimony has revealed that ISIS's brutality is not limited to captured soldiers, but its own fighters and the villagers who live under its rule in Syria and Iraq
Farrukh Sharifov, who was once one of 300 Tajikstan-nationals to be fighting with ISIS, also testified to the brutality and cruelty in ISIS territory.
He told Azadlig Radio how many of his fellow militants were senselessly executed for being'spies' without a trial or evidence.
Despite deserters' outrage at such barbarism, ICSR notes that most people were shocked by the violence against other Sunni Muslims, and not 'non-believers'.
The defectors who joined for'selfish reasons' became frustrated when they realised none of the luxury goods, cars and houses they had been promised would ever materialise.
Jamolbee Khamidova's husband sneaked her into Syria after he was promised a life of luxury, wealth and high status. He told her she could 'leave any time she wanted'.
Last month, she told the BBC how they were made to wear gloves and a veil whenever they left their bare homes, laughing was forbidden and they barely washed due to the scarcity of clean water.
She said: 'The children were often sick and there were no doctors or pharmacies. The men could hit you if you went out without a veil.'
Her husband would disappear for weeks at a time and when he returned, she could barely recognise the pale, thin and bloody ISIS fighter standing before her.
The truth: The report by ICSR, who analysed interviews with defectors since January 2014, shatters the group's self-proclaimed image of an Islamic 'utopia'
One day, he was 'taken away' by two Saudi extremists. Khamidova said she 'did not have the strength to even cry' when two men returned to show her a picture of her husband's corpse.
Those who were attracted by the idea of adventure, brotherhood and glory on the battlefield were left equally disappointed - and some even complained that foreigners were used as 'cannon fodder'.
Ahmad Junaedi, 31, left his four children and job as a meatball vendor in Indonesia to join ISIS in March 2014.
He told the Jakarta Post how an ISIS commander promised to pay off all his debt and said he would receive 'large sums of money' but his salary was just under £30-a-month.
He said: 'We then spent 24 days at a camp filled with only Indonesians and we were introduced to weapons, taught Islamic doctrine and encouraged to have morning jogs.'
Junaedi and 11 other Indonesians rotated spending two-hours a day guarding their post in Al-Bab, Syria, with an AK47 rifle.
They spent the rest of the day reading the Koran, cleaning the house they lived in or trying to contact their families back home.
Others fled after they were disappointed by the 'quality of life' in territory controlled by IS and realised that the image of luxury goods and cars that lured them to join in the first place had failed to materialise.
Barbaric: Returned extremist Farrukh Sharifov (pictured) told of how many of his fellow militants were senselessly executed for being'spies' without a trial or evidence
Assault: Jamolbee Khamidova, who was taken to Syria by her husband, said ISIS militants beat women who do not wear their veils in public
Another common factor which inspired once-loyal Islamists to defect was corruption. Many supporters of ISIS criticised the privileges given to foreigners over Middle-Eastern fighters.
In November, a defector from India, Areeb Majeed, 23, said 'racist' ISIS leaders forced him to clean toilets in Iraq, the Times of India reported.
He revealed how he was'sidelined' from any fighting by commanders who 'completely ignored' him and instead, made to carry out menial tasks such as bringing water to injured fighters.
Majeed left for Iraq in May 2014 and was brought back to India by Indian security agencies and arrested by National Investigation Agency in November.
Defecting from IS is 'complex and dangerous', with those who succeed in fleeing the group's territory fearing reprisals or prosecution once they return to their home country, the study said.
It called on governments to do more to remove obstacles that prevent defectors from speaking up, saying their testimony could be help prevent potential new recruits from being radicalised.
The report stressed it 'does not attempt to excuse, justify or glorify people's decision to join IS', adding that some are 'likely to have committed crimes'.
However, it said: 'They joined the most violent and totalitarian organisation of our age, yet they have also become its victims, and their stories can be used as potentially powerful tools in the fight against it.'We’ve crafted an experience that captivates by sending you down dark twisting and turning pathways with clues that arrive to your door over the course of eight weeks.
Are you the type of person who likes mysterious things like true crime podcasts, suspenseful TV shows, or page-turning mystery stories? Before you were an observer, but now you are an active player in the middle of solving a mystery, and that mystery is called: The Decoder Ring Organization.
And, we need your help to finalize the production of the game!
Each season is comprised of 18-20 packages, including many handcrafted letters and objects, along with digital content such as audio, video, and websites. These items will be mailed several times per week over the course of 8 weeks, meaning a subscriber gets 2-3 clues per week, along with the digital media.
Season One, which is titled, “The Decoder Ring Organization: Roland”, will send a welcome email mid-December. This means it can be given as a perfect holiday gift for 2016. The experience officially starts in the beginning of January, and will span until the beginning of March. After the Season's story comes to a close, the subscriber can decide if they would like to continue experiencing the story by signing up for subsequent Seasons.
The Decoder Ring Organization is the name of this interactive experience. The name comes from the fictional organization in the game that begins the player on their journey. You can see a little more about that organization here:
You can also visit their website TheDecoderRing.org
You may recognize the guy in that video if you watched the main video up above- it’s me again. I hate being on camera, so, yes, part of this project’s budget is allocated to be put towards people who can act. :)
Every season ties up the mystery within its own story, but there is an over-arching storyline that connects each Season. Currently, I have fully planned out the 3 seasons offered in the rewards, which I will be releasing over the course of 2017. If these first 3 seasons are a success, I have even more planned that will continue the story with future Seasons.
As I mentioned in the Project Video, Season One, The Decoder Ring Organization: Roland, centers around the dark circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Julie Harrison, a high school student. She was a resident of rural Moore County, VT. It kills me to have to stop explaining the story here. There is so much more to it, but I want you to be able to explore as much of it as possible on your own as you play through the clues. Within the journey of the game, you will come across different characters and tricky situations. You’ll receive packages that may seem confusing, but they will fall into place as you realize that it is a necessary thing for another part of the game. When we say the story is twisting and turning, we absolutely mean it.
I can’t explain it, and I won’t try, but there is something about getting a package in the mail and not knowing the contents. There’s something about holding an object in your hands and diving into the story it holds: the tangible items make it that much more real.
It’s a different connection than playing a video game, watching a movie/tv show, or even reading a book.
There’s something nostalgic about The Decoder Ring Organization. Like ordering a mystery item from the back of a comic book or painting along with Bob Ross, there’s something inherently exciting about interacting with the your media.
The Mini Mystery – Add-On (+6)
A thank you letter- but is that all it is?
This is a compact puzzle with a few layers to solve. It appears to be a thank you letter. A very strange thank you letter from The Decoder Ring Organization. And, there’s something else in the envelope to help you.
How do I add this on?
If you have already pledged at least $5, add-on $6 to get this reward.
These will be delivered December 2016, and make a great teaser for the upcoming experience.
(This piece of mail does not affect the story that is laid out in the standard Seasons, but it is a fun little enhancement that will arrive before the rest of the story in December.)
Haven’t backed yet, but want to get The Mini Mystery on its own?
This Add-On is also available as its own reward tier, now- with free shipping in the U.S. ($2 everywhere else)!
Hello Kickstarter! I’m Rob Kramer, and I am largely the person behind The Decoder Ring Organization.
At the very beginning of 2016, some friends and I were discussing another friend’s upcoming birthday. We talked about what to get her, and we were discussing what she liked.
True crime podcasts.
Gaming.
Mystery.
Artistic works.
So, seeing as we were all creative people, we started talking about making her a game that combined these elements.
Since that discussion, the small game has taken on a life of its own. I began filling notebooks with sketches and notes. Something about the idea that we discussed just fascinated me. I started adding in my own influences as I began to realize that what I was making was not just a single gift, but rather its own large-scale project. I would come up with a package or clue and realize, that with my background in graphic design, illustration, and having made props, that, yes, I could create this.
When I first began chiseling away at the rough idea, I kept some guidelines in mind. One of the most important was: "what would I like to see, as a player."
My Other (self-imposed) Rules:
1. Something that arrives on a frequent schedule so that the plot can unfold like a television show.
2. A varying of puzzle difficulties, with rewards for success, but no punishments for failing to solve them.
3. A game world that felt almost real, and the player could interact with the situations and realistically developed characters.
4. Take the excitement you get from a video game, and merge it with receiving unexpected gifts in the mail (even if you just forgot what you ordered on Amazon). Wrap that up into an experience that you can be excited to see among your mundane day-to-day junk mail and bills.
5. Make the idea as affordable as possible, but including as many interesting objects and interactions as possible. The game would get boring rather quickly if the only thing you received were letters.
I have done my best to stay true to these goals, and I think it shows.
Having multiple iterations really helped the creation process. Some things worked beautifully, and some things needed to be tweaked, reworked, or completely removed from the game. Having game testers eager to critique the prototypes, helped me to create the best version of these ideals.
Thank You Kickstarter
I can not wait for our backers to start the experience that is The Decoder Ring Organization!
Have a question or a suggestion? You can email me at [email protected]
I really would love to hear from you.Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called for a congressional resolution to condemn neo-Nazism and white racism, stopping short of including all types of racial discrimination on MSNBC Wednesday.
“And by the way, I think again we probably should have a resolution passed in Congress which I hope can pass unanimously condemning neo-Nazism and white racism,” Sanders said in an interview on “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”
Sanders was asked how he felt in the midst of the recent violence and said it was painful to witness the loss of innocent life, but then quickly pivoted to critique President Donald Trump.
“What is even more painful, is that we have a president of the United States who has not stood up and condemned, in no ambiguous terms, the horrors of nazism and what these people stand for,” he said. “His [Trump’s] is an ideology that is counter to everything that this country is supposed to be about. And it’s not asking very much to have a president who sees this to say, this is disgusting, this is ugly, and I condemn it.”
Sanders also expressed approval for Republicans who have come out strongly in condemning the violence by name, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling it “the right thing to do.”
“I am happy to see that we have Republican leaders, very conservatives, joining virtually all Democrats all progressives, in saying racism and white supremacy and neo-Nazism is not something that we tolerate for one second,” Sanders said.
He added the blame lies entirely with the white nationalists claiming there is no room for equating the two dissenting factions.
“The idea that there is some equivalence, or some shared blame when you have people marching under racist banners, under neo-Nazi banners and not have a president that condemns that forthrightly, that is a very sad moment in American history,” he said.
You can Follow Nick on Twitter and Facebook
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] a month ago, a Facebook post drew my attention to an attempt, by Casey Pender of Prague's CEVRO Institute, to test my thesis that free banking contributes to NGDP stability using statistical evidence from Canada, which had a relatively free banking system between 1867, the year of Canada's confederation, and 1935, when the Bank of Canada was established.
In "Some Odd Data on Free Banking in Canada," a blog post discussing his preliminary findings, Pender reports that he had hoped to
be able to show that Canada, from 1867-1935, had a more stable NGDP percent change from year to year than the U.S. And I thought this would be an easy and quick historical example that I could use to bolster my underlying theory. But things seem like they just ain’t so.
Instead, in comparing the fluctuations of Canadian and U.S. NGDP using data from the Macrohistory database, Pender found that Canadian NGDP was not less but more volatile. Moreover that conclusion held not just for the full 1870-1935 sample period, but also for the sub-period 1870-1914, which omits various extraordinary Canadian government interventions during WWI and the Great Depression.
Here is Pender's chart showing his results from the full sample period:
Having now been made privy to these findings, I suppose that you are looking forward to seeing ol' Doc Selgin eat humble pie. Well, you can quit holding your breath 'cause that won't be happening anytime soon. In fact, for the moment at least, I remain thoroughly impenitent.
How come? First of all, I never claimed that free banking alone could achieve any particular degree of absolute stability of nominal spending. What I have claimed is that, by tending to offset changes in the velocity of money with opposite changes in its quantity, free banking makes for a more stable relationship between the level of overall spending and the available quantity of base or high-powered money than might exist otherwise. To the extent that the available quantity of base money itself changes, however, the quantity of money will also tend to change independently of its velocity. Total spending will then tend to vary also.
What's more, under an international gold standard regime like the one in place during Canada's free banking episode, the amount of base money in any particular gold standard country was hardly likely to remain stable or grow at a very steady rate. On the contrary: changes in trade patterns and international capital flows were bound to routinely alter the distribution of gold among gold standard countries, just as changes in trade patterns and capital flows within individual countries are bound to alter the distribution of gold among those countries' various regions. To the extent that it consisted of holdings of monetary gold, Canada's monetary base was no less subject to change than the monetary base of, say, Nova Scotia.
In fact during the free-banking era Canada's base money consisted of both monetary gold and paper "Dominion notes" first issued by the Canadian government in 1866. While some portion of these had to be fully backed by gold, there was also an un-backed or fiduciary component, the quantity of which rose from just $8 million in 1868 to $30 million by the outbreak of World War I. Until 1885 or so at least, those fiduciary issues, instead of being linked even loosely to gold flows, or otherwise regulated for the sake of economic stability, varied according to the Canadian governments' fiscal needs. Consequently Dominion note issues tended to be an additional cause of irregular changes to Canadian NGDP.
A proper test of the theory that free banking helped to stabilize Canadian NGDP must therefore consider, not just fluctuations in Canadian NDGP as such, but the relationship between those fluctuations and underlying changes in Canada's monetary base. So long as Canada's NGDP fluctuations were driven by underlying changes in Canada's stock of base money, instead of being independent of such changes, the fluctuations were perfectly consistent with the theory.
So, what does the record have to say about it? To find out, I had Tyler Whirty, the CMFA's trusty RA, run some simple regressions for me, with Canadian NGDP as their dependent variable, and Canada's stock of base money (M0) as the independent variable. The NGDP estimates are the same ones employed by Pender, from the Macrohistory database[1], while the monetary base numbers are from Metcalf, Redish, and Shearer (1998). So far we've looked only at the pre-WWI record, as that era is most aptly described as one of relatively unblemished free banking. We also ran the regressions both using raw data and after taking logs. I shall report only the log results, as those fit the data best; but the general conclusions to be reported here don't depend in the least on the log transformations.
The results, shown in the next figure, are not just consistent but remarkably consistent with the theory, and especially so given that Canada's arrangement involved some not entirely trivial departures from the theory's assumptions, one of which is that paper money is supplied by commercial banks alone. (In fact, Canada's banks were prohibited from issuing notes worth less than $5.) The regression R-squared is.980254, while the coefficient on M0, about.80, seems quite reasonable allowing for the fact that some Canadian base money, including smaller Dominion notes, circulated instead of serving as bank reserves.
Although the Canadian results seem perfectly consistent with the theory, we still have to
|
is the most efficient way to do something. But in prison that flips on its head.
"You want to do everything as slow as possible, take your time... I never had a working clock [in jail], I couldn't understand the ones who did."
He clearly remembers putting up the offending image after consulting his boss: it was 9pm on December 9.
"I was not exactly comfortable with the post, if I could be honest. Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it?"
Less than 24 hours later, the police were at his office. Blackwood went to the station, was transferred to Insein Prison, and remained there – apart from court appearances – for the next 13 months.
His trial was more about "how guilty" he was, rather than whether he was guilty or not, he said. "I realised how serious it was when I looked into the judge's eyes."
In jail, one day blended into another, he says, marked only by small victories. Being able to change into shorts from the jeans he was arrested in; a mosquito net arriving; his parents bringing him Marmite, and a signed Hurricanes jersey from home; and the visits from Almo and his baby daughter, who was fast growing up.
The days ticked on. He read a lot, exercised a lot, running around the yard in the 45-degree heat, in jandals. The routine brought him solace, he said.
He witnessed some terrible things in the prison, known for its massacre of 36 prisoners in 2008.
He can't, or won't, talk about what he saw, for fear of putting other people in danger. To this day, he believes the authorities are monitoring his personal Facebook page.
Instead he talks about his own pain: missing his family, missing his daughter growing up.
"Sure, it was an unpleasant place to be...but being away from family was the most difficult thing.
"The thing is, I always try to look for the positives...the fact that Sasha was the age she was meant that she wouldn't remember that I missed those milestones...so it's just me sucking it up and dealing with that, and just knowing I had to make it up to her when I got out."
He was in his cell reading a week and a half ago when he got the news that he had been given a presidential pardon. His friends were calling for him: "Phil, Phil, your name's on the list!"
But he still has a criminal conviction that will hinder any future travel. He's never allowed back to Myanmar, which "suits me fine".
What's next is still being decided, but Blackwood is eternally optimistic. "I feel like a kid in a candy shop with a blindfold on – there's a lot of opportunities and I really don't know what to choose."
SOLACE IN ROUTINE
6.30am: Cell door opens. Marmite on toast for breakfast. Wash plate and wash self with bucket and water. Read or exercise.
12pm: Back in cell. Read.
2pm: Exercise in yard and then wash yourself.
5pm: Dinner: one egg, rice and broth.
5.30pm: Back in cell. Read again.
ON STAYING POSITIVE
"The guys in my block were very kind, actually. Singaporean drug traffickers and murderers, some of them."
"We used to joke about there being a secret Sadism Department in the prison. When we got our rice there would be stones in it. We would imagine someone in the Sadism Department just spooning it on."Aleph Objects, Inc. is honored to have the first hardware product with the FSF's Respects Your Freedom certification mark, and we're proud to sell a 3D printer that delivers freedom to each and every user. Aleph Objects, Inc. was founded with the idea that people should be free to use, learn from, and improve the machines they use, and to share their improvements and innovations with collaborative communities. The spirit and philosophy of the free software movement is embodied in our LulzBot 3D printer. All of our printers ship with hardware designs, software, and documentation all under free licenses. You get it all — source code, design documents, and specifications — everything needed to control, tinker, fix, and improve upon every aspect of the printer. — Jeff Moe, Founder of Aleph Objects, Inc.
The FSF began work on a hardware certification program in October 2010 by publishing an initial set of criteria for certification, and subsequently inviting community members to help refine them. To be certified, a hardware product must meet several standards that ensure it runs free software, allows users to modify that software, supports free data formats, and is usable with free tools.
The desire to own a computer or device and have full control over it, to know that you are not being spied on or tracked, to run any software you wish without asking permission, and to share with friends without worrying about Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) —these are the desires of millions of people who care about the future of technology and our society. Unfortunately, hardware manufacturers have until now relied on close cooperation with proprietary software companies that demanded control over their users. As citizens and their customers, we need to promote our desires for a new class of hardware — hardware that anyone can support because it respects your freedom. Hardware we all want: FSF announces criteria for hardware endorsement program
Conversations between the FSF and Aleph Objects, Inc., solidified the certification process and Respects Your Freedom mark design. Future certified products will display the same mark on their packaging and in associated marketing materials; the FSF will also promote certified products on its Web site at http://www.fsf.org/ryf.
"Over the past 27 years the FSF has earned a reputation of being a strong advocate for computer user freedom, and we continually work to earn and keep the public's trust," states Joshua Gay, FSF licensing & compliance manager. "Because so many people have placed their trust in the FSF, a product displaying the Respects Your Freedom certification mark will be immediately recognized as a product that a user can trust when it comes to software freedom."
Subscribers to the FSF's Free Software Supporter newsletter will receive announcements about future Respects Your Freedom products.
To learn more about the Respects Your Freedom hardware certification program visit http://www.fsf.org/ryf.
Hardware sellers interested in applying for certification can consult http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/criteria.
About the Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software — particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants — and free documentation for free software. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software, and its Web sites, located at fsf.org and gnu.org, are an important source of information about GNU/Linux. Donations to support the FSF's work can be made at http://donate.fsf.org. Its headquarters are in Boston, MA, USA.
Aleph Objects, Inc.
Aleph Objects, Inc. is a Loveland, Colorado, USA based company committed to free software and libre hardware. They are the makers of the LulzBot(tm) line of 3D printers and components available at their online store www.lulzbot.com.
Media Contacts
Joshua Gay
Licensing & Compliance Manager
Free Software Foundation
PHONE: +1 (617) 542 5942 x20
EMAIL: [email protected]
Jeff Moe
Aleph Objects, Inc.
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: +1 (970) 377 1111 x622
###---------------------------------ENGLISH VERSION HERE--------------------------------------
Capisci di essere arrivata in Iran perché quelle stesse donne che, PRIMA, allo scalo di Istanbul, ti avevano stupito per gli abiti attillati su fisici scolpiti e scollature pronunciate, DOPO, sull'aereo appena atterrato a Teheran, indossano camicioni, a nascondere braccia e forme, e - con un moto sincronizzato - srotolano veli e foulard per coprire il capo.
Le due facce della stessa medaglia saranno il leitmotiv del viaggio: benvenuti in Iran.
"Benvenuti in Iran" è anche la frase che abbiamo sentito di più: nel primo taxi, preso all'aeroporto; nei saluti delle persone che ti fermano per strada anche solo per chiederti da dove vieni; dal fornaio, che ha cercato con un sorriso di rifilarci il pane per dieci volte il suo prezzo.
Un benvenuto dalle persone, prima di tutto. Ma anche dalla bellezza delle moschee e dai palazzi degli Scià che ci hanno accompagnato durante tutto il viaggio. Purtroppo, però, abbiamo scoperto presto, e sulla nostra pelle, che non proprio tutti sono benvenuti allo stesso modo.
Abbiamo viaggiato molto tutte e due, quasi sempre zaino in spalla, e una di noi ha visitato diversi paesi in Medio Oriente. Ma le esperienze che abbiamo vissuto in Iran hanno scioccato entrambe, e profondamente influenzato lo spirito della nostra vacanza. È per questo che abbiamo deciso di condividere, pubblicando questo post, l'esperienza di due donne che hanno viaggiato sole in Iran - dispiace dirlo, la Lonely Planet è stranamente molto carente su questo punto, e neanche su internet abbiamo trovato molto - così che saprete cosa potrebbe succedere, e decidere con coscienza se partire o no. O quantomeno: come evitare esperienze molto negative.
Palpate al sedere
I bazar sono molto affollati, diventano quindi il paradiso per chi ama palpare il fondoschiena, in particolare delle donne (ma non esclusivamente!). Un uomo comincia a seguirti e a un certo punto ti tocca il sedere, per poi disperdersi nella folla. Per la prima settimana ci è successo tutte le volte che abbiamo visitato un bazar. Non può essere quindi un caso.
Inseguimenti
È capitato a Teheran, la capitale. Sempre nel bazar. Prima, una mano che sfiora la schiena. Ti giri, e dietro di te c'è un uomo che ti guarda. Dopo venti minuti, in metropolitana, ce lo ritroviamo dietro. A gesti, non fa segreto dei suoi desiderata: vuole andare a letto con una di noi due. All'inizio diciamo no diverse volte, poi proviamo a ignorarlo. Non funziona. Arrivate ai tornelli, scopriamo purtroppo che neanche quelli riescono a fermarlo: li salta aspettando di capire su che treno saliremo. Non ci è restato che chiamare la sicurezza.
Uomini che fanno mostra del proprio pene
Ci trovavamo nella più grande moschea dell'Iran, a Isfahan. L'inserviente della moschea ci dà il benvenuto e ci chiede da dove veniamo. Finita la visita alla moschea, decidiamo di sederci all'ingresso per mangiare della frutta. Passa l'inserviente che ci vede sedute lì, torna indietro e... Voilà! Ci omaggia tirando il pene fuori dai pantaloni e passeggiando davanti a noi affinché possiamo vederlo. Incredibile. Il tutto a 5 metri dalla biglietteria.
Aggressione fisica - questa è la cosa peggiore che ci è successa
Eravamo appena arrivate a Kashan e volevamo visitare delle storiche case tradizionali. Era un venerdì, giorno di preghiera, e in giro c'erano solo pochissime persone (quasi tutti uomini). Erano le quattro del pomeriggio. Un ragazzo in motorino comincia a seguirci: a ogni incrocio era lì immobile a fissarci. Giriamo in una via secondaria, sempre seguendo il nostro itinerario. Il ragazzo col motorino accelera e ci supera, poi gira da qualche parte. Abbiamo difficoltà a trovare la nuova meta del nostro pellegrinaggio, un'altra dimora storica, così decidiamo di tornare sulla strada principale. A un tratto lui si palesa alle nostra spalle e dal motorino afferra per il sedere una di noi. Poi si ferma davanti a noi bloccando la via d'uscita, e comincia a masturbarsi. Una di noi due si mette a urlare contro parolacce in italiano, avanzando con fare minaccioso, ma lui come nulla fosse continua. Così ci si è buttati su un più internazionale: "Help! Help! Help!" a squarciagola. Fortunatamente, ha funzionato.
A causa di questi episodi, non ci siamo sentite sicure per tutto il viaggio. Abbiamo deciso di non rivolgerci mai alla polizia perché non volevamo avere ulteriori problemi. Non sarebbe stato facile spiegare, in un paese dove uomo e donna prima del matrimonio non possono nemmeno sfiorarsi, tutto ciò che ci stava capitando. Lo abbiamo però detto a tutti gli iraniani che chiedevano le nostre impressioni sul paese. E "Succede anche a Roma o a Napoli, no?" è stata la reazione della maggioranza delle persone. Veramente no, non succede anche a Roma o a Napoli. Non succede così, almeno. Finalmente, in un'altra bellissima città dalle strade molto strette (= potenziale pericolo), decidiamo di prendere una guida, e chiediamo esplicitamente che sia donna. Cominciamo a raccontarle quello che ci stava succedendo, chiedendo se stessimo facendo qualcosa di sbagliato, o magari se, in quanto straniere, potessimo rappresentare un bersaglio particolare. All'inizio lei cambiava discorso. Dopo tante insistenze, alla fine risponde, eccome. Riempiendo i nostri cuori di dolore. E racconta del tentato stupro subito durante il liceo. Era mattina presto, e un vecchio che aveva il negozio in una di quelle stradine strette la prese di forza e si abbassò i pantaloni. Fortunatamente un altro uomo accorse e la salvò. Suo padre non poté fare altro che vendere casa per comprarne una nuova in un quartiere con vie più larghe. La guida ci ha confessato così la normalità della violenza e delle molestie verso le donne, quasi come fosse naturale. P otrebbe esserci successo diverse volte proprio perché una di noi sembra iraniana. Non c'è molto che si possa fare, aggiunge la guida, se non portare con sé lo spray al peperoncino, evitare vie strette e gli orari in cui in giro non c'è nessuno, anche se di giorno. Racconta di aver avuto anche diversi problemi mentre era in giro con turiste. Una volta era seduta con un gruppo davanti a un monumento. A un certo punto un gruppo di giovani in motorino cominciò a girare in cerchio intorno a loro, se non fosse intervenuto sul posto un uomo attirato da tutto quel frastuono sarebbe successo il peggio. Anche i bambini non sono immuni dalle molestie. Eravamo scioccate, ma finalmente avevamo trovato qualcuno che non provava a minimizzare i fatti, al contrario aveva condiviso con noi una sofferenza dolorosa e intima. Ed eravamo sorprese anche dal sentire il racconto di due turisti cinesi, ambedue palpati da uomini. Alla faccia dell'ex Presidente Ahmadinejad, che qualche tempo fa dichiarò che in Iran non c'erano omosessuali.
L'Iran ha ancora molta strada da fare. E non solo perché la Repubblica islamica vuole portare il flusso di turisti nel paese dai tre milioni l'anno ai venti milioni nei prossimi dieci anni. Ma soprattutto per le donne iraniane. Quelle che vivono nelle grandi città come Teheran o Shiraz piegano le regole del regime, spingendo il velo il più indietro possibile, trasformando i loro visi con un trucco pesantissimo e con una chirurgia estetica ai limiti del pacchiano (in Iran i ritocchini superano di sette volte quelli degli Stati Uniti) e accompagnandosi con uomini anche se non sono loro parenti o mariti. Ma la maggior parte delle donne che vive nei villaggi è costretta a una vita molto più repressa. Non appena arrivate nella casa della famiglia che ci avrebbe ospitato nei pressi del deserto, ci siamo sorprese: "Se siete lesbiche non preoccupatevi, potete anche unire i letti". Non è certo quello che ti aspetteresti di sentire in un paese dove gli omosessuali rischiano la pena di morte! E il nostro ospite aggiunge anche che in casa avremmo potuto girare tranquillamente senza velo. Beh, nonostante vivano in mezzo al nulla, la convivenza con turisti da tutto il mondo li avrà portati a essere aperti di mente, abbiamo pensato. Sì, finché non è arrivata l'ora della cena. Ci chiedevamo perché la loro figlia quattordicenne non cenasse con noi. Non avrà fame, ci siamo dette. Poi, mentre sparecchiavamo, l'abbiamo trovata in cucina, seduta tutta sola dietro la porta, con indosso il velo. Con noi c'erano due turisti maschi, quindi lei non poteva sedere nella stessa stanza. Per restare intatta, preservata per il suo futuro matrimonio.
È stata una liberazione togliere il velo non appena abbiamo messo piede sull'aereo che ci avrebbe riportate a casa. Non si tratta solo di essere costrette a coprire il capo, piuttosto di una sensazione costante di valere meno e di essere vulnerabili a istinti primordiali. Tutto questo diventa soffocante. Soprattutto è la consapevolezza che tu sei stata lì solo per due settimane, in vacanza, mentre ci sono donne costrette a vivere così la loro intera esistenza. Non dimenticheremo mai una ragazza che abbiamo incontrato. Stava seduta di fronte a una moschea a Kashan, con un chador che però non copriva completamente la sua faccia sorridente, mentre studiava per l'esame per la patente di guida. Stava lì in attesa di qualche turista con cui poter parlare. Aveva diciotto anni e con il suo inglese fluente ci ha fatto molte domande dirette: se per noi fosse un problema indossare il velo, e quale fosse il nostro giudizio sull'islam. Era anche molto appassionata di geopolitica. "Cosa vorresti studiare all'università?", le abbiamo chiesto. "Scienze politiche. Ma i miei genitori non vogliono, quindi studierò psicologia". Ci siamo fatte un selfie insieme e l'abbiamo salutata. Abbiamo cominciato a pensare a quante cose avrebbe potuto fare nella vita una donna brillante e curiosa come lei. Se solo fosse stata libera. Se solo avesse avuto il diritto di essere se stessa.
Giulia Innocenzi e Maddalena Oliva
L'ex Ambasciata americana, oggi chiamata Covo dello Spionaggio, con i suoi famosi murales. Un bazar a Teheran in un pomeriggio deserto. Donne in attesa di salire sulla metro nelle carrozze a loro destinate: molto utili per un viaggio a prova di palpata.
Sali sulle carrozze riservate alle donne e sei salva!
Il bellissimo parco Abo-o-Atash nella parte nord di Teheran. Perfetto per rilassarsi guardando gli iraniani che fanno i picnic e i bambini che giocano con l'acqua. Il bellissimo palazzo Golestan a Teheran. Un ottimo ristorante nella parte nord di Teheran: buon cibo, musica speciale. Peccato che non si possa ballare.
Ci spostavamo da una città all'altra sempre con i pullman: comodi, puntuali, MOLTO economici.
Per le vie di Kashan. Il bazar di Kashan / 1 Il bazar di Kashan / 2 Il bazar di Kashan / 3
L'affascinante hammam di Kashan.
I tetti di Kashan.
A Kashan servirebbe qualche opera di ristrutturazione ;)
Gustando un ottimo dessert a base di riso e acqua di rose nella splendida piazza di Isfahan.
La piazza di Isfahan. L'Iran ha il record mondiale di nasi rifatti, e ne vanno anche molto orgogliosi. Qui una ragazza che mette in mostra il cerotto frutto del suo ultimo ritocchino.
I bellissimi ponti di Isfahan. Il famoso Abbasi hotel di Isfahan, molto in voga anche fra la gente del posto.
E se capitate all'Abbasi hotel, non dimenticate di provare la zuppa di tagliolini con fagioli. Un toccasana per i poveri vegetariani perseguitati dal kebab!
Nella moschea di Isfahan.
Camminando nel deserto fra Isfahan e Yazd. Mangiare e dormire come loro - per terra.
L'immagine di Khomeini ovunque. Questo uccellino che guarda la piscina dalla sua gabbia ci ha ricordato simbolicamente l'Iran. Yazd.
Le notti poetiche di Yazd.
In bici per le strade di Yazd. Il tempio zoroastriano di Yazd con la sua fiamma eterna, che brucerebbe da oltre 1500 anni.
Yazd. Persepolis. Lost in Persepolis. E' tutto in ristrutturazione in Iran, pronti per quando arriveranno le masse di turisti a scoprire questo bellissimo paese.
Le facce dei martiri della guerra Iran-Iraq sono ovunque nel paese.
La tomba di Hafez, il poeta nel cuore di tutti gli iraniani, a Shiraz.By - -
Quiero empezar esta nota con un tirón de orejas para la NASA, porque si fueran como la ESA y le hicieran figuritas kawaii y vendieran poleras como lo hicieron ellos con Rosetta, mucha más gente hubiese estado pendiente del momento en que despertaron a la New Horizons… Así que ya saben NASA, pónganse las pilas. Y les dejo una New Horizons kawaii para subir la popularidad de la misión… con 0 presupuesto, hecho con mouse, en paint, en la oficina.
El despertar
Para quienes no están al tanto, New Horizons es una misión de la NASA destinada a estudiar el planeta enano Plutón ( #ViudaDePlutón ), sus lunas, y algunos objetos del cinturón de Kuiper. Esta misión fue aprobada en 2001 y fue lanzada el 19 de enero de 2006. La misión debiese realizar un sobrevuelo a Plutón el 14 de julio de 2015.
Este 6 de diciembre, la nave fue despertada de la hibernación, en la que se encontraba desde agosto, luego de casi 9 años de viaje (pero nadie lo notó porque Plutón ya no es planeta T_T y porque no hay monitos de New Horizons). Actualmente se encuentra 4.6 mil millones de kilómetros de la Tierra, y al momento de despertar, se encontraba solo a 261 millones de kilómetros de Plutón.
Los científicos de la misión, desde el centro de operaciones en el Laboratorio John Hopkins de Física Aplicada, recibieron la señal de confirmación de la nave, lo que indica que todo estaría en orden para continuar su viaje hacia Plutón, con todos los sistemas funcionando normalmente.
El despertar estuvo marcado por un minuto musical (sigue intentándolo, NASA), con la canción “Where my heart will take me”, del tenor inglés Russell Watson, que sonó en la sala de operaciones luego de que la señal de confirmación fuese recibida. La canción incluyó un saludo especial del mismo Watson para New Horizons. Pueden escuchar el audio aquí.
¿Qué sigue ahora para New Horizons?
Ahora que la misión ha retomado sus funciones, se enfrenta a la parte más importante de su viaje: el acercamiento a Plutón. Esto ocurrirá en el mes de julio, pero ya desde enero comienza la campaña científica de la misión.
Debido a la distancia a la que se encuentra Plutón, no es mucho lo que sabemos, es por eso que esta misión es de suma importancia (aunque Plutón ya no sea planeta, penita), la información recaudada “in situ” es invaluable.
Una situación similar sucede con el cinturón de Kuiper. Es la región más poblada del Sistema Solar y jamás la hemos explorado en detalle. Está repleta de objetos de roca y hielo que han permanecido casi sin cambios desde la formación del Sistema Solar, así que será un panorama totalmente nuevo y del que esperamos tener mucha información.
Como anécdota triste, la nave fue lanzada en enero del 2006, y unos meses después, en agosto de 2006, se realizó la votación de la Unión Astronómica Internacional que decidió cambiar el status de Plutón.
En fin, ahora a esperar a que pasen los meses para comenzar a tener novedades sobre esta misión, que esperamos nos ayuden a comprender mucho mejor lo que ocurre en las afueras de nuestro Sistema Solar.
Fuentes: Wikipedia
Space.com
Créditos: NASA
Más información: Sitio de la misión New HorizonsThe Fall And Rise Of U.S. Inequality, In 2 Graphs
Since World War II, inequality in the U.S. has gone through two, dramatically different phases.
In the first phase, known as the great compression, inequality fell. Incomes rose for people in the bottom 90 percent of the income distribution, as the postwar boom led to high demand for workers with low and moderate skills.
At the same time, income was basically stagnant for the top 1 percent of earners. A combination of high marginal tax rates (around 80 percent) for the wealthy, and social norms, may have kept a lid on wages at the top, according to the economists who gathered the data we used to make the graphs.
In the last 35 years, the reverse occurred. Top marginal tax rates fell sharply. Incomes rose for those in the top 1 percent, largely driven by rapidly rising pay for top executives.
At the same time, a combination of global competition, automation, and declining union membership, among other factors, led to stagnant wages for most workers.
In theory, it should be possible for incomes to rise for everyone at the same time — for the gains of economic growth to be broadly distributed year after year. But the takeaway from these graphs is that since World War II, that's never really happened in the U.S.
Note: The data in the graphs comes from the World Top Incomes Database. The data is based on income tax records, which mix people filing as individuals and married couples filing jointly. Reported income is pre-tax and does not include government transfer payments. Also, since there is generally an incentive to underreport income to the government, incomes (particularly at the high end) may be biased downward.173 Shares
Ah….the Chinese Cabbage Salad.
Seen at many a BBQ,
Potluck Party,
Baptism Luncheon,
Blessing Day….
Baby Shower…
Wedding Shower…
Please don’t eat it in the shower….
Or prepare it in the shower….
Holiday Party….
Get together and chit chat….
You name it.
Chinese Cabbage Salad seems to make a
regular appearance these days, doesn’t it?
If you’ve never heard of it,
just disregard the first rambling portion of this post.
Thank you for your patience.
The fabulous Chinese Cabbage Salad recipe I’m sharing with you today has a little bit of unique twist. The dressing is made with a peanut oil base giving it a wonderfully rich flavor.
Can’t find Peanut Oil?
Me either. The Peanut Oil distributors must have a secret loathing for all people living in Herriman.
There is not a drop of Peanut Oil being sold within a 15 mile radius of my home.
Yep. Times are tough, aren’t they.
If you can’t get your hands on peanut oil….don’t worry about it.
I’ve got a simple solution for you.
Discussion on the simple solution to follow in the recipe portion.
Again, thank you for your patience.
This salad has another little twist.
It’s made with Nappa Cabbage instead
of the traditional regular old plain green cabbage.
Worried about finding Nappa Cabbage?
Don’t be. I’ve never met a grocery store that didn’t carry it.
Feel better now?
Oh good.
Let’s make it, shall we?
Let me show you how to make it happen…
This crinkly beauty is Nappa Cabbage.
You can see that the leaves are a lot more porous than regular cabbage. What does this mean for you? These crinkly leaves are going to soak up more of the dressing. Lovely! Just what you were hoping to read about today….crinkly cabbage.
Information like this can be life saving, you know.
1. Cut the tail end off of your cabbage and toss it in the trash.
2. Thinly slice the rest of the cabbage and place it into a large bowl.
3. Slice your green onions and add them to your bowl.
4. Open up your packages of Ramen Noodles….
place them in a gallon sized freezer zip lock bag and pound them into small pieces with a meat tenderizer.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt your butter and then add your almonds…
sesame seeds and ramen noodles.
6. Cook the mixture stirring frequently until everything turns a nice toasty brown. Set the crunchy mixture aside to cool.
IF YOU CANNOT FIND PEANUT OIL
DO THIS……..
7. Place 3 T of peanut butter into a glass measuring cup
pour Canola Oil into the cup, right over the top of the peanut butter. Your total measurement with the peanut butter and oil should be
3/4 C.
8. Put the peanut butter/oil mixture into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds.
Stir it all around until the peanut butter dissolves.
9. Into a medium sized sauce pan pour your sugar…
your peanut oil (or your peanut butter/oil mixture)
soy sauce and rice vinegar.
10. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Let it boil hard for one minute. Then set it aside to cool.
11. When you are ready to serve toss the cabbage and green onions with the crunchy ramen mixture and pour the dressing over the top to coat. Serve immediately.
Print Chinese Cabbage Salad Total Time: 40 minutes Yield: 15 servings Ingredients 2-2 1/2 pounds nappa cabbage 5 green onions 3 packages ramen noodles 1/2 C butter 1/4 C sliced almonds 1/4 C sesame seeds Dressing: 3/4 C peanut oil (or 3 T peanut butter + canola oil to equal 3/4 C) 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C rice vinegar 2 T soy sauce Instructions 1. Cut the tail end off of your cabbage and toss it in the trash. 2. Thinly slice the rest of the cabbage and place it into a large bowl. 3. Slice your green onions and add them to your bowl. 4. Open up your packages of Ramen Noodles place them in a gallon sized freezer zip lock bag and pound them into small pieces with a meat tenderizer. 5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt your butter and then add your almonds,sesame seeds and ramen noodles. 6. Cook the mixture stirring frequently until everything turns a nice toasty brown. Set the crunchy mixture aside to cool. IF YOU CANNOT FIND PEANUT OIL DO THIS........ 7. Place 3 T of peanut butter into a glass measuring cup pour Canola Oil into the cup, right over the top of the peanut butter. Your total measurement with the peanut butter and oil should be 3/4 C. 8. Put the peanut butter/oil mixture into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds.Stir it all around until the peanut butter dissolves. 9. Into a medium sized sauce pan pour your sugar, your peanut oil (or your peanut butter/oil mixture) soy sauce and rice vinegar. 10. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Let it boil hard for one minute. Then set it aside to cool. 11. When you are ready to serve toss the cabbage and green onions with the crunchy ramen mixture and pour the dressing over the top to coat. Serve immediately. 3.1 https://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/08/chinese-cabbage-salad/ Recipe from www.jamiecooksitup.net
Recipe from my beautiful sister Cynthia GullJapanese World War II Battleship Musashi Found, Billionaire Paul Allen Says
The World War II-era Japanese battleship Musashi was sunk by U.S. warplanes on Oct. 24, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the war's largest naval battles. Despite numerous eyewitness accounts at the time, the location of the wreckage was never known. Until now.
More On This Story From 'Morning Edition' Japanese World War II Battleship Musashi Found, Billionaire Paul Allen Says Listen · 1:31 1:31
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose father served in World War II, says his research team discovered the Musashi's wreckage on March 1 in the Sibuyan Sea off the Philippines. Allen's team used "historical records from four different countries, detailed topographical data and advanced technology aboard his yacht, M/Y Octopus," a statement said.
Allen announced the find on Twitter.
A statement on Allen's website said he has been searching for the Musashi for more than eight years, "and its discovery will not only help fill in the narrative of WWII's Pacific theater, but bring closure to the families of those lost."
Here's a video on the vessel's discovery.The human rights group Oxfam reported that the wealth of the world's 85 richest people is equal to that of the poorer half the world's population.Oxfam released a study on global inequality Monday, ahead of a meeting this week of government and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.The report said wealthy elites have used their political power to get lower tax rates, hide wealth offshore, and otherwise serve their own interests, to the disadvantage of those at lower income levels.The report lists financial deregulation, tax havens and secrecy, and "cuts or underinvestment" in public services as examples of such political maneuvering. It said the effect of these policy changes is not only to concentrate wealth and political influence in higher income brackets but to ensure it stays there for the next generation.Oxfam said that in the past decade, the number of billionaires in India has increased tenfold, while in Europe austerity measures mainly affect the middle and lower classes. Meanwhile, in Africa, global corporations exploit their political influence to avoid taxes, reducing government resources to fight poverty.Oxfam is calling on those business leaders and government delegates attending the World Economic Forum to support government programs that strive to help underserved middle and lower income levels, support development of fair wages, and crack down on tax dodging and financial secrecy.It also called on participants to "agree to a global goal to end extreme inequality in every country," as part of the post-2015 negotiations.Artificial intelligence can accurately identify objects in an image or recognize words uttered by a human, but its algorithms don’t work the same way as the human brain—and that means that they can be spoofed in ways that humans can’t.
New Scientist reports that
|
We want to ensure this type of content is available in every major region. Obviously, India is a key area. In India we are always looking for people who can help us create local language content.We are launching in Hindi across a subset of subjects — such as maths for grades 5,6,7 & 8 in videos and exercises — aligned to NCERT. Our goal is to cover all NCERT standards, not just maths, and use all major Indian languages. In some ways this is a launch. But in some ways, this is the beginning.India is priority. We have made some very early efforts in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both these countries will benefit from some of our work in India.It’s a philanthropic model. We’re a not-for-profit. I’d say 70% to 80% of our budget comes from donations, big and small. In India, the idea is to work with corporations, philanthropists. I see many of them starting to see full returns on investments. We have a chance to reach 450 million Indian students over 5-10 years. Even if we don’t get all 450 million, it’s very high potential.That’s one of those universal things. It happens not because mathematics is difficult or students aren’t bright. Let’s say we’re in Class VII and learning exponents. In an exam, you get 80%. I get 70%. You didn’t know 20% of the material. I didn’t know 30%. They give you a C and move on to the next subject. But the gap remains. The next subject will be logarithm or negative exponents. It’ll be that much harder because of the gap in basic exponents. That process is continuous. Algebra seems hard. Not that algebra is hard, but you don’t understand exponents, you don’t understand negative numbers. Calculus seems hard because you don’t understand Algebra.Khan Academy is about no shame, no stigma. You could be 50, go where you need to go, learn at your own time and pace. Look at videos, look at practice problems. Every day we get letters from people who say: I thought I hated maths or thought I wasn’t good at maths. But when I went back and filled in my gaps I realise it’s not only easy but I really enjoy it and it is my passion. I don’t think there is something inherent about maths. I think it is just the importance of having a good foundation and being able to fill in your gaps and move at your own pace.True. I think I was lucky early on when I was learning the subject, the class was ready to move. But I’d ask why does this make sense? When you internalise those foundations the things that come later become more intuitive. Lot of what I talk about, lot of what Khan Academy talks about is that people who do well are those with very strong foundations. They didn’t have too many gaps. Then, later on mathematics seems very intuitive.In 2008, I was an analyst at a hedge fund, it was a good career. I was thinking the stuff I was making would be great. Won’t it be great if it’s there just as a public good? I had some friends, I knew venture capitalists. The first conversation (with them) was always interesting. It went: This is free but this you need to pay for. You need to put ads. For what I wanted to do, it didn’t feel right. If someone wants to learn algebra they shouldn’t have to look at an ad...they shouldn’t have to pay. This was somewhat delusional when I was operating out of a walk-in closet. What if this Khan Academy thing became an institution for the next generations? Look at history, the only organizations that have stayed true to their mission over multiple generations have been not-for-profits.My mother’s village is in Murshidabad, West Bengal. She grew up in Delhi and went to Mater Dei convent. She has very close ties with India. My father is from Barishal in Bangladesh.I enjoy what I do. I work with great minds in technology and education who are now part of Khan Academy. Our mission is free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. That’s a big statement. It’s not going to happen magically tomorrow. In the next 10-15 years, anywhere in the world, a child or adult would educate himself using his mobile phone. The need for expensive textbooks will go down. If you don’t have access to a teacher who knows calculus or physics, you’ll have the phone. We hope to be a catalyst working with partners. That’s why we are here, so that we can find partners, philanthropic and corporate, who can help us with distribution and access.When PM Modi came to Silicon Valley I had the honour of meeting him. He seemed very enthusiastic about what we’re doing. We started having conversations. The Tata Trust has been supportive and my hope is that we will get together a group of visionaries, philanthropists and corporations who will realise what we really can do over 10 years — educate hundreds of millions of children. This could change the world. We have had some initial conversations with the government. We want to interface whatever way it makes sense. We are open to everything.I am a believer in net neutrality although part of would like preference for education content.Kellyanne Conway made 10 paid speaking gigs and held down 66 consulting clients in the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign, according to newly disclosed financial disclosure forms.
Overall, she earned more than $800,000 in income from her firm, The Polling Company/WomanTrend, last year.
At least $50,000 of that came from speaking engagements. She gave 10 last year, each worth at least $5,000, though forms do not specify amounts.
ADVERTISEMENT
Some of those include the Indiana Energy Association; Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm; National Ocean Industries Association, an industry group for offshore drilling companies; Point 72 Asset Management, a hedge fund that changed its name after it paid a record $1.2 billion penalty to the government in 2013 for insider trading violations.
Conway also consulted for the Center for Medical Progress, a controversial anti-abortion group that released highly edited undercover videos attempting to show that Planned Parenthood illegally sold aborted fetal parts. (A grand jury in Texas cleared Planned Parenthood of all wrongdoing; the two people behind the videos had charges dropped against them in Texas but are now facing new felony charges in California.)
There are not dates on any of the speaking fees or consulting fees listed in her disclosure.
During the 2016 campaign, she consulted for several other political entities.
Conway championed Cruz’s campaign until he dropped out of the race in June. She then went to work for Trump, who she had criticized earlier in the year as “a man who seems to be offending his way to the nomination.”
Her net worth is in the millions.
Her husband, George Coway, is a partner at law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York. His investments and retirement accounts through the firm are worth more than $2 million, forms say.
It was reported earlier this month that he has been chosen to lead the Justice Department's civil division.
Money market funds add another $6 million to the Conways’ minimum net worth, and could be valued at as much as $30 million. They hold stock in Altria Group, Kraft Heinz, Pfizer, Philip Morris and Mondelez, which is known for brands like Oreo, Nabisco, Cadbury and Trident.
The Conways have a checking account containing $500,000 to $1 million and no liabilities.On June 26th 1976, the world witnessed one of the most anticipated matches of all time where Pro wrestler met boxer one on one in the ring. The WBC heavyweight champion of the world Muhammad Ali would face off against world renowned wrestling grappler/hooker/shoot wrestler and future WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan.
The match was put booked by wrestling legend Karl Gotch as he was staging wrestling exhibitions against various martial artist and wrestlers. Ali and Inoki had a tremendous amount of respect for each other in their areas of fighting and still kept in touch after the match.
In 1964, after Muhammad Ali won the World Championship from Sonny Liston, is when he revealed that he was a member of The Nation of Islam and to no longer be referred as Cassius Clay and from that moment forward he would only be known as Muhammad Ali.
This week Antonio Inoki would make the same proclamation.
Antonio Inoki, arrived in Pakistan on late on Friday to participate in an international wrestling competition as an ambassador for the local promotion.
Inkoi was speaking and meeting with the media circle upon his arrival, Inoki said that he was visiting Pakistan as part of the 60-year celebrations of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Japan. A local news media outlet reported that during the brief press talk, the Japanese wrestler revealed that he had accepted Islam and that his Muslim name was “Muhamamd Hussain”.
Inoki has always been a proponent for peace and human rights. When it comes to ideals that the religion endorses, in terms of the fellowship of embracing brotherhood, Inoki’s affiliation makes sense.
Maurice D. Proffit is a writer for Rant SportsImage copyright AFP Image caption Delhi is India's 'rape capital'
A 23-year-old woman is savagely attacked and raped by a group of men inside a moving bus and her male friend is beaten up senselessly. Battered and bleeding profusely, they are dumped near an expressway in Delhi, where they are found by a passer-by.
Another day, another rape, another round of outrage. Yet, more than 630 rapes later this year so far, nothing much will really change.
Doctors treating the woman, a paramedic student, who is on life support at a crowded city hospital are aghast. They say this is the "most grievous" case of rape they have handled.
"This was much more than rape… They were extensive injuries… It appears that a blunt object had been used repeatedly [by the attackers]," says one.
Sunday night's incident in India's "rape capital" was gut-wrenchingly brutal even for a city which has become numb to crimes against women.
The mistreatment and abuse of women is a particular problem in Delhi and northern India. A stiflingly patriarchal social mindset, a brazen culture of political power, a general disdain for law, a largely insensitive police force and a rising population of rootless, lawless migrants are only some of the reasons. There must be many others.
So if you are a woman - unless you are very rich and privileged - you are more likely to face indignity and humiliation here.
In this part of the world where I live and work, people blame rapes on pornography, the influence of foreign cultures and women themselves - for wearing Western dresses and going out with male friends. When another incident happens, the indignant headlines, excited TV talk shows, candlelight vigils, promises by authorities and platitudes by politicians return with familiar gusto.
But nothing really changes for Delhi's women. "It is as if there is a silent conspiracy in this city," a woman friend says, "to keep the women scared." They say they are not safe anywhere, at home, on the streets, on a bus, on the new metro system, nowhere really.
A friend, who works in the media, tells me about life as a Delhi woman. It is infinitely worse for those who are less privileged than her.
When she was living as a paying guest in an upscale south Delhi neighbourhood a few years ago, a drunk male cook barged into her room at night, yanked at her bed sheet and tried to attack her. The man fled after she screamed.
"My landlord, a perfectly respectable person on the outside, came up and said I must have been dreaming, that there could not have been an attack. His mother had heard my screams so she believed me. I left the place, and they said they had sacked the cook. When I checked later, I found that the cook had returned and was working," she remembers.
After she joined salsa classes a few years later, her friends arrived to pick her up for a competition.
They were waiting for a taxi when a policeman walked up and challenged the boys. "You are hanging out with a loose woman," the policeman grunted. "Give me your parents' numbers, we will tell them."
When her friends protested, the policeman went up to the landlady and extracted a bribe. "They told her they would file cases against her saying she had rented her place to a suspicious woman without a proper rent agreement."
One evening, a few years ago, she was walking home from work when a young man sidled up to her and said something very obscene. She asked him to shut up and walked on.
The man ran after her, stopped her in her tracks, and told her bluntly: "I will pour acid on your face next time you say that." Then he vanished.
"I came home and began crying. I was scared of going out for the next few days," she says.
It doesn't help much if a woman is accompanied by a male friend or spouse.
Another woman friend travelling with a male friend in an auto-rickshaw was waylaid by a group of young boys in a posh neighbourhood a few years ago. They blocked the auto-rickshaw at a crossing, pointed a gun at her friend and shouted abuse at him.
"They wanted to instigate him, they said he was going out with a prostitute. My friend kept quiet and apologised. They let us go after robbing us," she remembers.
When my journalist friend travels alone in an auto-rickshaw on the city's mean streets, she keeps having real and imaginary conversations on the phone with friends and relatives. She doesn't take an auto-rickshaw if she finds the driver overfriendly. If she takes a taxi, she texts the registration number to a friend. She keeps phone numbers for a handful of "reliable" drivers whom she can count on to take her home.
Delhi's disdain for its women possibly mirrors the city itself, says a cynical friend and long-time resident.
A city largely, he says, made up of a deracinated generation of migrants, rich and poor, living in their own worlds in gated neighbourhoods and grimy slums which all make genuine collective action difficult. An ineffective police and a broken justice system make matters worse.Source LiveLeak.com
Aug 20 was the first day of two weeks of every day civil disobedience in front of the White House, demanding that the President block the permits for the Keystone XL oil pipeline project. This project would extend to the Alberta Tar Sands in Canada, and has been called the fuse of the biggest carbon bomb on the planet. Tar sands oil is so energy intensive to extract that if the mine (it’s mined not drilled) was run solely on it’s own oil, 4 barrels would be consumed out of every 5 mines, with only one available for market. That’s five times worse than conventional oil, making a Prius burning gasoline from tar sands oil the equivalent of a Hummer for CO2 emissions. On top of all else, much of the proposed tar sands mining expansion would destroy Native American land and force people to leave their ancestral homes and ways of life forever.
This is intolerable, but for once Congress and the Tea Party have no say in the issue, it is entirely in the hands of the Executive Branch, at the State Department. If Obama’s administration does the right thing, there’s nothing the Tea Party can do about it! Therefore, for the next two weeks, people are sitting in at the White House to encourage Obama to stand up to Big Oil. At this first protest, just the first of a two-week string of similar protests, there were 68 arrests. These numbers will grow in subsequent protests if the entire 2,000+ people who have committed to show up for civil disobedience at the White House to stop the tar sands pipeline all follow through.
“>
AdvertisementsADF counter-terrorism team to head up urban warfare training with Philippine troops in Marawi
Updated
About 80 Australian troops will soon head to the Philippines to provide urban warfare and counter-terrorism training to help the nation's military in its fight against Islamic State-inspired militants.
Standing beside Philippines counterpart Delfin Lorenzana, Defence Minister Marise Payne announced mobile Australian Defence Force (ADF) teams would in "coming days" be stationed on military bases, providing training drawn from years of fighting in the Middle East.
"It is very practical training by the ADF which will support the Philippines Defence Force to be able to counter what are very brutal tactics by terrorists," Senator Payne said.
"It will include a range of skills related to combat on urban environments. It will involve information sharing and experience sharing to ensure that we are best able to use the skills that we have to hand."
Who are the Maute? The Maute are an armed Muslim group that's pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group
Hapilon was reportedly designated the leader of the alliance
The Maute has been blamed for a bomb attack that killed 15 people in southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown, last September
Last month, troops killed dozens of Maute militants and captured their jungle camp near Lanao del Sur's Piagapo town
Troops found homemade bombs, grenades, combat uniforms and passports of suspected Indonesian militants in the camp, the military said
The Defence Minister said Australia would also help provide more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, increase information-sharing, and carry out more naval patrols.
Senator Payne said the Australian Navy would send ships to the Philippines for visits to help support the development of the Philippines Navy.
Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft are already operating in the southern Philippines, where the Government has just declared victory over Islamist militants in the besieged city of Marawi.
"There are no more militants in Marawi," Mr Lorenzana told reporters during a meeting of regional defence ministers.
The announcement comes as Philippines troops captured a building where pro-Islamic State militants made their final stand.
Two security officials said they found dozens of bodies of suspected gunmen inside. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to make public the latest developments in Marawi, where government forces have begun a gradual withdrawal as the fighting eased in recent days.
Armed forces chief General Eduardo Ano said at least 42 bodies of rebels had been found in two buildings and a mosque in the battle zone.
ABC/AP/Reuters
Topics: defence-forces, defence-and-national-security, foreign-affairs, terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, philippines, australia
First postedAn MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan. (Photo: Lt Col Leslie Pratt, U.S. Air Force)
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Can SportsCenter teach the military something about combating terrorists?
After rapidly expanding the number of drones around the world, the Air Force is now reaching out to ESPN and other experts in video analysis to keep up with the flood of footage the unmanned aircraft are transmitting.
"They're looking at anything and everything they can right now," said Air Force Col. Mike Shortsleeve, commander of a unit here that monitors drone videos.
The remote-controlled aircraft are mounted with cameras that transmit real-time video of terrorism suspects to military analysts in the USA.
The amount of video streaming into this base, one of a number of sites that monitors and analyzes the images, is immense. Drone video transmissions rose to 327,384 hours last year, up from 4,806 in 2001.
Given the huge amount of feeds, the Air Force has launched an aggressive effort to seek out technology or techniques that will help them process video without adding more people to stare at monitors.
"We need to be careful we don't drown in the data," said David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general and a senior military scholar at the Air Force Academy.
Air Force officials have met with the sports cable network ESPN to discuss how it handles large amounts of video that stream in. The visit resulted in no technological breakthroughs, but helped in developing training and expertise, the Air Force said.
Here at Langley, Air Force analysts sit for hours at a stretch in a vast room that is illuminated only by bank after bank of monitors. The drones are piloted elsewhere, often at a base in Nevada, but the video arrives here. The video is analyzed and fused with other types of intelligence, such as still photos or communications intercepts.
Much of what drones do now are called "pattern of life" missions which involve staring down at a compound for days. That information can help avoid civilian casualties, for example, by determining when children leave for school every day before a raid is launched.
It can also tell military analysts when something seems amiss, perhaps signaling the arrival of a terrorist leader. It's time consuming work that could be made more efficient if there were technology that could automate the monitoring of videos, looking for signs that seem out of the ordinary.
"The real value added would be if I could have that tool go back and say, 'How many times has this vehicle appeared in this geographic area over the last 30 days?' and it automatically searches volumes of full-motion video," said Col. Jeffrey Kruse, commander of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.
The importance of video analysis is apparent in the hunt for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
It took 6,000 hours of surveillance video to pinpoint the location of the al-Qaeda leader who oversaw a bloody insurrection in Iraq as drones followed the movements of his known associates. On June 7, 2006, two U.S. Air Force jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on the building in which he was located in Iraq.
"You can't catch bad guys unless you know where they are and what they're doing," Deptula said.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/RF5WOhThe vision of light rail connecting Tampa to other Florida metros seems light years from happening.
Business and leisure travelers untethered to a car, however, will soon have another inexpensive, mass transit option for trips to Orlando or Miami. They can take a bus … a megabus, that is.
Megabus, a city-to-city express bus service company, is expected to announce today that it's launching service out of downtown Tampa, shuttling passengers to and from Miami and Orlando. Its 81-seat, double-decker buses will run six daily arrivals and departures from the Marion Transit Center at 1211 N Marion St.
Service begins May 15.
As a promotion for the first week only, all fares will be $1 plus a reservation fee of $1.50. Beginning May 22, $1 tickets will continue to be offered daily on every bus, but the price will increase incrementally as it gets closer to a customer's departure date.
"It's a yield management tool we use just like JetBlue," said Megabus vice president of marketing Mike Alvich. "The next level could be $5; then $7. The highest fare may be $20 or $25 to Orlando; maybe $30 to $35 to go to Miami. But it's still very, very affordable, even if you have to book for tomorrow."
Simultaneous with the Tampa opening, Megabus is launching service out of Miami and Tallahassee, joining the three Florida cities already in its network: Gainesville, Orlando and Jacksonville.
A subsidiary of transportation giant Coach USA, Megabus.com launched its North American operations out of Chicago in 2006. Since then it has mushroomed to serve 120 major cities out of 14 hubs (including downtown Orlando, the newest hub, which will offer ready bus access to Disney and other theme parks).
Tampa, and much of Florida, are later to the game in part because of expansion costs. Each double-decker bus costs about $750,000.
Social media, namely Megabus' 207,000 Facebook followers and 20,000 Twitter followers, convinced the company it was overdue expanding throughout the Sunshine State.
Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, said the company's arrival gives visitors "yet another convenient and affordable way to visit our area."
Christine Burdick, president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, said Megabus will provide a convenient travel option to reach the multimodal transportation hub in downtown. "From there, (visitors) can pick up a HART bus or circulator or, in short order, rent a Coast smart bike to get around downtown."
The Tampa Bay area has other express bus service options to reach various Florida cities, such as RedCoach which has scheduled service out of Tampa International Airport and USF's Tampa campus.
But Megabus is trying to cement its niche as a high-amenity, low-cost option.
As for amenities: its buses are equipped with free Wi-Fi, at-seat plug ins and lower-level tables suitable for traveling families.
As for low-cost: It pays to be an early bird. Megabus is currently only selling seats nationwide up to Sept. 9. Whenever it opens up a new round of limited $1 fares, its social media followers are among the first to know about it.
In past years, bus operators have had mixed success garnering enough traffic to be profitable. But the combination of cost-conscious travelers, pent-up demand, and a growing residential community in downtown Tampa may mean the time is ripe for companies like Megabus.
Alvich points to a study this year by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development of DePaul University which indicated city-to-city express bus transportation remains the fastest-growing and most affordable mode of transportation.
Alvich has high hopes, projecting more than 142,000 travelers will go through the Tampa station via Megabus in its first year alone.
"We've carried 35 million people in eight years. We've seen double-digit growth every year," he said. "We're not just another bus company."Our lives are so filled with hate speech that earlier this week Comedy Central offered up 90 minutes of entertainment based on a woman being called a “c***” 19 times, a “racist c***” just for added impact, and then being told that she really ought to just kill herself.
The woman is Ann Coulter, and while I disagree with her politics, I am greatly disturbed by the reported level of on-air vitriol that was directed towards her in the filming for tonight’s programming. According to Vanity Fair:
On Saturday night, Comedy Central taped another one of its annual roasts, this time skewering Rob Lowe. As the roasts usually do, this one got pretty nasty. Nothing was off limits, not even 9/11 or Lowe’s sex tape he made in 1988 with a 16-year-old girl. And again, it was supposed to be a roast of actor Rob Lowe, but it was conservative political commentator Ann Coulter who drew most of the heat.
“Ann describes herself as a polemicist but most people call her a c—” said Pete Davidson of Saturday Night Live, before muttering “a racist c—” under his breath. Comedian Nikki Glaser called Coulter “a real-life super-villain,” and told her, “The only person you’ll ever make happy is the Mexicans that dig your grave.”
This programming shows the degree that hatred sells.
I find it amazing that people are shocked… SHOCKED… at the possibility that Donald Trump might actually be elected President in November. Don’t Trump opponents realize that name-calling and bullying aren’t attractive alternatives to name-calling and bullying?
Sure. I can imagine the argument: “Relax, it’s a roast, anything goes; we’re all professionals here.” And I’m sure that the entertainers and comedians who participated in Comedy Central’s roast all understand this.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free
But do the majority of voters?
Saying the worst things possible about someone and then backing off because you’re “only joking” is schoolyard bullying of the worst kind. I think that the majority of voters understand that.
What’s the end game here anyway?
Perhaps – just perhaps – Coulter is smart enough to make herself enough of a martyr to actually swing sympathy (and votes) in the direction of her candidate of choice, Donald Trump. And maybe – just maybe — all the snickering professionals on stage are all too clever by half, doing more harm than good for their own righteous cause.
♦◊♦
In June, Hamilton”s Lin-Manuel Miranda recited a poem on stage while accepting a Tony Award in the wake of the Orlando shootings:
“We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger,” he said, then evocatively concluded that “love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love” and “cannot be killed or swept aside.”
This week, Comedy Central reminded Americans that hate and fear do seem stronger and that “hate is hate is hate.”
I think we can do better than that.
Do yourself a favor: don’t watch the program. Spend that time with your family instead. In doing so, you’ll be making the statement that hateful speech masquerading as entertainment should indeed be swept aside.
—
Photo Credit: YouTube/screen grab
This post originally appeared on the author’s blog.
This post was lightly edited on September 7, 2016, to adjust for the fact that the Comedy Central show had aired, but otherwise making the same points.
—
(The Task Force holds weekly conference calls with like-minded people who want to stop a candidate who is racist, sexist, bigoted, incites violence and is demonstrating no competence for the job at hand. We put out content, videos, memes and do outreach to small groups to work towards our goal.)
—
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy the following posts on current events and hot button issues:
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/8-things-kaepernick-mkdn/Mexico is preparing for the worst.
If Donald Trump becomes president, Mexican officials are creating a contingency plan for Wednesday to weather what they've called a "hurricane" for Mexico's economy.
"If the adverse scenario manifests itself, it's possible that Mexican authorities will respond in some way," Mexico's central bank governor Agustin Carstens, told Milenio TV in Mexico. "It's a contingency plan that we're talking with the finance minister about."
No details of the contingency plan have been announced, but it's clear that Trump is seen as a major threat to Mexico.
He has threatened to slap a 35% tariff on goods made by U.S. companies in Mexico and sold in the United States. Exports make up one third of Mexico's economy and almost all of them go to America.
Trump claims he will tear up NAFTA, the free trade deal between Canada, Mexico and America if it isn't renegotiated. And he wants to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border that he claims Mexico will pay for. (Mexico's president says Mexico won't pay for it).
"It's a lose-lose proposition," Arturo Sarukhan, the former Mexican ambassador to the U.S., told CNN Friday. "The only losers will be the American and the Mexican peoples."
Trump's negative rhetoric is already hurting Mexico's currency, the peso. It's down 9% this year, partially due to Trump. Whenever Trump's poll numbers have improved this year, the peso has gone down.
Related: Mexico posts worst growth in 2 years
A weakening currency is not all bad news: it makes Mexico's exports more affordable -- and attractive -- to foreign buyers, and when Mexicans send money home to loved ones, they're getting more and more pesos.
Still, Mexico's economy is slowing down for other reasons right now. Low oil prices and government spending cuts were major reasons why Mexico posted its worst quarter of annual growth in two years on Monday.
And the peso's downturn is a sign that things would get much worse if Trump wins on Tuesday. Analysts predict that if Trump wins there would be a major sell-off in the peso, which would deeply hurt the country's struggling economy.
Ending NAFTA or slapping tariffs on Ford cars wouldn't be good for America either, trade experts say. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 6 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico.
Now Mexican officials endure the calm before a potential storm.
"We hope we don't have to use," the contingency plan, Carstens told Milenio TV.stillgray:
Warning: BioShock Infinite spoilers lay ahead. If you’ve yet to play the game, I recommend doing so before reading on. If you don’t care or have otherwise completed the game, press on.
BioShock Infinite, one of this year’s contenders for Game of the Year, has been accused of racism.
At the source of all of these accusations is a blogger named Jeff Kunzler, who argues in his blog that the game is racist on the basis that its creators intend to promote a racist agenda. He argues that this isn’t “ironic”, and that he considers the game to be every bit as racist as the National Liberty Foundation (an organization which recently used BioShock Infinite’s concept art to promote a xenophobic perspective) with the difference that the game’s developers “just, well, know how to hide it better.”
It’s true that the game is a bit tone deaf when it comes to its depiction of the minorities, who make up the vast majority of the organization called the Vox Populi, who rebel against the Founders—Columbia’s overlords and ruling class.
In short, they’re depicted as being every bit as violent as their oppressors and very little characterization is given to fleshing them out as human beings with motivations beyond “kill whitey.”
That’s deplorable, true, but it doesn’t imply that the game’s creators are racist or that their “message” is that the solution to racism lies somewhere in the middle between oppression and liberty—only that violence, more often than not, begets violence.
The message I got out of the game was that revolutions are often violent and that the motivations of some characters, such as the Vox Populi leader Daisy Fitzroy, may not necessarily be pure. She is motivated by revenge against those who oppressed her rather than a desire to set her people free. Casting off their chains is secondary to the revenge she seeks against Comstock, who framed her for his wife’s murder. The Voxophones, paltry though they might be as a storytelling device, serve to enforce this understanding of the context. Miss them and you might miss the story.
If anything, the presence of Daisy Fitzroy is a critique that had nothing to do with race and shows how the oppressive segregation took its toll in more than just lives, but in her sanity. After all, the game doesn’t even chastise Fitzroy for initially rising up. The only chastising that the game does is against the latter version of Fitzroy’s ruthlessness and power-hungry attitude. Seen as a single character, Fitzroy is not an extension of the entire Vox Populi. That particular read is something you’d have to personally make while playing the game.
Fitzroy’s attitude can be summed up in the Voxophone where she declares her intent: “The one thing people need to learn is that fear is the antidote to fear. I don’t want to be a part of their world. I don’t want to be a part of their culture, their politics, their people. The sun is setting on their world, and soon enough, all they gon’ see…is the dark.”
Before the game goes full-on with the revolution, you step into the homes of people who were committed to changing public opinion about minorities and encouraging society to do away with racism and slavery. The game makes a big point of it by showing you their printing press operations.
Unfortunately, the story moves on and the revolution gets ahead of whatever efforts these peaceniks were conducting. The game seems to throw all of this out the window when it depicts the Vox Populi as being just as bad as the Founders. Booker even says “when it comes down to it, the only difference between Comstock and Fitzroy is how you spell the name.” Is that offensive? I don’t know. It’s just how things worked out for Columbia. I don’t think the game has the responsibility to tell anything more than the story its creators set out to tell and forcing them to make some sort of political statement about how the revolutionaries are the “good guys” only serves to weaken whatever nuance the game seems to have.
At this point in the game, the revolution serves as little more than a backdrop to the science fiction and the character drama between Elizabeth and Booker, which is unfortunate because up until this point, the game’s politics had a lot going for it beyond “red versus blue.”
If the game is guilty of anything, it’s that it just doesn’t go far enough with its politics and keeps it at arm’s length.THE computer security industry buzzed with warnings that more than a half-million Macintosh computers may have been infected with a virus targeting Apple machines.
Flashback Trojan malware tailored to slip past "Mac" defenses is a variation on viruses typically aimed at personal computers (PCs) powered by Microsoft's Windows operating systems.
The infections, spotted "in the wild" by Finland-based computer security firm F-Secure and then quantified by Russian anti-virus program vendor Dr. Web, come as hackers increasingly take aim at Apple computers.
"All the stuff the bad guys have learned for doing attacks in the PC world is now starting to transition to the Mac world," McAfee Labs director of threat intelligence Dave Marcus told AFP.
"Mac has said for a long time that they are not vulnerable to PC malware, which is true; they are vulnerable to Mac malware."
Dr. Web determined that more than 600,000 Mac computers may be infected with Flashback, which is designed to let hackers steal potentially valuable information such as passwords or financial account numbers.
Hackers trick Mac users into downloading the virus by disguising it as an update to Adobe Flash video viewing software.
Apple has long boasted that Windows machines are more prone to hacking than Macs.
Computer security specialists contend that the reason for the disparity was that since most of the world's computers were powered by Windows, hackers focused on systems that promised the most prey.
As the popularity of Macs has soared, so has the allure of hacking Apple operating systems, according to Marcus.
"There has been a significant increase in Mac malware in the last several quarters, so what we've seen with the Flashback Trojan isn't particularly surprising," Marcus said.
"Cybercriminals will attack any operating system with valuable information, and as the popularity of Macs increase, so will attacks on the Mac platform."
Computer users, no matter their operating systems of choice, need to protect machines with tactics including up-to-date anti-virus programs and avoiding risky habits such as opening files or clicking links from unknown sources.
gc/sst×
“We strongly encourage you to make a clean break from the Paris Agreement,” read the letter, drafted by Wyoming’s John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate committee on environment and public works, and Oklahoma’s Jim Inhofe, a longtime climate change denier and senior member of that committee.
The letter argued that the Paris deal threatened Trump’s efforts to rescind the clean
|
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe PACE, which will deploy observer delegations for election-day observation.The Zagros Mountains protect Iran from would-be challengers. They also box in Iran. If Iran wants to project influence into Iraq, one of two conditions must exist. Either Iran must be incredibly wealthy and militarily strong, or it must be able to take advantage of weakness.
Persia was able to take advantage of weakness several times throughout history. But those times have always been when the area was weak and unable to resist Iran's advances.
Take, for example, the period before 2011. Iraq was Iran's biggest rival. Iraq was able to fight Iran to a draw in an incredibly bloody war from 1980 to 1988. This was despite having a population just one-fourth the size of Iran's. But the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 removed that threat.
Since then, Iran has been building an arc of Shiite influence in the Middle East. Syrian President Bashar Assad's Alawite regime was an ally of Iran. And Hezbollah's dominance of Lebanon meant Iran could project power all the way to the Mediterranean.
The Syrian civil war dashed that dream. The rise of the Islamic State was a threat to Iran. And a strong Sunni Arab power in the heart of the Middle East could not be tolerated. This has driven the US and Iran into an uneasy but stable partnership.
Iran wants to influence Iraq. On the other hand, Iran funds various Shiite militias in Iraq. This is to ensure Iraq's Sunni minority does not threaten the government in Baghdad.
The Assad regime has been weakened. Iran can no longer count on influence stretching through Syria to the Mediterranean.
The Arab world is in chaos. Israel is sitting pretty. And Turkey is a rising power. Turkey has almost the same number of people as Iran. It sits on more strategically advantageous territory, and it has a more advanced economy and military.
Turkey will be the dominant power in the Middle East. Iran will have to settle for being a regional power. It can influence countries in the region but not push beyond.Painting of the Six Kings Painting of the Six Kings, with visible damage Artist Unknown Umayyad 8th century painter Year c. 710–750 Type Fresco painting Condition damaged Location Qasr Amra, Jordan Coordinates
The Painting of the Six Kings is a fresco found on the wall of Qasr Amra, a desert castle of the Umayyad Caliphate located in modern-day Jordan. It depicts six rulers standing in two rows of three. Four of the six have inscriptions in Arabic and Greek identifying them as the Byzantine emperor, King Roderic of Hispania, the Sasanian emperor, and the Negus of Aksum.[4] The painting, now substantially damaged, is thought to be from between 710 and 750, commissioned by the Umayyad caliph or someone in his family. It is one of the most famous frescoes in the Qasr Amra complex.
Location and history [ edit ]
Alois Musil, the first Westerner who encountered the painting.
The painting is located in Qasr Amra (also transcribed "Quseir Amra", literally "little palace of Amra"), an Umayyad desert structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site[9] about 85 kilometres (53 mi) east of Amman and 21 kilometres (13 mi) southwest of the Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan. The complex has several frescoes painted on its walls. The remoteness and size of the structure suggest that it served as a desert retreat for Umayyad rulers at the time.
The painting is on the southern end of the west portion of the main wall. Along with other works in the complex, it was cleaned and preserved in the 1970s by a team from the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.
Historian Elizabeth Drayson estimated the earliest possible date for the painting to be 710, the year of the accession of Roderic – one of the kings portrayed in the painting – and the latest to be 750, the year of Abbasid Revolution that overthrew the Umayyads. The artist who painted the fresco is unknown. The patron who commissioned the building, including the painting, was likely one of the caliphs al-Walid I (reigned 705–715), al-Walid II ( r. 743–744) or Yazid III ( r. 744). It might have been commissioned after the patron became caliph, or before, when the patron was a member of the caliph's family and held the position of governor or heir.
The complex, long familiar to local nomads, was first visited by a Westerner in 1898, by the Czech scholar Alois Musil. He first arrived in the complex and saw the paintings on 8 June that year, guided by a group bedouins. Musil and his companion, Austrian artist Alphons Leopold Mielich, tried to remove the painting from the site, causing permanent damage. A fragment of the painting, containing labels and partial crowns of two of the figures, is now in the Museum of Islamic Art [de], Berlin.[14]
Musil's 1907 publication Kusejr 'Amra included a tracing made by Mielich on the spot, Musil's interpretative copy made on the spot, Mielich's later reproduction, and Mielich's written description of the painting. This publication included their observations made before much of the damage to the painting was done.
Description [ edit ]
[4] A 1907 reproduction of the damaged painting
The painting is badly damaged, partly due to the efforts by Alois Musil to remove it. Large portions of the figures and their garments are not clearly visible. There are six rulers, or kings, standing facing the viewer in two rows of three. Each king stretches out both hands with palms turned upwards. Inscriptions in Greek and Arabic above four of the figures, written in white letters on a blue background, identify them as:[4]
Kaisar / Qaysar ("Caesar"), the Byzantine emperor, face not visible, wearing imperial robes and tiara,
/ ("Caesar"), the Byzantine emperor, face not visible, wearing imperial robes and tiara, Rodorikos / Ludhriq, Roderic, the Visigothic king of Hispania, barely visible, except for the tip of his helmet and robes,
/, Roderic, the Visigothic king of Hispania, barely visible, except for the tip of his helmet and robes, Khosroes / Kisra, the Sasanian emperor, appearing young with curly hair, wearing a crown, a cloak, and shoes, and
/, the Sasanian emperor, appearing young with curly hair, wearing a crown, a cloak, and shoes, and Najashi, the Negus of the Kingdom of Aksum, in a light garment with red stole.
The labels were already fragile when Musil found it, and many of the labels were lost when he and Mielich tried to clean the painting and remove it from the site. However, Musil's 1907 publication provided his reproduction of the labels before the damage. Apart from the four rulers, no identification remains visible for the other two rulers. Possible identities speculated for them include the emperor of China,[4] a Turkic leader,[4] and an Indian ruler.
Alongside the painting of the six kings, on the same wall, is a painting of a woman with the Greek word ΝΙΚΗ Nikē "Victory" above her. Opposite the painting, towards which the six rulers are gesturing, is a painting of a man seated on a throne. Above this man is an inscription containing a blessing on a person whose name is now invisible.
Interpretation [ edit ]
The intent and meaning of the painting are unclear, and disputed by scholars. The highly diverse interpretations of the painting are partly due to the loss of information from the damage.
According to Islamic art consultant Patricia Baker, the Greek word for "victory" appearing nearby suggests that the image was meant to suggest the caliph's supremacy over his enemies. Betsy Williams of the Metropolitan Museum of Art suggested that the six figures are depicted in supplication, presumably towards the caliph who would be seated in the hall.[4] Other scholars, including Arabic epigraphist Max van Berchem and architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell, argued that the six rulers are a representation of the defeated enemies of Islam. Iranologist and archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld argued that the painting is an Umayyad copy or version of the Sassanian "Kings of the Earth" located at Kermanshah, as recorded by Yaqut al-Hamawi in his work Mu'jam al-Buldan (Dictionary of Countries). Art historian Oleg Grabar interpreted the painting as an attempt to convey the idea that the Umayyad dynasty was the descendant and heir of the dynasties it had defeated.
References [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]Fort Yukon has recorded Alaska’s coldest ever temperatures but this winter temperatures have been much warmer than usual, leading to dangerously thin ice
This year’s record-breaking temperatures have robbed the Arctic of its winter, sending snowmobilers plunging through thin ice into freezing rivers and forcing deliveries of snow to the starting line of Alaska’s legendary Iditarod dogsledding race.
Last month’s high temperatures – up to 16C (29F) above normal in some parts of the Arctic – flummoxed scientists, and are redefining life in the Arctic, especially for the indigenous people who live close to the land.
In Fort Yukon, an indigenous Gwich’in community eight miles inside the Arctic Circle, the freakishly warm weather is forcing people off the rivers that are their main transport corridors in the winter time.
“You can’t trust the ice,” said Ed Alexander, Yukon Flats centre coordinator for the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. “This is the warmest winter that we have ever seen up here. We have had less snow. We have had real thin ice. We have had an explosion of growth in the brush clogging up trails and that kind of thing. It makes everything dangerous.”
Other communities downriver lost a number of people this winter when their snowmobiles fell through soft ice – and these were experienced hunters and trappers, he said.
Alexander said he and his wife had a narrow escape when they went out for a Sunday drive on their snowmobile. “I noticed there was water all the way across the river and I went to stop my snow machine and say: ‘Oh maybe we should turn around and go back a different way’.”
By the time he turned around to his wife, Alexander saw the back of the snowmobile was already sinking into snow and soft ice. “We just took off and there was as rooster tail of water coming out 30ft behind us,” he said. “We made it back to shore but that will wake you up.”
Warm is a relative term in Fort Yukon. The community nestled between the Yukon and Porcupine rivers lays claim to the coldest – and hottest – temperatures ever recorded in Alaska.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Persistent above-freezing temperatures have melted much of the local snow in Anchorage, leading to snow being sent in by train for the start of the famous Iditarod dog sled race. Photograph: Rachel D'Oro/AP
Temperatures at the start of this week were well within the boundaries of what most of the world would describe as very cold at –6C (20F), but that was still up to 10C (18F) warmer than expected for this time of year.
“When I was growing up it would warm up from 60 below to 20 below and we would be walking around with T-shirts on,” said Craig Fleener, a Fort Yukon native who advises the governor on climate change. “It’s all a matter of perspective.”
This year, the backwaters were already slushy by early March – so much so that Fort Yukon had to start their dog sled races in the middle of town rather than on the ice. The smell of sap was already coming off the willows, and some plants were budding up, Alexander said.
Winter was almost over – without ever getting cold enough to create the conditions Arctic villagers rely on for their way of life.
In Fort Yukon, many people depend on wood for heating in the winter months.
Come freeze-up, they are out with heavy equipment on the river hauling timber. But without a consistent run of extremely cold days – about two weeks of temperatures approaching -51C (-60F) – the snow never gets hard enough to pack into ramps or roads.
Suzanne Goldenberg (@suzyji) Fort Yukon, Alaska - Dog sled demo for visitors pic.twitter.com/nyceQozUpE
The ice over the river never gets thick enough for heavy equipment, said Dacho Alexander, a local magistrate and Ed’s brother.
“I normally like to have an ice thickness of between 24 and 36 inches and generally up here we have about 34 to 36 inches,” Dacho Alexander said. The ice this year never made it beyond 20 inches, at the points where he drew core samples.
“We really need 50-60 below in order for the ice to thicken up. Even if it is a week or two weeks that gives us really good ice thickness. It’s not the same to have two months of 10 below. The ice doesn’t get any thicker.”
January and February obliterated global temperature records, and nowhere more so than in the Arctic which saw some locations 16C (29F) warmer than normal. In late December, temperatures at the North Pole rose to a balmy 0C.
“You can’t overestimate how big the changes in warming we saw in January and February in the Arctic,” James Overland, an Arctic and climate change researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told reporters covering the Arctic science summit in Fairbanks.
“Not only have we beaten the record, we have beaten it by an unbelievably large amount, when you think of it in relation to how Arctic temperatures changed in the past.”
The Arctic had already been warming twice as fast as anywhere else over the last 30 years but scientists were still taken aback by the February records.
“We would never have expected such a jump in one year,” Overland said. “It sends us into a new temperature place that we have never seen before.”
The record temperatures are already resounding across the Arctic and beyond – melting the sea ice cover, thawing the permafrost and soil, and shaking up the orderly patterns of the jet stream.
Researchers are already beginning to connect such changes in the jet stream to weather effects in mid-latitudes such as the unseasonable blasts of cold Arctic air known as the polar vortex.
From where Ed Alexander sees it, they had better get moving. “To put it in context: I tell people to imagine what if Los Angeles was 60 [F] degrees warmer than it was supposed to be – because Fort Yukon is 60 degrees warmer than it’s supposed to be.
“People think the changes up here are invisible … but if it only changes half as much down there as it has changed up here you guys are in for a hell of a lot of trouble.”The Senate’s independent referee has given Republicans a deadline of September 30 to revive their plan to repeal Obamacare. After that point, passing a bill becomes much more difficult.
Senate Republicans had been trying to use a special process called budget reconciliation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Reconciliation is tricky and has many limitations, but comes with one huge advantage — you can use it to pass a bill with 51 votes instead of the usual 60. For Republicans, who hold 52 Senate seats, it represented a way to repeal Obamacare that the Democrats could not filibuster.
Of course, that all fell apart in late July when three Republican senators refused to vote for a repeal bill. In theory the bill could still be revived. But as first reported by Bloomberg News, the Senate Parliamentarian, a non-partisan official who interprets Senate rules, has told Republicans that the reconciliation process essentially expires at the end of September.
That means that the party has one month to convince one of GOP senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, or John McCain to change their mind and support the repeal bill to keep it alive. Otherwise, they’ll have to start all over again.
The party could, instead, try to work with Democrats on a health bill that can get to 60 votes.
Senate Democrats have unanimously opposed repealing Obamacare and have instead called for fixing it. A bipartisan bill would look vastly different than a repeal bill passed by Republicans alone.
The reason for the deadline is that budget reconciliation can only be used once each year. In theory, after September ends Republicans can use the 2018 budget reconciliation to repeal Obamacare, but they have already pledged to use it for tax reform. That brings Congress to next fall, just before the midterm elections, when a vote on something as complicated and controversial as health care will be even more difficult.
There was some confusion about when the 2017 budget reconciliation would expire — whether it would be at a hard date or remain usable up until Congress passes a 2018 budget. Ultimately, the Parliamentarian set the deadline at September 30.
The odds of Republicans reviving their repeal bill were already low. Those hopes seemed to hinge on Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the third and crucial no vote. McCain is battling brain cancer and recently underwent chemotherapy. In theory, had McCain resigned his seat, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey could have appointed a new senator who would vote for Obamacare repeal.
However, McCain did not retire and is heading back to the Senate next week.Reddit user claims taco truck never registered him or her to vote But organizers say it was most likely user error
Click through the slideshow to see where to find the best tacos in Houston. less Tacos Tierra Caliente was one of eight taco trucks in Houston that participated in "Guac the Vote," where people could pick up voter registration forms.
Click through the slideshow to see where to find the best... more Tacos Tierra Caliente was one of eight taco trucks in Houston that participated in "Guac the Vote," where people could pick up voter registration forms. Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Reddit user claims taco truck never registered him or her to vote 1 / 27 Back to Gallery
At least one Reddit user claims he or she wasn't registered to vote after visiting a taco truck in Houston that was handing out voter registration forms.
But an organizer of the "Guac the Vote" campaign said that person most likely wasn't registered to vote because he or she did not mail in their form.
Taco trucks and politics: 'Guac the Vote:' Houston taco trucks seek to register voters
"We responded to that comment on Reddit. Our immediate goal is to make sure everyone is able to vote," said Carlos Duarte, Texas state director with Mi Familia Vota. "It's unfortunate and we're really interested in having this individual registering to vote, but they have not reached out to us."
User IPlayMyKazoo wrote on the Reddit post, "I ordered tacos and handed the paper to them, she looked at it then seemed to file it away, so I figured all was well. It's not a scam or anything, it was set up by a well-known voter advocacy group, and they were official registrars, I guess it just fell through the cracks."
Duarte said Mi Familia Vota gave voter registration forms to taco truck owners, who were then instructed to hand them out to people interested in registering. Duarte said it was up to the people to fill out the forms and mail them in.
Taco trucks and politics: Taco trucks form wall around Trump's Las Vegas hotel in protest
"It's really difficult to say how many people actually registered," Duarte said of the "Guac the Vote" campaign. But Duarte does consider the campaign a success because it raised attention on how to become involved in the voting process.
Oct. 11 was the deadline to register to vote for the general election, which is Tuesday. Some taco trucks that participated in the campaign include Tacos Tierra Caliente on West Alabama and El Taquito Food Truck on Richmond.
As for the Reddit user who turned his or her voting form into the taco truck, an election worker said he or she could still vote, but it would be under review. "And at the review they would basically triple check to see if I was registered, and if not my vote wouldn't count," IPlayMyKazoo wrote.How-to guides are our lifeblood here at Lifehacker. We love going through a project step-by-step so you can spend a weekend making something awesome. Here are the most popular how-tos from this year.
This year we discovered how to use Evernote amazingly, turned a Raspberry Pi into an XBMC media center, rooted our Android phones, fixed iOS 7's biggest annoyances, and more.
Advertisement
Advertisement
For years, I kept hearing how awesome Evernote was: how it could store everything you possibly needed, make it available everywhere, and how scores of people couldn't live without it. I tried it multiple times, and never saw the appeal until now. Here's what I was missing.
Advertisement
Taking a screenshot of your Android phone's screen can be a bit confusing, since the process isn't the same on every device. Here are the different ways to take a screenshot on Android.
The best home theater PCs are small, quiet, and inexpensive—so the bite-size, $35 Raspberry Pi is the perfect choice. Here's how to turn this little DIY board into a cheap, silent media center in just a half hour.
Advertisement
We love Android, but rooting your phone can give you the opportunity to do so much more than your phone can do out of the box—whether it's wireless tethering, speeding it up with overclocking, or customizing the look of your phone with themes. Here's what you need to know about the rooting process, and where to find a guide for your phone.
Advertisement
Jailbreaking is a process that changes little by little with each iOS upgrade. Rather than always publishing new guides, we're simply going to keep this one up to date. If you want to jailbreak your iOS device, you've come to the right page.
Advertisement
Building a hackintosh—that is, installing Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware—used to require extremely restricted hardware choices and quite a bit of know-how. Now your options are vast and the installation process is fairly simple. With that in mind, here is our always up-to-date guide to building a hackintosh that will walk you through purchasing compatible parts, building your machine, and installing OS X all on your own.
Advertisement
With the release of any new operating system comes a slew of slight problems and annoyances. iOS 7 is no different. While certain things won't annoy everyone, a few minor problems are bound to trouble people. With that in mind, here's how to fix some of the more common annoyances.
Advertisement
Sick of horribly embarrassing things showing up when potential employers Google your name? Tired of everyone knowing you live in a garden level dungeon apartment? Perhaps you just don't like the fact the internet makes you easy to find. Thankfully, it's not that hard to delete yourself entirely. Here's how to do it.
Advertisement
The Raspberry Pi is a wonderful little computer that fits in the palm of your hand, yet packs enough power to run your home media center, a VPN, and a lot more. Before you can do anything awesome, however, you need to configure it and install an operating system. Here's how.
Advertisement
BitTorrent isn't the quiet haven it once was. These days, everyone's looking to throttle your connection, spy on what you're downloading, or even send you an ominous letter. If you use BitTorrent, you absolutely need to take precautions to hide your identity. Here's how to do that with a simple proxy.
Advertisement
Your video game console is great for playing games, but you might not realize it's also one of the best media centers around. Here's how to set up all of the modern consoles so you can stream videos and music to them right from your computer.
Advertisement
It used to be that signing a two-year contract with a major carrier was the only way you could score the newest phones and the best coverage. That's not so true anymore. Prepaid carriers are upping their networks, offering innovative pricing plans, and are overall becoming more tempting. Here's what you need to know about switching.
Advertisement
Overclocking—or running your hardware at higher speeds than it was designed to run—is one of the best ways to boost your gaming performance. Here's how to overclock your video card and get faster, smoother games without spending a dime.
Advertisement
Many of us struggle to get enough sleep every night, but is the sleep we get any good? While it's important to get enough sleep, better sleep is a greater ally than more hours of sleep. We sat down with a sleep expert and a stack of studies to help you get a better night's sleep and need less in the process. Here's how.
Advertisement
Since its release, the $35 Raspberry Pi mini-computer has been hailed as the perfect all-in-one retro game console. Now, it's easier to do than ever, and it doesn't take any advanced Linux knowledge. Here's how to make your own retro game console in about 30 minutes.
Advertisement
Sometimes you need to get into a computer without knowing the password. Perhaps you've forgotten yours, or perhaps you're up to no good. Either way, it's actually pretty easy to do, provided your victim hasn't taken the necessary precautions.
Advertisement
We love a good deal and the convenience of Amazon, but not every bargain magically floats to the surface. The online retailer offers several ways to save money that you may not know about, and with a few strategies you can save even more.
Advertisement
There are some Chromebooks with awesome hardware out there, like the beautiful Chromebook Pixel, but they don't quite hit their full potential with Chrome OS. Here's how to install Ubuntu and get more out of your Chromebook.
Advertisement
We've shown you how to kick your clutter habit, but why trash all of those things you don't need when you could make some money off of them? In this guide, we'll walk you through how you can appraise your items, where to sell them to make the most cash, and how to avoid geting screwed in the process.
Advertisement
We all could do with a few extra dollars in our pocket, but unless your boss is a fan of giving you free money, you'll probably have to work for it. Thankfully, you can do a lot of that work in your spare time. Here are some of the best ways to make some extra money, ranging from the super-lazy to the intensely-engaged.
Advertisement
So there you have it. It has been a great year of how-tos and walkthroughs. Whether your favorite of the year made the list or not, we'd love to hear which guide helped you the most. And if you're still hungry for how-to, take a gander at the most popular how-to guides from 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008.Story highlights Scientists and environmentalists want chemical plant rule to stand, despite opposition from fossil fuel groups
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt previously wrote letter to EPA denouncing rule
Washington (CNN) Fossil fuel lobbyists and environmentalists have kick-started a legal battle over whether the Trump administration will defend regulations on chemical plant safety.
The Union for Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club and Earthjustice jointly filed a motion Thusday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by fossil fuel groups in March that asks the Environmental Protection Agency to delay or reconsider a rule that places more regulations on chemical plants. The chemical plant regulations were signed into the Federal Register in January as a direct response to the fertilizer plant explosion in West Texas that killed 15 and injured more than 160 in 2013.
"We don't know for sure whether EPA will defend it or not, but given the fact that (EPA) Administrator (Scott) Pruitt has in the past opposed this regulation, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that we won't get EPA out there defending the rule," said Yogin Kothari, Washington representative with the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Pruitt has voiced objection to the EPA's Accidental Release Prevention Requirements in the past, writing a letter in 2016 while he was Oklahoma Attorney General to then EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy urging her to rethink course on the rule.
Pruitt and 10 other attorneys general, including Florida's Pam Bondi, asked the EPA to consider national security concerns in the regulations. Part of the ARPR would allow the public to inquire about the nature of the chemicals held at facilities nearby. Supporters of the requirement argued the knowledge would help public safety and readiness, but Pruitt and others argued the information could make the facilities targets for terrorism.
Read MoreThe following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutras community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.
I recently discovered that Quick Response (QR) technology is being used in the development of hybrid books by publisher Melville House.
These are those busy stickers people see slapped to the side of garabage cans in NYC that usually connect people to an indie band promotional tracks, provide locations of restaurants, or link to Male enhancement advetisements... (See Left)
According to the Melville House, this is “an innovative publishing program that gives print books the features of enhanced eBooks. ”Through a neat little feature dubbed “illuminations,” readers can scan bar codes in their books using their smart phones and connect with supplement media related to the book (features that come automatically with the ebook editions). (See More)
I am not sure how integrated this technology is in the gaming world, but I believe there is a lot of application for this in marketing, transmedia content, and the monetization of games. I also promise that I am not a spokesman for QR, Microsoft Tag, or related technology.
Stratedy Guides:
There has been a recent immergence of digital stratgy guide apps that offer video walkthroughs and updated content for gamers. A gamer could have his iPad or smart phone next to him while tackling difficult missions on console or PC with the aid of these useful apps, but the trusty ol' paperback doesn't need to take a back seat to these digital guides with QR codes. Pages could have scannable URLs that link readers to a series of video clips that demonstrate the walkthroughs, for example. Perhaps, the QR links readers to game-hosted forums on topics of strategy for an FPS. Limitless.
Transmedia:
Many core game companies love publishing novels and comic series to market upcoming titles and enhance the narrative experience of their respective franchises. With QR codes, companies could include the added incentive of printing unique promotional codes that offer exclusive DLC to people who purchase the literature.
Also, they can just as easily enhance the reading experience by linking the audience to cinematic clips, author interviews or commentaries, game trailers, etc. The application of this technology for literature is almost limitless.
Marketing:
Does your game have a promotional poster, an ad in a comic, a feature in a gaming magazine, a series of action figures, etc. Slapping on a QR code is an easy way to link consumers to additional information, trailers, and much more.
Conclusion:
QR technology is highly integrateable and reader apps are availble free for smart phone and tablet downloads. Its popularity is steadily growing in America, along with similar Microsoft Tag technology. People will start to respond to these 2d scan codes, each one teasing a consumers curiosity as to the special content that awaits on the otherside of thier mobile device. I certainly would want to see this more and more.
Anybody else have any ideas for ways in which this can be applied to the gaming world?Gyeonggi Provincial overnment spokeswoman Hwang Jung-eun briefs reporters at its office, Friday, about the result of an investigation into allegations that national curlers belonging to its semi-pro club were abused by their coach. Hwang said that most of allegations were true
and disciplinary action would be taken. / Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Four members of the women's national curling team have resigned, claiming their coaches had verbally and sexually abused them.
Korea was knocked out of the Sochi Winter Olympics, but reached the final four in the Ford World Women's Curling Championship in Saint John, Canada, earlier this month.
Um Min-ji, 23, Lee Suel-bee, 26, Kim Ji-sun, 27 and Gim Un-ji, 24, announced they were quitting their semi-pro club affiliated with Gyeonggi Provincial Government to protest abuses by assistant coach Choi Min-suk, according to Yonhap.
Shin Mi-sung, 36, the one remaining team member has long indicated that she would resign to take care of her family. She was not involved in claims made against the coach.
The Korea Curling Federation (KCF) plans to look into the allegations, while the provincial government tentatively concluded Friday that most of the curlers' claims were true following a two-day investigation.
The women also said the coach forced them to donate part of reward money they received for their Sochi performance.
Shinsegae Group gave each of them 7 million won.
They claimed Choi demanded 1 million from each of them.
The coach admitted using foul language but said this was only to encourage the players to perform better. Regarding the money, he claimed this was to "encourage young curlers."
He tried to tender his resignation, but the provincial sports body decided to fire him.
Meanwhile, the federation plans to impose the most severe disciplinary action against Choi.
Curling became popular in Korea during the Sochi Games because of the team's performance, overcoming its status as little-known sport.The Danish People's Party (Danish: Dansk Folkeparti) is a social conservative, nationalist political party in Denmark. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, it took 24 seats out of 175 (an increase of 2 seats), with 13.3% of the vote, making it the third largest party in Denmark.
Quotes
https://jyllands-posten.dk/debat/breve/ECE10009065/det-mener-partierne-om-miljoeet/15.11.2017.Kristian Thulesen Dahl. The amount of plastic in the oceans is one of the major environmental challenges. Therefore, it is a good thing to get more focus on recycling. Many municipalities are currently running waste sorting, and it is a good thing to allow Danes to sort their waste. Among other things, plastic, which can be recycled.
http://www.globalen.dk/single-post/2015/06/16/Dyrenes-Beskyttelse-plaget-af-underskud-Enhedslisten-og-DF-vil-hjælpe16.06.2015.There is no doubt that the bustle of the Animal Protection Center - and, for that matter, with other animal welfare organizations - shows that there is a need for political action in this area. In the Danish People's Party we have fought for the creation of an animal rescue police for many years, "wrote Dennis Flydtkjær, animal welfare rapporteur for DF, in a written reply to the Globale.
MP Martin Henriksen, Politiken, December 2, 2005
Where Christianity rules, matters are related to the love of the tings that one holds dear. On the other hand, where Islam rules, matters are related to a higher self righteousness which logically culminates in an all consuming hatred and a scary urge to exterminate other people.
MP Søren Krarup, Berlingske February 2, 2005
Not in their wildest imagination would anyone [in 1900] have imagined, that large parts of Copenhagen and other Danish towns would be populated by people who are at a lower stage of civilisation, with their own primitive and cruel customs like honour killings, forced marriages, halal slaughtering and blood-feuds. This is exactly what is happening now. Thousands upon thousands of persons, who apparently - civilisationally, culturally and spiritually - lives in the year of 1005 instead of 2005, that have come to a country [Denmark] left the dark ages hundreds of years ago.
http://ft.dk/?/samling/20061/MENU/00000002.htm</ref> (Pia Kjærsgaard, during the opening debate of the Danish Folketing (October 4, 2001).) We know the problem lies in those Muslim groups that come from the Middle East, and that other immigrant groups are harmless. So if Denmark shall not lock itself in totally, we have to distinguish between ethnic and religious groups. In fact I mean simply Muslims from all countries and not just in the Middle East.
References [ edit ]A passage from the Koran will be read out at the funeral of murdered British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung.
The 21-year-old died after being stabbed to death during a frenzied knife attack at a north Queensland hostel last week that also left fellow Brit Tom Jackson dead, after a week spent in hospital in critical condition.
It's alleged the man charged over the murder, French national Smail Ayad shouted out 'Allahu Akbar' as he attacked Mia but police have said they had found no evidence the crime was terror related.
The funeral is expected to take place in Ms Aycliffe's hometown of Wirksworth in Derbyshire with close friends and family.
Scroll down for video
The funeral of murdered British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, will include a passage from the Koran, while incorporating elements of Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity
Conservative politicians have seized on the incident to call for a ban on Muslim immigration but Mia's mother has appealed for people not to misrepresent her daughter's death.
It's alleged the man charged over the murder, French national Smail Ayad shouted out 'Allahu Akbar' as he attacked Mia (pictured)
In a blog-post on the UK news website The independent, Rosie Ayliffe says she is planning to include a reading from the Koran in a multi-faith funeral for her daughter in response to media attention given to Ayad's religion.
'After talking about the misrepresentation of Mia's death in the media as an act of terrorism on the part of an Islamic fundamentalist, the minister delivering the service suggested we include a Koranic reading, and he will find something suitable with a friend who is an Islamic scholar,' she wrote.
Ms Ayliffe said her daughter was 'essentially a buddhist' in terms of her outlook on life, while most of her family were Christian.
The service will incorporate elements from both religions as well as a Jewish text or song and a a reading from Mia's grandmother's religion, Swamin
|
81djwy/Usurper.exe?dl=0
I apologise for the delay but I kept adding more things, and had to do extensive testing, yet I am still convinced I missed some things.
First of all this is obviously a work in progress demo, bugs are expected to occur, and a lot of the assets are not final. Balance is definitely not final, and I had to disable all of the NPC's functions besides their dialogue. I implemented a placeholder 'help' function to better explain the Focus system, since the actual tutorial is not in the demo.
Keyboard and mouse settings can be altered, and should save properly. I suggest checking the layout to figure out what's what.
I hope you'll enjoy this small demo of the game, I am really nervous about it because I always forget something, and afraid I left something silly in the demo.There are plenty of things that are confusing about the way the College Football Playoff works.
One of these things is not that complicated, yet Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby (a man whom I believe to be wholly intelligent in his own right) cannot seem to get his mind around it.
"Obviously I acknowledge the difficulty of the task, but I'm not sure what I advise my members right now, because we've been telling them that nonconference schedules matter, and one of the four has an exceedingly weak nonconference schedule," he said, referring to No. 4 Washington, which notched wins over Rutgers, Idaho and FCS Portland State. "And we've been telling them the 13th data point matters, and we added a conference championship game because of that. We've always heard that conference championships matter and division championships matter, and now it's confusing." He added, "I'll have some questions to ask when the time is right."
Bowlsby goes on to acknowledge that he understands his league didn’t have a dog in this year’s Playoff fight, and he’s right. His question is a look at the future, but here’s the thing that I think Bowlsby and others miss when they tie themselves in knots, trying to figure out how to figure out future Playoff scenarios.
First, a look at how the committee goes about its business.
Here’s how the selection committee parses teams that it thinks are of similar quality, per their own document (emphasis mine):
The committee will select the teams using a process that distinguishes among otherwise comparable teams by considering: * Conference championships won * Strength of schedule * Head-to-head competition * Comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incenting margin of victory), and... * Other relevant factors such as key injuries that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.
Those words, “otherwise comparable teams” are where the conversation can either start or end, depending on whom we’re talking about.
So what happened in 2014?
Ohio State, Baylor, and TCU were certainly comparable in the triple-threat match for the final spot in the first Playoff. Want to know the uber complicated reason why? They each had one loss. Thanks to that and the committee’s evaluations of their quality, the criteria then kicked in about the different ways we can sift through similar teams.
You have to do enough to put yourself in the debate. From there, an extra data point (a 13th game for OSU, judged against only 12 for TCU and Baylor) came into play. That unlucky No. 13 served as a quality win as well as a conference championship for the Buckeyes and was the biggest on a list of determining factors that boosted them into the dance. Committee chairman Jeff Long said, "Ohio State's performance in a 13th game gave them a quality win over a highly ranked team."
Long on Big 12: "We were presented with co champions. In the other situations, we had definitive champions for that conference." — Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 7, 2014
Committee chairman Jeff Long: “I think with the championship game Ohio State demonstrated that they were a total team.” — Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) December 7, 2014
So why was there little debate in 2015?
Last season, that data point didn’t even come into play, and that was fine. The only truly comparable teams were Oklahoma (which finished 11-1), and Iowa (12-1), who lost in its 13th-data-point chance. And even if you put both teams on the table next to each other (which the committee did) the Sooners had the conference title ace in the hole.
Last year, one-loss Ohio State didn’t make its conference title game because it lost to a one-loss Michigan State, which did make the Playoff.
But it’s 2016, and I thought you said —
Hold on there, sparky. Ohio State’s lack of conference title game berth mattered last season, in part because Michigan State won the conference with one loss, but didn’t this season. Again, even Bowslby will cop to the fact that Big 12 shouldn’t be in here, so let’s talk about the actual comparables: Ohio State, Washington, and Penn State.
Washington, with one loss and a Pac-12 title: you’re in the party, no problem (even if you’re No. 4, due to that weak schedule).
So, let’s entertain the Nittany Lions, because they beat the Buckeyes head-to-head and won the Big Ten. Everybody in blue and white wants to yell about it, but Penn State has two losses. Even if we want to pretend like that doesn’t matter and stack just the wins up mano y mano:
While the Nittany Lions finish at No. 5 with a win over No. 3 (Ohio State) and No. 8 (Wisconsin), their quality loss is an ass-whooping at the hands of No. 6 (Michigan), and they also got beat by Pitt, which is No. 23 in the final committee standings.
Ohio State (which for the umpteenth time has only one loss) has a close, quality loss to the Nittany Lions and wins over Nos. 6, 7 (Oklahoma), and 8. If we want to talk about trump cards, Penn State could have a few with a 13th data point, a conference title, and a head-to-head win. But those don’t kick in when the most basic criteria in the Playoff hierarchy isn’t met. Having two losses doesn’t even let you enter in a legitimate conversation about which resume is better, because your win-loss cover letter has a major typo on it.
Your schedule doesn’t get you into the Playoff unless you win enough.
Your conference/division title doesn’t make for a Playoff resume unless you win enough (at which point other things can work in your favor too). Your 13 data points don’t get you into the Playoff unless you win. Those things can get you ranked ahead of Michigan despite losing to Michigan head-to-head, but that’s about it.
To recap: win your games, and then we’ll talk. It’s that simple.Computer graphics populate the levels of your favorite video games and help turn actors into superheroes. Bad CGI can derail a project and distract the audience, but when done skillfully, it can seamlessly fill gaps and enhance the overall viewing experience. A recent breakthrough in creating CGI skin by researchers at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and Imperial College London is changing the game, and will most certainly raise the bar for what can be considered “realistic.”
By developing a “10-micron resolution scanning technique” to capture very subtle skin microstructure deformations, the researchers were able to translate the tiniest movements in the skin and pores into usable data. The data was then used to manipulate the CGI character’s artificial flesh, resulting in rendered skin that stretches and compresses in ways that are more nuanced and realistic than ever before. The next step would be to study and use this technique to mimic various emotions, as well as differences in expression across age, race, and gender.
This is a major development, and one that computer graphics designers have been building towards for decades. Back in 1992, the makers of the film Death Becomes Her used CGI skin software (paired with silicone and animatronics) in various scenes and took home the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Fast forward to 1997, and Pixar was pushing the envelope with CGI textures and skin with Geri’s Game, a short that also snagged an Academy Award.
As the years progressed, the software seemed to peak at a point where CGI skin looked real, but not photo-real (this scene in The Matrix Reloaded is a good example). Attempts to make actors seem younger or to help them achieve inhuman feats with “digital cosmetic enhancements” was impressive, but still unnatural and a little weird. This CGI sits firmly in what is often called the “uncanny valley,” a step just shy of photorealism that evokes a negative emotional response.
Is it possible that this study could be the key to escaping that uncanny valley? Check out the video below, which explains the study and its findings, and head to the project website to read the technical paper in full.By Scott DiSavino – Fri Mar 11, 1:10 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The massive earthquake that forced the closure of four nuclear power plants in Japan has highlighted the grave risk of inadequate back-up generators at U.S. facilities, a leading U.S. scientist group said on Friday.
While the U.S. regulator made clear that the national nuclear fleet is built to withstand the biggest earthquakes in history, scientists said they needed to do more to ensure that future quakes don't risk the kind of reactor impact that Japan is now grappling with.
"We do not believe the safety standards for U.S. nuclear reactors are enough to protect the public today," Edwin Lyman, senior scientist, global security programs, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Reuters. The group supports nuclear power as a means to combat global warming, but wants tougher safety measures.
The magnitude 8.9 earthquake that rocked Japan on Friday knocked out power to the backup cooling systems of a reactor in Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said rising pressure inside the No.1 reactor had elevated the risk of a radiation leak, Jiji News reported on Saturday, although officials said earlier there had not been a leak.
Lyman said U.S. reactors also do not have enough backup power to ensure a safe shutdown during an emergency. If reactors could lose both off-site power and backup generators it could lead to a core meltdown in a short period of time.
Nuclear plants need power to keep water flowing over the fuel rods to prevent overheating.
BUILT TO STAND
But news of widespread shutdowns across the nuclear sector in Japan raised questions about how the United States' 104 reactors would respond in the event of a similar quake, one of the five biggest of the past century.
"There have been tremblers felt at U.S. plants over the past several years, but nothing approaching the need for emergency action," Scott Burnell, a spokesman at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Reuters.
Before any reactor is built in the United States, owners are required to conduct geologic seismic studies to determine the biggest earthquake to have occurred in that area going back thousands of years. As in Japan, U.S. reactors are designed to safely shut in the event of an earthquake.
If a bigger earthquake were to occur, Burnell said the plant safety systems would continue to provide the level of safety needed to shut the plant but there would likely be some degradation, though not more than the plant was designed for.
Two U.S. nuclear plants along the California coast made preparations for a potential Pacific Ocean tsunami on Friday, but continued to operate normally.
The reactors -- built by companies including PG&E Corp and Edison International -- are designed to safely shut in the event of an earthquake that big, Burnell said.
There are multiple and redundant safety systems at a nuclear plant used to shut the reactor and prevent the release of radiation during an accident.
These systems include an air tight steel or reinforced concrete containment building with walls between 4 to 8 feet thick that is strong enough to withstand the impact of a fully loaded passenger airliner without rupture, and a reactor vessel containing the uranium fuel rods that is made of high tensile steel four to eight inches thick.
The two biggest nuclear operators in the United States are Exelon Corp and Entergy Corp.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by David Gregorio)It was a disappointing trip deep in the heart of Texas, but the Sun Devils now return home to focus on Pac-12 play.
We begin this week's show with a rundown and recap of the action against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Brad and Joe examine the good, the bad, and the lingering questions we took away from the game.
Up next is a friend of the program—and a record setting Devil. Fan favorite Josh Hubner returns to give his expert opinion on the sorry state of ASU's punting game and how it can be fixed. Next up is Devilbacker Carl Bradford to give his take on the team's struggles in rushing the passer, and how that can change against Colorado.
To help preview Saturday's game, we bring in Jon Woods, editor-in-chief of RalphieReport.com. We finish up with a look ahead to Saturday, ASU's key's to victory, and what we need to see from the Sun Devils.
Be sure to stay tuned after the Song of the Week for the full audio of Todd Graham's weekly press conference.
Click below to stream, listen via iTunes or Stitcher RadioHissy is a plush Cacodemon created by Jonas "Chrozoron" Feragen sometime around 1994-1995. Hissy has become somewhat of an icon among certain portions of the Doom community. She was also the mascot of the Doom Wiki itself. She even appears in the Skulltag source port (she is both a playable skin, and a character which appears in one of the levels), and the WADs Cacodemon Squad (she is again Hissy-hogged by the main badguy), EarthBound Doom (she is the player's primary helper and one of the strongest characters in the game) and Action Doom (in the player's ship quarters in the final map).
Hissy was originally slated to go on a "world tour", visiting one Doomer every two weeks, and then passed on to the next Doomer on the list. Hissy needed to have some teeth re-sown once she reached Ricrob; his mother performed the repairs.
The world tour was stopped when Linguica kept Hissy in his possession for approximately two years. A vigilant campaign known as "Free Hissy", spearheaded by fraggle, sprang up to fight this perceived injustice. Cries of "Free Hissy!" and "Hissy hogger!" were not uncommon; Linguica was even depicted as an enemy in Skulltag, with a voice sample claiming, "To free the Hissy, you must kill me, Linguica." Linguica finally turned Hissy over to Carnevil in 2000. The Free Hissy website died, but an archived copy can be found below.
Ironically, Carnevil ended up having Hissy longer than Linguica ever did, but no organized resistance corresponding to the original Free Hissy campaign surfaced. On February 5th, 2003, a passing conversation in the Skulltag IRC channel between Carnevil and Bloodshedder set up the next Hissy exchange. Carnevil received a self-addressed box full of packing peanuts in which to ship Hissy to Bloodshedder. Even though he was never on the original list, on February 19, Hissy arrived on Bloodshedder's doorstep.
In late January of 2004, Julian Aubourg paid a visit to America. After staying in Chicago with Lüt, and several well known Doomers such as Mancubus II, Twister, arioch and SoM, Julian, along with Lüt, visited Bloodshedder for two days, January 30 and 31. It was at this time that the next Hissy exchange occurred. Hissy was given to them with the stipulation that Mancubus II would receive her.
Mancubus II held Hissy for 1,437 days (or 3 years, 11 months and 7 days), which was the longest amount of "hogging" thus far. On January 6th, 2008, a few members of Unidoom went to MAGFest, a convention for games. There, Ralphis received Hissy from Manc.
Hissy is currently in Ralphis' possession, and will return to her home in Norway some day. As of December 13, 2011, the 1,437 day record of Hissy Hogging was broken,Image copyright Getty Images
Millions of people continue to live in places that outlaw same-sex relationships and prosecute people for being gay. In five countries and in parts of two others, homosexuality is still punishable with the death penalty, while a further 70 imprison citizens because of their sexual orientation.
Even where homosexuality is legal, many countries treat those in same-sex relationships differently, such as having an unequal age of consent or a ban on marriage. In Russia, host of the Sochi Winter Olympics, a law banning the promotion of "non-traditional" sexuality to under-18s was introduced last year.
So, where is it illegal to be gay? Which countries allow same-sex marriages? Explore the map of UN member states below to find out. Countries are coloured and categorised by their most anti-gay or pro-equality laws.
Notes on the data: The map shows an overview of the legal status of gay people living in UN member states. They are coloured by their most anti-gay or pro-equality laws on a scale of red to blue. Where a country falls into two contradictory categories this is reflected in the key. Where countries have varied laws, this is noted in the rollover text when available on your device. The map and key show legal status only and do not reflect day-to-day experiences. In many places where anti-discrimination laws exist, gay people continue to be persecuted by state authorities and wider society. Read the full notes.
Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association
Decriminalising being gay
Image copyright Getty Images
During the last 200 years, an increasing number of countries have decriminalised same-sex relationships. After a period of criminalisation before the French Revolution in 1789, the trend towards decriminalisation gathered pace - particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.
However, some countries are moving in the opposite direction, introducing punitive new laws and strengthening existing penalties. Last year, India reinstated a 153-year-old colonial-era law criminalising gay sex. Nigeria, which already bans gay relationships, also recently outlawed same-sex marriages, gay groups and shows of same-sex public affection.
Olympic host Russia also introduced controversial legislation in June that prescribes fines for anyone giving information about homosexuality to people under 18.
Legal status of homosexuality: 1789-2014
In 1789, the timeline's starting point, homosexuality was illegal in 126 countries.
*with the exception of the Chechen Republic.
Note: Where possible, former colonies have been referenced by their current name.
Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association
For more information on the data behind the map and timeline, see our full notes on the data. For more information on gay rights, visit the UN's Free and Equal campaign website.
Produced by Lucy Rodgers, Pablo Gutierrez Martin, Martyn Rees and Steven ConnorFacebook is dedicating more resources to trying to stay in the good graces of small businesses, even after it has continually made changes to its News Feed algorithm over the past year and a half, which have largely been detrimental to them.
Do you think Facebook can still be a valuable asset to small businesses despite the organic reach issue? Let us know in the comments.
According to the company, there are 40 million small businesses using Facebook, and last year, it enabled $227 billion of economic impact and 4.5 million jobs globally.
Its latest small business efforts involve a new series of educational events and live chat support for advertisers.
“Boost Your Business”
First off, Facebook announced the 2015 Boost Your Business program, which is made up of a series of half-day and 2-hour pop up events, which will educate small businesses on best practices and the “latest marketing strategies and tools”.
The company has partnered with famed Facebook marketing consultant Mari Smith, MailChimp, Shopify, Visa, and Zenefits to help with the events. Facebook’s own director of small business Jonathan Czaja will also be in attendance.
The half-day events feature a small business panel and Q&A session moderated by Smith, a small business networking center in which attendees can speak with panelists, a “learn-how zone” with educational videos, Facebook/partner counters where attendees can speak with industry experts, two Facebook learning tracks (one on growing online sales and one on driving in-store sales), and partner sessions which attendees can choose from hosted by MailChimp, Shopify, and Visa. These events will also feature a keynote speech from Czaja.
The half-day events cost $25 per ticket, and include a $50 Facebook ad coupon on arrival.
The two-hour pop-up events include a network expo with small business organizations, the chance to meet business leaders and decision makers from the community, presentations of Facebook best practices, local small business panels, and the chance to win one of three $500 ad credit giveaways.
Facebook describes Mari Smith as “one of the worlds most influential and knowledgeable new media thought leaders and one of Facebook’s top marketing experts.”
She recently spoke with WebProNews about how businesses can utilize some of Facebook’s newer features in what could be a semi-preview of the types of things she’ll discuss at the events.
In light of the organic reach blow Facebook has dealt to Facebook pages, we asked Smith at the time if she still sees Facebook as a viable platform for marketing a small business (especially one with a low marketing budget).
She said, “Yes – I would recommend that low budget be allocated to what are called ‘dark posts.’ That is, ads in the News Feed that look like a Page wall post, but don’t actually appear on the Page. With very granular targeting to reach the exact target market, small businesses can do exceptionally well using Facebook. In addition, making use of custom audiences is a must. This is where a business can upload its own email database, or segments thereof, and place ads in the News Feed to that target group. Plus, using website custom audiences helps a business to retarget its website visitors with Facebook ads.”
“Facebook recently introduced a new ad feature called ‘Conversion Lift Measurement’ to help advertisers track better ROI, especially offline sales,” she added. “Although the new metric is only available to select large advertisers, this is great news for small businesses when the feature eventually becomes available.”
More on Conversion Lift Management here.
“In addition, we’ll soon see the rollout of Facebook’s ‘Atlas’ advertising product that allows retargeting and tracking via mobile devices,” Smith said. “Retargeting typically works via cookies; however, cookies don’t work on mobile. The way Atlas works, is advertisers can then place ads to remarket to visitors whether they view on desktop, mobile or tablet. In other words, reaching the exact audience no matter what device they’re on.”
“Page owners may wish to try out the new organic Interest Targeting feature to see if that helps create a greater reach,” she continued. “Prior to publishing a piece of content, admins can pre-select subsets of their fanbase. Another recent change is the ability to create a Post End Date – this stops a post from showing in News Feed at the specific time/date that you wish. Handy for, as Facebook states, ‘a publisher can use this to remove yesterday’s weather report from News Feed.’”
We talked more about these features in an article here.
Smith will only be appearing at the four half-day events in San Diego, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Boston. She had this to say on her website with regards to the event series:
I’ve been a raving evangelist of the power of Facebook – specifically for business use – since I first joined the platform on May 4th, 2007. My 8th anniversary of being on Facebook (my ‘Faceversary’!) is coming up. This is truly the perfect timing for me to work directly with Facebook to support the deeper education of small and medium sized businesses – something I’m very passionate about, having lead numerous Facebook marketing live and virtual trainings for many years. As you know, there’s been innumerable changes to Facebook’s business pages, ads and News Feed algorithm over the years. What works for businesses in today’s Facebook world is very different to what worked even last year. I have long believed that the best antidote to lackluster results on Facebook is education. And, not just training on how to use the Facebook (ad) products; but a full-on integrated online marketing approach that includes optimized landing pages, lead generation, email marketing and customer relationship and retention strategies.
Boost Your Business isn’t Facebook’s only new effort to educate businesses about getting more out of Facebook. About a month ago, Facebook announced BluePrint, a program that trains marketers on how to create better campaigns that “drive business results”.
It’s kind of like a Khan Academy for Facebook marketing, and includes 40 learning paths/modules that can be accessed from desktop or mobile. They’re available to anyone with a Facebook account. Here’s a look at the different courses.
Online Chat Support
As mentioned earlier, Facebook is also launching online chat support for small business advertisers. They can access this by clicking “Get Help” on the Facebook for Business website. They can chat and screen share with a trained Ads Specialists and get “quick” answers to their Facebook advertising questions, according to the company.
The feature will roll out in the US, UK, and Ireland for now, and will be made available to additional countries later in the year. Facebook says it will also test mobile chat and phone support this year.
According to TechCrunch, Czaja says Facebook has “hundreds of reps” handling email and chat support, and that the company intends to grow that number “dramatically” in the coming years.
Facebook Wants Businesses To Do More
Facebook doesn’t just want to educate businesses and give them more tools. They also want businesses to “make themselves useful” as the Wall Street Journal reports. From that:
Now, Facebook wants businesses to beef up their offerings, said vice president of small business Dan Levy. That could mean helping users book flights, get directions or schedule an appointment with a plumber. “We’re in the process of making a lot of updates to pages,” Levy said. “Increasingly the utility of pages for people and businesses is something that’s really important.” Some big businesses use their Facebook pages this way. Southwest Airlines LUV -3.47%, for example, has a “book now” button on its Facebook page that sends users to its website. Retailer J. Crew’s page links to its ecommerce site.
Facebook is certainly forcing businesses and marketers to get more creative.
“For brands who have put all their efforts into developing and growing a community on Facebook, the decline of organic reach feels like being denied access to their own fans. Brands now have to work harder to reach their target audiences, or, they simply have to cough up the money,” Moment.me CEO Dovev Goldstein recently told WebProNews. “For big brands with deep pockets, this might be less of a problem, but for small to medium businesses, this new development can seem to pose a big barrier to making social media work for them.”
“While it might seem unfair to brands who have spent time and money growing their likes on Facebook, for social media marketers themselves, this development simply forces them to get more creative and clever in how they use the social medium as a way to promote their brand’s story,” he said. “Yes, the decline in organic reach does mean that social media marketing will have to be conducted differently, but it can also be looked at as a new opportunity to redefine how brands communicate in this space. Small businesses in particular have an opportunity to shine here. They can use their relatively small size to be hyper-targeted in their outreach, going after individual users as opposed to posting a promotional post designed to pull in more quantity over quality.”
Is Video the Answer?
Is video the answer to all of small businesses’ Facebook problems? Probably not, but all signs point to it being a pretty big help.
The company has been constantly pushing video all year since its January announcement that video posts per person has increased 75% globally and 94% in the US. Numerous studies have since surfaced finding Facebook video to be a large focus of marketers and an effective tool. Video has trumped photos as the post format of choice for the best organic reach.
“I think all marketers have the opportunity to do video, and that’s pretty exciting, including SMBs who would never be able to hire a film crew and buy a TV ad,” said Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg during the company’s earnings call last week. “We’re seeing those put videos in. Over 1 million SMBs have posted videos and done really small ad buys around them. And that’s pretty cool because I don’t think there are probably 1 million advertisers who have bought TV ads in that same period of time.”
A study from Visible Measures found that Facebook is more effective than YouTube for driving immediate growth in video viewership, though YouTube still dominates as the video’s life goes on.
Organic Reach Picture Worsens, But Ad Effectiveness Gets Better
In terms of organic reach in general, Facebook is still making algorithm changes that are most likely unfavorable for Pages. As recently as last week, Facebook announced yet more changes, one of which will show some people more content from their friends and less from Pages.
On the paid side of things, however, the effectiveness of Facebook ads appears to only be getting better. We recently looked at a report from Nanigans, which found that click-through rates increased 17% quarter-over-quarter and about 260% year-over-year as advertisers have embraced different types of ad formats like video and multi-product ads.
We also looked at a report fro Kinetic Social finding click-through rates to be up 266% year-over-year with the average CTR across all Facebook campaigns continuing to rise. Here’s what CTR looked like by ad type, placement and vertical:
Facebook is Giving Businesses More Tools
You can hate on Facebook for the organic reach thing all you want, but there’s no question that the company has released a multitude of new tools that businesses can potentially take advantage of. This includes a lot of ad tools, but also other things.
On the ad side, there’s the Ads Manager app, which helps businesses manage their ad campaigns from their mobile devices. It also launched the Audience Network, its mobile ad network, which lets mobile apps monetize through Facebook’s active advertisers. Other semi-new ad-related offerings include local awareness ads, conversion lift measurement, and of course product ads.
A couple months ago, Facebook announced that it reached 2 million active advertisers. At the time, we ran through many of the company’s latest ad offerings including, but not limited to these things.
In January, Facebook launched Place Tips, which appear at the top of users’ News Feeds to give them information about the places they’re at.
At the same time, the company announced that it’s testing Bluetooth beacons with select businesses that allow them to tap into this functionality. For brick-and-mortar businesses, this is a major area to keep an eye on as time goes on.
Facebook has made numerous moves, which point to the social network becoming a better place for businesses and individuals to sell products. In addition to the multi-product ads, Facebook acquired shopping search engine TheFind to incorporate its technology into the Facebook ad ecosystem.
Facebook also has a Buy button, which is still only available on a limited basis, but it did give advertisers call-to-action buttons in December, which include a “shop now” option. The company has also added new buying and selling features to Groups.
Another recently launched a tool that has the potential to benefit small businesses is a new standalone Android app called Hello, which serves as a caller ID app, but also as a provider of local business search and information.
Opportunities with Messenger
It also added peer-to-peer payments to Messenger, not entirely unlike Square’s Square Cash offering, which that company recently turned into a small business marketing vehicle with $Cashtags.
And speaking of Messenger, in addition to turning the product into its own developer platform (which could provide some business opportunities itself), Facebook announced last month that it is readying some business-specific features for it. Businesses will be able to connect with customers directly through this intimate messaging platform, potentially replacing email as a communication channel for some customers.
As a business, you can enable your customers to connect with you via Messenger. If they elect to do so, you’ll be able to send them personalized updates and talk to them in real time.
You can use custom layouts for order confirmation, shopping updates, etc. As the company says, “This lets your customers keep all their order info in one place and reach out to you if they need to change anything.”
Facebook is hoping businesses will use this to improve their customer support experiences, which as studies have shown, are not particularly great when it comes to social media.
Budget and Time are Obstacles
Besides the reduction of organic reach on Facebook, small businesses’ biggest obstacles are their budgets and their time/resources for marketing.
A study from BrightLocal found that 34% of small businesses allocate less than 10% of their marketing budgets to online channels, while 50% allocate less than 30% and only 29% allocate over 70%.
“I found this figure a little perplexing when you consider the other responses SMBs gave,” CEO Myles Anderson told WebProNews. “75% said online was effective at bringing in new customers & 3 of top 4 most effective marketing channels are ‘digital’. Yet SMBs allocate a disproportionately low % of their marketing budgets online. I believe the reason is a combination of a few factors.”
“Many business owners handle it themselves so don’t assign a monetary budget to online marketing,” he said. “The survey showed that 64% of business owners handle their internet marketing themselves. Online marketing isn’t applicable or doesn’t work for some businesses so they don’t invest. Some businesses rely solely on Word of Mouth to bring in new customers so don’t invest in online. Budgets are too low to play in the online arena.”
The study found a direct correlation between the number of employees the business has and the monthly marketing budget.
30% of those running the business on their own said online marketing was simply ‘not effective’. When you have to do everything, it’s not hard to understand why that might be. The fewer people a business has, the harder it is to do marketing right.
According to another report from Thrive Analytics, 77% of small and medium-sized businesses don’t think they have the time or knowledge to manage their digital media efforts effectively, while 70% wish they could take advantage of digital media to help them expand their businesses and reach.
That study did find that just after company websites (and we’re talking a one percentage point difference here), Facebook and/or social media sites are the biggest area of focus for budget growth planned by SMBs over the next twelve months.
However, other research finds that small businesses haven’t increased their social presences at all over the past year:
“When you think about our marketer growth, I think we have an ability to grow both the number of advertisers who use our platform, but also the percentage of their business that we get,” said Sandberg on the earnings call. “So 30 million small business pages continuing to grow [again, now 40 million]. We have an opportunity to turn those businesses into advertisers and marketers, and that’s what we’ve done successfully and we’re going to continue to focus on that. And we do that by building very simple ad products.”
“There are some who spend a large portion of their budget on Facebook, but that’s actually very unusual,” she told investors. “For most people, even when they start spending with us, we’re a small portion of their budget. And when you look at the consumer time we get, we are not getting the equivalent amount of time or resources from our marketers really of any size, and therein lies our opportunity to grow.”
Yes, Facebook wants you to advertise. The free ride to the News Feed is a thing of the past, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Facebook isn’t small business-friendly. The advertising opportunities are only improving, but even beyond that, the company is putting out a lot of interesting tools and features that businesses may be able to take advantage of.
Either way, Facebook is clearly dedicated to trying to win over the minds of distraught small businesses. How do you think it’s doing? Discuss.
Images via Facebook, Socialbakers, Nanigans, Kinetic Social, BrightLocal, Thrive Analytics, eMarketerSHAH ALAM (Nov 25): Twelve Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, all from Umno, have turned down a proposal from the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government to allocate RM200,000 annually to all opposition representatives in the state through Program Mesra Rakyat (people-friendly programmes).
Selangor opposition leader Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias said the 12 BN assemblymen is objecting to the proposal as the state's proposed allocation for BN representatives differs from that for Pakatan representatives.
"Obviously, this is a humiliation for us," he told a press conference at the state assembly's lobby today.
"We contested in the general election and were elected by the people. What makes them [Pakatan representatives] exclusive than us and get more money than us eventually," he questioned.
"We also doubt the reason why the state gives such an allocation to the state-appointed parliament and state constituency coordinators," he added.
Tabling Budget 2015 at the state assembly sitting yesterday, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali proposed to allocate RM200,000 annually to all opposition representatives in the state, who were previously given nothing. This comes together with a proposal to raise the annual allocation to RM700,000 from RM600,000 for Pakatan representatives and for state-appointed parliament coordinators to get RM100,000 per year.
Shamsudin said the parliament and state constituency coordinators should not be exist as every state constituency has already a representative taking care of it.
Nevertheless, Shamsudin said the 12 BN assemblymen "will consider" the proposal if the state were to also offer the same proposed allocation of RM700,000 annually as that to Pakatan representatives.Hello my friends, today’s repost, is a post that I’m very proud of. This shows up in the first page on google when you search for the word “Kahk”. Of course you need to know what Kahk is to be searching for it from the first place :). For me learning rocket science was easier than making Kah
|
hefty premium for the use of their proprietary module. I’ve researched a bunch of near-identical FreeSync and G-Sync monitors to examine the price differences, and here are the results.
Monitor Type FreeSync Price G-Sync Price 24” 1080p 144 Hz AOC G2460PF $249 AOC G2460PG $449 24” 1080p 240 Hz TN ViewSonic XG2530 $449 Acer Predator XB252Q $549 27” 1440p 144 Hz IPS Acer XF270HU $599 Acer Predator XB271HU (OC to 165 Hz) $799 27” 4K 60 Hz IPS Acer H277HK $649 Acer Predator XB271HK $879 34” 1440p 21:9 100 Hz VA Philips 349X7 $899 AOC AG352UCG $1099 35” 1080p 21:9 144 Hz VA Acer XZ350CU $599 Acer Predator Z301C (OC to 200 Hz) $799
Looking at near-identical monitors from the same manufacturer, G-Sync adds $200 in most cases to the MSRP over the FreeSync model. When looking across brands, the margin can be as low as $100, but it often hovers near the $200 mark. For the six monitor types I researched, the average price difference when looking at the most similar models was $188.
Two of the G-Sync models could be overclocked using the on-screen display beyond what the equivalent FreeSync model was capable of, which adds a bit of value to the premium price you’re paying. For the most part, though, you’re only getting the aforementioned benefits of G-Sync like ULMB, LFC and, of course, adaptive sync compatibility with Nvidia graphics cards.
FreeSync monitors are universally cheaper, though one of the six monitors I examined (the Acer H277HK) did not support LFC due to its limited refresh rate windows.
Future: FreeSync 2 and G-Sync HDR
New adaptive sync monitors are set to hit the market in the coming months, which harness some new additions to the FreeSync and G-Sync ecosystems.
G-Sync is expanding its feature set to include support for HDR monitors and wide color gamuts. HDR monitors with G-Sync will support features like ULMB and LFC, though they will also include far larger gamuts and higher brightness for HDR functionality. Drivers will seamlessly switch between an SDR environment for desktop work, and HDR in supported applications where appropriate.
FreeSync 2 is a much larger update, that not only includes support for HDR monitors, but also introduces a monitor validation program that will see only the best monitors receive a FreeSync 2 badge. FreeSync 2 monitors will have at least twice the maximum brightness and color volume over standard sRGB displays, and monitors will be validated to meet input lag standards (in the “few milliseconds” range). All FreeSync 2 monitors will support LFC.
FreeSync 2 will include similar features to G-Sync HDR as well, like support for larger gamuts, higher brightness and automatic switching between SDR and HDR modes. There’s still no word on whether AMD will charge a premium for FreeSync 2 validation and branding, though the updated technology will bring FreeSync closer to what G-Sync provides in every monitor.An audacious attack by suicide bombers in the heart of Indonesia’s capital was funded by the Islamic State, police said Friday as they said they seized one of the group’s flags from the home of one of the attackers and carried out raids across the country, in which one suspected militant was killed.
Gen. Badrodin Haiti, the national police chief, told reporters that Islamic State funding for Thursday’s attack was funneled through an Indonesian, Bahrun Naim, who spent one year in prison for illegal possession of weapons in 2011 and is now in Syria fighting for the group.
Supporters of the militant group also circulated a claim of responsibility for the attack on Twitter late Thursday. The group controls territory in Syria and Iraq, and its ambition to create an Islamic caliphate has attracted some 30,000 foreign fighters from around the world.
The Islamic State link, if proved, poses a challenge to Indonesian security forces. Until now, the group was known only to have sympathizers with no active cells capable of planning and carrying out a plot such as Thursday’s, in which five men attacked a Starbucks cafe and a traffic police booth with handmade bombs, guns and suicide belts. They killed two people — a Canadian and an Indonesian — and wounded 20 in the first major attack in Indonesia since 2009. The militants were killed, either by their suicide vests or by police.
The attack “was funded by ISIS in Syria through Bahrun Naim,” Haiti told reporters after Friday prayers, using an acronym for the group. He did not elaborate.
1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The scene after suspected Islamic State affiliates stormed Indonesia’s capital View Photos Militants staged suicide bombings and opened fire in downtown Jakarta. Caption Militants staged suicide bombings and opened fire in downtown Jakarta. Jan. 14, 2016 People, including unarmed police officers, flee from the scene after a gun battle broke out following an explosion in Jakarta. Attackers set off bombs and exchanged gunfire outside a Starbucks cafe in Indonesia's capital in a brazen assault. AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
He also identified one of the five attackers as Afif Sunakim, who in 2010 was sentenced to seven years in jail for his involvement in military-style training in Aceh, but was released early.
Police conducted raids across Indonesia, but was it unclear whether those arrested were suspected of links to the bombing or if police were rounding up militants as part of a broader crackdown in its aftermath. They also outlined a partial reconstruction of events based on security camera video, part of which showed a Starbucks customer escaping from the grip of an attacker before he detonated his suicide bomb.
Maj. Gen. Anton Charliyan, a national police spokesman, said raids were conducted in Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, with four arrests made. Charliyan said three men arrested in Depok on the outskirts of Jakarta are no longer suspected of being linked to the attack. On Friday evening, police searched the home of another of the dead bombers, whom they identified as Muhammad Ali (no relation to the former professional boxer).
Amateur video obtained by Reuters shows militants shooting at civilians and security forces during Thursday's attack in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Reuters)
Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the worldLONDON (Reuters) - New York police believe Iranian Revolutionary Guards or their proxies have been involved so far this year in nine plots against Israeli or Jewish targets around the world, according to restricted police documents obtained by Reuters.
Smoke is seen after a blast at Bulgaria's Burgas airport July 18, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer
Reports prepared this week by intelligence analysts for the New York Police Department (NYPD) say three plots were foiled in January, three in February and another three since late June. Iran has repeatedly denied supporting militant attacks abroad.
The documents, labeled “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” said that this week’s suicide bomb attack in Bulgaria was the second plot to be unmasked there this year.
The reports detail two plots in Bangkok and one each in New Delhi, Tbilisi, Baku, Mombasa and Cyprus. Each plot was attributed to Iran or its Lebanese Hezbollah militant allies, said the reports, which were produced following the bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria of a bus carrying Israeli tourists.
Iran on Thursday dismissed “unfounded statements” by Israel linking Tehran to the Burgas blast, saying they were politically motivated accusations which underscored the weakness of the accusers.
Wednesday’s bombing in the Black Sea city is listed in a document headed “Suspected Iranian and/or Hezbollah-linked Plots Against Israeli or Jewish Targets: 2012 Chronology”, the latest of the nine 2012 plots linked to the Islamic Republic or its proxies.
U.S. officials say they increasingly concur with Israeli assessments that Iran and its proxies organized the killing of seven Israeli tourists in Burgas by a suicide bomber after they boarded an airport bus.
One U.S. official said Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim militia, had in the past carried out suicide bombings.
Hezbollah says that while it carried out suicide bombings against Israeli army posts in south Lebanon when it was occupied, until 2000, it has never staged attacks outside Lebanon.
The U.S. official noted that the Burgas bombing occurred on the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, which Argentina linked to Iran.
The official said the Bulgaria attack appeared relatively sophisticated as it suggested those behind it had gathered intelligence on possible targets in advance.
MORE PLOTS, SOPHISTICATION VARIES
A second U.S. official said U.S. federal authorities’ tally of alleged Iran-linked plots in 2012 largely paralleled the NYPD list.
Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in the past year there had been “20 Iranian attempts at terrorist attacks abroad, in which there was direct involvement of five Iranians, two Hezbollah operatives”.
After the Bulgaria bus bombing, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said New York police had increased their counter-terrorism focus on Jewish neighborhoods and institutions, over concerns of Iranian attacks on U.S. soil should U.S. or Israeli tensions with Iran escalate.
In a two-page paper summarizing its assessment of the alleged pattern of Iranian-related plots this year, NYPD analysts said that through its own Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, Iran had “sharply increased its operational tempo and its willingness to conduct terrorist attacks targeting Israeli interests and the International Jewish community worldwide”.
But the paper noted that many of this year’s plots lacked the sophistication and precision that characterized earlier plots linked to Iran.
Some bombs used in the recent plots shared certain features such as the use of military grade plastic explosives and magnets to attach the device to metal targets. While some had been detonated by remote control, others had relied on the “crude but effective tactic of pulling the pin on a hand grenade.”
The summary said the plotters had on occasion used local criminal elements, citing a plot in Baku where Iranian Revolutionary Guards agents provided weapons, equipment and selected the target for attack by Azeri criminals.
“This is an extremely dangerous combination,” the report concluded, adding that the geographic spread of the attacks and the willingness to go with less sophisticated plots “may add to the danger rather than lessen it.”Like me, many Americans breathed a deep sigh of relief in late July to hear courageous US senators say, at last, “enough is enough” on the latest effort to fix America’s health care system. Their votes called a halt to what seemed like a never-ending replay of “Groundhog Day,” marked by a repeated but unsuccessful push for one-party solutions to health care reform. It was an encouraging sign that there may no longer be an appetite in Congress — among rank-and-file members, if not leadership — for partisan-driven reforms that are contrived behind closed doors.
After all, we’ve been down that road before — an unmapped, dead-end street that may be paved with good intentions, but ultimately leads us nowhere. It’s the same path, with a different party at the wheel, that got us where we are today with Obamacare, a one-sided package of reforms pushed through Congress in 2010. Make no mistake — there are serious flaws in Obamacare that must be fixed. And I, like most governors, am convinced that addressing those flaws must continue to be a top congressional priority. But the unacceptable House and Senate plans we’ve seen in recent months would have failed to address some of the current system’s most serious flaws, while leaving millions of our states’ most vulnerable citizens behind.
The Senate’s defeat of this most recent attempt to repair America’s health care system gives Congress a golden opportunity to start over by applying a much smarter approach — not repeal or replace, but “reset.” Throughout my career in public office, I’ve learned that meaningful change happens only with bipartisan support, open debate, and the normal push and pull of the legislative process.
Advertisement
The best next step is for Republicans and Democrats to work openly together on an issue we all agree needs to be fixed: stabilizing our individual health insurance market, as we watch those markets continue to fail in both red and blue states.
Get Today in Opinion in your inbox: Globe Opinion's must-reads, delivered to you every Sunday-Friday. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here
I’m encouraged to see that Republican Senator Lamar Alexander and Democratic Senator Patty Murray have planned bipartisan hearings, and have asked hospitals, doctors, nurses, and others impacted by the health insurance industry to help shape new reforms. A willingness to stabilize the markets will help build a bipartisan foundation that will be essential to developing a long-lasting and sustainable health care plan.
By rediscovering how to work together on these issues, we can begin to create a model that will lend itself to tackling a wider set of problems with solutions that are essential to our nation’s progress, complex issues like tax reform, entitlements, and ways to bridge the growing divide between the rich and poor.
My call for pushing “reset” by working together on our nation’s challenges is not some new idea or pipe dream. I know it can be done, because I’ve seen it done. In the 1990s, I was proud to be part of the team in Congress that worked across the aisle to overhaul our federal welfare programs, reform the Pentagon, and balance the federal budget (what a concept!) for the first time in decades. These bipartisan reforms began moving America down a better path, but at some point Congress lost its way.
To help Congress reset the health care debate, I’ve been working with a bipartisan group of governors — including Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts — to create a roadmap that can result in an improved health insurance system that is available and affordable for every American. We stand ready to work with our congressional delegations to develop a plan that is fiscally sound and provides affordable coverage for our most vulnerable citizens.
Advertisement
Push “reset” and let’s get started!
John R. Kasich is the governor of Ohio.Barack Obama's campaign has now released a relatively comprehensive and extremely ambitious technology document (PDF) that lays out a whole slew of general and specific proposals for doing everything from reforming the patent system to implementing a national broadband policy. In releasing this "technology and innovation plan," Obama is the first major presidential candidate on either ticket to release a technology policy document that's this comprehensive—some of the proposals here have been pitched by Edwards and others, but Obama is the first to put them all in one place.
The document begins with a set of policy goals that pretty well sum up the major areas that the proposals address:
Ensure the full and free exchange of information among Americans through an open Internet and diverse media outlets.
Create a transparent and connected democracy.
Encourage the deployment of a modern communications infrastructure.
Employ technology and innovation to solve our nation's most pressing problems, including reducing the costs of health care, encouraging the development of new clean energy sources, and improving public safety.
Improve America’s competitiveness.
If you read Lawrence Lessig's writings on corruption issues, or if you've read Ars's own coverage of H1B visa reform, network neutrality, IT and healthcare, America's R&D shortfall, media consolidation, broadband policy, ratings systems for content in games and movies, privacy, and a host of other technology policy-related issues, then you could almost flesh out the bullet points above all on your own by searching Ars for these topics and looking for the policy ideas that we seem to like.
This isn't to say that I didn't find glaring omissions and points where I disagree with the document, but I do have to admit that it reads like something that many of the (non-libertarian) writers and editors at sites like Ars, BoingBoing, Slashdot, and Wired might have gotten together and hashed out over a long weekend. Conversely, because the document envisions a fairly robust role for the federal government in technology in terms of spending, bureaucracy, and regulation, the libertarians among us—both staff and readers—will find much to dislike about it.
I'll start my discussion of Obama's plan with the two most important parts—the "open government" and "technology czar" proposals—before giving a short list of the highlights of the rest of the document, organized around issues that we've covered in the past on Ars. I'll follow this list with some critical feedback, below.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
The "open government" section is by far the boldest and most radical part of Obama's plan. If even half of the proposals outlined here were to be implemented, it would fundamentally change the nature of our democracy for the better... which is precisely why very few of these proposals have any chance at all of ever being implemented.
Most of the proposals in this area involve using the Internet to open up the decision-making processes of the executive branch and the legislative process of congress. The idea is to give citizens a chance to view and comment on policy and legislation before it gains the force of law. Take a look at my summaries of four of them.
Put government data online for citizen access, analysis, commentary, and action. The document cites environmental data on pollution as one type that could be made available.
Effectively "crowd-sourcing" (though that term isn't used) some amount of agency decision-making by tapping the public's distributed expertise.
Build an online database that enables citizens to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbyist contacts with government officials.
Give "the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House web site for five days before signing any non-emergency legislation."
There's a fifth sunlight proposal in Obama's list that's so gloriously idealistic and infeasible that I have to quote it in full:
Requiring his appointees who lead Executive Branch departments and rulemaking agencies to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can watch a live feed on the Internet as the agencies debate and deliberate the issues that affect American society. He will ensure that these proceedings are archived for all Americans to review, discuss and respond. He will require his appointees to employ all the technological tools available to allow citizens not just to observe, but also to participate and be heard in these meetings.
It's a nice sentiment, but I seriously don't want to officially move all important federal business to golf courses and to the back rooms of DC restaurants, which is what putting a camera on these meetings would do. It would also slow the bureaucracy down even further by necessitating private meetings convened for the purpose of prepping for on-camera meetings. If you put people in front of a camera, they will eventually start to act for it.
This summary gives you an idea of what the Obama team is thinking about in the area of open government. As I read over this material, I felt that their heart was in the right place, but I'm also cynical enough to think that most of these ideas either have no chance in Washington, or they'll be worked around fairly quickly, as the cockroaches naturally find the shadows in the new terrain so that they can go on about their business.
A national technology czar
In contrast with the wonderful but idealistic transparency proposals outlined above, Obama's proposal to create the nation's first Chief Technology Officer is not only practical, but it's desperately overdue. Even Louisiana has a state CTO, and the US as a whole has needed one for the better part of a decade.
Obama proposes that the CTO focus on transparency issues, technological interoperability of government agencies, communication infrastructure for emergency response, and populating government agencies with people who have a technology background.
Other proposals
Here's quick but incomplete summary of some of the other proposals in the document:
Network neutrality: Obama comes out in full support of network neutrality legislation, but in a way that doesn't display any particularly deep technical understanding of the issue. The document worries about the possibility of "toll charges" foisted on sites by greedy "network providers," but it doesn't draw the necessary distinction between quality-of-service at the backbone level and traffic shaping at the last-mile ISP level. Still, this is more of a political document than a full-fledged policy document, so the main thing that his network neutrality stance indicates to me is that he's listening to people with whom I agree on this issue.
Media consolidation: Obama decries media consolidation and pledges to "encourage diversity" in media ownership, but beyond this there's not a lot of detail here.
Parental controls and ratings: The document proposes the creation of a modern, online answer to Sesame Street called Public Media 2.0. Aside from a name, the document doesn't say much else about this, opting instead to move into a more detailed discussion of voluntary ratings, tagging, and filtering that are generally "opt-in" by parents and industry.
Privacy: The document acknowledges that government-maintained databases on America citizens are "necessary tools in the fight against terrorism," while making general noises about safeguards. This is typical of Obama's entire section on privacy, which presumes the existence of all kinds of databases (law enforcement, health records, location data, etc.) and then talks about safeguards against abuse.
Broadband: Obama wants a national broadband policy that includes a formal redefinition of "broadband" from its current low of 200kbps, opening up the wireless spectrum to fresh competition (Google has endorsed this part of his plan), increased broadband penetration using a combination of government subsidies, the aforementioned spectrum policy reform, and public/private partnerships. The goal is for broadband access to be a widely accessible utility like phone or electricity.
H1B reform: Here's a place where Obama wants to appeal to all sides of the debate. He begins his discussion of immigration reform with a commitment to tapping more American workers (especially underrepresented minorities) for high-tech jobs, but then moves to a carefully couched suggestion that we might increase the number of H1Bs before finishing off with a nod to common criticisms of the program voiced here and in other places: "Obama will work to ensure immigrant workers are less dependent on their employers for their right to stay in the country and would hold accountable employers who abuse the system and their workers."
Investments in basic science and R&D: The basics of Obama's plan to boost American competitiveness can be summarized in this partial list: double federal funding for basic research, make existing R&D tax credits permanent, throw technology at education, reform immigration, and reform the patent system.
Conclusions
The document's privacy stuff is disappointingly weak. There's no mention of any kind of real legal recourse for those who've been unfairly targeted by government databases and lists, like the infamously false-positive-prone "no-fly list."
Privacy is indeed about databases, but it's not just about how law enforcement databases are used. Privacy in the digital age is about answering the following questions:
What kinds of databases in both the public and private sector are allowed to be created
What kind of data is permitted in those databases
Who has access to that data
How secure is that data
What happens to the data when it's no longer needed
How is the data corrected and updated
How much do people know about what kinds of things are being recorded about them, why, and by whom.
Who's responsible for cleaning up the mess when someone's privacy has been violated, due to a failure in the technological and/or policy safeguards implied in the bullet points above?
In other words, privacy is a much bigger issue than warrantless wiretapping, encompassing as it does issues from credit reporting to ID theft. A comprehensive privacy policy is one that takes a database record (public sector or private) as its primary object, and then asks a set of progressively more specific outcome-oriented questions about read-write-modify access and ownership of that record.
There are other problems with the document, but like the privacy issue, they're mainly matters of focus and substance. For instance, the pie-in-the-sky transparency stuff is great, but I'd rather have seen more space dedicated to the kinds of core science policy and basic research funding issues that John Timmer and I have covered over the past two years. Also critical is the issue of intellectual property reform, a topic that gets relatively short shrift in the document but without which all talk of a real "innovation plan" is meaningless.
Ultimately, however, Obama has thrown down the gauntlet to the other primary candidates with this proposal. Hillary Clinton in particular, who appears to be on the industry side of the telecom immunity and network neutrality issues, should be worried about losing ground to Obama among the wired progressive crowd because of this document.The Reserve Bank of Australia’s computer networks have been repeatedly and successfully hacked in a series of cyber-attacks to infiltrate sensitive internal information. The RBA disclosed to The Australian Financial Review (after their investigation) that multiple computers within the RBA’s network were had been infiltrated by a Chinese-developed malicious software. While no details were given on what information was stolen, a defense department official warned, that "the targeting of high profile events, such as the G20, by state-sponsored adversaries... is a real and persistent threat. Cyber intruders are looking for information on... the government’s intentions." The hack appears related to the 2011 G-20 summit, at which the French government have already confirmed over 150 computers were hacked for months with files "redirected to Chinese sites." Australia’s cyber-spy agency, the Defense Signals Directorate, said “there are many examples of [Australian] entities being targeted due to involvement in high profile events” like the G20. Currency wars meet cyber wars - or is it the other way around?
Via The Australian Financial Review,
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s computer networks have been repeatedly and successfully hacked in a series of cyber-attacks to infiltrate sensitive internal information, including by Chinese-developed malicious software.
...
After investigations by The Australian Financial Review, RBA officials disclosed that the central bank had been infiltrated by a Chinese-developed malicious software, or “malware”spy program that was seeking intelligence on sensitive G20 negotiations.
...
The Defence spokesperson did, however, warn that “the targeting of high profile events, such as the G20, by state-sponsored adversaries... is a real and persistent threat.” “Cyber intruders are looking for information on... the government’s intentions.”
In March 2011, Paris Match revealed, and the French government confirmed, that over 150 computers in its Ministry of Economy and Finances had been hacked for months before the French-hosted G20 summit in February 2011.
Tense negotiations with china
Many confidential government files were then “redirected to Chinese sites”. More than 10,000 state computers needed to be shut down.
The 2011 G20 summit involved tense negotiations with China over the level of its exchange rate, currency reserves and trade surpluses, which North Atlantic officials argue are being manipulated to China’s advantage.
...
Australia’s cyber-spy agency, the Defence Signals Directorate, said “there are many examples of [Australian] entities being targeted due to involvement in high profile events” like the G20.
DSD has disclosed that in October 2011 “an Australian government agency was compromised when a socially engineered email was sent to an agency employee who worked on G20 matters”. “This email pertained to be about G20 matters and appeared to come from the employee’s general manager.”
...
Executable Malware Application
RBA officials told the Financial Review that DSD was brought in to fix this problem.
In the incident report, in the FoI documents, the RBA said that over two days in November 2011 “highly targeted malicious emails were sent to several Bank staff, including senior management up to head of department”.
...
Officials from the RBA’s Risk Management Unit said: “Bank assets could have been potentially compromised, leading to... information loss and reputation [damage].”
Richard Byfield, a former senior Australian defence official with cyber responsibilities and current government adviser, told the Financial Review central banks and listed companies were cyber targets “because they hold so much confidential information that has the potential to move markets”.
At the time of the November 2011 incident, financial markets were undecided about whether the RBA would cut rates for a second month in succession. The RBA’s board surprised some participants with its decision to lower the cash rate on December 6.
...Obama’s UN speech and the crisis in US policy
26 September 2013
In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, US President Barack Obama elaborated a doctrine of aggressive war in pursuit of US interests in the Middle East that stands in direct opposition to the founding charter of the UN and the most fundamental tenets of international law.
The US, he said, “is prepared to use all elements of our power, including military force, to secure our core interests” in the Middle East and North Africa. Paramount among these “core interests” was “the free flow of energy from the region.”
This doctrine has a long pedigree in US foreign policy. Enunciated in slightly varying forms by Eisenhower and Carter as well as Bush senior and junior, it has been carried into practice in military interventions in Lebanon, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the US-NATO war on Libya, as well as numerous smaller covert interventions, bombing campaigns and cruise missile attacks.
In the immediate wake of having been forced to retreat from the use of US military force against Syria, Obama’s reiteration of this policy rang somewhat hollow. He found himself compelled to pull back from what had been an imminent military assault in the face of overwhelming popular opposition both at home and abroad.
This was expressed first in the vote against a resolution for war in the British House of Commons, depriving Washington of its key international ally in the assault on Syria, and then in the massive outpouring of antiwar sentiment in the US itself, presenting the US president with the politically untenable prospect of having his request for an authorization for the use of military force resolution rejected by the US Congress.
It was under these conditions that Russia threw Obama a lifeline in the form of a proposal for Syria’s chemical weapons disarmament, and the US administration seized it in order to extricate itself from a serious crisis.
Within this context, Obama’s speech signaled a significant tactical recalibration on the part of US imperialism. It advocated a “diplomatic resolution” of the dispute over Syria’s chemical weapons and a “political settlement” of the two-year-old civil war that Washington has fomented, funding and arming Islamist-led militias seeking to topple the government of Bashar al-Assad.
With respect to Iran, which has been the principal target of US intervention in the region, including in Syria, Obama declared that Washington is “not seeking regime change.” Saying, “I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested. He announced that Secretary of State John Kerry would meet his Iranian counterpart in an attempt to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
It is doubtful that the administration itself has a clear understanding of where it will end up with this approach. Given the political obstacles to military action, it may well amount to playing for time—going through the motions of diplomatic efforts in order to make the case that they proved fruitless because of Syrian and Iranian intransigence, leaving no option but war. Implicit in the statement about “testing” the diplomatic path is the threat that should it fail, military measures will follow.
On the other hand, Iran long served as a pillar of US policy in the Middle East and it is not excluded that the leaders of the Islamic Republic, a right-wing bourgeois regime, might cut a deal with the “Great Satan.” When the Iranians see what Washington is demanding in return for an easing of punishing sanctions, however, they may well, in the words of one US official, experience “sticker shock.”
Whatever the short-term shifts, the predatory strategic aims of US imperialism remain unchanged. While immediate military action has been postponed, the danger of war remains, driven by the deep-rooted contradictions and the crisis of American capitalism.
For the past two decades, in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, it has been the policy of successive US administrations to utilize American imperialism’s military preeminence as a means of offsetting the erosion of its economic dominance. This has been expressed principally through a succession of wars and interventions in the strategically vital and energy-rich regions of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia.
It is far from clear, however, that Washington’s use of its military assets has served to advance these aims. Each of its wars has ended in debacle. While Obama bragged in his speech about ending the war in Iraq, the reality is that over 1,000 people are being killed every month in sectarian political violence, while the government is more closely aligned with Iran than with the US. Afghanistan, where Obama claimed that the US occupation forces had “achieved their mission,” the results threaten to be as bad or worse. And Libya remains crippled by violent clashes between rival militias, even as China appears poised to make the greatest gains in oil contracts.
Given this record, there was not only overwhelming popular opposition, but significant trepidation within the US ruling establishment over an intervention in Syria. This military action threatened to become not the “unbelievably small” strike promised by Secretary of State Kerry, but a war with incalculable consequences that might spill over into a confrontation with Iran and even Russia, which has built up its own naval fleet in the eastern Mediterranean.
It also became increasingly evident that the campaign for regime change in Damascus involved a significant element of adventurism, with the US relying on Al Qaeda-led forces and an opposition that has disintegrated into mutually warring criminal gangs.
The US establishment must work through the deep-going contradictions in its policy as well as the political implications of the evaporation of popular support for military action and the military implications of an attack on Syria turning into a broader war.
Obama’s reiteration of the Middle East war doctrine at the UN—as well as his rhetorical defense of “American exceptionalism”—was no doubt aimed at a domestic audience, including powerful forces within the state apparatus and its military and intelligence arms that are absolutely committed to military intervention and see any wavering as a betrayal. This is augmented by significant political forces within both bourgeois parties, not least among them the Israel lobby, which sees any negotiations with Iran as capitulation.
Under these conditions, the threat of war has not ended. And the longer US aggression is postponed, the greater the scale of the next inevitable eruption of American imperialism.
To paraphrase Leon Trotsky, we must follow not the map of imperialist diplomacy, but the map of the class struggle. The cataclysm of a new outbreak of global war can be prevented only by means of the independent mobilization of the international working class in the struggle to put an end to world capitalism.
Bill Van Auken
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.The Scientific temper is a way of life (defined in this context as an individual and social process of thinking and acting) which uses the scientific method and which may, consequently, include questioning, observing physical reality, testing, hypothesizing, analysing, and communicating (not necessarily in that order). "Scientific temper" describes an attitude which involves the application of logic. Discussion, argument and analysis are vital parts of scientific temper. Elements of fairness, equality and democracy are built into it.[1] Jawaharlal Nehru was the first to use the phrase in 1946.[2] He later gave a descriptive explanation:
"[What is needed] is the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind—all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems." —Jawaharlal Nehru (1946) The Discovery of India, p. 512
Nehru wrote that the scientific temper goes beyond the domains to which science is conventionally understood to be limited to, and deals also with the consideration of ultimate purposes, beauty, goodness and truth. Nehru also contended that the scientific temper is the opposite of the method of religion, which relies on emotion and intuition and is (mis)applied "to everything in life, even to those things which are capable of intellectual inquiry and observation." While religion tends to close the mind and produce "intolerance, credulity and superstition, emotionalism and irrationalism", and "a temper of a dependent, unfree person", a scientific temper "is the temper of a free man". He also indicated that the scientific temper goes beyond objectivity and fosters creativity and progress. He envisioned that the spread of scientific temper would be accompanied by a shrinking of the domain of religion, and "the exciting adventure of fresh and never ceasing discoveries, of new panoramas opening out and new ways of living, adding to [life's] fullness and ever making it richer and more complete."[3] Nehru states (that) "It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people."[4]
The genesis and development of the idea of the scientific temper is connected to ideas expressed earlier by Charles Darwin when he said, "[F]reedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follows from the advance of science,"[5] and by Karl Marx when he said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions."
"To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform" is one of the fundamental duties of the people of the Republic of India, according to the Constitution of India.[6]
The Government of India, through the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, dedicated the 28 February National Science Day of 2014 to the theme "Fostering Scientific Temper" to spread Nehru's vision.[7]
The National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources launched the scholarly serial Journal of Scientific Temper in 2013.[8]
See also [ edit ]The answer, then and now, was likely "both." We know that defense functions as a unit that includes both pitcher and fielders, and we know that in order to put up the lowest Batting Average on Balls in Play in more than three decades, as the Cubs did with their.255 mark, both pitchers and fielders have to be doing something right. But how much of each?
If the 2016 title-winning Cubs taught us anything, it's that untangling pitching skill from defensive talent is more difficult than ever. Did Chicago have a best-in-baseball 3.15 ERA because starters like Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks were so talented and avoided hard contact? Or because a defense led
|
their questions were mostly about character: What are they like behind closed doors? Can we trust them with life-or-death decisions? Asked to describe [Hillary Clinton] as a member of their family, the most frequent choice was “stepmother” — a loveless relationship. When Hart asked how the voters would finally make up their minds, he was met with mostly blank looks. “It’s going to have to be the debates.” said one voter. What can Trump do to win their votes? “Tone it down,” said another. Trump’s been getting that advice from his aides, but it’s not clear he’s taking it. What can Clinton do? “Take down the mask and show she’s human,” another member of the focus group suggested. It’s obviously not easy to rebuild trust amid the noise of a campaign, but these voters said they were willing to give the candidate another chance if she makes an effort to be “more transparent” (their words) and to connect with ordinary people. » Click here to read more.
Before she got herself in legal hot water for her graffiti-laden pipeline protest, Stein was in Los Angeles for a detailed policy discussion with the L.A. Times’ editorial board. L.A. Times
Johnson’s Aleppo gaffe was embarrassing, but at least he owned up to it. When are we going to see the same from Trump over his Obama so-called birther accusations? Even a sheepish Rick Perry-esque “Oops” would be an improvement on his continued silence. L.A. Times
America’s two-party system likely will remain firmly in place for the foreseeable future, but one stranglehold on the American public is about to be loosened. The average consumer pays $231 a year to rent a set-top box from his or her cable provider — a service that currently allows for zero outside competition. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler outlines his long-awaited proposal to “unlock the box” and make sure consumers no longer pay a dime. L.A. Times
Essays, transcripts, interviews: Colleges make prospective students jump through hoops to learn about who they are. Don’t students deserve the same openness from colleges? In an op-ed, high school senior Simon Kuh slams the underwhelming college tour experience. L.A. Times
L.A. is thrilled for the return of the Rams, but that doesn’t mean we should foot the team’s security bill. L.A. Times
California’s drought continues to devastate the state’s wilderness areas. But not all the catastrophes in our wildlands are due to natural causes. On her podcast, Patt Morrison speaks with arson investigator Ed Nordskog about the case of Harry Burkhart, the German-born arsonist who was convicted of setting dozens of fires around Los Angeles over a single holiday weekend. L.A. Times
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.Live Feed - American Bald Eagle's Nest - Eaglets Soon To Hatch!
posted 2 years ago
In North Fort Myers Florida, All eyes are fixed on an eagle nest as American Bald Eagle Harriet and her mate M15, await the arrival of their two eaglets.
A live camera, provided by Dick Pritchett Real Estate shows the nest as the eagles take turns keeping their eggs warm.
The eagle cam was launched in October of 2012 and over 16 million viewers watched Eagles Harriet and Ozzie raise their two eaglets.
Ozzie and Harriet continue to expand their family in the fall each year and the video camera was there to capture it all. In March of 2015, Ozzie was found by the FWC and taken to a clinic for rehabilitation after he showed signs of disorientation and injury. He was treated for 97 days and released back into the wild near the nest.
Ozzie was seen near the nest on Saturday, September 19 of 2015 and on September 27 he got into a fight with another male eagle in the area. Ozzie was injured and passed away two days later.
That's when M15 came into the picture. Harriett and M15 (male 2015) bonded in October in 2015 and Harriett laid two eggs which successfully hatched.
Now the pair are looking over two new eggs laid on November 22nd and 25th. Bald eagles have a 35-day incubation period, so we could see hatchings any day now.
Page Turn
Related articles in WildlifeMobilize Labor: Fascists Out of Portland
It’s A Matter of Life and Death
Take a Stand: Come Out on June 4
Statement by Portland Labor Against the Fascists
Less than a month after a race-hate rally was held in East Portland, and nine days before they plan to stage a fascist provocation downtown, murderous racist terror has struck in Portland. The murderer was prominently present at the April 29 racist rally. Now two brave men who stood up to him are dead, and a third was seriously wounded. Muslims and Jews, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, along with defenders of women’s, gay and lesbian rights: all are targeted by the murderous bigots. As we have emphasized: fascist rallies are a staging ground for hideous racist terror. It’s up to us, the working people, to stop the fascists now.
A mobilization of unionists and opponents of racist terror has been called for Sunday, June 4 to bring out labor’s power behind the call: Fascists Out of Portland!
On Friday afternoon, May 26, Jeremy Joseph Christian, a 35-year-old white man, began screaming racist insults and death threats at two young women he encountered on an MAX light rail train eastbound out of downtown Portland. One of the women is black and the other is a Muslim who was wearing a head scarf (hijab).
When three fellow passengers heroically sought to protect them, Christian drew a knife, slashed their throats, and escaped at the Hollywood transit stop. Two of the men died of their wounds, while a third required surgery for serious injuries. The attacker was taken into custody by police shortly after, and is charged with aggravated murder.
Christian is a well-known local fascist. Multiple videos show him menacing counter-demonstrators at a racist hate-fest in Montavilla Park in East Portland on April 29. Now the same outfit he was with then says it intends to stage a provocative rally in the center of downtown Portland at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 4. They’re even bringing in a notoriously violent fascist provocateur to make the threat clear.
Earlier this week, before the latest attack, Portland-area union activists issued an urgent call to “Mobilize to Stop the Fascists: Their Racist Provocation Is a Danger to Us All!” Organizers emphasized: “They pretend to defend ‘free speech.’ This is a lie… The poisonous race-hatred they spew out spawns lynchings. They must be stopped.”
In the coming days much will be made of the killer’s apparently deranged mental state. But what possessed him to lash out against African American and Muslim young women, yelling “Get off the bus and get out of the country because you don’t pay taxes here”? This is clearly a reflection of the deadly racism coming out of Washington and escalating across the country.
A month ago, the police shepherded fascist Christian around the park as he gave Nazi salutes and threatened protesters. The Portland Mercury (27 May) reports: “A few Portland police officers on April 29 appeared to be familiar with Christian, but not threatened by him.” At the end of the racists’ march, the city provided a bus to take them back.
The same Portland police attacked the annual May Day immigrants’ rights march with tear gas and flash-bang grenades, blaming “anarchists” when it was the police who were terrorizing the marchers, arresting 25. Despite the talk of “diversity” and “unity” from the mayor and politicians of the bosses’ parties, the fact is they and their police are protecting the fascists.
The Portland area is home to a powerful labor movement built on the principle that “An injury to one is an injury to all.” The fascists are shock troops in the drive to divide, conquer and defeat the working class and destroy the rights of us all. To stop the deadly racist and fascist terror it is necessary – now, not at some indefinite future time – to mobilize the power of the working class.
The day before the Portland killings, ILWU longshoremen at the Port of Oakland, California walked off the job, paralyzing the docks to protest nooses, a threat of lynching, that were found at one of the largest terminals. On May Day 2015, ILWU Local 10 shut down the port and marched on Oakland city hall to demand an end to police terror. That same day Portland-area unionists marched behind a banner saying “Labor Against Racist Police Murder.”
This is the power we must bring out to stop the fascists in Portland. We urge one and all to take a stand and join the labor/black/immigrant mobilization at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 in Terry Schrunk Plaza (SW 3rd Ave. & SW Madison St.) to stop the would-be Hitlers from organizing more deadly terror. All out on June 4! Fascists out of Portland!
–May 27, 2017
Portland Labor Against the Fascists
[email protected] (503) 683-1894
printable PDF version
AdvertisementsThe United States is waging a finance war against Moscow in a bid to weaken Russia to a point of economic and social destruction, the Austrian Contra magazine said, adding that this campaign goes against international law, WTO rules and bilateral agreements.
The United States has a wide array of instruments at its disposal. The Austrian magazine named assigning false credit ratings as a prime example.
© REUTERS / Alexander Ermochenko Brainstorming Washington Style: Everything is Russia’s Fault
"Russia's fundamentals are the best in the world. Not a single (big) state has better fundamentals than Russia. However, Fitch downgraded it to a 3B rating – just above junk level. The US has the worst fundamentals in the world. But the same rating agency has given it AAA, the best rating possible. It remains a mystery how the rating agency counts that," the publication said.
The media outlet compared the US to a terrorist state that disregards general code of conduct and acts upon its whims and wishes, forcing other countries to participate. Moreover, Washington threatens any country that has chosen to act independently with war and sanctions.
US actions should be brought to the attention of the United Nations, the Austrian Contra magazine said.Breakthrough after field project collects richly detailed ice core records from Antarctica
A new multi-institutional study including Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, shows that the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide that contributed to the end of the last ice age more than 10,000 years ago did not occur gradually, but was characterized by three “pulses” in which CO 2 rose abruptly.
Scientists are not sure what caused these abrupt increases, during which levels of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, rose about 10-15 parts per million (ppm) – or about five percent per episode – over a period of one to two centuries. It likely was a combination of factors, they say, including ocean circulation, changing wind patterns, and terrestrial processes. Scripps geoscientist Jeff Severinghaus said the three episodes, which took place 16,100 years ago, 14,700 years ago, and 11,700 years ago are strongly linked to abrupt climate change events that took place in the Northern Hemisphere.
“Abrupt climate change has its own small but significant impacts on atmospheric CO 2 and no one knew that before now,” said Severinghaus, a study co-author.
Results of the National Science Foundation-funded study appear today in the journal Nature.
“We used to think that naturally occurring changes in carbon dioxide took place relatively slowly over the 10,000 years it took to move out of the last ice age,” said Shaun Marcott, lead author on the article who conducted his study as a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University. “This abrupt, centennial-scale variability of CO 2 appears to be a fundamental part of the global carbon cycle.”
Some previous research has hinted at the possibility that spikes in atmospheric carbon dioxide may have accelerated the last deglaciation, but that hypothesis had not been resolved, the researchers say. The key to the new finding is the analysis of an ice core from the West Antarctic that provided the scientists with a detailed enough record to be able to see changes on fine time scales. The core was retrieved – with difficulty – from a region in which snow accumulated and compacted at a rate of 25 centimeters per year. That meant the ice core preserved a more detailed record from the gas bubbles trapped in the ice than did other cores from Antarctic regions where only 2 centimeters of ice represent a year.
Scientists studying past climate have been hampered by the limitations of previous ice cores. Cores from Greenland, for example, provide unique records of rapid climate events going back 120,000 years – but high concentrations of impurities don’t allow researchers to accurately determine atmospheric carbon dioxide records. Antarctic ice cores have fewer impurities, but generally have had lower “temporal resolution,” providing less detailed information about atmospheric CO 2.
Severinghaus said the new cores, collected during the recently concluded multi-year WAIS Divide field project, came from a part of Antarctica so snowy that researchers’ camps were frequently buried in snowdrifts.
Coring in that location is “not an easy thing to do, so that’s why it wasn’t done before,” Severinghaus said.
The new core from West Antarctica, drilled to a depth of 3,405 meters (11,170 feet) in 2011 and spanning the last 68,000 years, has “extraordinary detail,” said Oregon State paleoclimatologist Edward Brook, a co-author on the Nature study and an internationally recognized ice core expert.
“It is a remarkable ice core and it clearly shows distinct pulses of carbon dioxide increase that can be very reliably dated,” Brook said. “These are some of the fastest natural changes in CO 2 we have observed, and were probably big enough on their own to impact the Earth’s climate.”
“The abrupt events did not end the ice age by themselves,” Brook added. “That might be jumping the gun a bit. But it is fair to say that the natural carbon cycle can change a lot faster than was previously thought – and we don’t know all of the mechanisms that caused that rapid change.”
The researchers say that the increase in atmospheric CO 2 from the peak of the last ice age to complete deglaciation was about 80 parts per million, taking place over 10,000 years. Thus, the finding that 30-45 ppm of the increase happened in just a few centuries was significant.
The rate of change during these events is still significantly less than present-day changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. The Keeling Curve record of atmospheric carbon dioxide, launched by the late Scripps geochemist Charles David Keeling, recorded levels of 315 ppm when it began in 1958. In 2014, monthly average concentrations reached 401 ppm, an increase of more than 85 parts per million in less than 60 years.Back in November 2005, I blogged about blogging in NetBeans IDE... which was only possible because of a module that installed the JDIC embedded native browser into NetBeans IDE. Now, thanks to NetBeans IDE 6.8 Milestone 1, a browser based on Mozilla XULRunner is a standard part of NetBeans IDE.
Not only is this useful for NetBeans IDE users (simply use the Options window to enabled the Embedded Browser), but to NetBeans Platform developers too. For example, below I have a module that installs an explorer view with items representing a subset of DZone sites. When clicked, the relevant site opens, in the embedded browser, because that's the currently enabled browser.
The first screenshot shows some of the images from NetBeans Zone in the browser. If you can remember the Swing browser, you'll be quite impressed with this:
And here's a list of entries from NetBeans Zone, looking good too:
A question I am trying to answer for myself: "What is the minimum set of NetBeans modules that a NetBeans Platform developer needs to enable in order to support the Embedded Browser?"
On Ubuntu, I came across several issues that have already been reported, but I trust they'll be fixed in coming milestone. All the issues can be found here, feel free to add your own for issues that you encounter that haven't yet been reported!Coral reefs are the poster child for the damage people are doing to the world’s oceans. Overfishing, pollution and declining water quality have all taken their toll on reefs around the world. Perhaps the most famous example is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, where half of the coral cover has disappeared over the past 25 years.
But increasingly, coral reefs face additional threats: global warming and ocean acidification, which cause coral bleaching and damage the coral’s ability to build reefs, respectively.
These new climate-induced effects, if not reversed by controlling greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with the global pressures already in place, have prompted many coral reef scientists to predict the overall demise of reefs in as little as a couple of decades.
However, research published today in Nature on reefs from the Seychelles provides some hope that all will not be lost for future coral reefs.
A fragile partnership
Corals live in a symbiotic relationship with colourful algae known as “zooxanthellae”, which provide essential nutrients for the corals to function. Without them, the coral often, but not always, dies.
When corals bleach, they expel these algae, leaving their white skeletons to shine below their translucent living tissue. When coral bleaching occurs over large areas, it is referred to as a “mass-bleaching event”.
The most severe of these mass-bleaching events were in 1983, 1987, 1998, 2002 and 2005. All of these mass-bleaching events affected the Great Barrier Reef.
The granddaddy of them all was the 1998 event triggered by the 1997-1998 El Niño, which was not only the most geographically widespread, but also considered to be the most severe event on record. In the Seychelles, more than 90% of the corals died.
Shifting reefs
In the new research, Nick Graham from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University and colleagues describe how 21 reefs in the Seychelles responded to the 1998 mass-bleaching event. They tracked the reef from 1994, before the bleaching event, to 2011.
Corals dominated all 21 reefs before the 1998 bleaching episode. There were only minor amounts of macro-algae (better known as seaweed), the major competitor with corals for space on reefs.
On healthy reefs with enough plant-eating animals and low levels of nutrients, sediments and pollutants, corals replace themselves when they die, maintaining their dominance.
Where there are fewer plant-eaters or nutrients are high, the faster-growing macro-algae can quickly colonise space made available by coral deaths. This leads to what’s called a “regime shift”: a change in the type of animals or plants that dominate an ecosystem. It is often impossible for the corals to recover from this.
In the Seychelles, such regime shifts from corals to macro-algae occurred in nine of the 21 reefs as a direct consequence of the 1998 bleaching event. This is the first demonstration of regime shifts from corals to seaweed directly attributable to a coral mass-bleaching event. Other studies have demonstrated shifts as a result of more local stressors, such as overfishing, in the Caribbean.
These regime shifts also affected the fish. Fish communities on reefs dominated by seaweeds were strikingly different to those on reefs dominated by coral.
Marine parks no guarantee of safety
Not only were Graham and his colleagues able to detect regime shifts in response to a mass-bleaching event, but they were also able to figure out the main drivers of these shifts (apart from warmer waters).
It turns out water depth, the three-dimensional complexity of the reef structure, and the number of juvenile corals are all good predictors for whether or not reefs affected by bleaching will undergo a regime shift. Reefs in deeper water with more complex structures and more juvenile corals tend to be less susceptible to a coral-to-seaweed regime shift. In fact, reef complexity and water depth correctly predicted regime shifts in 98% of the cases!
In a distressing footnote, marine protected areas made no difference to the reef’s survival. Managing for climate change may now mean assigning marine reserves on the basis of not only reducing impacts from fishing, but also preserving deeper water and more complex habitats that are less susceptible to mass-bleaching events.
Signs of hope
So much for the bad news. What is is perhaps even more striking is that more than half of the studied reefs did not undergo such a shift. The fact that most of the reefs were able to return to their former coral-dominated states provides some optimism for the ability of reefs to withstand climate change.
In each of the past mass-bleaching events, large areas of the world’s reefs were left unaffected and even on bleached reefs many species retained their algae. And recent work has shown the capacity of corals to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Though the Seychelles study did not examine ocean acidification, there is increasing evidence that corals and other reef organisms can manipulate the chemistry of the water so they can continue building their skeletons, although this likely comes with metabolic (energy) costs.
While climate still remains a potentially deadly threat to much of the world’s coral reefs, combining this new study with these recent results means that predicting the global demise of reefs within the next couple of decades may be a bit premature. It’s more likely that, although reefs will be severely degraded, there will be large variability in their response to climate change.
Bringing these results closer to home, the Great Barrier Reef has suffered more than a 50% decline in coral cover over the past 25 years or so, with a substantial part of that decline coming from coral-bleaching events. The 1998 event was particularly severe on inshore reefs, which suffer the most from degraded water quality.
Though the Great Barrier Reef has recovered from multiple bleaching events, its ability to recover from future events will likely depend on us to stop declines in water quality due to human activities such as coastal development and dredging.Dave Hodges
RINF Alternative News
Most border crossings in Liberia, located in West Africa, have been closed and communities hit by an Ebola outbreak face quarantine to try to halt the spread of the virus. The symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage. Fatality rates can reach 90% and the incubation period is two to 21 days. THERE IS NO VACCINE OR CURE (CDC).
How It All Begins
United States aid worker, Nancy Writebol, a missionary sent by the Calvary Church in North Carolina, became the second American citizen to contract the Ebola. Previously, Dr. Kent Brantly, a doctor also working at an Ebola clinic in the capital of Liberia, Monrovia, had previously been infected with the deadly Ebola virus while treating victims of the disease at a hospital in West Africa. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids, stated Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the WHO, said around 100 health workers had been infected by Ebola in three countries. The virus has now killed 660 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since the outbreak began nearly six months ago. Ebola has a mortality of approximately 90% and overwhelms the health care systems of the communities in which it appears.
Containment
The past week has seen Ebola infecting key medical staff in Sierra Leone, a deadly Middle East virus has become airborne and a whole city in China put on lock-down for fear of bubonic plague. Lockdown? What exactly is lockdown? If a community is to stop Ebola, they must go into lockdown procedures. Lockdown procedures include the closing of the border to a present non-infected nation. The map, below, shows the impacted countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak.
Both Dr. Jane Orient, one of Arizona’s top physicians as well as other researchers, such as myself, have received information from Border Patrol informants, that as many as 100,000 West Africans are being admitted to the United States under the same provisions that President Obama is presently admitting so-called “unaccompanied minors”. These people are from the same region of the world as the uncontained outbreak of Ebola. As Dr. Orient said in her interview onThe Common Sense Show, on June 30, 2014, “It is not a matter of if Ebola comes into the United States, but when.”
The United States Containment Procedures
Fortunately, the United States has detailed procedures to deal with a pandemic outbreak and it carries the force of law. Under section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S. Code § 264), the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to take measures to prevent the entry and spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States and between states. The authority for carrying out these functions on a daily basis has been delegated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC utilizes two basic strategies when trying to contain a public outbreak of something as deadly as Ebola and they are Isolation and Quarantine.
“Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis. Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease” (CDC). Quarantining involves the creation of detainment facilities in which people, who are suspected, or are infected with a pathogen, are forcibly detained and not allowed to leave. This statute also applies, in the same manner, as people who “may be exposed”.
The United States Is Moving to Establish Quarantine Centers
Even if there was not a present immigration crisis at the border, there is a significant outbreak of Ebola in a seven country region of West Africa. With modern air travel, this government should be enacting protocols to limit the chances for Ebola from coming into the United States. Instead, President Obama is having ICE and DHS load up the busses and planes, at taxpayers expense to ship them throughout the United States without going through a minimum of a three week health screening period (i.e. Ebola’s incubation period). This is highly irresponsible and could be considered to be an act of treason being committed against the people of the United States. Under federally mandated quarantine procedures, here is what the CDC and President Obama are mandated to do in the present crisis. Here is what is supposed to happen as described by the CDC:
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has statutory responsibility for preventing the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable diseases in the United States. Under its delegated authority, the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine works to fulfill this responsibility through a variety of activities, including: the operation of Quarantine Stations at ports of entry
establishment of standards for medical examination of persons destined for the United States, and
administration of interstate and foreign quarantine regulations, which govern the international and interstate movement of persons, animals, and cargo.
Instead, we are getting this type of Obama led method of pandemic protection, as described below.
Ebola Quarantine Centers
Yesterday, Paul Watson opened a lot of eyes with the following statement: ” The source, an office clerk within the LADHS, said that during a policy meeting on the morning of June 18th last month, his supervisor announced that the Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services had struck a deal with the government to open up “low cost housing” facilities for homeless people, otherwise known as “FEMA camps.” The source said that his supervisor ordered staff not to use the term “FEMA camps.” One look at who is behind this program should raise the eyebrows of every person, as it is being administered by the Department of Health Services.
“In an effort to respond to the high need for recuperative care services, Housing for Health will open a 38 bed recuperative care site in South LA this summer. The goal of recuperative care is to provide short-term housing with health oversight to homeless DHS patients who are recovering from an acute illness or injury or have conditions that would be exacerbated by living on the street or in shelters. The site was renovated to serve patients with mobility impairments and provides wheelchair accessible community space indoors and in an open-air courtyard. The site will be operated by LAMP Community, a non-profit agency with over 25 years of experience providing services to homeless individuals”.
Conclusion
At a time when city, state and federal budgets are stretched to infinity, we are supposed to believe that out of the goodness of their hearts, LA County is going to provide these kinds of services at this kind of expense to previously ignored homeless people? Does any of this make any sense given the economic state of the country? Paul Watson is calling these facilities, FEMA camps. I agree with Paul and would also add that they are FEMA Quarantine Camps. This is the early preparation for what is coming. Cities across the country, from Tempe, AZ. to Charleston, SC., are outlawing homeless people as it gives the government to quarantine these people. A clear pattern is emerging that we are soon going to see from California to South Carolina – homeless people being quarantined, held against their will, for “health” reasons. The handling of the present and potential Ebola crisis speaks for itself. When there is trouble America, who are you going to call? Thirty years ago, we called the Ghostbusters (i.e. hit movie 1984), which is a whole lot better than what is available now.
Dave Hodges is the host of the popular weekly talk show, The Common Sense Show, which airs on Sunday nights from 9pm — Midnight (central) on the Republic Broadcasting Network and its 29 affiliate stations. Dave also hosts a website (www.thecommonsenseshow.com) in which he writes daily articles on the geopolitical state of affairs both nationally and internationally.WorkPro® Commercial Mesh Mid-Back Chair, Black is rated 4.2 out of 5 by 307.
Rated 1 out of 5 by Genri from Save your money I was looking for a chair to replace a super awesome office chair I had for 10 years. Found this one and decide to give it a try. It was an ok chair overall. It served its function but wasn't super comfortable. Just recently after about 18 months of use, the cable mechanism that controls the height adjustment frayed/snapped at the base of the chair. Now the chair is permanently stuck in the highest position, and is uncomfortable to sit in. I've been looking for ways to repair it, but the fact that this failed so soon is bad news. I see it is on clearance currently, but I suggest you just steer clear.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Gary from Office Chair outstanding service & the chair is very good.
Rated 5 out of 5 by addydaddy from Nice comfortable chair One of the best chair i purchased, comfortable and stylishUnderstanding Exceptions while debugging with Visual Studio
This post has been updated to reflect the experience while using Visual Studio 2015.
If you have spent any time coding, odds are that you have had to deal with Exception Handling. In Visual Studio, when exceptions are thrown or end up unhandled, the debugger can help you debug these by breaking just like it breaks when a breakpoint is hit. In this blog post we will look at the different classifications of exceptions and how to configure when the debugger will break for those exceptions.
Classifications of Exceptions
We will start by looking at the classification types of exceptions in the debugger. The debugger classifies exceptions in the following ways:
First Chance Exceptions: When an exception is first thrown in the application, this is classified as a “first chance” exception. At this point the debugger does not know if the exception will be caught (handled) by the application. All exceptions start as first chance exceptions. The debugger gets notified every time an exception is thrown. You can see these notifications in the Output window and in IntelliTrace. You can tell the debugger what first chance exceptions to break for, just like enabling a breakpoint. Once broken due to a first chance exception, you can continue debugging by stepping or pressing Continue. When you continue, your code has the opportunity to handle this exception, if it doesn’t then the exception now falls under one of the classifications listed below.
When an exception is first thrown in the application, this is classified as a “first chance” exception. At this point the debugger does not know if the exception will be caught (handled) by the application. All exceptions start as first chance exceptions. User-unhandled Exceptions: When a first chance exception is not caught (handled) in user code and is caught in “External Code” on the call stack, this is classified as a “user-unhandled” exception. This classification is only applicable when debugging Managed or JavaScript applications with Just My Codeenabled. By default, the debugger will break for all user-unhandled exceptions. Once broken due to a user-unhandled exception, you can continue debugging by stepping or pressing Continue. The exception may be handled somewhere in “External Code” on the call stack, and if it isn’t, then it becomes an unhandled exception.
When a first chance exception is not caught (handled) in user code and is caught in “External Code” on the call stack, this is classified as a “user-unhandled” exception. This classification is only applicable when debugging Managed or JavaScript applications with Just My Codeenabled.
You can change the default, but in most cases you will likely not need to change this setting. Most frameworks, like ASP.NET, implement global exception handlers so that your application will not crash, but the exception has not really been dealt with properly. The debugger provides breaking for user-unhandled exceptions to notify you in these cases.
Unhandled Exceptions: When a first chance exception is not caught (handled) by the application and reaches the system default handler, this is classified as an “unhandled” exception. An unhandled exception will crash the application. The debugger will break for all unhandled exceptions so that you get a chance to examine the state of your application that lead to the crash. Once broken due to a completely unhandled exception, you cannot continue debugging.
When a first chance exception is not caught (handled) by the application and reaches the system default handler, this is classified as an “unhandled” exception.
Configuring the debugger to break for first chance exceptions
To change when the debugger breaks, go to Debug->Windows->Exception Settings
When you first open this window you will see that there is a tree grid with one column and checkboxes.
Break when Thrown. This includes a default list of exceptions known by the debugger, grouped by category.
Note: The possible exceptions that could break from this list is determined by the runtime you are debugging. For example, if you are using managed-only debugging then the debugger will never break for C++, Win32 Exceptions, etc. even if they are configured to break when thrown.
. This includes a default list of exceptions known by the debugger, grouped by category. Note: The possible exceptions that could break from this list is determined by the runtime you are debugging. For example, if you are using managed-only debugging then the debugger will never break for C++, Win32 Exceptions, etc. even if they are configured to break when thrown Checkboxes. If you check the box for a category, then the debugger will break for all First Chance Exceptions while debugging. If you don’t want to enable all First Chance Exceptions, you can find the specific exception types that you wish to configure by using the search box.
Using the context menu, you can show the Additional Actions column and also configure the behavior for user-unhandled exceptions.
Additional Actions. This column is only available if Just My Code is enabled. User-unhandled exceptions only make sense for Common Language Runtime Exceptions and JavaScript Runtime Exceptions, the option to configure this for other runtimes is not available because the debugger does not make distinctions between user code and External Code. As per my earlier comments, you typically do not want to turn this off. If you do wish to turn this off, you can do so by selecting “Continue when unhandled in user code” from the context menu.
This list is not an exhaustive master list of every possible exception. You can use Add and Remove to manage exceptions in this default list. This configuration is saved with your solution. You can also use search to locate all of the exceptions with specific keywords, e.g. “null”. Lastly you can use Reset All to restore the list to its default state.
Example
For this example we are using a simple WPF app that is supposed to draw a shape in the window when the user clicks a button. This app has been implemented to display “Failure” text in the view when something goes wrong and “Success” when everything has gone right. You can follow along with the code attached to this post.
Let’s pretend I was given this app to test out and make sure everything was working.
I start debugging (F5) to run the app.
Click on “Draw Half Octagon”.
Observe Failure Message.
The app did not crash and the debugger did not break, but I am seeing the app’s failure message and no half octagon shape, so what happened? I could start by going to the Output window or IntelliTrace to investigate. Let me start with the Output window and at the end of the post I’ll diagnose the issue with IntelliTrace.
TIP: the output window and IntelliTrace are great places to start when you think something has gone wrong.
In the output window, I see that “A first chance exception of type ‘System.NullReferenceException’ occurred…” If I press “Draw Half Octagon” again I do not see any more first chance exceptions occurring, so I conclude that this exception occurred on the startup path.
But where exactly did it occur?
I could use code inspection to try to hunt down the issue, or step through the initialization logic.
Instead I will open the Exception Settings (Ctrl+Alt+E), and configure the debugger to break for the first chance System.NullReference Exception.
I use the search box to find the “System.NullReferenceException”.
I check the box to break when this exception type is thrown.
TIP: From the search box, you can press the down arrow to select items in the list and then use the space bar to toggle the checkbox state.
After I restart debugging, the debugger breaks when the exception was thrown and I can quickly verify that the exception was “handled” by an empty catch block and not really dealt with, which
|
her husband like she was going to hit him.
"Do you have any of your own ideas?" the father said.
"I don't know," Freddie said.
"Think about it for a few minutes," the mother said.
Heather had a name she wanted. She had thought about it since they left to pick the cat up from the shelter. She studied the picture that rested on the floor of Freddie's room and waited for a name to come to her. A name perfect for her first pet. Her father had never let her have one, and now she was going to have this kitten all to herself.
"Daphne," Heather said.
"I'm thinking maybe Daphne," Freddie said.
"A perfect name!" the father said.
When they finished eating, the mother threw out the paper plates. She put the few remaining pieces of pizza into plastic baggies and stuffed them into the fridge. She wiped down the table. She threw out the pizza box. She sat down on the couch with some satisfaction. Heather could tell from the smile on her face.
Freddie brought a bag of cat food in from the car and poured it into a food dish. He let the food pour over the side of the dish and onto the floor. Daphne frantically scrambled all around the dish, trying to eat every little piece. Freddie laughed in amusement.
"Look at her go!" he said.
"Don't fill the dish up that much," the father said. "Are you ready to set up the litter?"
"Can't you do it?"
"It's not my cat."
"Aw man."
"But I'll help."
They made a space under the bathroom sink for the litterbox. They removed one of the doors of the vanity and placed the box there.
"Tomorrow, I'll cut a hole in this so she can go in through it. For now, we'll just leave the door off."
Freddie struggled to pour the litter into the box. The bag of litter said it was 42 pounds, but Freddie acted like it was more.
"You can do it, Fred-Fred," the father said.
"It's so heavy!"
"It's not that bad."
He did it then went to find Daphne, who was cleaning herself at the top of the stairs. The father waited behind the bathroom door, and he closed the door quickly when Freddie came back into the room with the cat.
"Now put her in the box so she knows where it is."
Freddie placed Daphne in the box and tried to hold her there when she attempted her escape. He held her down, flat against the litter, and she rolled around in his hands, trying to worm herself loose.
"Let her go. She knows where it is now."
Freddie let go of the cat, and she pounced out of the box and started pacing around the room. She sniffed every corner and pawed at the hand towel that dangled off a rack next to the sink.
"What now?" Freddie said.
"We wait for her to do her business," the father said.
Daphne stretched out on the floor for a while. Freddie rubbed her stomach. She took another few laps around the room. She finally jumped into the litterbox and did her business.
"See? That's all there is to it. Cats know."
"Thanks, Dad."
"You have any homework you need to do before bed?"
"Yeah..."
"Get at it."
Daphne curled onto Freddie's lap while he did his homework at his desk. He stroked her head until she purred in between math problems. He held her in his arms while reading a history chapter, being careful not to drop her when he removed one hand to flip the page of the large textbook. He kissed her on the head more than once. Not that Heather counted the exact amount of times. It was four times he kissed her head.
Daphne was so close. Practically a mirage. Heather waited for Freddie to go to bed.
He kept his bedroom door open a crack for Daphne to get in and out while he slept. He slept on his side. His legs curled up almost to his chest. Daphne curled up herself in that small space between his knees and his chest. She was pretty small, and she fit perfectly in the sleeping nook the boy's body naturally created.
She purred there in his bed, and his hand went automatically to her tiny body. His hand wasn't all that big itself, but it nearly covered her whole body like a blanket. Only her little head poked out from the human shelter of his legs and chest and hand.
It was the dead of night when Heather woke him up by calling his name.
"Freddie. Freddie, wake up."
His eyes opened, and he automatically brought Daphne closer to him. The cat still asleep.
"What is it?"
"Freddie, it's time."
He sat up in bed and grasped Daphne to his chest.
"Go down to the kitchen and find the sharpest knife you can," Heather said.
"I don't want to."
"I know, sweetie, but you promised."
"It's just."
He held Daphne tighter.
"Go to the kitchen," Heather said.
She followed him down to the kitchen, and he started to open the silverware drawer.
"Not that drawer," Heather said. "Get it from the knife block."
He pulled out one knife and then the other. They were smaller knives she saw his mother use all the time for years now. Knives they never sharpened. She had him put them back until he pulled out the big knife. The knife his mother never used. The sharpest knife.
"That's the one."
She followed him back upstairs. He held the knife out straight out in front of him.
"Why are you holding it like that?"
"I don't want it to cut me," he said.
Daphne tried to dart out of the bedroom when he opened the door, but Freddie blocked her with his foot and pushed his way into the room. He closed the door behind him quickly before Daphne could make another attempt. He still stood with the knife out in front of him.
"Stop holding it like that,” Heather said.
He placed it on his desk.
"The quicker you do it,” she said.
"I don't want to."
"You promised, sweetie."
"I'm afraid,” he said.
"What do you think will happen?"
"I'll get in trouble."
"That's bad enough to break a promise?" Heather said.
"I'm afraid for her."
"What do you think will happen?"
"I don't know,” he said.
"I'll tell you what happens. You picked the sharpest knife, so she's going to die quickly. She won't even notice it. One moment she'll be alive, and the next moment she'll wake up and be with me. She won't feel any pain. She won't even know anything happened. And she'll be a kitten forever. She won't grow old or get sick. She'll just be a playful kitten forever."
"I don't know."
"Can you imagine anything happier than being a kitten forever? Than being loved forever?"
"I'm still afraid,” he said.
"I know it's hard.”
Tears started to form in his eyes.
"I know it's hard," Heather said. "But I love you."
"Please."
"I love you, Freddie."
"I love you, too."
"Pick up the knife,” she said.
He didn't pick up the knife.
"Pick up the knife,” she said.
He picked up the knife.
"I love you, sweetie,” she said.
Daphne rubbed back and forth against his legs.
"Freddie."
He picked her up, holding her tightly in his arms. The knife was bigger than Daphne. It shone brightly under the ceiling lamp in his room. It must have felt cold to Daphne, harmlessly pressed lengthwise against her body. He brought Daphne over to the bed and held her down. She squirmed under his grasp.
"I love you," Heather said.
"I love you, too."
He raised the knife up.
"I'm sorry," he said.
He plunged it down into the exposed part of Daphne's body. The part his hand didn’t cover. She screeched and thrashed against his hand. She bit and clawed. She made a horrible sound. A nightmare wail. He kept stabbing.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
His voice grew louder. It matched every stab. It merged into Daphne's death wail, becoming one terrible sound.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
With every stab.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I’m sorry! I'm sorry!"
His voice was the only sound left. He kept stabbing. His left hand long ago removed from Daphne's now limp body. The bed was a mess of blood.
"I'm sorry!"
It spread into the sheets.
"I'm sorry!"
Dahpne turned inside out. Her body was nothing. There was only blood now.
The parents came rushing into the room. Pulling their robes closed around them. Heather dashed beneath the surface. She was in the far corner of the room. They looked at their son. Stabbing a knife into his bloody bed.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Do something!" the mother said.
"He has a knife!" the father said.
"Do something"
"I'm sorry!" Freddie said.
"Put down the knife, Freddie!" the father said.
"I'm sorry!"
"Put down the knife," his father screamed.
Stepping closer to Freddie. The knife still wildly swinging. The father held his hands out in front of him. He stood a cautious distance away.
"I'm sorry!"
"Just grab him!" the mother said.
"I'm sorry!"
"Put down the knife!" the father said.
"I'm sorry!"
"Grab him!" the mother said.
The father ran over and grabbed him. Freddie was still stabbing. The knife caught his father in the leg as he lifted Freddie up and away from the bed. The father grasped at Freddie's hand and ripped the knife out of it. Throwing it across the room where Heather was just below the surface.
"Oh my God," the mother said. "Whose blood is it?"
"I'm sorry!" Freddie wouldn't stop screaming.
"Whose blood!"
The father checked Freddie while he held him. The walls were splattered in blood. The ceiling, too. The bed was ruined. Drenched in blood.
"He's fine," the father said.
He pulled Freddie out of the room. He carried him down the stairs. Freddie's feet dragging against each step. At some point, Freddie stopped screaming.
They drove him somewhere in the morning. He never came back. Cleaners came the next day. Not the normal kind, but a kind from a company that usually cleaned up murder scenes.
"I worked this house once before," one of the cleaners said. "Years ago."
"That's fucking weird," one of the other cleaners said.
"It wasn't a fucking cat that time."
They put the house up for sale the day after that.
"A girl made him do it," the mother said.
That was all she said about it.
Heather tried to cuddle with Daphne the way Freddie had. Daphne hissed whenever Heather would get near her. She would scratch at the air whenever Heather would approach. Daphne followed Heather around the house, always staying a safe distance behind her. Bolting when Heather turned around to grab her. Always nearby and always out of reach.
Heather decided she wasn't a cat person.CNN President Jeff Zucker arrived at Trump Tower in New York on Nov. 21 for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
Don't mess with CNN.
That's the unvarnished version of a message that the network's president, Jeff Zucker, delivered to President-elect Donald Trump in an interview published on Thursday by New York magazine.
"One of the things I think this administration hasn’t figured out yet is that there’s only one television network that is seen in Beijing, Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo, Pyongyang, Baghdad, Tehran and Damascus — and that’s CNN," Zucker said. "The perception of Donald Trump in capitals around the world is shaped, in many ways, by CNN. Continuing to have an adversarial relationship with that network is a mistake."
[Donald Trump vs. CNN. Again.]
Media relations experts — or, really, anyone with an ounce of common sense — would probably agree that Trump doesn't help his coverage by attacking CNN and its journalists. Reporters, anchors and producers are human, after all, and being called "terrible" or "fake news" or "wannabe journalist" can't possibly make anyone more sympathetic.
But journalists are called to try as hard as humanly possible to compartmentalize all that stuff and continue to cover Trump fairly. Revenge is not in the job description.
Zucker's warning that it would be a "mistake" for Trump to keep bashing CNN seems to suggest that the network's coverage might change if the president-elect doesn't knock it off. Consider the reverse: If coverage on CNN could not be affected by Trump's behavior toward it, why would more insulting rhetoric be a mistake? Trump would have nothing to lose.
Thus, it is hard to escape the perception that Zucker issued a kind of threat. He also seemed to engage in a bit of trolling when he said this: "It’s just unfortunate that the most powerful person in the world is trying to delegitimize journalism and an organization that plays such a vital role in our democracy. I think he’s entitled to his opinion, but it’s — to use one of his favorite words — sad."
Zucker, let's remember, knows Trump well. He used to be president of NBCUniversal and is the one who put Trump's reality TV show, "The Apprentice," on the air. He told New York magazine that he still talks to Trump about once a month.
So, Zucker might know what he's doing here. He might know exactly the right blend of strength and poking and logic that will resonate with the incoming president.
Yet he also played into Trump's effort to frame news outlets like CNN as entities that pretend to report information as it really is but actually report information in a certain way because they feel a certain way about him or his party or his supporters. The next time CNN airs a critical story about Trump, he can wave it off and say the network is just butt-hurt.
And it will be harder for CNN to rebut the charge because Zucker did warn that continuing to be "adversarial" would be a mistake.Want a condo with a glass-walled pool balcony? Me neither. I just want one with my own washer and dryer. You'd never guess how many people in my building don't clean the lint-trap after a load of laundry. Unless you guessed all of them -- it's like a pube rainbow in there. This the Bandra Ohm, a 30-story skyscraper designed by James Law Cybertecture to be built in India. Each residential unit features a glass-walled pool for a balcony. Don't want a pool? Turn it into a turtle pond! "I like tuttles." Haha, I know you do, Zombie Jonathan -- I know you do.
Hit the jump for a shot of the whole building.
Thanks to Pesche, who has a tropical beach themed balcony complete with tiki bar and HOLY SHIT WHEN CAN I COME OVER?An introduction to the principles of revolutionary syndicalism written by one of its leading theoreticians--who was also a member of Jules Guesde's Parti Ouvrier Francaise (Marxiste)--which defines syndicalism as "the socialism of institutions" and claims that it is the practical (positive) complement to Marx's (negative) theory; displaying the influence of Sorel, Bergson and Nietzsche, this essay reflects the intellectual atmosphere of the French syndicalist movement at its high point before WWI.
Syndicalism – Hubert Lagardelle
The general characteristics of syndicalism
Syndicalism is the theory that recognizes the role that the workers occupational organizations, when animated by a revolutionary spirit, can play with respect to social transformation. It is a workers’ socialism. By virtue of its concept of the class struggle it is opposed to pure corporativism, whose most perfect model is English trade unionism; by the preponderant role it grants to proletarian institutions, it is distinguished from parliamentary socialism; and by its interest in positive creation and its contempt for ideology, it is differentiated from traditional anarchism.
It has all too often been confused with one or another of these three concepts, so that, in order to properly understand its character, it is necessary to precisely explain how it differs from them. By knowing what it is not, we shall better understand what it is.
Corporativism, parliamentary socialism and anarchism
Corporativism and syndicalism have common foundations; that is, both are composed of occupational groupings. But corporativism does not aspire to change the world. It simply desires to improve the conditions of the workers that it organizes, and seeks to provide them with a comfortable situation in society as it exists. It is neither more nor less than one of the many interest groups that swarm all around us. Just as the capitalists associate in order to multiply their capital, so the workers combine their forces to achieve immediate benefits.
Syndicalism accuses corporativism of thus accentuating corporative egoism. By transforming the Syndicates into Business Agencies, by having no goals other than material concerns, and by setting them on the road of purely commercial undertakings, they only nourish in them a concern for their particular interests, to the detriment of the general interests of all. The proletariat is thus divided against itself into an infinite multitude of disparate groups, which separately pursue their particular demands. No common struggle unites them, no internal bond holds them together, no great political idea inspires them.
Not only does corporativism raise this Chinese Wall between occupational groups, but it also pits the organized against the masses of unorganized workers. It constitutes an extremely harsh aristocracy of labor. These powerful labor organizations, with their short working days and overflowing strike funds, form a gang of profiteers, jealous of their privileges and indifferent to the misery of their neighbors, who have nothing but contempt for outsiders and are only concerned with their own prerogatives. They are hardly concerned with the battles that, below them or alongside them, are fought by other less favored workers: business is business.
Corporativism, in the eyes of syndicalism, by virtue of these characteristics binds the economically higher ranks of the proletariat to the bourgeoisie. A shared bourgeois ideal of life is what impels both these workers as well as the capitalists to obtain advantages by way of the same procedures. The big trade unions, organized according to the corporativist model, can in no way be distinguished from the great employers associations; in both there is the same centralization, the same practice of compromise, the same exclusive preoccupation with financial power. This is natural. Executive authority, indispensable for the smooth running of business deals, is just as applicable to a workers’ business as it is to a bourgeois business. Conflicts between wage earners and capitalists, from the moment that they are reduced to mere disputes between sellers of commodities, can have no other outcome than alliances analogous to those undertaken in commercial transactions. Ultimately, since they accept the principle that money runs the world, the trade unions are logically transformed into savings banks and insurance funds for the proletariat, which accumulate capital in order to make a profit and to manage risks.
Such methods never cease to provide benefits for the positivist spirits who know how to avail themselves of them. It is true that the material successes achieved by corporative practice can sometimes be as impressive as the results of a well-conducted business deal. But they have nothing new to offer with respect to the future of society and have little value for culture. Is it not a characteristic trait of all men and of all groups of men, educated in the school of capitalism, to subordinate everything to the conquest of immediate advantages? And is it not precisely because today’s society values all things according to their commercial values that syndicalist socialism fights against it?
Parliamentary socialism and syndicalism theoretically pursue the same end: the socialization of the means of production and exchange. But syndicalism accuses socialism of being based on an economic fatalism that leads to statism and democratic corruption.
The representatives of parliamentary socialism, in a caricature of the classical observations of the process of capitalism systematized by Marx, have viewed economic development as the mysterious agent of social transformation. The concentration of industry, the centralization of capital, the attrition of the middle classes, the growth of the proletariat, have until recently seemed to be enough to impose socialism as an iron necessity. It was supposed that capitalism would automatically engender collectivism, and the social question became a question of numbers. As for the historical maturity of the proletariat, its ability to replace the bourgeoisie, or its acquisition of political capacity, nobody spoke of these things. The will of the workers disappeared before economic fatalism.
This economic fatalism is accompanied by a political fatalism. The parliamentary socialists believe that the only thing that is necessary in order to change the world is to take control of the State. A simple decree on the part of the political authority, the work of capitalist development is sanctioned, and thus the new society is mechanically created. Both forms of parliamentary socialism—reformist and revolutionary—share this governmental optimism that reduces everything to a simple change of political personnel. Both have the same faith in the magical virtue of power. They are only distinguished by the way they intend to conquer the State. The reformists aspire to take possession of it gradually, in collaboration with the other parties, until the moment when, having obtained a parliamentary majority, they take over the whole structure. The revolutionaries want to take it over all at once, by force and dictatorial methods. But neither seems to understand that the possession of the State by socialist politicians cannot advance matters even one inch. The feelings and the aptitudes of men are not transformed by an order dictated by Power, and the legislative mechanism cannot compensate for a defective reality. The State, a dead institution that lies outside of society, produces nothing: only life is creative.
This error of parliamentary socialism, according to syndicalism, stems from its belief that the parties are the political expressions of the classes. But while the classes are the natural products of the economy and of history, the parties are only artificial creations of political society. Their rivalries and intrigues do not affect the real basis of the social world. There is no relation between the rise to Power of socialist politicians and the progress of the working class. The participation in the government by socialist deputies, such as Millerand, Briand and Viviani, has not changed the nature of the State, has not modified the relations between the classes, nor has it given the proletariat the training that it needs. And what is true of the fragmentary conquest of the State by a handful of socialists is equally true with respect to its complete conquest by the whole socialist party. When Augustus drank, maybe Poland got drunk; but even if a few socialists become ministers or if a few ministers become socialists, the workers will still be workers.
The danger posed by such tactics is very serious: by thus concentrating all the hopes of the proletariat in the miraculous intervention of Power, by telling them that they can expect their liberation by means of an external force, parliamentary socialism has paralyzed in the proletariat all personal effort and has led it away from positive work. Even worse: by demanding the unlimited extension of State functions, it has become confused with vulgar statism, the most depressing of social concepts.
The cause of this is the imitation of the procedures of democracy, practiced by parliamentary socialism. Syndicalism does not believe that democracy is capable of producing new values; in its judgment, it is a regime that, rather than exalting, demoralizes the human personality. This is not meant to imply that democracy is not superior to the regimes that preceded it; insofar as it has realized political freedom and allows the exercise of free expression, it presents a negative side that makes it an indisputable factor for progress. By virtue of its positive side, however, by its mode of functioning, it cannot engender anything great.
What are the foundations of democracy? The individual and the State, which is the product of the individual wills. Rousseau has explained what kind of fiction such a regime is based upon. Political society takes into consideration not the real men of practical life—workers, capitalists, landowners, etc.—but a type of abstract man, stripped of all concrete qualities, who is the same at every level of social life: the citizen. Thanks to this artifice, it can be believed that all men have equal rights, despite their social situation, that they are identical values that only have to be added together and whose law is dictated to them by the greatest number.
Upon this dust-heap of men, the State establishes its dictatorship. Separations are only made for the purpose of its rule. However rare the paradox, it justifies itself by the disorganization that it has itself created. Can there be any doubt that the citizen who has been stripped of everything can do nothing for himself? He is a monarch, undoubtedly, but a weak monarch. Relegated to his isolation, his weakness legitimizes power. The function of the State consists precisely in conferring order upon this chaos of individuals: there is only authority at the top, because there is anarchy at the bottom.
But there is an abyss that stands between the individual and the State that prevents them from communicating directly. They need intermediaries: these intermediaries are called parties. Their role consists in ascertaining and expressing the will of the people. They replace the citizen, they act on his behalf, they are his representatives. Such is the principle of democracy; the citizen is an extra in a play that others direct for him. He cannot exercise his power except by delegation and his mandates constitute so many acts of abdication.
Syndicalism denounces this principle of democracy as being corruptive of the human personality. The representative mechanism assumes, by definition, that the citizen is powerless. He is powerless because he is incompetent. And he is incompetent because he is an abstract person, separated from the real conditions of life, and has to express an opinion, not concerning the problems that touch upon his experience and form the raw material of his existence, but concerning that mass of vague questions, which are designated under the rubric of the general interest, of which he is ignorant. He therefore needs to be replaced by a competent mandatory and, yet another paradox, he himself, who is the incompetent in question, is supposed to encompass his own competence.
Once such a choice has been made, he remains inert. He has delegated his power: now all he needs to do is wait. It is a compulsory laziness. This weak monarch is, at the same time, a lazy monarch. No feeling of responsibility, no notion of effort, no appeal to the vibrant forces of the individual! None or almost none: the simple gesture of the voter, once every four years. An inertia that is aggravated by demoralization. What else could emerge from the haggling, the trickery and the duplicities of vulgar politics, but a horrible debasement of character? The rivalries of the parties are nothing but unbridled competitions among the various constituencies greedy for the sinecures and patronage jobs that the possession of the State offers.
Debasement and mediocrity, such is the lot of the democracies. Let us also add: credulity and mistrust. How could it be otherwise? Must the voter not have faith in his chosen candidate? He chose him on the basis of his promises and his assumed aptitude to fulfill them. Hasn’t everything been said already about the cult of the individual that such a regime engenders? On the other hand, the citizen is, generally, so disappointed by the people he put his trust in and elected that he is disillusioned and immediately afterward regrets his choice. Thus, by virtue of the vagaries of the elections, the fortunes of the various parties wax and wane in alternation. The voter, choosing one party or the other out of caprice or disorientation, indignant at the betrayal of the party he previously voted for, and seduced by another party’s false promises, seems like a lamentable slave of all of them and is the eternal pawn of their maneuvers.
Parliamentary socialism was not the alchemist that was capable of transforming base lead into pure gold. Its democratic tactics undermined its revolutionary claims. It was a party just like the other parties, neither better nor worse. This is not to say that syndicalism disregards its proper, specific role. Syndicalism does not reject parties: it only denies their suitability for the job of transforming the world.
The theoreticians of anarchism have recently been directing a great deal of criticism against syndicalism. I am not referring here to individualist anarchists, whose principles are a priori antithetical to syndicalist premises, but to communist anarchists, whose critique of the State has often been compared to the anti-statism of the workers movement.
Anarchism accuses syndicalism of being too pragmatic and anti-intellectual. Syndicalism was born from the experience of the workers rather than from theories. This is why it shows so much contempt for dogmas and formulas. Its methods are more realistic. It starts from the most humble economic preoccupations so as to gradually rise to more elevated general ideas. It first conduces the workers to defend their own immediate interests in order to later enable them to derive from their own activity a broader idea of the big picture. The least of their conceptions sink their roots into the depths of life. Theory is derived from practice.
For anarchism, on the other hand, it is the idea that engenders action. It relegates the economy to a secondary position, so as to put ideology first. It does not admit that syndicalism is enough in and of itself: the syndical milieu does not seem of any use except as a favorable terrain for the propaganda of ideas. And only if these ideas are imported from outside the syndical organizations, does anarchism concede to them any revolutionary value. Anarchism seeks nothing less than syndicalism’s subordination.
Anarchism also rejects the notion of class and class struggle, which are basic syndicalist concepts. It directs its message not at the workers, but to all men. It is not a movement of the working class: it is a movement of all of humanity. Since in its view ideas rule the world, all men are equally susceptible to being convinced by its message. No social class is privileged with a revolutionary vocation. This explains why the anarchists have devoted themselves with such zeal to ideological culture and bookish education. Scientific superstition, the adoration of the written word, and intellectualism in all its forms have never had more fanatic devotees.
The abstract negation of the State that they have so often formulated is only negatively related to working class anti-statism. Against the State, whose defects they have so mercilessly analyzed, they have only opposed the individual, following Spencer. Syndicalism, on the other hand, marshals concrete institutions against the State. And it expects to gradually dismantle its empire, because it will gradually take over its functions.
The two conceptions also differ with respect to parliamentarism. Anarchism is antiparliamentary, it directs its message at the citizen, it tells him not to vote, and that he should not take an interest in the machinery of the State. Syndicalism is extra-parliamentary: it disregards the citizen; it knows only the producer. But while the realization of its own mission does not require the use of parliamentary methods, it nonetheless leaves the members of the syndicates free to use the political parties external to the syndicates for other purposes. It does not bind them to any dogma.
Anarchism and syndicalism are therefore not at all similar. There is, of course, a new tendency that, going by the name of working class anarchism, seeks to associate itself with syndicalism. In reality, however, it turns its back on traditional anarchist theories, and official anarchism fights against it, considering it a deviation.
The socialism of institutions
Neither corporativism, nor parliamentary socialism, nor anarchism. What, then, is syndicalism? I have referred to it as working class socialism. But it would be more precise to call it a socialism of institutions. What does this mean?
Syndicalism is based on this postulate: the social classes are differentiated by their institutions and their juridical, political and moral conceptions. Each class creates, with relation to its economic structure, its own organs of struggle, thus affirming its particular notion of legal right. And since the classes are thus opposed to one another, not only due to their modes of existence, but also and primarily by their modes of thinking, they appear to the social observer as so many distinct blocs. Their struggles constitute the stuff of history. The objective of each consists in imposing on society its own idea and the institutions upon which it is based. The class struggle, in the final accounting, is nothing but a struggle for a notion of legal right or a principle.
Thus, as I must note below with regard to Marx, all class struggles can be reduced to a dual movement of negation and construction. The movement of negation is exercised through new ideas and institutions. There have really only been two classes that clash on the battlefield of history: the class that represents the reigning order and the class that fights for an opposed order. The other classes are relegated to a secondary position; they intervene to one degree or another in the general conflict, but cannot imprint their stamp on the historical movement.
The bourgeoisie and the proletariat represent the modern social drama. The working class is today the revolutionary class, as the bourgeoisie was the revolutionary class in its struggle in the old regime against feudalism. And it is the only revolutionary class, because of all the exploited classes it is the only one whose liberation is incompatible with the principles of capitalism, property and the State, and this is because it stands outside property and the State.
Syndicalism’s mission consists precisely in organizing the workers for the victory of the new ideal that they bear within themselves. What is this new ideal? It is the right of labor to organize freely. The producers want to free the workshop of all external tutelage and replace the discipline imposed by the employer with the voluntary discipline of the associated workers. The very least that must be done—so they hold—is that the act of production, which is the highest manifestation of man, since it affirms his creative power, should cease to be turned away from its natural destiny, which consists in the emancipation of the individual, and should cease to be the scene of every kind of servitude and parasitism. They add that society is made in the image of the workshop, and that if in the modern world freedom is subjugated, this is because labor is enslaved. The very same principle of authority is the basis of both the employing class and the State.
This new idea of free labor in a free society can only take shape in the form of the trade union type of association. The Syndicate is the extension of the workshop: it associates the producers on the terrain of production itself. It organizes their struggles and responds to the primordial concerns of their lives. Thus, by overcoming the narrow point of view of particular demands, we conceive it to be directed not just against this or that particular employer, but against the entire employing class; it thereby acquires an immense political importance and becomes a revolutionary institution. In this way, the Syndicates, inspired by a great social ideal, play the same role in the emancipation of the proletariat, as Marx said, that the municipalities played in the emancipation of the bourgeoisie.
The syndicalists, for whom ideas are determined by facts, thus discover in even the most insignificant workers struggle the seed of the class struggle. Or to put it another way, the class struggle is nothing but the generalization of these minor everyday exploits, which are thus considered as skirmishes in a wider war. Let us sketch the growth of the class struggle. At first, the revolt begins with sudden and chaotic outbursts on the part of the producers. The first strikes are nothing but the initial sparks of a vague class instinct born from desperation. They nonetheless have the effect of revealing to the workers their collective existence. The workers do not know each other. But through the external discipline imposed by the employing class, their cohesion is maintained. That which is achieved by the employer’s authority in the workshop, is achieved through repeated strikes by way of internal unity; the feeling of solidarity develops. Sporadic revolt, in the form of temporary associations, gives way to permanent revolt in the form of the Syndicate.
The more intense the economic struggle, the more refined it becomes. The strike ceases to be an isolated act of particular workers’ groups and becomes an act of the class. The Syndicate has the goal of not only obtaining material advantages, but also of destroying the right of the employer to intervene in the labor process. In this manner the idea of the freedom of labor gradually grows and is imposed on all the workers who take part in the struggle.
The same phenomenon arises with respect to resistance to the authority of the State. Opposition to the State begins with the presence of government forces in conflicts between workers and capitalists. At first this opposition is limited to the personnel who compose these forces, with whom the workers directly clash. But this opposition is gradually extended to the whole government mechanism, and the State is henceforth no longer viewed by the workers as a benefactor, but as a tyrant. The Syndicate, just as it seeks to displace the employer from his functions within the workshop, also acquires the purpose of depriving the State of its functions within Society. It aspires to deprive it of all its powers, which it has monopolized in an abusive fashion, with respect to the world of labor, so as to appropriate them to itself alone, to which it has the right.
The final act of this struggle is a formidable general strike declared by the producers, who have attained such a degree of organization and ability that they can assure the functioning of the workshop. It is therefore not a question of an illusory intervention by the State, but of the final stage of a process of creative evolution. Nor does this imply that the possibility is entertained of a social transformation that will take place by way of a leap into the darkness, but rather by way of a solidly constructed economic bridge.
All these tactics composed of personal efforts, endlessly rejuvenated, are what constitute direct action. There is no delegation or representation, but a constant appeal to the ideas of responsibility, dignity and energy. No compromises, no special arrangements, but rather the struggle with its risks and its exalting emotions. No flattery of the base instincts of passivity, but rather a continuous exaltation of man’s most active feelings.
But there is more. Syndicalism not only opposes its direct action to the indirect action of democracy, but also opposes its free organization to the authoritarian organization of the latter. Instead of reproducing the hierarchical forms of political
|
His class-based populist appeals are intended to rally white working class base, but also former Sanders supporters,” by Ken Vogel in Novi, Michigan: “As Donald Trump’s campaign works to drive a sharper message down the home stretch, the GOP nominee is increasingly invoking the specter of a conspiracy by big corporations, media companies and donors to elect Hillary Clinton. The warnings, coming in scripted and sometimes personal attack lines in nearly every recent speech, are largely geared towards mobilizing Trump’s base of disaffected white working class voters … Taken together, it represents the fullest and most concise expression -- and certainly among the most consistent -- of an evolving class-based appeal from an unlikely messenger.” With a great kicker http://politi.co/2dg7lJm
FOR THE RECORD….Trump was right! From the Commission on Presidential Debates: “Regarding the first debate, there were issues regarding Donald Trump’s audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall.”
-- “Post-debate polls show Trump slump,” by Steven Shepard: “Donald Trump is sliding in the initial polls conducted after his poor performance this week in the first presidential debate, falling behind Hillary Clinton nationally and in key battleground states after he had closed the gap over the past six weeks. Clinton has expanded her national lead in the first spate of post-debate polls conducted in the days following Monday’s debate on Long Island. And a series of swing-state polls released over the past 24 hours also shows Clinton ahead, with Trump’s numbers slipping in some of the states. Clinton’s post-debate bounce — or Trump’s slump — appears to have staked the Democratic nominee to a low-to-mid-single-digit advantage nationally. Most prominently, a Fox News poll released Friday night showed Clinton three points ahead of Trump.” http://politi.co/2cHZUY4
A message from Everytown for Gun Safety: The House is about to vote on H.R. 8 -- a bill that will close dangerous loopholes in our background check system. Too many people have died and too many lives have been changed forever - now is the time for Congress to finally take action. Vote Yes on H.R. 8. Learn more here.
TRUMP CALLS THE ‘FAILING’ NEW YORK TIMES -- “Donald Trump Opens New Line of Attack on Hillary Clinton: Her Marriage,” by Pat Healy and Maggie Haberman: “Mr. Trump, aiming to unnerve Mrs. Clinton, even indicated that he was rethinking his statement at their last debate that he would ‘absolutely’ support her if she won in November, saying: ‘We’re going to have to see. We’re going to see what happens. We’re going to have to see.’ In an interview with The New York Times, he also contended that infidelity was ‘never a problem’ during his three marriages, though his first ended in an ugly divorce after Mr. Trump began a relationship with the woman who became his second wife. Speaking by phone from a campaign swing in Michigan, he said that he was ‘absolutely disgusted’ that Mrs. Clinton had allied herself politically with a Miss Universe winner, Alicia Machado, whom Mr. Trump had derided for gaining weight. … He asserted, without offering any evidence, that Ms. Machado had once participated in a sex tape …
“‘She’s nasty, but I can be nastier than she ever can be,’ Mr. Trump said. ‘Hillary Clinton was married to the single greatest abuser of women in the history of politics,’ he added about Mr. Clinton. ‘Hillary was an enabler, and she attacked the women who Bill Clinton mistreated afterward. I think it’s a serious problem for them, and it’s something that I’m considering talking about more in the near future.’” http://nyti.ms/2dvPrQg
--POOL REPORT DU JOUR -- @ByronTau: “This is the most ridiculous pool report I have ever sent”: “Spokesman Nick Merrill dropped by the pool hold van in the pouring rain to offer this comment. ‘There’s been a lot of talk about sex tapes today and in a strange turn of events only one adult film has emerged today and its star is Donald Trump,’ adding that he has not seen the film.’” http://bit.ly/2cJ67mQ
--“Donald Trump Appeared In A 2000 Playboy Softcore Porn,” by BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski and Nathaniel Meyersohn: “Trump’s role in the porn is relatively benign and centers around him breaking a bottle of champagne on a Playboy-branded limo while several of the playmates are visiting New York City.” http://bzfd.it/2dyDAGM
NEWT GINGRICH went on Sean Hannity’s show last night and said Trump can’t be tweeting at 3 a.m., and said if he continues to be himself, he might not be president. http://bit.ly/2cJ62zf
TWO NEW TRUMP ADS -- “Motherhood,” featuring Ivanka Trump. SCRIPT: “The most important job any woman could have is being a mother, and it shouldn’t mean taking a pay cut. I’m Ivanka Trump, a mother, a wife and an entrepreneur. Donald Trump understands the needs of the modern workforce. My father will change outdated labor laws so that they support women and American families. He will provide tax credits for childcare, paid maternity leave and dependent care savings accounts. This will allow women to support their families and further their careers.” http://bit.ly/2cIk49f
--“Why,” which starts with Clinton asking “Why aren’t I 50 points ahead, you might ask.” “Maybe it’s because the director of the FBI said you lied about your emails … Or maybe it’s because your policies have allowed ISIS and terrorism to spread. Or maybe it’s because you call Americans deplorable.” http://bit.ly/2dsXcKv
GROUND GAME -- “Clinton launches final-stage turnout plan,” by Gabe Debenedetti in Fort Pierce, Florida: “As the last full month of this presidential contest begins, Hillary Clinton is shifting toward a pure base-turnout strategy, inching away from her all-out effort to lure disaffected Republicans in favor of a traditional get-Democrats-to-the-polls effort that mirrors Barack Obama’s 2012 game-plan. Gone are Clinton’s regular references to winning over moderate conservatives and her sly allusions to GOP leaders meant to give defecting Republicans a framework for abandoning their nominee. With 39 days to go, Brooklyn headquarters and battleground state operatives are activating the massive surrogate machinery, a heavy early voting push, and a large-scale registration offensive they think they need to secure a win in November.” http://politi.co/2dskGiZ
HAPPENING TODAY -- Donald Trump has a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania, at Spooky Nook Sports at 7 p.m.
Playbook Reads
PHOTO DU JOUR: Donald Trump visits a replica of the Oval Office on Friday at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Mich. | AP Photo/John Locher
THE TRUMPS -- TIFFANY PROFILE -- cover of tomorrow’s N.Y. Times Sunday Styles, “The Other Trump,” by Alessandra Stanley: “Mr. Trump’s team appears to be grooming Tiffany -- gingerly -- to pitch in on the campaign trail in the coming weeks, particularly with millennials. Her Instagram feed, which in the past was dotted with party shots of her and a group of close friends who have been called the ‘Snap Pack,’ has been cleaned up, and her Twitter account largely restricted to campaign photos and a fund-raising pitch by Tiffany, and steering clear of any Skittles-like controversies … (Tiffany did not consent to be interviewed for this article, although she did pose for its photo shoot. Instead, the campaign delivered a list of approved contacts. Other family friends who were not on the list said they were instructed not to speak without authorization.)” http://nyti.ms/2cT5YR3
FOR YOUR RADAR -- “U.S. Officials: Thousands of Ground Troops Massing Around Aleppo,” by NBC News’ Courtney Kube and Abigail Williams: “The officials said they are awaiting a major ground operation as troops representing a mix of Syrian regime, Iranian Quds Force, Hezbollah, paid fighters from Iraq (Badr Brigade) and from Afghanistan gather.... The senior U.S. officials told NBC News they hoped the rebels and residents could hold out a few more weeks, but that water is in such short supply, making the situation for those within the city’s confines more desperate.” http://nbcnews.to/2deXbfi
COURT WATCH -- “Supreme Court Faces Volatile, Even if Not Blockbuster, Docket,” by NYT’s Adam Liptak: “There are, moreover, major cases on the horizon, including ones on whether a transgender boy may use the boys’ restroom in a Virginia high school and on whether a Colorado baker may refuse to serve a same-sex couple … There is also the possibility that a dispute over the outcome of the presidential election could end up at the Supreme Court, as it did in 2000 in Bush v. Gore. ‘That is the doomsday scenario in some respects of having an eight-member court,’ said Carter G. Phillips, a lawyer with Sidley Austin. A deadlocked Supreme Court would leave in place the lower court ruling and oust the justices from their role as the final arbiters of federal law.” http://nyti.ms/2dze1kq
-- “Lawyers Move Quickly After Congress Enacts Bill Allowing Suits Against Saudi Arabia,” by WSJ’s Jess Bravin: “Attorneys for Sept. 11 victim families with legal claims already pending in court said Friday they are moving quickly to take advantage of a new law exposing Saudi Arabia to potential liability for the 2001 terror attacks.” http://on.wsj.com/2dfG2Ce
TWO GOOD ISRAEL READS -- Susan Glasser in Jerusalem in POLITICO Magazine: “Did America Just Bury the Mideast Peace Process Along With Its Friend and Ally Shimon Peres?”: “At 93, Peres was the last living link to the era of Israel’s founders, a former prime minister, president, foreign minister and just about everything else, and the occasion was seen by the global dignitaries who came from all over to mourn him as ‘the end of the era of giants,’ as his successor in the largely ceremonial role of Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, put it. Peres was a giant, but of a particular sort: He was a dreamer, a believer in the future even when his hopes for peace were frustrated again and again. In short, he was an optimist.” http://politi.co/2dDtMe7
-- “Obama on Peres: ‘I could somehow see myself in his story’: In eulogizing the iconic leader, the president looks to his own legacy,” by Isaac Dovere: “Shimon Peres, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela: these men whom he’s now led the world’s goodbyes to were all friends — most don’t realize it, but of the three, he actually spent the most time with Peres — part of Obama’s pantheon, up there with Lincoln, Gandhi, King … ‘Each of those men did not change. What happened was their circumstances changed,’ said Valerie Jarrett... ‘When President Obama is not in the middle of the 24-hour news cycle and all the inevitable scrutiny that comes with that, once he’s freed of all that, then he will be able to make an impact in a different way that’s just as productive. When you’re not in the daily scrum, it frees you up in a way that can be very liberating, and your impact can be profound.’” http://politi.co/2dEeVjn
CASH DASH -- “They gave to Trump’s GOP rivals. Now 95% are sitting out the general election,” by LA Times’ Seema Mehta, Anthony Pesce and Maloy Moore: “Nearly 95% of those who first gave to [Donald Trump’s] GOP primary opponents are sitting out the general election, and of those who are still giving money, many are lining up behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton instead.” http://lat.ms/2dEjFWq
-- “‘Dark money’ funds flood of political canvassers in heated Los Angeles County congressional race,” by LA Times’ Javier Panzar: “Voters in Santa Clarita and Palmdale will soon be greeted at their doors by an army of political canvassers funded by a six-figure check from a so-called dark-money group tied to the Republican party … The American Action Network, a nonprofit group that does not disclose its donors, made a $326,250 independent expenditure to a Wyoming corporation to pay for canvassers opposing Caforio, who national Democrats hope can help them win a majority in the House in November.” http://lat.ms/2dhQ3MG
-- “Billy Crystal to host Broadway fundraiser for Clinton,” by Page Six’s Ian Mohr: “Comic Billy Crystal will host a Broadway fundraiser for Clinton on Oct. 17 — with performances and appearances by Julia Roberts, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hugh Jackman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway and Helen Mirren.” http://pge.sx/2dCIvpI
FROM THE RSVP PAGE: To be a “Producer,” it costs $100,000; a “Director,” $50,000, “Changemaker,” $10,000, “Champion,” $5,000, “Premium Orchestra,” $2,700, “Preferred Orchestra,” $1,000 and “Preferred Mezzanine” is $500. The cheap seats of “Mezzanine,” “Balcony” and “Rear Balcony” are all sold-out. http://hrc.io/2dErU4N
A message from Everytown for Gun Safety: It’s been 25 years since Congress enacted the federal background check system. It’s time to finally update it. Vote Yes on H.R. 8. Learn more here.
VALLEY TALK -- “Google Said to Tap Lazard to Review Potential Bid for Twitter,” by Bloomberg’s Alex Sherman and Mark Bergen: “In tapping Lazard Ltd., Google hasn’t indicated it will definitely make an offer for Twitter. But the move suggests that Google is evaluating the option, pitting the search giant against other potential bidders including Walt Disney Co. and Salesforce.com Inc.” http://bloom.bg/2dhIIwz
CLICKER – “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker – 12 keepers: http://politi.co/2deV37k
GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from Great Barrington, Mass. -- he spoke to the student body at Hotchkiss yesterday:
--“John D. Rockefeller: A Character Study,” by Ida M. Tarbell in the Aug. 1906 issue of McClure’s Magazine: “John D. Rockefeller, measured by our national ambition, is the most successful man in the world — the man who has got the most of what men most want. How did he get it, the eager youth asks, and asking, strives to imitate him as nearly as ability and patience permit.” http://bit.ly/2dyD7Ef (h/t Longform.org)
--“A Fatal Mistake | The Sinking of El Faro,” by Rachel Slade in Yankee Magazine: “On October 1, 2015, the container ship El Faro sailed directly into the path of Hurricane Joaquin. When it sank it took the lives of all 33 aboard, including eight New Englanders. Rachel Slade wanted to know what happened and why. You will not soon forget what she found.” http://bit.ly/2d33OvW
--“Hot Mess: How Goldman Sachs Lost $1.2 Billion of Libya’s Money,” by Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel in Bloomberg Businessweek: “When Wall Street’s most aggressive bank took on the world’s most incendiary client, someone was going to make a killing.” http://bloom.bg/2dsjSuu
--“The Spanish-Speaking William F. Buckley,” by Bécquer Seguín in Dissent Magazine: “Buckley’s manner of speaking reminds us of a time when the right valued rather than vilified intellectual pretension. Today, nothing guarantees a nosedive in popular appeal in the Republican Party more than an elitist vocabulary and an ostentatious way of showing it.” http://bit.ly/2deUcU5 (h/t ALDaily.com)
--“Deep Stories,” by John B. Judis in The Nation, reviewing “Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right,” by Arlie Russell Hochschild: “[J]ourneys into the heart of Trump Country.” http://bit.ly/2dkzy11... $17.43 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2dhieLB
--“A New Cuba,” by The New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson: "President Obama’s plan normalized relations. It may also transform the nation.” http://bit.ly/2cWm63Q
--“The Supreme Court After Scalia,” by The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin: “There has not been a liberal majority of Justices since Nixon was President. If Hillary Clinton is elected, that will change.” http://bit.ly/2cPjK4R
--“The Unbearable Smallness of Benjamin Netanyahu,” by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg: “With the death of Shimon Peres, Israel has lost its chief optimist. And the prime minister remains paralyzed by pessimism.” http://theatln.tc/2d36qtm
--“Reflections After 25 Years at the Movies,” by Roger Ebert: “In the past 25 years I have probably seen 10,000 movies and reviewed 6,000 of them. I have forgotten most of those films, I hope, but I remember those worth remembering, and they are all on the same shelf in my mind.” http://bit.ly/2dg9vqJ
--“Putin Has Finally Reincarnated the KGB,” by Andrei Soldatov in Foreign Policy: “Twenty five years after the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s most infamous spy agency is back in all but name.” http://atfp.co/2dkApim
--“The Novelist Disguised As a Housewife,” by Ruth Franklin in N.Y. Mag: “Shirley Jackson wrote 17 books while raising four children — and she couldn’t have had a successful career without them.” http://thecut.io/2dk7wSY
--“My Son, the Prince of Fashion,” by Michael Chabon in GQ: “I took my son to Paris Fashion Week, and all I got was a profound understanding of who he is, what he wants to do with his life, and how it feels to watch a grown man stride down a runway wearing shaggy yellow Muppet pants.” http://bit.ly/2cIqZus
--“How Massive Cuts Have Remade The Denver Post,” by Robert Sanchez in 5280: “Journalists at the state’s largest newspaper once wondered how much more they’d have to endure. Now they’re finding out.” http://bit.ly/2dyBtOr (h/t Longreads.com)
GREAT WEEKEND LISTENS, curated by Jake Sherman:
--GRATEFUL DEAD on this week -- not day, sorry -- in 1980. 9/28/80. Acoustic set at the beginning of the show. Excellent quality. http://bit.ly/2cSX9GX
--FRUITION on 9/19/16. They are in town tonight at the Hamilton. Go check them out. http://bit.ly/2dz8DCe
Playbookers
TRANSITIONS -- ANN JABLON is leaving Capitol Hill after 26 years working for Massachusetts Rep. Richie Neal. A senior Republican said of Jablon: “She is one of the true greats on the Hill, the kind of person that makes the place work, cares deeply about the institution and is beloved by everyone that knows her.”
-- SAM JACOBS has been promoted to executive editor of Time Digital; he is a Reuters, Newsweek and Daily Beast alum.
PRESIDENT’S WEEK AHEAD – “On Monday, the President will participate in the first-ever South by South Lawn event at the White House, joining Leonardo DiCaprio and Dr. Katharine Heyhoe for a discussion on climate change. SXSL, inspired by South by Southwest, is a festival of ideas, art, and action, and brings together creators, innovators, and organizers from across the country for a day of music, film, and conversation. On Tuesday, the President will attend meetings at the White House. On Wednesday, the President will travel to the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida to deliver remarks about the progress made by the Affordable Care Act in ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. Located in Hillsborough County, which has a strong health care system, USF offers a diverse set of training programs for health professions and has led efforts to sign up people for health insurance.
“Following his visit to Tampa, the President will travel to the Miami, Florida area for events for Hillary for America and the Democratic Governors Association.... On Thursday, the President will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the White House to honor the team on their 2016 Stanley Cup victory. This visit will continue the tradition begun by President Obama of honoring sports teams for their efforts to give back to their communities. On Friday, the President will travel to Chicago, Illinois to attend events for the DCCC and Hillary for America... On Sunday, the President will attend a campaign event for Tammy Duckworth before returning to Washington.”
SPOTTED: Mitch McConnell at DCA this morning on a flight to Charlotte flying first class … Bret Baier at Café Milano last night... A conversation between two Marines at DCA yesterday -- one of the Marines was Sen. Dan Sullivan from Alaska.” What they talked about http://bit.ly/2df6RDj... Dan Marino eating dinner last night at Acqua al 2... Rep. Louise Slaughter yesterday on American Airlines flight 5090 to Rochester N.Y., sitting in first row in first class … CBS’ Scott Pelley and Fox’s Ed Henry in first class cabin of a D.C. to N.Y. Acela Friday morning. “Pelley going casual with no tie, Henry in the tie & pocket square.”... New York Rep. Charlie Rangel shopping in the duty free store at Shannon airport in Ireland. Three American government planes were refueling on the way back to the U.S. from Shimon Peres’s funeral in Israel.
WEEKEND WEDDING – Journalist Sulome Anderson married tech consultant Jeremy Berg last weekend at her godparents’ home (Nick and Cassandra Ludington) in Palisades, NY. Anderson is the daughter of former AP reporter Terry Anderson, who was kidnapped for 6.5 years in Lebanon; she wrote “The Hostage’s Daughter: A Story of Family, Madness, and the Middle East” ($19.48 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2d3EG8k)... How they met http://on.msnbc.com/2dl4E8W... Pics by Chellise Michael Photography http://bit.ly/2dsUp48... http://bit.ly/2dz9hQ2... http://bit.ly/2dEimqj... http://bit.ly/2cIkjkS
SPOTTED: Paul Wood and Ruth Sherlock, Matthew Taylor, Loubna Mrie, Nicky Woolf, Elias Groll, Alex Laughlin, Sara Yasin, Anne Cooper and AP alums Don Mell, Larry Heinzerling and Nick Ludington.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD – Courtney Beale, the NSC’s senior director for global engagement and special assistant to the President, and Scott Beale, CEO of the non-profit Atlas Corps, welcomed a healthy baby boy, Colin Worth Beale, on Monday. “Colin weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and is already learning to be a resilient kid thanks to his rambunctious 3 year old brother Elliot.” Pic http://politi.co/2cHOMzk
--Tara DiJulio, senior manager of global public affairs at GE and former longtime Senate spokeswoman, and husband Scott DiJulio, president of DiJulio Contracting, “welcomed their first kiddo to the world, Michael Camden DiJulio, [yesterday]. Michael checked in weighing 7 lbs, 12 oz and 20.5 inches. Although a week late, little Mikey D made it in time for his Husky parents to catch the UW vs Stanford football game.” Pic http://politi.co/2dkAEKi
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Trey Anastasio of Phish turned 52 … Georgia General Assembly alum Natalie Rossetti, who celebrated by flying to Peru for a hike up Machu Picchu -- pic http://bit.ly/2deVQF4 (h/t Colby Bermel)
BIRTHDAYS: Tommy Andrews, director of member services for Speaker Ryan, Boehnerland alum, and the pride of Cincinnati, is 3-0 (h/t Sloane Potter)... former President Jimmy Carter is 92... British Prime Minister Theresa May is 6-0... National Journal editor Ben Pershing is 41... WashPost’s Jose DelReal is 26... Tim Hannegan (h/t Jennifer Poersch)... Rob Seidman, VP at Glover Park Group (h/t Liz Johnson)... Brook Hougesen, comms director for Sen. Joni Ernst and an NRSC alum, is 29, celebrating with friends and family in Chicago (h/t Hamilton the Greyhound)... CNN correspondent Brian Todd (h/t Kevin Bohn) …USDA’s Joanne Peters, an alum of HHS and the DNC (h/t Fabien Levy)... Jennifer Storipan, Rep. Joyce Beatty’s current LD and counsel... Kenny Cunningham of Prism Group... Alex Gleason... AEI’s Joe Antos, a CBO alum... Nikolai Wenzel, associate professor of econ at Flagler College... Politico’s Rose Lichtenfels and Andy Goodwin... Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld... Daniel Clifton, head of Strategas Research Partners’ D.C. office … Michael Knopf, senior associate at MediaLink and an Ogilvy and Mather alum (h/t Christian Emanuel)...
… DGA and Michael Bennett alum Alexandra “Ala” Fox, now a concierge at Yellowstone Club... Cammie Croft, chief community officer and SF HQ managing director at FWD.us and alum of Amnesty International, DOE, White House and OFA digital … the other Charlie Rose, still doing fabulous work at City Year in Boston (h/t Teresa Vilmain)... Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) is 41... Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is 43... Jill Rosche … Scott Rosenthal … CNN’s Evan Semones is 24... David Kerr... Robert Rosen, director of philanthropic partnerships at the Gates Foundation... CRC Public Relations SVP Mike Thompson... Alex Reese, associate at Farella Braun + Martel LLP in SF and a John Edwards and Jeanne Shaheen alum … Theo Yedinsky … Jeremy Lott, Washington Examiner night editor … Eric Laing... Lauren Pfeifle... Candice Rogers... Gretel Truong, film campaign manager at Malala Fund... Debby Wolf... Susan Peacock... Jennifer Lenhart... Lorraine Adams... Vinh Nguyen, chief biz dev and strategy officer at Design Foundry Events... AFP alum Chris Berg... IBM’s Vera Rhoads.
THE SHOWS, by @MattMackowiak filing from Austin:
--NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Rudy Giuliani... Robby Mook... Glenn Beck... Michael Moore... Roundtable: Mark Halperin, Maria Teresa Kumar, Rich Lowry and Amy Walter.
--ABC’s “This Week”: Rudy Giuliani... Bernie Sanders... cybersecurity discussion with Richard Clarke, Julia Ioffe, Garry Kasparov and Adam Schiff... Roundtable: Jonathan Karl, Cokie Roberts, Sara Fagen, John Heilemann and Roland Martin.
--CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Pre-empted for NFL game live from London.
--“Fox News Sunday”: Gov. Chris Christie... Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)... Roundtable: Michael Needham, Julie Pace, Lisa Boothe and Bob Woodward... “Power Player of the Week” with The Washington Ballet’s Julie Kent.
--Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” (10am ET / 9am CT): Diana DeGette... Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.)... Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas)... Jack Welch... Roundtable... Democratic pollster Jessica Tarlov, The Heritage Foundation’s Steve Moore and Ed Rollins.
--Fox News’ “MediaBuzz” (SUN 11am ET / 10am CT): Kellyanne Conway... Brian Fallon... Heidi Przybyla... Mollie Hemingway... Michael Tomasky.
--CNN’s “Inside Politics” with John King (SUN 8am ET): Roundtable: Jackie Kucinich, Matt Viser, Abby Phillip and Manu Raju.
--CNN’s “State of the Union” (9am ET / 12pm ET): Bernie Sanders... Rudy Giuliani... Roundtable: Van Jones, The LIBRE Initiative’s Rachel Campos-Duffy, Neera Tanden and Ryan Zinke.
--CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” (SUN 10am, 1pm ET): Gen. Michael Hayden (USAF, Ret.)... Jeffrey Toobin... Nigel Farage... author and former Australian Julia Gillard (“My Story”)... Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine.
--CNN’s “Reliable Sources”: (SUN 11am ET): NewsBusters executive director Tim Graham and Daily Beast editor-in-chief and CNN political analyst John Avlon... Kristen Soltis Anderson and Margie Omero... WaPo’s Margaret Sullivan and The Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik.
--Univision’s “Al Punto” (SUN 10am ET / 1pm PT): Alicia Machado... Trump campaign surrogate State Sen. Ralph Alvarado (R-Ky.)... Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)... former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana... former Colombian presidential candidate and FARC kidnapping survivor Ingrid Betancourt... Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernàndez... singer Liliana Saumet.
-C-SPAN:“The Communicators” (SAT 6:30pm ET): NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind, questioned by Thomson Reuters’ David Shepardson … “Newsmakers”(SUN 10am ET): SEIU president Mary Kay Henry, questioned by National Journal’s Ben Geman and POLITICO’s Marianne Levine … “Q&A” (SUN 8pm & 11pm ET): Commentary Magazine editor John Podhoretz
--MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton”: (SUN 8-9am ET): New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney... Rick Tyler... Eric Boehlert... Reason Magazine’s Matt Welch... MoveOn.org’s Karine Jean-Pierre... 9-year-old girl who delivered speech at Charlotte City Council meeting Zianna Oliphant and her mother Precious Oliphant
--“AM Joy”: (SUN 10am-12pm ET): Evan McMullin... comedian Judy Gold... Lizz Winstead... E.J. Dionne... Michelle Bernard... Jonathan Capehart... John Fugelsang... SiriusXM host Dean Obeidallah... Joan Walsh
SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/1M75UbX... New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW … Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9... New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF... Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v... Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb... California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl...Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw... All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX
Follow us on Twitter Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
Jake Sherman @JakeSherman
Daniel Lippman @dlippmanStory highlights Howell Raines: Romney press secretary's outburst at reporters part of new GOP whining
He says you know political ground shifting when a party complains about mistreatment
He says Romney faces team more like tough Kennedys of '60s, not usual whiny Democrats
Raines: Romney cries foul when opponent uses his own attack tactics; Dems being effective
Mitt Romney press secretary Rich Gorka's outburst in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, during which he told a reporter to "shove it," is of a piece with the Barnumesque spectacle of his candidate's world tour. But to this veteran of many campaign tours, the incident raises a provocative question about modern campaign history: When and how did the Republicans become the championship party of whining?
Rahm Emanuel brought it up earlier this month with his bracing instruction to Romney to quit complaining about Democrats' negative campaign ads. Such ads, deployed against Rick Santorum et al, were after all the instrument that brought Romney the GOP nomination.
Any short history of the whining sweepstakes should start by noting that a tectonic shift is taking place when the candidates and handlers of one side begin asking, in some form, this question: Why are they being allowed to do to us what we've happily been doing to them since -- to choose a recent precedent to this partisan shift -- the swift boating of John Kerry? You see what's that led to? Why, these Obamians want to turn Romney's brilliant business career into an unpatriotic defect!
The current situation is noteworthy because the Democratic Party seemed to have the exclusive franchise on piteous bleating dating back to Richard Nixon's victory in 1968 and throughout the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush years. Truth be told, the Democrats managed to keep whining throughout most of the triumphant Bill Clinton years.
Howell Raines
The game changer clearly has been Barack Obama, whose surprising taste for bloodying the noses of domestic critics and foreign adversaries seems to hark back to the last time the Democrats were unashamed political warriors.
That would be 1960, when John F. Kennedy and his snarling little brother Bobby made political "ruthlessness," unrestrained campaign spending, Teamster support and Mayor Richard Daley's vote-counting techniques into virtues. The era of bullying Democrats pretty well ended with Jimmy Carter's cardigan sweater and "malaise speech."
Then, with the victory of Reagan in 1980, the Democrats' claimed the whining trophy outright.
Walter Mondale sealed the Democratic ascendancy with his high-pitched complaints about Reagan's "compassion gap." And it has taken Romney to mount a full-scale effort to take back the title. (Pioneering credit, however, must be given to Sen. Bob Dole with his plaintive cries of "Where's the outrage?" in response to voters' apparently bottomless forgiveness for Clinton's shenanigans.)
To find the wellsprings of 2012 Republican whining, I think one has to look at the party's setters of tone and themes.
Start with Romney and his cries of foul over the Obama campaign's use of "Chicago-style" politics. The vibe of this complaint is that of a suburban prep schooler who has wandered into a playground where the mean city boys took his football and then twisted his arm really hard.
The signature moment in this year's use of the W word came in early July when an Obama staffer said that Romney was either a "felon" or was "misrepresenting" in his Federal filing about the length of his tenure as head of Bain Capital. Like much of today's campaign talk, the accusation was hyperbolic, verging on the demagogic. In other words, it was well within the strike zone the Republicans institutionalized in 1988 when they turned the GOP's amiable hitman Lee Atwater loose with his "Willie Horton" ad against Michael Dukakis.
But when the White House dared escalate the rhetorical arms race, Romney feigned outrage. Now he wanted an apology even though he had defended his own blistering attacks last spring on his primary rivals as a standard part of grown-up politics. Romney's campaign even piled one whine upon another by running a commercial showing a plaintive Hillary Clinton saying "Shame on you, Barack Obama" during the savage 2002 Democratic primaries.
"Stop whining!" Chicago Mayor Emanuel, Obama's former chief of staff, demanded on the George Stephanopoulous Sunday show recently. ""If you want to claim Bain Capital as your calling card to the White House, then defend what happened at Bain Capital."
There's something inescapably petulant about Romney's preference for critiquing all aspects of the economy—but not his role at Bain. The Democrats should turn a deaf ear to his pleas for mercy on his record as a businessman and tax shelterer. The new Quinnipiac poll figures showing Obama ahead in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania demonstrate that Republican-style attack politics work for anyone with the gumption to use them, including this year's pugnacious Democrats.
For the rest of this election season, if Democrats are smart, they'll keep reaching into the Lee Atwater bad-boy trick bag and let the season's reigning choir of complaint blend its many voices: the charismatic duo of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, the tea party, the anchors and panelists of Fox News and now the hapless Rich Gorka.
They all seem to know the same tunes: Why don't voters believe what we do? Why isn't Obama the milquetoast he looks like? Why can't we change the photo-op rules for Mitt?Destiny Of Spirits Coming To Vita On March 20
By Spencer. March 4, 2014. 10:40am
Lumines maker Q? Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment have been working together on free-to-play title Destiny of Spirits for PlayStation Vita.
Players collect spirits which you can use in battle, but the types of spirits you collect depend on where you physically are. If you play Destiny of Spirits in North America, you’ll find Native American spirits in the game. Play the game in Japan and you can catch youkai.
Sony held a beta test for Destiny of Spirits back in October. Famitsu reports the game will be ready on March 20 and has been improved since
|
.white=T, as.is=T) #Third, create a network object using the sociomatrix and its corresponding attributes ga.net<-network(ga.mat, vertex.attr=ga.atts, vertex.attrnames=colnames(ga.atts), directed=F, hyper=F, loops=F, multiple=F, bipartite=F)
Now that we’ve got the data, we’re ready to rock and roll. Before going into the modeling, let’s take a look-see at a plot of the network, coloring the nodes pink for the women and blue for the men.
plot(ga.net, vertex.col=c("blue","pink")[1+(get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "sex")=="F")], label=get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "name"), label.cex=.75)
Layouts have some random variation, but here’s mine
We should notice a few interesting features about this network. First, on connectivity, we have a very large component, yet the graph as a whole is disconnected into four separate components. Should the show continue without introducing any new characters, I’d speculate that one of the smaller components would, ahem, “merge” with the larger component. Second, the majority of sexual relationships on the show are heterosexual. Only two edges (torres-arizona and torres-hahn) are same-sex. Likewise, there are no odd-numbered cycles: in a sexual network, cycles of three, five, seven, etc indicate at least one same-sex relationship within the cycle. Third, reflecting the sampling strategy, the network contains no sexually lonely isolates. The minimal degree, or number of ties incident upon a node, equals one. Fourth, the network violates the ex’s ex’s ex taboo. In one study on sexual networks, researchers found a prohibition against coupling with a former partner’s former partner’s former partner due to status implications. It appears that there are at least three cycles in this network that meet the taboo’s criteria. However, it is also well-known that awkward status implications arising from other’s sexual relationships make for compelling entertainment.
Let’s start our formal analyses with a baseline model including just the number of edges and a term, “nodematch,” that captures the network’s heterosexual tendency.
ga.base<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")) #Estimate the model summary(ga.base) #Summarize the model
Here is the output from summary(ga.base).
==========================
Summary of model fit
========================== Formula: ga.net ~ edges + nodematch(“sex”) Iterations: 20 Monte Carlo MLE Results: Estimate Std. Error MCMC % p-value edges -2.3003 0.1581 NA <1e-04 ***
nodematch.sex -3.1399 0.7260 NA <1e-04 ***
—
Signif. codes: 0 ‘***’ 0.001 ‘**’ 0.01 ‘*’ 0.05 ‘.’ 0.1 ‘ ’ 1 Null Deviance: 1311.43 on 946 degrees of freedom
Residual Deviance: 320.47 on 944 degrees of freedom
Deviance: 990.97 on 2 degrees of freedom AIC: 324.47 BIC: 334.17
Confirming expectations, but the number of edges and heterosexuality are significant predictors of tie formation, as the p-value is far less than the conventional significance.05 cut off. The column for “MCMC%” is left as missing, or NA, because this model didn’t require Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation. The coefficients, -2.30 and -3.14, are expressed as conditional log-odds, such that the log-odds of two characters hooking up equals (-2.30)*change in number of ties + (-3.14)*change in number of homophilous (same-sex) relationships. The log-odds that a heterosexual tie will form in the network equals -2.30, equaling a probability of exp(-2.30)/(1+exp(-2.30)), or 0.09. Likewise, the log-odds of a homosexual relationship forming equals -2.30-3.14, or -5.44, corresponding to a probability of 0.004, or exp(-5.44)/(1+exp(-5.44)).
Let’s see what a random, simulated network from this ERGM would look like.
plot(simulate(ga.base), vertex.col=c("blue","pink")[ 1+(get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "sex")=="F")])
Yours will look a bit different, but my plot looks like this
This network does accurately reflect both the number of edges and the propensity toward heterosexual ties, however there is something clearly wrong with the network: some of our nodes are isolates. That is to say, the simulation predicts sexually abstinent individuals. Because no sexually abstinent individuals should appear in our network due to the data collection, the model is underspecified.
While we have goodness of fit measurements produced by the likelihood function, one conventional, systematic way of determining goodness of fit is to compare unmodeled network measurements from the observed network to the same measurements from simulated networks proposed by the ERGM.
ga.base.gof<-gof(ga.base) summary(ga.base.gof) #Summarize the goodness of fit par(mfrow=c(3,1)); plot(ga.base.gof) #Plot three windows. It's OK to ignore the warning.
The plot reproduces the same information printed out in the summary. The p-values in the far right columns are the probability that the simulated networks accurately capture the observed network for a given measurement. We see that in terms of the edgewise shared partner and minimum geodesic distance measurements represent the data quite well. However, if we look to the degree statistics we see that, confirming our visual inspection, the number of abstinent isolates (degree of 0) are overrepresented, the number of nodes with a degree of 1 (monogamists) are underrepresented, and are estimates are off for those with degrees of 3 and 9.
We’ll now add a statistic to the model that controls for the monogamy (degree of 1) effect.
ga.base.d1<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1)) summary(ga.base.d1) plot(simulate(ga.base.d1), vertex.col=c("blue","pink")[1+(get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "sex")=="F")]) ga.base.d1.gof<-gof(ga.base.d1); summary(ga.base.d1.gof) par(mfrow=c(3,1)); plot(ga.base.d1.gof)
Using the previous model’s BIC of 334.17 as our benchmark, we do see an improvement in model fit as ga.base.d1’s BIC equals 316.56, suggesting our addition to the model increased the likelihood beyond the BIC’s penalties against additional parameters. The monogamy effect is also statistically significant. The plot portrays fewer isolates, confirmed by the gof() command. Judging by the goodness of fit measurements, the model seems to be a reasonable approximation of the network, exempting the outlier character with nine sexual partners on the show.
Unlike the previous model, this model used Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation techniques. When ergm() printed output like
Iteration 1 of at most 20: the log-likelihood improved by 0.669
the program was running through probability distributions. We can evaluate the diagnostics of the MCMC estimation.
mcmc.diagnostics(ga.base.d1)
Upon the output, we should first look at second item, which compares the sample statistics against the observed.
Are sample statistics significantly different from observed? edges nodematch.sex degree1 Overall (Chi^2) diff. -0.0968000 0.0232000 0.0534000 NA
test stat. -0.2942081 0.8328180 0.3379779 1.086016
P-val. 0.7685989 0.4049474 0.7353798 0.780451
This looks good, the estimated graphs made by the MCMC aren’t significantly different from the observed. Let’s look at the other diagnostics.
Sample statistics auto-correlation:
Chain 1 edges nodematch.sex degree1 Lag 0 1.0000000 1.00000000 1.0000000
Lag 100 0.8476292 0.47956824 0.7334256
Lag 200 0.7332856 0.26641687 0.6116231
Lag 300 0.6371281 0.17109432 0.5198955
Lag 400 0.5587029 0.12489565 0.4480439
Lag 500 0.4883954 0.08496445 0.3860807 Sample statistics burn-in diagnostic (Geweke):
Chain 1 Fraction in 1st window = 0.1
Fraction in 2nd window = 0.5 edges nodematch.sex degree1 -1.590 -1.068 1.372 P-values (lower = worse): edges nodematch.sex degree1 0.1117691 0.2856841 0.1701817
Overall, nothing looks alarming within the MCMC diagnostics. The autocorrelation statistics between the lags are a bit higher than I’d prefer (they should be closer to zero and far away from one, exempting Lag 0). Also, the Geweke statistics roughly correspond to a z-statistic and while their associated p-values aren’t significant, they’re much closer to zero than one. Luckily, we can adjust some of the MCMC’s default settings to accomodate.
ga.base.d1<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000))
Increasing MCMC.burnin from 10,000 (default) to 50,000 should lower the Geweke statistics. Increasing the MCMC.interval from 100 (default) to 5000 should lower the autocorrelation between lags. If our sample statistics did significantly differ from observed, we would increase the sample size of the MCMC from 10,000 (default) to something like 20,000 or 50,000. The command would be
ga.base.d1<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000, MCMC.samplesize=50000))
We should exercise prudence in increasing these MCMC settings as they can dramatically increase the time of computation.
summary(ga.base.d1) #The figures are mostly the same mcmc.diagnostics(ga.base.d1)
Ta-da! The MCMC diagnostics have improved considerable, suggesting that our latest model is more robust.
Now that we understand a bit more on how to evaluate quality models, we can return to the interesting question of hook-ups! We’ve so far modeled the network on the number of edge, the propensity toward heterosexuality, and monogamy, so what other aspects would be meaningful to analyze? I’d suggest starting with age, because most romantic partners tend to be close in age.
ga.base.d1.age<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1)+absdiff("birthyear"), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000)) summary(ga.base.d1.age) mcmc.diagnostics(ga.base.d1.age) summary(gof(ga.base.d1.age))
The model seems like a decent improvement! The BIC decreased from 316.56 to 297.51, the MCMC diagnostics look good, the goodness of fit measures look generally reasonable, and the age difference is significant and negative, indicating that as the age difference between the actors increases, the chances of their characters hooking up decreases.
Lastly, let’s examine assortativity with respect to racial groupings. Previous studies on adolescent sexual and romantic networks have uncovered assortativity according to racial groupings. Further, the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, intentionally designed the cast to portray racial diversity. Though the show does include a number of African-American characters, along with a handful of other non-white characters, it remains to be seen whether or not cast diversity resulted in racially diverse sexual relationships. First, let’s try to fit a model of general homophily by race.
ga.base.d1.age.race<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1) +absdiff("birthyear")+nodematch("race"), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000,MCMC.interval=5000)) summary(ga.base.d1.age.race) mcmc.diagnostics(ga.base.d1.age.race) summary(gof(ga.base.d1.age.race))
We do find a positive and significant racial assortativity effect, suggesting that tie formation is more likely between characters of the same race. In this show, sexual relationships are more likely to be intraracial than interracial compared to chance expectations. The MCMC diagnostics look good and the goodness of fit measures are in the ballpark. Though the model looks good by most indicators, the BIC backslides from 297.51 in the previous model on age to 298.21 in this model. If we’re interested in a simple explanation characterizing network structure, the previous model on age provides the better answer.
But is it possible that the white characters are homophilous and the black characters less so? Or vice-versa? We can refer to this process as differential homophily. We can model it by adding the parameter “diff=T” to the racial nodematch term.
ga.base.d1.age.racediff<-ergm(ga.net ~ edges + nodematch("sex") + degree(1) +absdiff("birthyear") + nodematch("race", diff=T), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000)) summary(ga.base.d1.age.racediff)
While we can model differential homophily, ergm() can’t interpret the “other” category because the observed network doesn’t feature any sexual relationships between Latinas, Asian-Americans, or Latinas and Asian-Americans. ergm() expressed this difficulty with the following statement:
Observed statistic(s) nodematch.race.Other are at their smallest attainable values. Their coefficients will be fixed at -Inf.
Likewise, the AIC, BIC, deviance, and the effects of nodematch.race.Other are all listed as NA in the summary. Let’s try modeling this again, but excluding homophily among Latinas and Asian-Americans from the model. To do so, we include the parameter “keep=c(1,3)” within the racial nodematch term, as “Black” and “White” were first and third categories listed in the summary(ga.base.d1.age.racediff) effects.
ga.base.d1.age.racediff<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1) +absdiff("birthyear")+nodematch("race", diff=T, keep=c(1,3)), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000)) summary(ga.base.d1.age.racediff) mcmc.diagnostics(ga.base.d1.age.racediff) summary(gof(ga.base.d1.age.racediff))
As with the previous model, we see significant assortativity by racial groups on the show. Both black characters and white characters exhibit tendencies of racial homophily beyond random expectations. This model also indicates that homophily effects are stronger among the African-American characters than the white characters, as indicated by the higher coefficient and lower p-value associated with the nodematch.race.Black term relative to the nodematch.race.White term. Checking the MCMC diagnostics and goodness of fit statistics, the model is a sound representation of the original network. That said, the BIC further backslides to 300.73, indicating that the model is less parsimonious than the general homophily model and the age model.
Let’s see a visual simulation of the model
plot(simulate(ga.base.d1.age.racediff), vertex.col=c("blue","pink")[1+(get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "sex")=="F")])
Yours will look somewhat different, however this model seems to match the original data pretty well. This simulation features a large component, few isolates (if any), a few smaller components, and while the relationships are mostly heterosexual we do see four same-sex relationships (the original featured two).
While the number of hook-ups on Grey’s Anatomy may seem surprising, the issue of dyadic tie formation represents a fairly traditional expression of sexual relationships: monogamy norms are quite prevalent and the vast majority of relationships are heterosexual between couples of similar age and racial profiles. That said, this exploration has omitted a number of alternative explanations that could better represent the network. I invite the readers to play with the data and other ERG models. Some additional examples:
#Perhaps men and women have different tendencies to form sexual partnerships? ga.base.d1.age.sex<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1) +absdiff("birthyear")+nodefactor("sex"), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=100000, MCMC.interval=5000)) #Maybe less "traditional" than previously concluded? #Perhaps you're interested in the assortative mixture among roles in the hospital? #Resident-resident sexual contacts (28) are the reference group, #and unobserved pairings between positions (3-5, 9, 12-15, 17-21, 24, 27) are omitted. ga.base.d1.age.rolemix<-ergm(ga.net~edges+nodematch("sex")+degree(1)+absdiff("birthyear") +nodemix("position", base=c(3:5, 9, 12:15, 17:21, 24, 27, 28)), control=control.ergm(MCMC.burnin=50000, MCMC.interval=5000)) list.vertex.attributes(ga.net) #List the different vertex attributes in the network object get.vertex.attribute(ga.net, "sign") #Provides each actor's astrological sign.?ergm.terms #This command will provide a list of other terms that ergm() can model?control.ergm #This command will present different options on the estimation methods.
Enjoy!by
If things feel more decrepit and worn-out these days, it’s because they are. The average age of the U.S. capital stock is at a 40-year high in all three major categories: nonresidential, residential, and government. Take a look at this chart:
One unpleasant surprise after another, from the top down.
*The age of the residential stock is at its highest level in 40 years, despite the mammoth building boom of the 2000s.
*The age of the government capital has steadily risen over the past 40 years, suggesting great underinvestment in public infrastructure.
*The age of the private nonresidential capital stock has risen more or less steadily since the early 1980s, with a slight dip in the New Economy boom of the 1990s.
Let’s break it down by industry. This chart shows the change in the average age of the capital stock since 2000.
It’s kind of an odd and surprising picture. The sectors which got younger were mining, farming, and transportation. The information sector, which was supposed to be leading the economy, had the biggest rise in average age. That’s because we just weren’t investing enough in information technology over this stretch to make up for the aging of the old physical infrastructure.It sure seems like Jeff Sessions‘ days as U.S. Attorney General are numbered. If Trump’s New York Times interview was not enough to drive him out, the President is now doing everything possible to get him to resign, include calling him “beleaguered” and “weak.” Pretty unprecedented, especially considering Jeff Sessions was one of the only Senators who stood by Trump from the beginning and has repeatedly rebuked the Russia probe himself.
Here at LawNewz, we have predicted that it won’t be long before Trump fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller. (Yes, we know, he technically can’t fire Mueller himself, he would have to get a friendly Attorney General to do it for him). Since Sessions can’t do it since he recused himself from the probe, who will Trump appoint when the inevitable happens and either Sessions resigns or Trump fires him?
There was a rumor yesterday that longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani is being considered for the top job. Those reports were quickly debunked when Giuliani declared that he thought that Sessions “made the right decision” by recusing himself. Some pundits have floated Chris Christie. Not only does he have too much recent baggage (Beachgate and Bridgegate), he also prosecuted Jared Kushner‘s father. So Christie is definitely out. It is an understatement to say that attorneys won’t exactly be lining up to get the job.
That’s why I think Trump’s choice will be obvious: Rachel Brand, who now serves as number three at the Department of Justice. There is little doubt that, at the very least, she will become acting AG if Sessions resigns or is fired.
If Sessions goes, watch for DJT to name Associate AG Rachel Brand, already confirmed, as the acting AG, expecting her to fire Bob Mueller — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 25, 2017
Why? First, she’s got the conservative credentials, loyalty, and the drive to take on the position. In February, she was confirmed by the Senate in a 52 to 46 margin. Plus, Trump won’t be able to find someone else fast enough to take over the position.
Who is she? She attended Harvard Law School and clerked for United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. She served as the top attorney for the United States Chamber of Commerce, and drew some criticism by Democrats at her confirmation hearing for being beholden to corporate interest. However, she has served under both President Bush and President Obama.
Who is Rachel Brand, the associate attorney general under Sessions and Rosenstein? https://t.co/43swMo5LQI pic.twitter.com/WOusMadRa8 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 21, 2017
In a blog post mostly praising her, Jack Goldsmith and Benjamin Wittes (who know her well) wrote that she has extensive experience. They said she is intelligent, fair, independent, and tough-minded. But, they explained, she lacks the prosecutorial experience or “even a background in criminal law practice” that will be necessary if she takes over overseeing the Russia probe.
So what would happen next? Wittes and Goldsmith explain:
First, under 28 CFR § 600.6, it appears that Mueller, rather than Brand, will presumptively make the call on any prosecutorial decisions, though Mueller can “[i]nform or consult with the Attorney General or others within the Department about the conduct of his or her duties and responsibilities.” Second, and potentially qualifying the first point, under 28 CFR 600.7(b), Brand can request, when appropriate, “that the Special Counsel provide an explanation for any investigative or prosecutorial step,” and can, after review, “conclude that the action is so inappropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued.” Third, under under 28 CFR 600.7(c), Brand is the person who can discipline or remove the special counsel “for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies.”
With Trump ramping up his criticism by the hour (literally), changes could be coming, and soon. Stay tuned.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.Before the official release of Peercoin v0.4 on 04/07/14, Sunny King paid us all a surprise visit on the PeercoinTalk chat. I transcribed the entire chat for everyone in the community to read. Before you start reading though, most of what is discussed has to do with an issue raised in the following linked thread, which you may way to read before continuing…
Read This Thread Before Continuing on: http://www.peercointalk.org/index.php?topic=2606.0
iheartcryptocoin: Sunny says “v0.4 Release build is complete and is under final validation. Expect announcement later today.”
Drummel: Yup, just patiently waiting it’s arrival.
Sentinelrv: iheart, are you still here?
iheartcryptocoin: yeah hey sent
Sentinelrv: Have you seen this thread yet?
Sentinelrv: http://www.peercointalk.org/index.php?topic=2606.0
iheartcryptocoin: yeah reading it now
Sentinelrv: I can’t see peercoin.net on my work computer, because it’s too old, but is there any mention of PoW also being used to secure the network on there? I know you originally wrote some of what is on there.
iheartcryptocoin: I did contribute based on what was already there
Drummel: Yeah, I quoted a segment of it. Unfortunately the information is limited, but it is there.
iheartcryptocoin: I didn’t write anything basedon looking at code
Drummel: And I only based mine on Peercoin.net’s information
Sentinelrv: Ok, whenever we find the truth here, it’s all going to need to be corrected.
iheartcryptocoin: I’ve been digging into the code for past several weeks so that I can contribute code though. Plan to go through it all after official 4 release to make sure I can speak intelligently
iheartcryptocoin: a lot on the site needs to be corrected
Drummel: Agreed.
Sentinelrv: It says this on there also: “Acquiring 51% of all existing coins requires more effort and resources than acquiring 51% of all mining power.”
Drummel: I like being an active community member, but I cannot read code so I must rely on Peercoin’s website and the Peercoin community to help me understand it, and with misinformation that slows down the process of spreading the proper word.
iheartcryptocoin: look a it nt on a phone
Sentinelrv: From what I understand now, you don’t need 51% of all the coins. You need 51% of the minting power or whatever it’s called, which is significantly less than buy 51% of all the coins. That’s misleading.
iheartcryptocoin: actually looks like the css has finally been fixed
iheartcryptocoin: nice
Drummel: Right. So for a lame example if 100 people are minting you need 51 of thsoe people to be “evil” it doesn’t matter that 1million people have PPC, they aren’t all minting
Sentinelrv: Yeah, as long as that’s true. All these mistakes are making us look like amateurs.
Drummel: nod
Sunny King: hi guys
Drummel: Heya Sunny, good to see ya!
Sentinelrv: We need to have a talk with Super to get these things sorted out and come up with a game plan.
masterOfDisaster: I feel a bit sorry that I brought this dicussion here
iheartcryptocoin: hey if you lok at sunys paper he describes the protocol
Sentinelrv: Hi Sunny.
Drummel: Agreed, Sent.
iheartcryptocoin: oh hey speak of the devil!
masterOfDisaster: but i think it is worth investing some time in it
iheartcryptocoin: welcome SK, great to see you
masterOfDisaster: hi sunny!
Drummel: iheart, you mean the whitepaper, right?
Sentinelrv: And the chat goes wild!
iheartcryptocoin: yes whitepaper
Drummel: baseball cheering
Sunny King: rc1 has passed on testnet so we are ready for v0.4 release
Drummel: I will look at it again. It’s been a few months I am sure I forgot too much
iheartcryptocoin: The protocol for determining which competing block chain wins as main chain has been switched over to use consumed coin age. Here every tran saction in a block contributes its consumed coin age to the score of the block. The block cha in with highest total consumed coin age is chosen as main chain. This is in contrast to the use of proof-of-work in Bitcoi n’s main chain protocol, whereas the total work of the block chain is used to determine mai n chain. This design alleviates some of the concerns of Bitcoin’s 51% assumption, where the system is only considered secure when good nodes control at least 51% of network mining power. First the cost of controlling significant s take might be higher than the cost of acquiring significant mining power, thus raising the cost of attack for such powerful entities.
iheartcryptocoin: @SK nice, any changes to the code?
Sunny King: there is only a small change to the windows setup file and update of copyright notice. otherwise it’s pretty much same as rc1
Sentinelrv: Hey Sunny, it seems we may have been spreading incorrect information about Peercoin to new people. If you get a chance, can you check it out here. You would know best: http://www.peercointalk.org/index.php?topic=2606.0
Drummel: We talked about a thread that explained transfering the wallet to the new system client. Is simply dropping the wallet.dat file back in enough? Or has anything changed for this release?
Sentinelrv: MasterofDisaster was speaking to your old friend Killerstorm and he brought up some stuff which confused us.
iheartcryptocoin: nice - are you open to some graphical revamps? Code is ready to go if you are - I can PM details for you to take a look
Sunny King: killerstorm has been unfairly criticizing ppcoin project since the start
Sunny King: probably because we worked privately in 2011 and didnot share our technology with another group on bitcointalk
Drummel: Heh, unfairly or not his voice seems to carry considerable weight to people easily swayed or those lost at the sea of information.
Sunny King: who were at the time also trying to design a proof-of-stake system
masterOfDisaster: i know and i think he sometimes choses the wrong tone as well. but is for sure is no idiot and was it his intention or not he helped improving peercoin
Sunny King: ppc’s security is completely based on proof-of-stake,
Sunny King: proof-of-work is used for minting only
masterOfDisaster: the only assisting account i could name is cunicula. but we all know who did create the first successful implementation
Drummel: which we worked out in the thread, but the information posted on Peercoin.net includes stating that you need both 51% mining and 51% of all coins, which seems to confuse people.
Sunny King: this is a bold move the other group couldn’t do because they don’t believe in proof-of-stake as much as we do
Drummel: nod
Sunny King: basically if you issue coins as shares then proof-of-work is not needed
irritant: Drummel: yes that is what i was thinking also
Sunny King: drummel you are right, the 51% on proof-of-stake is the minting coin not the total coins
Sunny King: but it doesn’t mean proof-of-stake security is weaker than proof-of-work, since 51% of mining power is a small fraction of total coin stock value
Drummel: Right.
Sunny King: and the fraction will be smaller and smaller as bitcoin’s inflation rate drops
iheartcryptocoin: 51% on consumed coin age, not on existing coins. An attacker would need to consume more coin age on their cain, and continue to consume more coin age to maintain the attack
iheartcryptocoin: for 51% PoW attack, they’s need ot maintain relative hashing difference, making attackm roe sustainable
iheartcryptocoin: that’s the theory correct?
Drummel: which would be a very costly venture I’d wager.
masterOfDisaster: i started a discussion regarding “PoW dual use”; for coin distribution and for block chain security. i did this for 2 reasons: 1) there is a wide-spread assumption that peercoin is more secure than other coins, because the PoW and the PoS process secure the network (we could consider making that true) and 2) if there’s a chance of enhancing the block chain security, then why not thinking about that?
Sunny King: i don’t think that’s true, that’s the other group’s thesis, they want a hybrid security model mixing pow and pos
masterOfDisaster: but what are the drawbacks of enhancing the security by including the PoW process to the security concept?
iheartcryptocoin: pure PoS is more secure for reason above if theory holds. Can’t sustain the attack. And ipervious to an entity bringing online a massive next gen asic with huge relative hashing power. It shouldn’t be possible to make available a huge amout of coinstake throguh a surprise attack
Sunny King: but if proof-of-stake security is already better, there is really no point of doing that wasting energy
Drummel: I think, if I understand master directly is - he is looking for a flat statement of fact to refute Killer’s comments.
masterOfDisaster: @drummel that would be nice as well, but i doubt that to be doable
Sunny King: mixing pow in security model weakens the pos security and waste energy
iheartcryptocoin: so between pure PoS and pure PoW, PoS security wins vis a vis 51% suceptibility. Seems legit I don’t see any glaring holes in the strat. Adding PoW would allow surprise attack making security weaker
Drummel: @iheart pumping in the Hash Power would destroy the whole concept of “green”. Better just to stay with PoS. Bitcoin will suffer 2 major future problems. 1) MASSIVE bloat in the chain and 2) Power Consumption that is just too insane for it’s worth.
masterOfDisaster: we are wasting energy. the pow process is here. that’s why i called it “PoW dual use”. i was pleading for phasing out PoW once. then i thought it would enhance the security and found it great. now i understand that PoW doesn’t enhance security and think: hey, now that we (still?) have PoW, we could use it to improve security
iheartcryptocoin: PoW is still a benefit because of the economics
iheartcryptocoin: it allows entry into the coin by those who don’t currently hold stake
iheartcryptocoin: without buying on exchange or through other means
Drummel: If Bitcoin is not even 2% of the “bank” network power, could you imagine the cost to run it’s network even at 10%?
Sunny King: i don’t think it enhances security at all. i think baltharzar tried to do it to nvc.
Drummel: I’d think that within 5 years (depending on adoption) Bitcoin’s chain alone will have exceeded 100Gb’s. That’s going to be a whale hehe.
masterOfDisaster: why does mixing pow in security model weaken the pos security? the key is to find a proper BlockTrust for PoW blocks. you could as well enhance the security model by mixing PoW into it - given that there is a proper BlockTrust value that makes my assumption true…
irritant: quote from peercoin.net: “Maintaining the network through the hybrid proof-of-work/proof-of-stake algorithm reduces the risk of the Selfish-Miner Flaw, 51% attacks, and the block bloating that have been used to exploit other currencies.” maybe it is not accurate
iheartcryptocoin: PoW expands the interested community and thus makes the network interesting to more epople and encourages participation. This issue is totally seperate to 51% security issue. PoW doesn’t improve 51% security at all
iheartcryptocoin: @ irritant - no website needs ot eb tweaked, all of the text needs fixing though so that’l get done
Sunny King: it’s simple, with ppc you can’t take over the network immediately even if you have 99% mining power
masterOfDisaster: with a BlockTrust for PoW blocks that is waaaay beyond the BlockTrust of PoS blocks, PoW blocks can’t interfere with a PoS chain that is hiddenly created by an attacker, right?
Sunny King: if you mix then you can
irritant: okay
masterOfDisaster: eeerrrrmmm… not beyond, but below…
irritant: @ihc
Drummel: I understand that part Sunny, but if Checkpointing is removed and you retain 99% of the mining power does that same problem persist?
iheartcryptocoin: @ sunny the one weakness I see in the algo is the incentive for smaller stake holders to leave nodes online when chance of generating stake is so small
iheartcryptocoin: I have an algo that addresses that though
masterOfDisaster: with ppc you can’t take over the network if the PoW BlockTrust is deliberately chosen.
iheartcryptocoin: it’s good t chat in real time, we think very similarly
Sunny King: sorry drummel i was replying masterOfDisaster not sure what’s your question
Sunny King: what problem are you refering to?
masterOfDisaster: may i ask you to join this thread as i think it is easier to discuss complex topics outside a chatbox with little history: http://www.peercointalk
|
physical productivity is higher if A specializes in producing one good which he can produce most efficiently, rather than both A and B producing both goods separately and autonomously. “Or as another example: Whenever minimum wage laws are enforced that require wages to be higher than existing market wages, involuntary unemployment will result. “Or as a final example: Whenever the quantity of money is increased while the demand for money to be held as cash reserve on hand is unchanged, the purchasing power of money will fall.” Another way of putting the matter is that praxeology is concerned with contrary-to-fact conditional statements that are incapable of being refuted (on this see Hlsmann). For example, a minimum wage law will raise unemployment higher than it otherwise would have been, had there been no such law; a rent control ordinance will reduce the quality and quantity of rental housing below the level that otherwise would have obtained. But will a minimum wage law necessarily result in more unemployment, or rent control in poorer housing? No: other things might have changed, to render these predictions incorrect. For example, Bill Gates might hire low skilled workers, in order to refute our analysis, or, wealth might increase, improving housing. Why are praxeologists so tentative in their statements about real world conditions? It is because economic laws are predicated upon ceteris paribus conditions; A causes B, other things remaining the same. But, in the real world, other things cannot be relied upon to always remain constant. Therefore, predictions of the “A will necessarily lead to B” type are strictly prohibited. Instead, praxeologists, but not thymologists, must limit themselves to statements of the if-A then-B variety. In sharp contrast, the thymologist or Austrian influenced economic historian labors under no such restrictions. He can go out on a limb, and make predictions about the future, which are of course subject to refutation. The scholars soon to be mentioned (I sure know how to keep you on the edge of your seats, don’t I?) laid it all on the line in the sense that their economic understanding (verstehen) could be exposed as hopelessly out of step with reality. But, in the case of the housing bubble for these economists, this was not at all true. Rather, their economic understanding was dead on.
The reason I went into this long song and dance about Austrian methodology and prediction is because of this letter I recently received in my quest for housing bubble predictions on the part of Austrian economists; its author shall remain anonymous: “This exercise reminds me of the Yogi Berra quote, u2018prediction is very hard, especially when it is about the future.’ I also recall Burt Blumert saying, u2018It’s ok to forecast the end of the world, but don’t ever give a date.” “I discovered Austrian economics and LvMI in 1989. Here my impressions of the forecasting record of the Austro-Misesian camp since: “Late 1980s – Japan’s property and equity bubbles were classic ABCT, yet Austrians were notably silent. Some of this can be attributed to the small number of Austrians at the time. Joe Salerno gave a speech about the Japan bubble at a LvMI conference in Toronto in 1999 (see here). Unfortunately this was well after the fact. “Late 1990s, early 2000s – Austrians were mostly quiet about the tech/dot-com bubble. There were exceptions among academics (Christopher Mayer, George Reisman, Guido Hulsmann, Sean Corrigan) as well as practitioners (Jim Grant, Tony Deden). I remember discussions with David Tice during the early 2000s about how Austrians were missing a golden opportunity to stick their necks out on the forecasting block regarding the tech bubble. “2002–2007 – Austrians hit a monster home run with regard to the Greenspan response to the tech bust, the GSEs, housing bubble, credit bubble, and gold. This is when LRC took off, amplifying any credibility by getting it right. Btw, the Fed-lite GMU/Koch/Cato camp largely missed these bubbles, a major forecasting black eye. “Today – We have more “Austrian” forecasters than ever. Is China a bubble? The supposedly Austrian-leaning Jim Rogers, Peter Schiff, Jim Puplava, and Adrian Day say “no.” Left-leaning Jim Chanos says “yes.” I tend to agree with Chanos. So what happens to the credibility of Austrian economics if the China bubble bursts? Will the fault lie in the theory or those applying it? “10–20 years ago, most Austrians were highly skeptical of making economic predictions. Now, after one good call, the Austrian brand is attracting a number of self-promoters who have no such qualms. They lack humility and consistency, and ultimately could discredit the brand. Perhaps this is simply the downside of gaining in popularity.” Without any further ado, here is the bibliography. Ordinarily, I would use hyperlink for the URLs that follow. In this case, I will not do so, in order to make it easier for scholars who want to cite (hint, hint) this material in their future publications.
Anderson, 2001, 2003, 2007; Beale, various dates; Blumen, 2002, 2005; Corrigan, tba; Crovelli, 2006; DeCoster, 2003; DiLorenzo, 1999; Duffy, 2005A, 2005B, 2005C, 2005D, 2006, 2007A, 2007B, 2007C, 2007D; Economics of contempt, 2008; Englund, 2004, 2005A, 2005B, 2005C, 2005D, 2006, 2007, 2008; French, 2005; Grant, 2001; Karlsson, 2004; Mayer, 2003; Murphy, 2007, 2008; North, 2002, 2005; Paul, various dates, 2000, 2002; Polleit, 2006; Ptak, 2003; Rockwell, 2008, 462; Rogers, 2005; Rothbard, tba; Schiff, Undated A, Undated B, Undated C, Undated D, 2003A, 2003B, 2003C, 2004A, 2004B, 2005A, 2005B, 2005C, 2005D, 2006A, 2006B, 2006C, 2006D, 2007A, 2007B; Sennholz, 2002; Shostak, 2003, 2005; Thornton, 2004, 2009, Undated; Trask, 2003; Wenzel, 2004; See also Woods (2009, p. 188 for further bibliography). Anderson, William L. 2001. “The Party is Over,” February 20 Anderson, William L. 2003. “Recovery or Boomlet?” July 07 Anderson, William L. 2007. “The Party is Over – Again,” August 30 Armentano, Dominick. 2004. “Memo to Federal Reserve: Increase Interest Rates Now!” Beale, Theodore. Various dates. Blumen, Robert. 2002. “Fannie Mae Distorts Markets.” Mises Daily, June 17 Blumen, Robert. 2005. “Housing Bubble: Are We There Yet?” May 8 Bonner, Bill. tba Corrigan, Sean. tba Crovelli, Mark R. 2006. “Gold, Inflation, And… Austria?” May 31 De Coster, Karen. 2003. “The House that Greenspan Built: Irrationally Exuberant Wall Street Welfare Parasites and Their Fed-God.” September 12 DiLorenzo, Thomas J. 1999. “Regulatory Sneak Attack.” September 16 Duffy, Kevin. 2005A “The Super Bowl Indicator,” February 5 Duffy, Kevin. 2005B. “Honey, I Shrunk the Net Worth,” March 3 Duffy, Kevin. 2005C. “Alan, We Have a Problem,” August 2 Duffy, Kevin. 2005D. “Panic Now and Beat the Rush,” September 24 Duffy, Kevin. 2006. “Are Mortgage Borrowers Rational?” June 24 Duffy, Kevin. 2007A. “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” May 22 Duffy, Kevin. 2007B. “For Whom Do the Bells Toll?” Barron’s, June 18 Duffy, Kevin. 2007C. “Financial Markets on Crack,” August 22 Duffy, Kevin. 2007D. “Mr. Mozilo Goes to Washington,” September 15 Economics of contempt. 2008. “The Unofficial List of Pundits/Experts Who Were Wrong on the Housing Bubble.” July 16 Englund, Eric. 2004. “Monetizing Envy and America’s Housing Bubble.” July 19 Englund, Eric. 2005A. “Houses Are Consumer Durables, Not Investments,” June 8 Englund, Eric. 2005B. “Diminishing Property Rights Will Lead to a Higher Rate of Mortgage Defaults.” Englund, Eric. 2005C. “When the Housing Bubble Bursts, Will President Bush Practice Mugabenomics?” July, 19 Englund, Eric. 2005D. “When Will America’s Housing Bubble Burst?” November 4 Englund, Eric. 2006. “The Federal Reserve and Housing: A Cluster of Errors?” April 22 Englund, Eric. 2007. From Prime to Subprime, America’s Home-Mortgage Meltdown Has Just Begun.” September 24 Englund, Eric. 2008. “Countrywide Financial Corporation and the Failure of Mortgage Socialism.” January 28 French, Doug. 2005. “Condo-mania.” July 11 Grant, James. 2001. Sometimes the Economy Needs a Setback.” New York Times. September 9 Karlsson, Stefan. 2004. “America’s Unsustainable Boom.” November 8 Mayer, Chris. 2003. “The Housing Bubble.” The Free Market. Volume 23, Number 8 August Murphy, Robert P. 2007 “The Fed’s Role in the Housing Bubble.” December 28 Murphy, Robert P. 2008. “Did the Fed, or Asian Saving, Cause the Housing Bubble?” November 19 North, Gary. 2002. “How the FED Inflated the Real Estate Bubble by Pushing Down Mortgage Rates: Report As of 2002,” Reality Check, March 4 North, Gary. 2005. “Surreal Estate on the San Andreas Fault.” November 25, 2005 Paul, Ron. Various dates. Paul, Ron, 2002. Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives, July 16; text of speech in Woods (2009, 16–17): “The special privileges granted to Fannie and Freddie have distorted the housing market by allowing them to attract capital they could not attract under pure market conditions. As a result, capital is diverted from its most productive use into housing. This reduces the efficacy of the entire market and thus reduces the standard of living of all Americans.
“Despite the long-term damage to the economy inflicted by the government’s interference in the housing market, the government’s policy of diverting capital to other uses creates a short-term boom in housing. Like all artificially created bubbles, the boom in housing prices cannot last forever. When housing prices fall, homeowners will experience difficulty as their equity is wiped out. Furthermore, the holders of the mortgage debt will also have a loss. These losses will be greater than they would have otherwise been had government policy not actively encouraged overinvestment in housing.” Paul, Ron. 2000. “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” January 31 Paul, Ron. 2002. “Government Mortgage Schemes Distort the Housing Market,” July 16 Polleit, Thorsten. 2006. “Sowing the Seeds of the Next Crisis.” April 25 Ptak, Justin. 2003. “Government Employees, Go Home!” November 12 Rockwell, Llewellyn H, Jr. 2008. The Left, the Right, and the State. Auburn, AL: The Mises Institute Rogers, Jim. 2005. “Interview with Jim Rogers on the housing bubble.” April 22 Rothbard, Murray N. tba Schiff, Peter. Undated A. Schiff, Peter. Undated B. Schiff, Peter. Undated C. Schiff, Peter. Undated D. Schiff, Peter. 2003A. Commentary, March Schiff, Peter. 2003B. Commentary, April Schiff, Peter. 2003C. Commentary, June Schiff, Peter. 2004A. Commentary, May Schiff, Peter. 2004B. Commentary, June Schiff, Peter. 2005A. Commentary, April Schiff, Peter. 2005B. Commentary, July Schiff, Peter. 2005C. Commentary, August Schiff, Peter. 2005D. Commentary, October Schiff, Peter. 2006A. Appearance on CNBC, January Schiff, Peter. 2006B. Speech to the Money Show Conference, February Schiff, Peter. 2006C. Speech to the Mortgage Bankers Assoc. Schiff, Peter. 2006D. Mortgage Bankers Speech to the Western Regional Mortgage Bankers Conference in Las Vegas; November 13
Schiff, Peter. 2007A. Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (1st edition) New York, N.Y.: Wiley Schiff, Peter. 2007B. Appearance on Fox News – January 12 Sennholz, Hans F. 2002. “The Fed is Culpable.” November 11 Shostak, Frank. 2003. “Housing Bubble: Myth or Reality?” March 4 Shostak, Frank. 2005 “Is There a Glut of Saving?” August 4 Thornton, Mark. 2004. “Housing: too good to be true.” June 4 Thornton, Mark. 2009. “The Economics of Housing Bubbles.” America’s Housing Crisis: A Case of Government Failure, Benjamin Powell and Randall Holcombe, eds., Transaction Publishers Thornton, Mark. Undated. Trask, H.A. Scott. 2003. “Reflation in American History.” October 31 Wenzel, Robert. 2004. “Government Isn’t God: FDIC Sticks Banks With Bad Loans and Sticks Borrowers With Subprime Junk.” July 21 Woods, Thomas E. Jr. 2009. Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse. Washington D.C.: Regnery Publishing
The Best of Walter E. BlockBlackBerry's latest Classic, the aptly named basic pure BlackBerry, released last December, is getting the gold treatment. Vietnamese luxury brand Karalux is offering a 24K gold-plated edition of the phone for business professionals with a penchant for sparkle.
The outer stainless steel frame gets a precious metal coating, as well as the keyboard row separators. The back remains in formal black, but a company branded gold plate below the keyboard makes sure your fellow coworkers know where to enhance their bland stock Classic. The plate is actually customizable though, so buyers can have a text or logo of their choosing engraved on it.
The gold-plating process takes up 4 man-hours of work, and will set you back 7,000,000 Vietnamese Dong ($350). Add the price of the smartphone itself for a total of $650.In preparation for my inaugural piece here at the King James Bible Blog, my thoughts carried me to the purpose of the KJV, as noted on the cover page, which is the act of public reading in churches. With this in mind, I believe that the best place for me to start would be a (extremely) cursory survey of how the KJV is (or, more accurately, was) used in the liturgy of the Orthodox-Catholic Church (commonly known as the Eastern Orthodox Church). This survey will take place in a few different parts: Part 1 will be a survey of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Part 2 will be a survey of the eastern Liturgy of the Hours, Part 3 will be a survey of the western rite Orthodox liturgies of St. Gregory the Great and St. Tikhon respectively, and Part 4 will be a survey of the western Liturgy of the Hours.
In surveying the use of the KJV in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, I have turned to that great text known as the Hapgood Service Book. I will address the other translations of the Divine Liturgy at the end of this first part. After reviewing the contents of the service book, I have come to the conclusion that English Orthodox worship does owe a great deal to both the KJV and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. This is not always in direct quotation, however, as can be demonstrated in the antiphons and other Psalms used within the service.
First, for those unfamiliar with the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (which is the focus for this part because it is the liturgy served 42 out of 52 Sundays per year), I believe a brief outline will be helpful:
Liturgy of the Word (or Catechumens)
Opening Blessing
Great Litany
First Antiphon (Psalm 102 LXX/103 Masoretic)
Little Litany
Second Antiphon (Psalm 145 LXX/146 Masoretic)
Little Litany
Third Antiphon (Beatitudes)
Little Entrance
Trisagion
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading & Sermon
Three Litanies
Liturgy of the Sacrament (or Faithful)
The Great Entrance Procession
Offertory Litany
Nicene Creed
Anaphora & Epiclesis
Litany of Supplication
Our Father
Communion
Prayer Before the Ambo
Final Blessing and Giving of the Blessed Bread
With this sequence in mind, it will be easy for the reader to refer back to sections which will be referenced in what follows.We will begin our survey with the antiphons as they are found in the translation of Ms. Hapgood. The first antiphon (Psalm 102(103)) reads as follows:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul :
Blessed art thou, O Lord. Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and all that
is within me bless his holy Name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits. Who
forgiveth all thy sin, and healeth
all thine infirmities. The Lord is
full of compassion and mercy,
long-suffering and of great good-
ness. He will not alway be
chiding, neither keepeth he his wrath forever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that
is within me bless his holy Name.
Blessed art thou, O Lord.”
And here is the same Psalm in the KJV translation:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits:
who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
who healeth all thy diseases;
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide:
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.”
As can be seen, the texts do not match exactly for several reasons. First, the Orthodox text requires the usage of the Septuagint (LXX) in Old Testament quotations, so variations are to be expected between it and the KJV’s Masoretic text. Second, Ms. Hapgood was translating the text from the Church Slavonic texts that were authorized by St. Raphael, but, it would be my contention that her style was heavily influenced by the KJV and what is perceived to be “religious” English. When the second antiphon (Psalm 145(146)) is considered, the above analysis is the same.
Moving to the third antiphon, the Beatitudes, which will demonstrate that Orthodox worship in English, as encouraged by St. Tikhon and St. Raphael, was consciously placed within the mainstream of the Anglophone religious register, which is the KJV:
“In thy Kingdom remember us,
O Lord, when thou comest into
thy Kingdom. Blessed are the
poor in spirit : for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
they that mourn : for they shall
be comforted. Blessed are the
meek : for they shall inherit the
earth. Blessed are they that do
hunger and thirst after righteous-
ness : for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful : for
they shall obtain mercy. Blessed
are the pure in heart : for they
shall see God Blessed are the peacemakers :
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are per-
secuted for righteousness* sake :
for theirs is the kingdom of hea-
ven. Blessed are ye when men
shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad;
for great is your reward in heaven.”
And from the KJV:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven”
As can be clearly seen, the texts are essentially identical which demonstrates that the KJV was a major guiding influence to the early translation of Orthodox liturgical texts. This can be demonstrated further when one considers the rest of the liturgy, but this is meant to be a cursory review of the KJV’s influence. When one considers that most Epistle and Gospel Books from the early-mid 20th century were also KJV, one begins to realize that Orthodox worship in English was absolutely saturated with the KJV.
Before we end this first part of the series, I would like to make a note of the KJV’s influence on modern translations of the liturgy. The KJV directly influenced other more-modern translations, used by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (GOA) and this author’s own Orthodox Church in America (OCA), through its own revisions. In regard to the OCA, the official website states: “In 1967 the OCA published an official translation of the Divine Liturgy. The style of the text…was based on that of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, from which all direct passages of Scripture are taken.” The RSV is a revision of the KJV which provided its genesis. The GOA, too, uses a KJV revision as the textual basis of its official liturgy in the form of the NKJV. Thus, even in the liturgy’s modern forms, the KJV, through its children, still reigns supreme in Eastern Orthodox worship.
AdvertisementsReal Monarchs SLC Exercise Six Player Options; Sign Three to New Deals
SANDY, Utah (November 28, 2017) – Real Monarchs SLC announced that the club has exercised the contract options on six players from its 2017 roster, while three players signed new deals with the club with one player already under contract ahead of the 2018 season. All contracts are subject to United Soccer League and Federation approval.
The Monarchs picked up the options of forwards Juan Ignacio Mare and Chandler Hoffman; midfielders Sebastian Velasquez and Karsten Hanlin; with defender Michael Gallagher and goalkeeper Andrew Putna’s contract options being exercised.
Midfielders Charlie Adams and Andrew Brody along with defender James Moberg have been signed to new contracts for the 2018 season. Midfielder Danny Cruz was already under contract for 2018.
Additionally, the Monarchs announced that the club has declined the contract options of defenders Kyle Curinga and Max Lachowecki; midfielders Diego Calvo, Daniel Haber, Chase Minter; and forward Skyler Milne. Defenders Emilio Orozco, Riggs Lennon and Taylor Peay are out of contract with the club.
After today’s announcement, the Real Monarchs roster stands as follows:
Goalkeepers: (1) Andrew Putna
Defenders: (2) Michael Gallagher, James Moberg
Midfielders: (5) Danny Cruz, Charlie Adams, Karsten Hanlin, Sebastian Velasquez, Andrew Brody
Forwards: (2) Chandler Hoffman, Juan MareA girl I used to date was picked up at a bar. She sent me a text with a picture attached of a filthy toilet, brown stains, pubic hairs, yellow puddles. “Ewww look at his toilet!” it said.
She didn’t fuck him. Apparently his kitchen was a mess, his bedroom was also unkempt. So clamped shut her legs became, and escape made.
Understand this about women: Things go INSIDE of them. As guys, we shoot everything outside of us. When a woman sits on a toilet she thinks about the germs going inside of her. When she lays on dirty bed sheets she thinks of germs going inside of her. She also associates that filth with YOU.
I have a ritual before I go out at night. I clean my bathroom sink and toilet, sweep my kitchen floor and make my bed. That way if I bring a girl home she is comfortable enough to take her clothes off and hop in my bed. I think like a winner and therefore I win. I assume success.
It’s really easy to tell if a guy is getting laid or not: Examine his personal hygiene. Look at his fingernails, nose hair, bathroom, kitchen floor, bedsheets, and so forth. Guys that get laid keep their shit clean.
Being clean also helps with inner game. When you go out and meet a girl that wants to come home with you and you think, “Shit, my place is gross,” it messes up your inner game.
Keep it clean. Keep it tight.
***I wrote a dirty book full of sex: A Thousand Tiny Failures – Memoirs of a Pickup Artist. It has been called, “Better than The Game, brilliant, and a must read for all aspiring Pua’s.”***A child in shape of son or a daughter is actually a worthy gift. Parents are damn careful about their child and they want him to be best amongst the children in the town. But in the whole race of growing up, study, games, character and success they actually forget so many things which must not be forgotten and ignored. Rather should be kept in mind when you are dealing with a small brain which takes impact so quickly. Yes, most of the children get ignored in the Parent Child Relationship and then they start to loose the real confidence in themselves. I may not be perfect in every case but I felt the anomaly so I thought to write it up.
Parent Child Relationship – Facts to be kept in mind:
I’ll make the relationship, between parent and child, a base and using this base I am going to discuss those harsh realities which most of the kids face because of either generation gap or else due to some unsorted reasons.
Don’t Compare your child with others:
The worst part comes when you start to compare your child with the others. Because of the reason you stop to realise that he has got his very own personality which can be intelligently polished by you. Every human has some specific capabilities which can’t be ignored at all but need to be identified. A positive approach is a key to everything, if you remain positive about your child and try to polish his own skills by trying to make his false points less than before then surely he will feel more confident that the “Authority” means you; is with him. Never compare your child with the others, because no one has same abilities and same clicking power.
If you are not of their age, then at least try to think like them:
The headline may seem quite astonishing to you but actually the sole purpose of this headline is to let parents decide more wisely for their children by getting lower to the child mentality level. Most of the parents never explain the practical realities to the child by thinking that he is small in age but in most cases the mild practical realities must be first shared with the children rather then shocking them later. If you child is scare of something and detests something then try to find the reason, and try to cultivate a poise in his habits. Again I must say here the friendly attitude matters a lot.
Often Generation Gap becomes the Problem – Keep an eye on child:
Generation gap is a problem for those kids of nineties (90’s) who are now in an advanced world but their parents still live in that world where the technology seemed to be impossible. Today, we are at the part where we are going to get wearable technologies like Google glass, which is a revolution. But what will happen if the parents don’t know that what their teenage kids are doing with the smart gadgets. Surely this is alarming if a wise person, who knows what life is, isn’t capable of knowing that in which activity his child is taking part. Parents often never come to know that what their children are doing over the internet or over the social networking sites like Facebook. They are typically unaware of the child security over the internet, because a small mind can cope with all the frauds.
Avoiding the negativity and mess from your child life (Teenager):
Most parents forget this part, they think him still a child but in most cases the teenager child is going to many mature stages of life. Like a relationship, a hard time (Which he thinks so), ignorance from friends etc. Typically we all feel odd if we start to face such things but here parents often don’t come across the fact that what real problem is! Again this can happen because of two things:
Either you are unaware of the internet life of child! Or else you are harsh enough that he never thinks to share with you!
Both the reason strongly affect his life, int his modern age of internet and fast communication. You should be like a friend to him and this should not happen that a friend of him knows him more than you! This is a complete disaster because you will not be able to guide him properly and this whole misunderstanding may cause a huge problem to his social life. Don’t scold him too much that he may be afraid to share with you that what is actually happening inside him. Rather be like a friend and show him the attitude that you really want to solve his/her problem. Show him that you are actually there every time to listen to him.
Respect his own Creativity and Will:
You should respect his own will and creativity rather than imposing your own will on his career, life and way he thinks. A teenage or a child can’t do things which he or she actually detests. You can’t force him to study if he doesn’t know that what is study meant for and why should he spend his energy to get knowledge. Unless you are a friend to him and at the same time having an eye on him, you can’t be a perfect parent.
Don’t Give your child way too much attention:
Giving your child way too much care and attention will actually spoil him and he won’t be able to get the harsh reality of the world outside where there is a war among the people for the sake of attainment of status and money. Let him experience the outerworld with a lesson that the one who does bad actually gets bad in the end. Try to give them a practical approach rather than just scolding them over same mistakes again and again.The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here!
I consider this chapter a gem in the Curse of Strahd module. It is well presented, with some interesting characters, and if the adventurers wish to complete this chapter, they will have to infiltrate Castle Ravenloft to steal from under Strahd’s nose and escape to tell the tale.
A little background info
Argynvost was a silver dragon who moved into the Valley of Barovia disguised as a wealthy man. He was incredible wealthy, had his mansion built and used his resources to attract valorous champions of good to start a knight’s order. It’s explained (page 129) that Argynvost was aware of the Amber Temple, a place of great evil. He made one of his order’s quests, to make sure whatever was in that temple would never be allowed to escape.
Years later Strahd’s army came to the valley and the Order of the Silver Dragon defended the valley (the name wasn’t Barovia yet), not because of allegiance or loyalty, but to protect the Amber Temple from outsiders. Unfortunately, Strahd’s army was much too powerful and they overcame the order. Even with the help of Argynvost in dragon form, they simply had no chance. After killing Argynvost, Strahd had his corpse stripped to the bone and the enormous skull transported to his camp. Years later, after the construction of Castle Ravenloft, the skull was set as a trophy in a dinning room for the barracks under the castle.
Since then the spirit of Argynvost has lost its power and what remains is just his will to rest for eternity, thus requiring his skull to be placed in the mausoleum in his back yard, area Q16 (page 134).
In the meanwhile, such was Vladimir Horngaard’s hate, that he came back as a revenant and brought back with him a small number of other knights as revenants, he is their master and they obey him. Vladimir is only around to ensure that Strahd suffers as most as possible. Their main activities consist in killing Strahd’s lackeys, creatures and adventurers from time to time (Vladimir is aware that more often than not, adventurers are brought as Strahd’s playthings or pet projects, so killing them is another way to torment Strahd.
The hook
Several NPC throughout the module have a mention for Argynvostholt in their information boxes. The first such info-dump comes actually from the hag Morgana in the Town of Barovia (page 48). If stopped from stealing a child, she offers information in exchange of her escape. She tells a story of a group of revenants in a ruined mansion west of Vallaki. She also mentions they are enemies of Strahd.
It works as an info hook, specially if the adventurers get it from different sources. A closer approach is to have a lone revenant “random” encounter (page 31). Although it can be mistaken for a zombie and end up as a regular battle. If the adventurers present themselves as enemies of Strahd, the revenant will not attack, and recommend they go to Argynvostholt and speak with the current leader of their order Vladimir. It even says the revenant can lead them to the ruined mansion.
The Mansion
Argynvostholt is a ruin of its once glorious state. In its time it was the must luxurious place in the valley, thanks to Argynvost’s gold. Some rooms are caved in with only rocks and ruined furniture inside, exposed to the elements. Some have become the lairs of monsters like the colony of giant spiders in area Q4.
Throughout the mansion, the adventurers will see portraits and images of Argynvost as he looked in human form. It is for the players to infer that this person is actually the dragon himself.
There is a particular scene in the mansion with TPK potential, it’s area Q13, the chapel (page 134) Three revenants roam inside and will attack any who enters the room, no questions. Revenants are very tough as they are but these come armed with swords that deal (2d10+4) damage. Serious business here.
Vladimir Horngaard
He was the second in command when Argynvost was still alive and the most faithful knight of the order. After the death of Argynvost he came back to life as a revenant, vowing to end Strahd’s life. He and the other revenants marched to Ravenloft to fight Strahd but were confronted by Madam Eva, who told them that Strahd had died already, becoming powerful but forever trapped inside his small realm. Vladimir was in love with a fellow knight, Sir Godfrey Gwylim (also dead). However, in his current state, Vladimir no longer remembers him and can only think about Strahd. The order has been diminished to a shadow of what it once was. No other knight can do anything because Vladimir is in charge. Vladimir won’t change his mind voluntarily, only the lit beacon of Argynvost can make them see the real picture.
Vladimir is a very interesting character, he shares the PCs enemy (Strahd). But his course of action is the opposite of what the PCs probably want. He explains this in his kick ass speech in page 138. He knows Strahd is dead and forever cursed. No one has ever been able to kill Strahd, but it is assumed that if he’s ever killed, his spirit will be finally at rest. Vladimir would hate such an ending. For Vladimir that is too cheap an exit for Strahd’s sins. He knows that his current state, trapped and cursed to wish for Tatyana’s spirit but never achieving his goal, is the worst hell possible. Killing Strahd is contrary to Vladimir’s goals as stated in his bio (
|
-exchange for Suarez but the Uruguayan’s departure is set to be a straight cash deal.
It means Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment team are prepared to look elsewhere to bolster their forward line.
Liverpool have already registered an interest in Benfica’s Serbia international left winger Lazar Markovic and have been monitoring the situation of Bayern Munich’s Switzerland attacker Xherdan Shaqiri despite having already signed £23m man Adam Lallana from Southampton.
Meanwhile, highly-rated Welsh youngster Harry Wilson has signed his first professional contract with Liverpool.
The 17-year-old left-winger has been a regular for the Reds’ under-18 side and is held in high regard at Anfield.
Last October, aged 16 he became his country’s youngest-ever full international when he emerged as a late substitute during the World Cup qualifier in Belgium, beating the previous record holder Gareth Bale.
Pedro Chirivella and Sergi Canos, both 17-year-old Spanish midfielders, have also agreed professional terms with the Reds.
More Liverpool FC news:
Luis Suarez on brink of Barcelona move
Alexis Sanchez: Why he should join Liverpool and not Arsenal
Six facts you need to know about Liverpool FC target Dejan Lovren
Emre Can: We can win the title
Liverpool FC offer £20m for Lovren but Saints refuse to do business
Reina to return for Reds pre-season trainingGame Details Developer: The Coalition
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: Windows 10 and Xbox One
Release Date: October 7, 2016 (Ultimate Edition Early Access), October 11, 2016 (Standard Edition)
Price: $59.99, £49.99, €69.99 (Standard); $99.99, £79.99, €99.99 (Ultimate)
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Links: Amazon ( The Coalition: Microsoft Studios: Windows 10 and Xbox OneOctober 7, 2016 (Ultimate Edition Early Access), October 11, 2016 (Standard Edition): $59.99, £49.99, €69.99 (Standard); $99.99, £79.99, €99.99 (Ultimate): M for Mature UK ) | Official website
Hindsight tells us that Microsoft's gamble on the Gears of War series paid off not once but twice: first, as a successful tech demo for what its Xbox 360 console could muster in 2006, and second, as an honest-to-goodness contender for the online-combat crown.
Frankly, the game didn't need to be more than a beautiful tease for the lighting and rendering effects of Unreal Engine 3 on console-grade technology, but it happened to distill the important bits of a multiplayer shooter into a gameplay system that kicked butt on an Xbox gamepad. Halo works well enough on a controller, sure, but Gears of War, with its stick-to-cover, turf-control battling system, is the rare online game that might be better with two joysticks and zero mice.
But sticking to the Xbox 360 for nearly a decade meant that the shooter series began to tread water in both of those respects. Gears of War 4, the series' first entry on a new hardware platform, seems to aim its sights at resurrecting the series' original tentpoles: compelling multiplayer combat and jaw-dropping real-time visuals. The game's overall success boils down to nailing those aspects, but Gears 4 also stands as a curious first for Microsoft.
This is a game for a console that doesn't exist.
If you own an Xbox One, you'll have a fine enough time thanks to smooth, 60-frames-per-second multiplayer combat. But the game's best performance—with higher settings and resolutions, still easily locked at 60fps—can only be yours if you have a moderately powerful Windows 10 PC. Microsoft's "Project Scorpio" hardware won't be out for about a year, but Gears of War 4 is letting impatient people sneak their own hardware into the next-gen console party. And in a way, the latest edition of this long-running series proves the Xbox team's promise for that gaming ecosystem's future.
A campaign that nearly spoils the whole package
Before I praise the game any further, I have bad news to deliver: Gears of War 4's campaign mode might be one of the worst I've played in years. It's probably as bad as Battlefield Hardline; worse than any of the overreaching, later-era Call of Duty games. This mode is so bad, I originally dedicated this review's entire introduction to how much I hate it. I have since calmed down in various ways (soak in the tub, lots of candles, pwning noobs) to give the rest of the game a fair, deserving shake.
But this mode, I'd rather throttle. Gears of War 4 pushes the series' clock forward 25 years, and it follows new series hero JD Fenix (as in, OG hero Marcus Fenix's son) with his gun-toting pals Del and Kait. JD and Del were members of the game's COG Army a while back, but now they're not. We're never told in the game exactly why they left the force, nor why they now live in a settlement full of people dressed as if they were extras in the show Firefly. The game opens with JD, Del, and Kai breaking into a military base to steal some incredibly expensive electricity-generating gear for their ramshackle settlement, which sparks a conflict with the leader of the world's new, post-war political and military machine.
Minister Jin decides to pin some recent calamities on our three muske-Gears, and instead of trying to bring them in for a trial or a conversation, she pummels them with waves of robo-soldiers. As they fend off this logically unsound premise, our heroes uncover another threat in the form of the old games' Locust enemies. They've returned in mutated form because, er, their dead bodies from the end of Gears of War 3 were buried in a giant pile in the middle of the Earth and then left alone for decades. (That always ends well.) This spurs JD to invite his father to help with matters.
You might think evolved Locust baddies and a new slew of robotic foes would make up for a game script laden with plot holes and logical leaps—this is Gears, not Shakespeare, after all—but the developers at The Coalition blow this opportunity for refreshed combat, at least in the campaign mode. The Locusts' new monkey-like "juvie" foes prove interesting because of erratic, bouncing movement patterns; they spice up waves of combat with pesky motions that force new tactics, and they're more fun than most games' weak "grunt" characters. (Plus, they blow up real good.) But the other commonly encountered newbies—a flying, gun-mounted drone and a four-legged, shrimp-like, acid-spitting thing—mostly exist to run players out of cover.
This might have paid off, but the level designs are so boring. The game's battles largely take place in straight-line rush rooms, where players' most interesting decisions are, "do I take the left-side cover or the right-side cover?" As a result, if a flying attacker drives a player out of cover, there's nowhere interesting to go, nor is there any cool, new maneuver to exploit. You just have to hold your gun up, spray, and pray. Even a few busy, multi-tiered scenes, with altitude and flanking opportunities to spice up the combat, would've helped a bit. Alas.
Crossplay Want to play the PC version of Gears 4 online with Xbox One friends? Every "cooperative" mode can be played with friends no matter what system they're running on; this includes the campaign, Horde co-op, and "versus co-op" (in which friends team up against AI opponents in various team-deathmatch modes), along with privately matched versus battles. Want to play the PC version of Gears 4 online with Xbox One friends? Every "cooperative" mode can be played with friends no matter what system they're running on; this includes the campaign, Horde co-op, and "versus co-op" (in which friends team up against AI opponents in various team-deathmatch modes), along with privately matched versus battles. Both platforms also support split-screen campaign modes, but none of the others work in split-screen. If only The Coalition had delivered four-player split-screen Horde for PCs! Maybe next time.
You may not die in those tough-sounding scenarios, at any rate—and you certainly won't feel challenged. The artificial intelligence systems on display are pretty rudimentary, meaning enemies show very little interest in flanking your squad, attacking from multiple angles, or even breaking out of a spot of cover if they're not getting anywhere in a fight. Gears 4's enemies do like to jump out of cover and run straight through a giant battlefield while attempting strategically unsound melee and shotgun takedowns. My playthrough of the "hard" mode included characters doing exactly this about once every other battle. (Perhaps they were as bored of these levels and arenas as I was.)
To top all of this off, the checkpoint system is badly paced. If a battle has three or four distinct waves of enemies in which the first three are ho-hum and the fourth is full of insta-kill attacks, you're almost certainly going back to square one if you get caught by a single explosive torque-bow shot. This is the way the game ramps up difficulty, by the way, because even if you play sloppily in harder modes (which I did to test), your AI squadmates will almost always revive you mid-battle if you've been "downed" and not outright killed. They'll also kill a lot of enemies on your behalf in harder modes.
Did I like anything about the campaign? It looks great, and I delighted in a few physics-driven moments in major battles. The final sequence also flips the game's systems for a kooky, one-off battle that offers more fun than the entire rest of the game combined.
Mechanically, the game suffers from awful momentum pacing and uninspired level design. Yet the worst taste in my mouth came from how lousy the characters are developed. Their banter between and during fights is wasted on one-liners, which might be more forgivable if I had any context about what these characters had gone through in the past (or if I learned anything about their personalities). Many of the one-liners are uncomfortably tone-deaf, too. Loved ones are dying and suffering left and right, and JD and Del can't stop making flip jokes about games of rock-paper-scissors. If this stuff was funnier, or if I liked the characters more, I might forgive it.
Gorgeous and scalable gibs
The only reason I persisted with the campaign, other than needing to do so for this article, was that I managed to get it running quite smoothly on my computer at a whopping 1800p resolution with almost all visual toggles maxed out. (This, like Forza Horizon 3, is an Xbox Play Anywhere title. A single digital purchase unlocks the game on both Xbox One and Windows 10 systems, though disc owners do not enjoy the same benefit.) When I first booted the campaign mode on my Windows 10 testing rig (an i7-4770K processor, overclocked at 4.2GHz, and a factory-OC'ed 980Ti), I opted for 1080p resolution to play it safe, only to find I could lock performance at a blistering 60fps with all settings maxed out.
From there, I went straight to Gears of War 4's impressive benchmarking utility for a delightful dive into the world of settings min-maxing.
The Coalition clearly wanted to show off how well it had optimized Unreal Engine 4, so the engine's two CPU-bound refresh rates are monitored at all times, right next to the GPU-bound refresh rate. Two gameplay sequences play out in the 90-second benchmarking demo, with the first showing off a standard, simple gameplay scene and the other recreating one of the game's most taxing visual moments (complete with explosions, particle swirls, and a prolonged test of the game's physics and collision systems). Once the test is over, users are shown a dot path defining the demo's frame rate at all times, along with your system's GPU and VRAM usage maximums. It's all displayed next to every visual toggle you've chosen and a basic summary of your system specs. As you can see above, this is a very readable interface for screenshotting and sharing.
HDR? I have yet to acquire a screen with HDR-10 support, a fact I hope to remedy soon. In the meantime, however, The Coalition was kind enough to demonstrate Gears of War 4 to Ars on its own HDR-compatible monitor, which it did by having half of its LG OLED screen displaying HDR-ified pixels and the other half not. I noticed increased vibrancy, but not by much, and only one object actually looked like its color or brightness depth had been dramatically increased. I asked the game's tester (I wasn't allowed to play this part) to move the camera around, at which point I realized, no, the thing I saw looked the same on a non-HDR display. I certainly didn't feel compelled to rush out to buy an HDR-10 set as a result of the test. I have yet to acquire a screen with HDR-10 support, a fact I hope to remedy soon. In the meantime, however, The Coalition was kind enough to demonstrate Gears of War 4 to Ars on its own HDR-compatible monitor, which it did by having half of its LG OLED screen displaying HDR-ified pixels and the other half not. I noticed increased vibrancy, but not by much, and only one object actually looked like its color or brightness depth had been dramatically increased. I asked the game's tester (I wasn't allowed to play this part) to move the camera around, at which point I realized, no, the thing I saw looked the same on a non-HDR display. I certainly didn't feel compelled to rush out to buy an HDR-10 set as a result of the test. A Coalition representative confirmed that the LG display we were watching had a brightness rating of about 3,500 nits—which is more than the 1,000 nits that non-HDR screens typically max out at but far less than the 10,000 nit maximum that users can expect from HDR-10 displays. Additionally, The Coalition confirmed that Gears of War 4's Windows 10 version will not support HDR-10, and the company was not able to definitively answer whether we should ever expect that to change.
Toying around with this, I found that my 980Ti will never play nicely with this engine while targeting a full 4K refresh. If I want to run Gears of War 4 at 60 frames per second, my system simply can't get there at 3840x2160 pixel depth, even with every setting turned down to "low." By reducing my resolution to 3200x1800, then turning most settings (and there are a lot of settings) to "high" or "ultra," I'm back in a mostly 60fps domain, with the benchmark demo's final portion always bringing me down somewhere between 52 to 55fps.
I'll take that slight interruption on a higher-resolution, higher-settings system over the Xbox One's locked 1080p/30fps campaign mode any day of the week. The Xbox One edition handles many of Unreal Engine 4's best bits pretty admirably, particularly in terms of material-based lighting and how well the game's geometry renders through giant clouds of dust and other particle effects. However, the campaign's textures are just outright muddier on Xbox One, and those are tough to return to once you've seen the PC version handle those in an "ultra" setting—especially at double the frame rate.
Shiny robotic enemies that explode in shrapnel, buildings that fall apart, believable facial expressions, shimmering bursts of light in dark rooms full of little dust particles—they all look damned good even on a 1080p display with cranked-up anti-aliasing (or an easy-to-toggle super-sampling setting, if your GPU has the headroom). The more pixels you can render on your display, the cooler all of Unreal Engine 4's tricks look. Gears of War 4's aesthetics are a far cry from the series' original "brown, gray, and more brown" visual reputation, and both the campaign mode and the multiplayer arenas derived from it shine with sprawling view distances, diverse terrain, and enjoyably gross effects in the "slime, blood, and guts" category.
Listing image by Microsoft StudiosDuring the last decade, NASA has invested billions of dollars into programs with private companies to carry cargo and, eventually, astronauts to the International Space Station. These commercial services were powered by new kinds of contracts for the agency, because they offered a "fixed price" for services and required companies to put in their own funding to develop new spacecraft and rockets.
But the space agency has established a Maginot line of sorts around the planet when it comes to deep space exploration. For example, less than a year ago, NASA's then-administrator, Charles Bolden, said he's "not a big fan" of commercial companies building large, heavy lift rockets that will enable private companies to venture beyond low-Earth orbit. For Bolden, the lines were clear: we'll support you near Earth, but leave deep space to the professionals. "We believe our responsibility to the nation is to take care of things that normal people cannot do, or don’t want to do, like large launch vehicles," Bolden said of NASA.
Nevertheless, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other companies have pressed forward with their plans to develop large rockets capable of deep space exploration. And they're making progress. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy booster, which has 90 percent of the lift capability to low Earth orbit as the initial version of NASA's Space Launch System, is likely to fly in 2017—up to two years before NASA's own big rocket.
Call for deep space
On Thursday during a hearing before the US Senate's Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, SpaceX formally called upon the US government to support public-private partnerships in deep space. Tim Hughes, SpaceX's senior vice president for global business and government affairs, testified. "The principles applied in past programs for low Earth orbit capability can and should be applied to deep space exploration," Hughes said. He referred to NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS program.
NASA, Hughes said, should now consider funding a COTS-like program to run "in parallel" to NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for deep space exploration. "There's a program of record right now that is NASA's central focus for deep space exploration," Hughes said in response to a Senator's question. "But I think it can be readily supplemented with public-private partnerships to allow us to sustain a permanent presence in space."
As examples, Hughes said NASA could set "high level requirements" for companies, such as demonstrating the vertical takeoff and landing of rockets from the lunar surface, delivering large amounts of cargo to the surface of Mars, or building a more reliable communications network between Earth and Mars. All of these projects, he said, would enable the United States to establish a permanent presence in space, rather than fly one-off missions.
COTS works?
Hughes also offered evidence that the COTS program has benefited both NASA and SpaceX to a large degree. For example, in 2011, NASA estimated that it would have cost the agency about $4 billion to develop a rocket like the Falcon 9 booster based upon NASA's traditional contracting processes. A more "commercial development" approach might have allowed the agency to pay only $1.7 billion.
However, by setting a high-level requirement for cargo transport to the space station—and leaving the details to industry—SpaceX was allowed to design and develop the Falcon 9 rocket on its own, Hughes said. The cost? According to NASA's own independently verified numbers, SpaceX’s development costs of both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets were estimated at approximately $390 million in total. NASA got a better deal, and SpaceX got a rocket it could use to fly commercial payloads as well as NASA ones.
It is not clear how warm the senators were to SpaceX's plan, which shares support in the commercial space community from others interested in deep space activities (such as Blue Origin, with its Blue Moon concept). "I think the COTS program has been a great success story for NASA and the commercial marketplace, and believe that the government should look at all options for public private partnership in advancing our nation's exploration goals," said Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.
However, some at NASA will likely resist the notion, as it would mean relinquishing some of the control they have over design and development of rockets and spacecraft under the agency's traditional, cost-plus contracting methods. The beneficiaries of those contracts—including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Aerojet Rocketydyne, and other established aerospace companies—are also likely to be less than welcoming toward NASA opening the door to competition in deep space exploration to new space firms.248 Shares 0
248
0
0
Israeli press accounts of the assassination of the Lebanese pro-Palestinian fighter Samir Kuntar – killed, along with several Syrian civilians, when sophisticated missiles that may have been launched by the IDF leveled much of a building near Damascus – were consistently gloating, self-righteous…and hypocritical. I stress the final adjective, because to grasp the hypocrisy is to reveal a deeply rooted double standard in the way the media have narrated Israel’s war against the Palestinians.
The Times of Israel referred to Kuntar as a “terror chief” and cited anonymous “reports” that he was “assassinated…because he was planning fresh attacks against Israel.” The paper also quoted the brother of a man killed in a 1979 Nahariya raid in which Kuntar was wounded and captured – and for which he served almost 30 years in an Israeli prison – urging more of the same: “I hope that this gets the message across that whoever murders Jews in Israel and in the world will end up like Samir Kuntar…in the Middle East, this seems like the only language they understand.” (The paper had no comment on the racism of this statement.)
The Jerusalem Post carried roughly the same story, happily noting that “the strike underscores Israel’s commitment to maintain full operational freedom and disrupt imminent threats to its security.”
Even Israel’s most liberal major newspaper, Ha’aretz, described Kuntar as “responsible for one of the most traumatic terror attacks in Israeli history,” making it appear perfectly logical that, as the newspaper went on to report, “Israeli officials praised the assassination.” Kuntar’s nearly 30 years of imprisonment did get mentioned, but just barely; the bloody 1978 Israeli invasion of Lebanon that spurred Kuntar (then 16 years old) to lead his desperate raid the following spring wasn’t mentioned at all. Ultimately Ha’aretz agreed with its right-wing competitors that Kuntar’s murder was, in the words of another Israeli survivor of Kuntar’s one and only attack, “historic justice.”
The themes here are laid out clearly enough: the elimination of a “terror chief”…an Israeli commitment to “disrupt imminent threats”…praise for the assassination of the leader of a “traumatic terror attack”…”historic justice.” So what’s missing in all this kvelling over the death of a “terrorist”?
Mainly this: not one of these articles acknowledges that Kuntar’s killing was, in itself, an act of terrorism – nor that his assassination, if anything, damaged Israeli security rather than enhancing it.
Let’s exercise some rudimentary logic. Suppose it’s legitimate for Israel to blow up Kuntar in a Damascus suburb – along with several civilian bystanders – simply because Kuntar once killed a few Israelis and was allegedly planning “fresh attacks.” It surely follows that Hezbollah would be justified in launching missiles at Jerusalem in an effort to kill, say, General Ehud Barak or Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon – each of whom has a much bloodier record than Kuntar, and either of whom could be plausibly accused of planning “fresh attacks” against Lebanon or Syria. Yet I’m confident that Israel would denounce any such attack on Jerusalem as terrorism. Why, then, do press accounts fail to note that Israel’s attack constituted terrorism?
The emphasis on “security” in the quoted passages is also anomalous. Press accounts were quick to mention the possibility of retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah; indeed, it would be difficult to imagine Hezbollah not retaliating after such a blatant act of terror. But in that case, how does the assassination enhance Israel’s security? If it’s really true that Kuntar was planning some sort of attack on Israel, wouldn’t it have made more sense to foil the attack instead of killing off one Hezbollah officer – well known, but ultimately replaceable – after the plans were already laid?
These questions should be obvious; they seem otherwise only because the media studiously avoid raising them. The real problem is the taboo on describing Israel, or its actions, in the same terms the press regularly applies to other states that behave in similar fashion. When Russian troops enter Crimea, mainstream media scream “empire” and “permanent war”; Israel’s routine violations of the Lebanese border are barely mentioned. When Israeli police execute a 16-year-old Palestinian girl wielding a pair of scissors, the girl is described in the popular press as an “attacker” – as if Israel’s forces hadn’t invaded her country before riddling her with bullets.
Jewish liberals outside Israel – the sort usually described as members of the “peace” camp – fall into the same trap. Note, for instance, a priceless moment at the recent, glitzy gathering of self-styled Jewish progressives in New York when Israeli legislator Merav Michaeli (described in the Jewish Week as a member of “the center-left Zionist Union party”) demanded of a Fatah official that to “bridge this thing and find a solution…you have to recognize the right of the Jewish people for the state of Israel in the land of Israel.”
Really? Suppose Michaeli had been speaking to a black civil rights worker in the 1960s, and had demanded – publicly – that he acknowledge the right of the “white people” to their “state of Georgia” or their “state of Alabama”? Would an audience of liberal Jews have applauded her?
Returning to Kuntar: amid the media lovefest over his assassination, it was easy to forget that at least 20 years ago, Kuntar had publicly concluded that attacks on Israeli civilians were “a terrible mistake,” that the Palestinian liberation movement should “recognize[] Jewish suffering,” and that “you have to accept Israel as a fact in order to move on and not return to the cycle of losses…. What you had then [in the 1970s] was a long, vicious cycle, which cost many victims on both sides. It needs to stop.”
A society that claims to seek peace should have sought out Kuntar as a partner in negotiations. Instead, Israel celebrates his assassination and openly weighs yet another bloody invasion of his country. Such grotesque ironies should be obvious, at least to every liberal – if liberals, and Jews generally, weren’t so accustomed to the double standard by which Israel gets to play every game by a unique set of rules.[Photo by: Ryan Phillips]
Story Of The Year are back with a bang. Seven years after the release of their last album, The Constant, the Missouri post-hardcore four-piece return with a new single, “Bang Bang,” off their upcoming fifth full-length album, Wolves, out Dec. 8.
Read more: 10 essential John Feldmann productions
“It’s pretty crazy that it’s been seven years since The Constant.” reflects Story Of The Year vocalist Dan Marsala. “We decided to take a break after that record because we’d been touring for eight or nine years and worked ourselves really hard. But we had no idea the break would last seven years. The time just flew by. We’d do a couple of tours and then say, ‘We’ll start writing next week…’ It’s crazy how time just gets away from you. We all started families during this time off and got preoccupied with that, so the fact that we finally got around to writing new music feels great! The new songs are very genuine, and everything that happened with Wolves happened very naturally. I think people are going to be pleased with it.”
Day two of vocals for the new @storyoftheyearband record is officially complete. I'm so fucking excited about these songs! A post shared by Dan Marsala (@danmarsala) on Feb 9, 2017 at 5:47pm PST
In addition to the growth and change that comes with starting families, another big difference with the 2017 model of Story Of The Year is that the band are now a foursome, following the departure of bassist Adam Russell. When asked about the lineup change and the vibe of the band in general, Marsala has nothing but praise for his former bandmate and the rapport he shares with guitarist Ryan Phillips, previous guitarist-turned-bassist Philip Sneed and drummer Josh Wills.
Read more: Story Of The Year part ways with bassist, post letter to fans on their future
“It’s different now because Adam is no longer playing with us,” Marsala says. “Phil’s move from guitar to bass has brought a different vibe. But Adam leaving was a totally natural process. He didn’t want to tour anymore, so there was a mutual parting of ways, and we’re still friends. Adam actually showed up at our video shoot for 'Bang Bang’ the other day and helped us film, and it’s almost like he’s still in the band – he just doesn’t do the music part anymore.
“The atmosphere is great now,” he continues. “We’ve always been really good friends, but being together that much for so many years meant we needed a break from each other. It’s cool that when we get together now, we’re like, ‘Hey man, I haven’t seen you in a while!’ It’s exciting to play music, because we’re not doing it every single day. It’s been slightly weird because it’s always been the same five guys, and now, without Adam, making this record has been a bit different, but we definitely didn’t want to bring in an outsider. It didn’t seem right.”
Wolves also finds Story Of The Year changing their business approach, as well. Without a label following the conclusion of their deal with Epitaph, the band turned to their fans for financial support via the Pledge Music platform, and Marsala is beyond thankful for the backing the band have been shown.
“It was amazing to hit our funding target so quickly!” he says. “The decision to go with a crowdfunding campaign was something we went back and forth on a few times, because we’d been on a label throughout our entire career. But with our contract with Epitaph ending, the opportunity became available for us to do something different, so we decided to give Pledge Music a try and see how it works. We hit our goal super-quick – I think it was within three days – and that reaffirmed our belief that we need to continue playing music and that there is still a demand for us. It was awesome to have that confirmation from our fans.”
Their fans certainly turned out in droves to make sure Wolves happened; and now, with the release of the sure-fire crowd-pleaser “Bang Bang,” Story Of The Year are returning the favor. A fast-paced, electro-infused rager complete with a catchy chorus, it’s the perfect way of reminding fans why they fell in love with the band in the first place.
Listen to “Bang Bang” below:
“It was the first song I finished vocally and sent back to the band,” Marsala remembers. “Completing ‘Bang Bang’ was the moment where we realized, ‘Okay, this is what Story Of The Year sounds like now.’ That was the point at which we got excited for this new record. It’s got all the classic elements of our band: It’s fast and heavy, but melodic; and lyrically, it encompasses the message of the album at large – the idea of the wolves closing in and time running out. The lyrics on Wolves are some of the most personal I’ve ever written. It’s very vulnerable and dark, but it’s my favorite thing I’ve written in the last 10 years. Life has changed a lot recently, and the record is about growing up and how life hits you. Wolves is a metaphor for time slipping away; how it’s like a pack of wolves closing in. For the last couple of records, I dabbled in politics and socio-economic issues, but for this album, I wanted to get back to focusing on me.”
“The lyrics on Wolves are some of the most personal I’ve ever written. It’s very vulnerable and dark”
This fifth Story Of The Year album is clearly of great personal importance to Marsala. When writing Wolves, the fans were never far from his mind, and he’s got a message for those who are planning to check out the record.
“This album is very personal to me, but I wanted to write in a style that meant people could connect with it on their own level. I want people to hear the lyrics and feel it in their own way,” he says. “Hopefully, Wolves can make someone’s day a bit better, and they’ll hear the music and realize someone else feels the way they do, too. I just want people to connect to it and enjoy it. Wolves isn’t pushing an agenda on anyone. It’s very much me saying, ‘This is where I am in life, and this is what’s happening with me.’ I want people to find some connection with this record. That’s all you can hope for, really.”
Wolves drops Dec. 8, and you can pre-order it via Pledge Music now, with public pre-orders available next Friday, Nov. 3.I’m not going to run the spoiler. I’m not. But last night, I woke at about 2am to see something that had been emailed to me. I tweeted.
Woke in the night. Looked on phone, someone emailed me the final page of this week’s Amazing Spider-Man. Blimey! Night all, as you were. — Rich Johnston (@richjohnston) January 6, 2015
And yes. Basically, the ending of this issue is such a major one for Spider-Man, for Spider-Man lore, for Spider-Man fans that it won’t be a secret for long. If you value your spoiler-free-ness, you should probably just get off now. Don’t go on 4chan. Stay off Twitter. Stay off Reddit. Definitely don’t read a national newspaper any time soon, not until you have Amazing Spider-Man #12 in your sweaty hands.
Bleeding Cool will run… something on Wednesday morning. But no spoiler in the headline or image or first paragraph. But by then I expect it will be everywhere.
See you on Wednesday… until then, here’s a preview of the issue in question.
About Rich Johnston Chief writer and founder of Bleeding Cool. Father of two. Comic book clairvoyant. Political cartoonist.
(Last Updated )
Related Posts
None found"A lot of mothafuckers feel like he the best nigga, so I have no choice," Mook says of Hollow.
Murda Mook wants to battle Hollow Da Don, he said in a recent interview with XciledTV that dropped on March 14.
The two names are frequently mentioned together because both of their fan bases are adamant that their guy is the greatest battler of all time. For a while in 2015, Mook seemed on track to battle Tsu Surf, but those plans fell through and now the Harlem emcee is expressing his interest in taking Hollow.
Mook opens the interview by wondering why fans think he is scared to battle Hollow or Surf when he is coming off a battle against fellow Harlem legend Loaded Lux at "Total Slaughter." "Why would I be scared to battle a nigga or duck a nigga? I battled the most dangerous nigga at the time, at the height of his most dangerous."
Mook goes on to say, "I want Hollow... I don't know if he would give me the toughest match-up because I feel like the angle I would use, people would understand." He continues, "He got the attention of the people you understand what I'm saying so... a lot of mothafuckers feel like he the best nigga so I have no choice but to do that."
Hollow Da Don hasn't addressed Mook directly since this interview happened, although he did drop Mook's name in a since-deleted Instagram post that had lots of his fans speculating on the match-up.
Who would win? Comment below and let us know.In a surprise weekend announcement, Apple and HTC report they have ended all their patent disputes. The financial terms are confidential, but HTC has been on the losing end of the legal action, so it's hard to believe the Taiwanese company didn't pay something to Apple. The new deal includes a 10-year license to current and future patents held by both companies.
The Apple-HTC battle has been going on since 2010, and it hasn't been going well at all for HTC. The company lost a case to Apple in late 2011 at the International Trade Commission, although it quickly worked around Apple's win on what it called a minor user-interface patent. HTC's own trade commission case against Apple phones failed. Despite those setbacks, less than three months ago, HTC was assuring reporters it intended to keep fighting Apple.
Assuming HTC is paying Apple something to make these lawsuits go away, it's on top of the reported $5 per Android phone royalty that HTC is already paying to Microsoft. To be sure, Apple had reasons to settle as well. Litigation is always a headache, and HTC is looking like a small-time competitor these days.
Ending its litigation against HTC isn't necessarily a sign Apple is ready to end its much larger crusade against Samsung. That company is the leading US smartphone seller and a major rival. But Apple has the edge in court right now, and it is likely to push that advantage. Apple is also sparring with Google-owned Motorola over patents.
When Apple first filed its lawsuit, HTC was somewhat patent-poor. It owned dozens of its own patents, compared to the thousands owned by Apple. HTC ultimately received patents from Google to keep up its patent fight against Apple, and also purchased a California company called S3 Graphics for $300 million (primarily to gain its patent portfolio). That didn't help matters much, either.
Apple's case against Samsung resulted in a $1 billion verdict for Apple this summer. Samsung is appealing that, while Apple tries to tack on additional damages and get Samsung products kicked off the market.
The CEOs both released short quotes about today's settlement.
“HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can
|
Yacht is leaving the market has become my go-to smoke. Like most of the Gawith ropes, it is dense and damp, designed to be chucked into a pocket and carried around all day, then packed casually while taking a break, giving it time to dry and separate. Ferocious in strength, and intense in flavor, it is one of those tobaccos that one craves simply because when the experience is good, it is so solidly good that it is unforgettable. As I sampled this new concoction, it occurred to me that I had the percentages entirely inverted, and so the next round was 60-40 in favor of the brown twist. This blend was more appropriately strong and mellowed out the extremes of the Amsterdam, while allowing the Virginias to caramelize together and produce a deep sweetness that harmonized with the nutty and spicy flavors, creating something that is easily stuffed in the pipe and smoked all day without a second thought, but enjoyed on the subconscious level.
Sometimes I mix the basic components themselves, having found that most blends are too dependent on variety of internal flavors to allow them to meld as the components in a good sauce do. Variety can be a form of distraction, so that the tongue experiences a wallop of oregano, then the sting of garlic, a sear of jalapeno and only later, a zing of lemon zest in the acidic warmth of tomato sauce. An excellent sauce, on the other hand, becomes its own flavor, and the best of those have depth, which is one of those indefinable landmarks of human experience that becomes immensely satisfying because the basic flavor may be enjoyed, and then within it nuance emerges from its constituent components working in balance to become more than the sum of their parts. It is the opposite of distraction; it demands concentration and rewards that with both endless subtle variety and instruction of the taste buds in perceiving fine distinctions, much like a walk through the deep woods both reveals infinite experience and sharpens the mind, eyes and soul.
In these less-distracting blends, the foundation comes from the Burley/Virginia mixture. The general formula is to use about 3:1 Dark Burley to White Burley, mixed with a 2:1 Bright Virginia to Red Virginia mix, in a 3:2 ratio. On top of that, one may add the condimental leaf, such that one can mix the foundation 4:1 with a combination of Latakia and Orientals for an English, or 4:1 with a blend of mostly Perique and more Bright Virginia and a touch of Cigar Leaf for a quality Va/Per, or even my personal favorite, which is to top it in the 4:1 ratio with a well-churned wad of equal parts Dark Fired Kentucky Burley and Cigar Leaf. The latter smokes like a caramel cigar and while only a nudge over medium strength, can provide a smoke of some depth throughout the day. I sometimes pour a half-ounce of Bourbon into a quarter cup of distilled water, then wet to the desired zone of about 15% moisture by weight, so that a pound of the mixture would receive just under two ounces of this flavoring agent, but of late, the flavor of the leaf alone has predominated.
At some point, I would like to make this mixture into a plug. These are an old UK tradition, enabled by the steam press, which uses steam as its power source and does not actually steam the tobacco. These giant machines could apply hundreds of tons of pressure, and so leaves of tobacco were piled on a metal base, alternating between different types: Virginia, Burley, Dark Fired, Virginia, Virginia, Burley, Cigar, and so on. These were lightly soaked in a flavoring mixture, usually based in anisette, honey, vinegar and other natural flavors, and then the press was fired up and used to crush these leaves flat so that they took up a tenth or less of their original volume. This process shatters the cells in the leaves and thoroughly melds internal fluids and flavorings, which then allows the aging process to accelerate, removing ammonia and acids and replacing them with a gentle sweet and broad flavor. The compression enables more of the nicotine to be absorbed by the smoker and infiltrates the flavoring into the leaf itself, so that the day-long smoker could reach into a pocket and extract what looks like a brown square of rubber, trim off a few flakes and stuff them in the pipe, then enjoy the kind of high-nicotine and intense but powerful flavor that enables concentration while appreciating a constant infusion of a pleasant-tasting smoke. If you want to explore these, Peterson’s Perfect Plug is available at most tobacconists and provides an excellent introduction to technique and appreciation.
Mind-Programming
The flip side of “self-expression” is that others are using their appearance to you as a means to make you like them and agree with them. Human life, since we are sedentary pack animals, is to have a hierarchy, and hierarchy is either won by ability or by social factors. Consider this: everything someone else says or does constitutes an argument, or a thesis about what is true or “should” be true. When they dress in ironic clothing, they are advancing an argument for a certain type of individualism that believes outward traits create or convey inward traits. When they dress plainly, and act forthrightly, the opposite is being proposed: outward traits are a vocabulary that is deceptive, and inward traits create the outer, which if one is honest, does not consist of sending signals or postulates to an assembled audience.
The effects of this can be seen in the history of metal, as described in a comment on the (brief) history of metal after the fall:
In 1994, it was apparent that death metal was slowing down just as black metal was getting popular, but by the following year, it was clear that black metal was slowing down as well. By 1996, “Stormblast” was out and all the kiddies came surging into the genre with the same thoughtless middle-class desperation with which they attached themselves to other trends. This created a great financial opportunity to put keyboards and howl-vocals on mediocre metal and rock and re-sell it as black metal. In the meantime, a new thing called the “funderground” formed where idiots pretended they were fighting back against this commercialism by listening to old punk riffs repeated with worse production and faster drums, black metal vocals. This was a double-barrelled shotgun pointed at metal: the goofy, vapid and effete mainstream black metal versus the three-chord droning nothing-music of the funderground. Both worked to lower standards. At that point, the record labels do what they always do, which is to start making “innovations” that are really deviations to the mean. So we got rock-metal, punk-metal and emo-metal, and eventually the latter took over as a new generation of clueless millennials fled the ruins of punk rock. At this point, metal has not existed for over two decades, but idiots keep insisting it does, while a few lone voices like DMU champion the good stuff that is neither pantywaist nor funderground, because we know that metal will return after spending a generation in the mainstream or otherwise incubating outside of the strict genre. We are mostly waiting for it to become unpopular again so all the idiots, glad-handers, scenesters, hipsters, poseurs and middle class gaping mouthed teenagers leave so that they no longer exert a market force that rewards moronic music and punishes ballsy or intelligent music.
Outward replaced inner here. Early black metal was intensely antisocial, and so the musicians created a communication which was designed to create a certain meditative space associated with an outlook on the world, and then to tell stories of experience within it, taking the listener from unformed perceptions to complete visions, even if these were more focused on the existential side rather than the practical. That is what art does; advertising, on the other hand, expresses something so that those listening will perform an act of a finite nature. In most cases, this is to adopt the music as a type of outward adornment, and to use it to excuse behavior, much like the outwardly cynical but inwardly conformist teenager who likes rebellious music but wants it to be at its core very similar to the rock ‘n roll that his friends like so that they have “common ground,” much like a committee seeking a compromise so they can stamp out another project or product and despite its mediocrity, claim it as relevant.
Ideology — thoughts contrary to realism and based in what “should” be from an entirely human perspective, a.k.a. a social outlook — is mind-programming that attempts to make all minds identical on certain topics. Naturally, the first task in ideology club is to disguise that through deceptive language or symbols so that the “mark” — the sucker whose mind you are trying to program — does not realize he is being conned, and thinks that the idea developed in his mind, when really it was a natural extension of the concept you gave him. A simple ideology is “Support the Underground.” On the surface, it means simply to take part and buy the stuff. But then categories deceive us. If a band is labeled underground, you kind of have to support it… because you support the underground, namely the whole thing. This benefits mediocre bands who slap out some junk and then tell everyone to support the underground, which really means to buy their stuff, and then everyone else gets in the game as well. It is not like you signed up for “Support the Good Stuff in the Underground,” or even “Support Talented Underground Musicians.” You are there to support this thing as a whole, and anyone can join in and then you are obligated to support them or feel the sting of guilt, which is really fear that others will see and not approve of you anymore. Another one is to favor “peace.” If you want peace, any time a war comes about, you have to realize that it is the opposite category of what you support, and so your friends expect you to be against it, even if that war will bring about greater peace later. You can try explaining your more complex rationale, but when you are facing a group, you know that whatever is simplest and makes people feel good will win, and having everyone join together in a simple pursuit then makes everyone feel included and they all have warm feelings, and if you deviate from this, they will think that you ruined their good time and turn on you.
Politics is Like AIDS
Maybe you have never had a mental virus grab hold of you and compel you to be obedient. The point of a mental virus is to make a crowd, because then when someone says to do the good thing because the bad thing is bad, everyone does what the controller says. That causes a problem because in a crowd, anyone can shout out that something is bad and have a personal army, so the herd instead develops all sorts of little in-jokes, memes, tokens, riffs, tropes and trends, and so only those who use the right combination of these can unlock the witch hunt mob. Generally, the most successful controllers are oriented toward witch hunts because destruction is more immediate than creation, and so it seems more powerful when you are in the moment, which means that being in a crowd means that you can feel good about destroying things because you have rationalized what you are doing as good, which means that whatever you oppose is bad, and people love destroying because it makes them feel powerful.
The core of the impulse to destroy is not a disinterested non-opinion, like a nihilist would have, but an affirmative opinion by those who need something external to substitute for the parts of their personalities removed by ideology, abuse, underconfidence, alcoholism/drugs, body issues, dirty secrets, neurosis, mild schizophrenia, sociopathy and other deficits. When you have something to hide, the best camouflage is a strong opinion and a ¡mission! which makes you look self-possessed, together and guided by higher purpose. This is why most empty or confused people LARP as being artists, philosophers, peace activists, martyrs, religious leaders and ideologues. It lets them cover up that hole within by using some kind of cover story that they eventually buy into, at which point they lose the sense of irony and it takes over their brain and they become followers, which is why so many of them self-sacrifice or are willing to face incredible negatives. That is not as simple as suicide bombers, although they are part of it, but is more commonly seen in people who like getting beat up and arrested at protests, or even going to jail for committing pointless crimes. They may have screwed up, but they screwed up for “our team” and so they are no longer fractured souls, but remade men who are going to dominate the world, even if they will only be doing that after they get out of prison. Suicide bombers just take this to the immaculate suicide level: they cannot screw up after they are dead, so they go out on a high note. Alternate Biblical interpretation: Jesus was a suicide, and God decided to screw up his plans by making him come back and be the non-immaculate guy who forgets where his keys are, eats too many donuts and throws up in church, forgets to pay the electric bill and all that. The real suffering for people of damaged ego is that they must be imperfect, whereas if they manage to die as heroes, they remain heroes forevermore, or until the crowd like a magpie discovers the next shiny thing and forgets all previous history as is its wont.
I wrote a little bit about this in “The Politics of Heavy Metal” and slipped the philosophical background into The Heavy Metal FAQ (“FAQ you,” he said, in a thick Boston accent) but the big point about metal is distinguishing surface from depth. We see beauty in darkness and goodness in power, instead of demanding that people paint day-glo butterflies and peace signs on everything, argue promiscuity as love and cowardice as peace, and insist that we are morally good for demanding equal representation so that every decision can be a compromise. You heard it here first: the people who mean the best often do the worst, and democracy is death. No one can sanely argue that humans make better decisions in groups. Think about your average committee or your friends arguing over which movie to watch. Whatever satisfies the most people is usually the least ambitious, most directionless and least interesting prospect. The metal idea comes to us from European Romantic Literature which tells us that there is this thing called “transcendence” where instead of focusing on how much you are afraid of being eaten by bears or having too small of a penis, you pay attention to the bigger order and see the beauty in its function, because even that chaotic and bloody regime creates excellence by making a stable world where the stronger wins out over the weaker, and so over time, the more beautiful emerges from the disordered. Nature and death are tied forever in the human psyche. We fear natural selection because then we do not die as heroes, but as zeroes… and most human activity is covertly hoping to find a way out of that loop. Alas, it is not to be. Metal affirms the loop because it knows that hard times (in an age of quarrel) make strong people, who then long for the best instead of the merely adequate, which makes them blasphemers to the crowd which hopes that mediocrity is made the standard so everyone (roll your eyes here and look hungry to show that you are properly herd-cordycepted) is included. Metal beats that with its own severed limbs.
Hurricane Temptations
The only reason this storm is crushing Texas right now is human arrogance. We thought that we could treat the world as if our actions had no consequences, and as long as we humans approved of them in our social group at the pub, everything was wonderful. Every person wants their own slice of paradise, so we let them all come here — most from California and Mexico — and they each wanted a house and an office job and places to shop and be important, so we covered up a whole lot of the land with concrete. This does not create global warming, but local effects: it reflects the sun and displaces the plants that cycle moisture and thus heat, so creates “hot spots” which then displace air currents. This makes a stagnant, roasting wasteland into which we dump millions of engines emitting exhaust and lots of humans, each generating heat and methane. Without the air bathing the earth below, the heat disrupts whatever cycles and ecosystems were there, and the place has erratic weather. On top of that, it cannot absorb water, and instead of having millions of plants and animals to slow it down, channels it directly into flash floods which then accumulate on the same concrete.
People love the drama. Just like everyone who goes to a rock concert thinks that he is up on stage because the rock stars are performing for him, forgetting that he is one of many and what they want is his money, when people see their hometown on the news they get all excited. Finally, importance – significance – relevance! This gives them a chance to bemoan their misfortunes, attract sympathy, and then posture at being Gandhi by saying, “Oh, it’s nothing; others have suffered more than me!” Suffering is your ticket to crowd power because now everyone else owes you something, if only attention. The news media, on the other hand, make their bucks by providing entertainment that makes other people feel good for the fact that they are not suffering, because suffering without it being noticed is the worst thing ever since you get no power from it. Their interest lies in making every news item seem like the end of the world because then the neurotics talk about it and everyone has to participate, so papers or television commercials sell… everything is clickbait now because it has always been clickbait, and we just stopped making it subtle. Make yourself a media superstar with this One Simple Trick!
Rain is only a problem when it hangs around. If you are on a hill surrounded by a big old plain with a river on it, it can rain for days and the water will run off the hill, down the plain and go away with the river. If you are in a city comprised of concrete plates with boxes on them, and it rains not just hard but across a wide plain of maybe a hundred miles of this concrete Death Star, then all of that water is going to go rushing to whatever drainage you have, which will not be enough, and so you will soon be floating. Texas grew like a weed because everyone else was incompetent. All of them looked at the fat sheep out there and thought, no one will notice if we take just a little… or a little more… and soon like shoplifting, it became a pathological habit. All the people taxed to death in California and New York, or starving in Mexico because of the incompetence of their social order, came to Texas and started living the good life, which made people rich for building houses, roads, schools and shopping centers. This in turn killed what made Texas productive, which was that it was one of the last few places on Earth where someone could stand out for being competent, and instead made it a place where everyone showed up at jobs and went through the motions. The growth slowed down, but now with all these people here, there was nothing to do but keep as many of them employed as possible, which quickly made jobs lobotomizing, so the good people dropped out or fled and the incompetents took over, as always happens. It was the exact same feedback loop that happened when Metallica realized that people liked “Fade to Black” because it connected them to self-pity and then made them feel righteously angry, and they like that because it is easier than fixing their lives, so why not make a whole album of it? The crowd goes wild.
Love Me Tender
Dave Sanchez-Wong threw open the door and flopped on the couch in a snit which was entirely circular. He had messed up at his job, and the job was mostly to blame, but he was mad at himself and so he blamed the job, because otherwise he had to feel really bad for a few hours instead of being mildly pissy for a few days. He heard a harmony of giggles from the kitchen. Turns out his sisters, the twins Sara and Susan, had also had a bad time of it, and so they had opened the wine-in-a-box his Mom kept under the sink for “emergencies.” The empty box bounced on the floor near the trash can. “Oops,” said Sara, and they both laughed, almost falling out of their chairs. “Don’t tell Mom,” said Susan, and a dark light came into his eyes. “You are the best sisters ever,” he said. “I would never tell on you because I love you more than anything else.” Sara looked confused. He came up behind her and kissed her full on the mouth. She pulled back, but he slapped her lightly on the ass and said, “We always take care of each other.” Susan nodded before she caught herself. He kissed her next, feeling the sweet tantalizing intensity of the forbidden, and then kissed his other sister. She resisted, then relented. His hands found her back, then her buttocks. Sara began to rub herself under her outfit, which par for the course for both of them consisted of gym shorts and a spaghetti-strap shirtlet. His hands ventured across Susan, grasping her braless breasts under the shirt. She gasped, and he spun her around and pushed her gently onto the kitchen table, removing her shorts and provocative thong. He nodded to Susan, who removed her own shirt and then unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans and boxer shorts to the floor. She went to the other side of the table and kissed her sister, holding down her shoulders as Dave entered Sara from behind, sliding fully into her as she gasped and struggled, but soon gave over to the pleasure. As he felt her legs stiffen, he gently twisted her nipples, and she exploded into orgasm, retreating into a pool of protoplasm on the floor… Susan threw off her shorts and hopped onto the table, presenting him with her neatly-trimmed mound. He dove in, attacking it with his tongue, feeling her hands in his hair as she twisted in place, calling out obscenities and blasphemies until he threw her down and entered her as well. When her quivers ended, he pulled Sara upright and inserted himself in her mouth with a rough command. Instructed in the ways of such things early in life, she satisfied him directly and he groaned as he felt the release of a great leaden tension within, whipping his organ into Susan as the convulsion finished. For added relief, he cleaned up their comingled fluids with torn pages from the family Bible. Hours later, he lay on the couch, his rage flaring again. He heard the twins upstairs and felt his weapon rise. There were benefits to being born a triplet, he reflected, and began to stroke himself, finally spraying his DNA all over the couch as he realized in a moment of cold sweat shock that he had been having sex with himself all along.
Justice Served All Day
Clem Jeffers-Rosenberg sat in the saloon, spitting Days O Work plug into the bucket by the door and nursing a Shiner Bock. He had not meant to get fired from his gig as a roadman at the oil well, but when a man tells you something that just isn’t true, there is not much that you can do except clock him one. He thought about the boot at home stuffed with twenties, both confident that it might last and feeling a faint quiver in his gut at the knowledge that it just would not, because the truck would blow a gear or the roof of the trailer would start leaking again, and then he’d be back, cap in hand, looking for work from the same chinless manlet who fired him. In the midst of this dark cloud of thoughts, Sheriff Clifton flung open the double doors. “Boys, there’s a feral Negro about, and he done insulted the honor of Miss Eula Mae Harrington-Moskowitz!” Every man in the place jumped to attention. It was not that dry spindly aged spinster Eula Mae was a prize, but more that something had been insulted… something that let them all keep going, even when things were bad. This was a town, hell bless it, and they were gonna defend it. The cruel black eyes of the Sheriff sized up his new deputies and he handed out tin like candy on Halloween. The only problem was that Eula Mae was blind as a bat, so all she knew was that it was a large-sized Negro who had sullied her reputation. When the sun hit the far orange corner of the sky, the Sheriff was standing in front of over a thousand black men who had been beaten, bullied and hauled along to the edge of the forest. “Which one do you think it was?” asked Clem. “Heck if I know,” growled the Sheriff, “but we can’t let him escape!” So they tossed up ropes over the trees, put a chair under each, and on the count of four, hung all hundred of those Negroes. Clem waited until the last of the kicking stopped and then let out a holler. The other boys did the same, and hopped into pickup trucks to speed into town. The Sheriff went last, riding his white horse. Clem looked around and realized it was just him and one hundred dead Negroes. Well, ain’t that the shit, he thought. It was everything he hated about this town. How the jobs were all stupid, and all of them knew nothing but that life, and so they took it on the chin from manlets all week and then drank themselves cockeyed at the saloon, and the only people who had houses instead of trailers were the Sheriff and the saloon owner, Binyamin Chavez-Wang, who was a little slip of a man but he gave credit when you got angry, so he never got the fist to the face he deserved. Clem had to walk back, have them all laugh at him, then because they had city lap dog levels of obedience bred into them, go suck it up and take his job back at half pay and then go do it all over again, until he got too old to work or drank too many Shiners and drove his truck into the reservoir like Jim Bob had back when Clem had friends. “God Damn It, I hate white people!”
World Tard Death
Jamison Matthews-Eleuterio crouched in his dorm room, the computer playing a remote lesson in the corner. It was his third semester of law school and he already hated everything in it. They were basically glorified Roombas, sucking up the words in laws and cases and finding some niggling little reason why they could claim their side was right, just so they could bill that side and go home rich, but then what was the point, if you had a dozen non-sleep hours a week to yourself, and most of those had to be spent watching rom-coms with the snotty girlfriend or worse, pretending to care about her brats, which would do nothing for him. Although he was a success by any measure, and with his top scores and grades would be an easy fit into a major firm, Jamison felt like he was on the bottom of the pole. Work all day, almost every day, pay lots of taxes and spent your time fixing the problems of idiots at work and then people who knew nothing of the world at home. He opened a new document and started to list everything he knew was true, then everything he knew was wrong, and then clumped them together to find where the two did not align, labeling those “Causes.” Eventually he got to the bottom and, as he often did, nodded off. When he woke up the document was empty except for three words in bold: WORLD TARD DEATH. He realized then his path to greatness, and grimly returned to his studies… twenty years later, grey at his temples, he commanded the most powerful corporation on Earth. It was easy to buy congresspeople and a presidential candidate, so he choose a black crippled trans-woman and won the sheep vote by a mile. She signed the bill he authored easily. The next morning, armed men in black began rounding up all of the retards, idiots, fools, pedophiles, entertainers and lesser men, and put them to death in an elaborate display involving the gun from an A-10 Warthog and Tabasco enemas. That night, Jamison did a line of coke off a hooker’s breasts and drank himself into a stupor. The next day, he found himself explaining again to a subordinate why a proposed plan was never going to work, and he felt himself drift into his old angry stupor. The tards had never died; they had merely changed form. In fact, they were all around him, and he was their servant. He took another drink and swept the papers off his desk in a snowstorm of meaningless words.
Censorship
So they’re censoring the Alt Right and they have the right to do it because they own all those machines we all use to keep updated on the projected lives of the friends we do not even trust or know, and we cannot stop ourselves. We are addicted to being heard. And if what you are saying is not wanted, then that is just too bad. The Soviets had a similar idea, but theirs was more malevolent. In the Soviet Union, artists found themselves in the gulag for making art that was not necessarily anti-Communist, but it was not-Communist, and that was enough. Here we are subtler: we create a circle of things that are accepted, then cut off what is outside. Then we constrict the circle. Eventually, the only people who will be fit to walk among us are those who are in the very inner circle, the True Believers who know that human equality means we all get what we want, which means that those untroubled by concerns for any order at a level higher than themselves will triumph. There is a reason these regimes are atheistic and perverse, materialistic and controlling. The human heart contains a very tiny black hole, a cosmic oddity which occurs when matter loses its animating form, and is crushed into something so compact that it sucks in everything else and not even life can escape. When the heart is suffused with power, it grows emotional, and the black hole grows with it, because most emotion is simply self-pity disguised as concern for others. Eventually, the black hole gets big enough that it consumes everything else, and then the human becomes like a victim of hydrophobia, manic for water but unable to drink, having given itself entirely to the disease. The black hole people live in Ivory Towers and never see the world as it is experienced by most, but those same towers protect the black hole so that it can grow. The problem occurs when two black holes meet. They consume one another, cannibalizing the opposite, and become instead of stronger, weaker, causing a chain reaction. All light vanishes and the blackness overcomes all. It does not matter whether they are with the State, the Media, the Corporation, or the local hippie corporate NGO; they join into one, driven by a hunger so all-consuming that it even eats their eyes. It calls to mind the words of a cynical realist:
Somewhere there are still peoples and herds, but not with us, my brothers: here there are states. A state? What is that? Well! open now your ears to me, for now I will speak to you about the death of peoples. State is the name of the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it lies; and this lie slips from its mouth: “I, the state, am the people.” It is a lie! It was creators who created peoples, and hung a faith and a love over them: thus they served life. Destroyers are they who lay snares for the many, and call it state: they hang a sword and a hundred cravings over them. Where there are still peoples, the state is not understood, and is hated as the evil eye, and as sin against laws and customs. This sign I give to you: every people speaks its own language of good and evil, which its neighbor does not understand. It has created its own language of laws and customs. But the state lies in all the tongues of good and evil; and whatever it says it lies; and whatever it has it has stolen. Everything in it is false; it bites with stolen teeth, and bites often. It is false down to its bowels. Confusion of tongues of good and evil; this sign I give you as the sign of the state. This sign points to the will to death! it points to the preachers of death! All too many are born: for the superfluous the state was created! See how it entices them to it, the all-too-many! How it swallows and chews and rechews them! “On earth there is nothing greater than I: I am the governing hand of God.” — thus roars the monster. And not only the long-eared and short-sighted fall upon their knees! Ah! even in your ears, you great souls, it whispers its gloomy lies! Ah! it finds out the rich hearts which willingly squander themselves! Yes, it finds you too, you conquerors of the old God! You became weary of conflict, and now your weariness serves the new idol! It would set up heroes and honorable ones around it, the new idol! Gladly it basks in the sunshine of good consciences, — the cold monster! It will give everything to you, if you worship it, the new idol: thus it buys the lustre of your virtue, and the glance of your proud eyes. Through you it seeks to seduce the all-too-many! Yes, a hellish artifice has been created here, a death-horse jingling with the trappings of divine honors! Yes, a dying for many has been created here, which glorifies itself as life: verily, a great service to all preachers of death!
It is difficult to decide who are stupider, the European or the American conservatives. Conservatives by nature are stupid because they understand that man is a fallen god become a prey animal, and yet they want to appeal to the better instincts of these mice and make them into men and then gods again. Conservatism becomes an ideology, mimicking the Left which it claims to destroy, because of the great secret of humankind and The Human Problem, which is that everything we do becomes a cause in itself because we use it as a substitute for our own absent purpose, and therefore become dependent on it like the addict to drugs, the obese couch-dweller to cheeseburgers, the hipster to novelty and the social power that it conveys. European conservatives are right when they insist that all ideas must relate to the health of something organic, or self-arising and composed of unequal but interlocked part, but the American conservatives are right when they realize that this does not mean “all of our people” or “every person” but those who demonstrate competence. Socialism is death, but so is ideology, and when you find yourself working for freedom or the Constitution or even capitalism and the rule of law, your mind has been replaced by a machine which clicks YES for the right things and NO on everything else, effectively eliminating the links between things, converting a forested planet into a series of uniform boxes. The human mind loves that, because evenly-spaced identical boxes are easy to think about, which makes the brain feel powerful.
They banned Stormfront, the white nationalist forum, along with a dozen other sites and thousands of social media profiles. Perhaps this is growth. There are two types of humans, those who are driven by realism and purpose and therefore can accept that many ideas exist and only some can be chosen, and those who want only the right ideas to exist, so that they too can be uniform rows of blocks. The former type recognizes that there is an order above that of the individual, namely reality or the patterns of nature that live within us as much as outside of us, and so it is possible to choose ideas based on what fits into that larger order. The latter type have no perception of that order, so they want only the boxes that make them feel good about being themselves, even though they are strangers to themselves as well as others. Leftism is death… but it is only one variety of death. That does not mean we should not support the Physical Removal of Leftists, but only that it is half of a solution, and the other half is to find that order in ourselves, and then go looking out there in the world for clues of its existence, so that we can piece together a continuity of self and world. Very few will do that, which is the paradox of conservatism. There is only one conservative thought: “good to the good, and bad to the bad,” which if you think about it, is a type of bubble sort. You compare each thing to all other things, bumping it up if it is better, kicking it down if it is worse. Soon you have a sorted list from best to worst, and you take all the guns and money and give them to the best, knowing that even if they are massive assholes, they are competent assholes, and they are going to beat down the worst kind of asshole, who are the people who are incompetent and in denial, and will enslave us all for their own end, which is to make life into identical cubes. Think of apartments, boxes on voting forms, cubicles and the fact that you will eventually forget the names of your ex-girlfriends and whatever they, in moments of distraction, revealed as their actual concerns in life, in unguarded moments they would regret because knowledge is power and you now had something that limited their power over you. In the place of Stormfront, maybe we need a place where everyone is assigned a number and they anonymously speak what they are actually thinking, so that the best ideas can rise. From identical boxes to a topography of startling complexity.
If it was fair for Siberians to cross the Bering Strait, come to a new world and kill off its big animals, displace whoever they found here and claim it as their own, then it was fair for us to do the same to them. Custer had a vision. It is also fair for us to send all Leftists to Mexico, because there they will find the same type of society that they want to create here. Alternatively, we could sell them to the Arabs, but that might be too kind, because every controller secretly desires to be controlled, because at least then they are needed. Cue girlfriend. Whose bitch is this? Voting makes people pretentious. It gives them the power to order around others and spend their money, all with zero accountability. When it comes time to blame someone, blame the voters. Never accept that you made a wrong choice or did not act enough; find someone else to blame and get pissy over it. Their actions blasphemed your sense of self-worth. Of course, all of social media is Red like Red Square, because to be Red is to say that
|
catching up" with the neglected work direcdy pushed the NKVD workers on the path of mass arrests and executions. lin's phrase did not refer to repression, much le&s mass repression, at but to dissatisfaction with the invesdgadon of the recendy-discovered )tskyite-Zinovievite bloc. Getty^^ shows that the phrase "four years lind" must mean four years, not from the Riutin Platform but from discovery of the bloc of Rights and Trotskyites formed in 1932. That it showed suspicion of lagoda. Thurston and Jansen and Petrov Ee.M &ct, Khrushchev knew this too, but hid the fact in the "Secret €ch." The Pospelov-Aristov draft of Khrushchev's speech stated di- ly that the "four years" was since the formadon of the bloc in 1932. khd Kbrushcheva, 125). Pospelov and Axistov introduced the words nial' ufmhchetitioe ("catch up what has been n^lected*'). But this was nvention of theirs. Stalin had not used these words. IT)', OriffHs, Chapter 5; Cictty, "The C»rcat Puigi*s Rcconsidcrcd". Unpub. PhD diss. >n College, 1979, p. 326. ben lliurston. Life ami Temriii StaSifj Rjusia, 1 934- 1941. (Yale University Press; I, p.35; Marc Jansen, Nikita Petrov. SlaBits LajfoJ Extatioiitr Piopyi Commissar Nikala 1, 1895-1940. (Hoover Institution Press, 2002), p.54. 42 Khrushchev lied Khrushchev picked up this expression, but omitted the fact that the '*four years" was since the formation of the bloc. The Pospelov Report also omitted reference to the "bloc," interpreting the "four years" to mean the need for repression {DokJod Khrushcheva^ 220). An important part of Khrushchev's and Pospelov's basic premise is that no bloc ex- isted It's clear that the "neglected work" Stalin and Zhdanov meant in their telegram was the investigation of the Right-Trotskyite bloc and its in- volvement with representatives of foreign governments in planning a "palace coup" and with "terror" {terror = assassination, murder). Both Getty and prominent Trotskyist scholar Pierre Broue affirm that such a bloc really existed. Their studies in Trotsky's own archives at Harvard University, opened in 1980, prove this beyond doubt.''^ 14. Stalin's report at the February-March 1937 CC Plenum Khrushchev: Stalin's report at the February-March Central Committee plenum in 1937, 'Deficiencies of party work and •methods for the liquidation of the Trotskyites and of other two-facers', contained an attempt at theoretical justification of the mass terror policy under the pretext that as we march forward toward socialism class war must allegedly sharpen. Stalin asserted that both history and Lenin taught him this. Stalin's report at this Plenum did not contain any such theoretical justifi- cation. Khrushchev seriously distorted Stalin's words. Stalin never said that "as we march forward towards socialism class war must sharpen." What he said was:... the further forward we advance, the greater the successes we achieve, the greater will be the fury of the remnants of the broken exploiting classes, the sooner will they resort to sharper forms of struggle, the more ^ J. Arch (icny, "'I'rotsky in Mxilc: 'llic l-'ounding of the I'ourth Intcraational." Switl S/udiaii No. 1 (lanuary 1986), 28 and n. 19 p. 34; Pierre Broue, "Trotsky et Ic bloc Jl-s oppositions de 1932." Cahim Lion Tntskj 5 (1980) S-37. llhafcSiilm's "Aifainrificss" to the Paity 45 «iM diC7 seek to hanii the Soviet state and the more will fhcf dutch at the most desperate means of snuggle, as die last Ksoct of doomed people. It should be borne in miod that the renmants of the broken classes in the US5.R. are not alone. They have the direct support of our enemies beyond the bounds of the U.S.S.R.^ $lilia went on to call for an individual approach and for political educa- fioa,BOt for anything like repressions or "terror." But about the "direct mppott of eoemies beyond the bounds of the USSR" Stalin was correct. A fftat deal of evidence that foreign a^its were recruiting Soviet citi- aens iolo sabotage and espionage had already been ^thered, and a lot moce would be uncovered in the months after the Plenum. Aod, in fact, Lenin had said something very similar to this in a passage Stalio had quoted in a speech of Apol 1929. Even in this speech the solu- doos Stalin called for were vigibnce, along with political education courses to be organized for all Party leaders above a certain rank. This call for politiwi education, not mass repression, marks the culn)inating point of his speech. On March 5 1937 Stalin also made another, concluding report at the Feb- luaiy-March CC Plenum. This closing speech of the Plenum could never be teimed a "theoretical justiEcacion of the mass tccror policy". Stalin explicitly aigued that "there must be an individual, differentiated ap- pcoach. Further on in the report Stalin made the same point again, explic- itty aiguing agaiost a mass approach. Stalin argues that there are, at most, only a few thousand Party members who could be said to have sympathized with the Trotskyites, or "about 12,000 Party members who sympathized with Trotskyism to some extent or other. Here you see the tola] forces of the Trotskyite gentlemen."^' Rather than calling for a "mass terror policy," Stalin made a strong argu- oient against it. ludi Zhukov (Inoi Suslin^ 360 ff.) agrees that Stalin's speech was very mild. A resolution was prepared on his report It was passed unanimously, but has never been published. Zhukov quotes it irom an archival copy (362-3). «>J.V. Sialin, Maitmiig tMshevim (New York: W<Klicts I Jbraiy, 1937). p. 30..\t hop:/ / www.inan2nuo.ccmi/Scilin/MB57.hnnl 44 Khrushchev lied Far from calling for "mass repression", as Khrushchev falsely claimed, Stalin called for more inner-Party political education, espedally for Party leaders such as those at the Central Committee Plenum. He called for each such Party leader to pick two replacements for him so he could go to Party courses that would last four months, while more local Part)' leaders would go to courses lasting six months. Many or most of the Delegates to the Plenum were First Secretaries and local Party secretaries. They could have interpreted this plan as a threat. In effect, they were to choose their own potential replacements. A kind of "competition" for these high Party posts seemed to be in the offing. If the Party Secretaries went off to these courses, who could say that they would return? In reality, it was the Party First Secretaries and others around the counin' - including, as we have seen, Khrushchev himself - who turned to "mass repression." These courses were never set up. At the next Plenum in June 1937, the Secretaries instead turned to Stalin with frightening stories of threats by reactionaries and returning kulaks. They demanded extraordi- nary powers to shoot and imprison tens of thousands of these people. This will be discussed in more detail below. Earlier in the Plenum also, on February 27, Stalin gave the report of the commission on the investigation of Bukharin and Rykov. This marked a total of three reports by Stalin — the most he ever made at any Plenum. In this report he recommended a very mild resolution. Getty and Naumov (411-416) study the voting of the commission and point out that Stalin's recommendations were mildest of all - internal exile. Ezhov, the original reporter, along with Budienniy, Manuil'skii, Shvemik, Kosarev and lakir all voted to "turn [them] over to trial with a recommendation to shooi them." See the detailed discussion by Vladimir Bobrov and Igor' Pykhalov^^in an article that examines a rumor, spread by Bukharin's widow Larina in her memoirs, that Stalin had been for execution and and laldr had op- posed it - exactly the opposite of what really occurred, but a bit of and- Stalin "folklore" that became elevated to the status of historical "fact" until the documents were published in post-Soviet times. "lakir I Bukharin: Splvrni I Dokumc-iit)'." http://dcl()sialina.ru/?p=333 and clsnvhca*. It is reprinted in Igor'!*ykhal()v, ViBkii OInlgflHirjfi Va^M' (Moscow: Yau;:a, 2010), (Chap- ter 6, 355-366. (ihapK.T'lhfn.-. Stalin's "vVrbitranncss" to the Fart)' 45 Stalin had outlined a view that the class struggle had to shaipen as the Soviet Union developed towards socialism. But this was not in 1937, but at the April 1928 Joint Plenum of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission: What is the issue here? It*s not at all the issue that the further ahead we drive, the stronger the task of socialist construcbon becomes developed, then the stronger will grow the opposition of the capitalists. That isn't the issue. The issue is why does the opposition of the capitalists grow stronger? (Emphasis added, GF)^^ •According to Bordiugov and Kozlov this thesis had been further devel- oped by Valerian Kuibyshev at the September 1928 Plenum. They add that Bukhann had opposed it at the April 1929 Plenum, but in an equivo- cal wa)-: Bukharin had agreed that class struggle sharpened at certain times - and agreed that 1929 was one of those times - but said that it was not a general principle. • 15. '^Many Members questioned mass repression**, especially Pavel Postyshev Khrushchev: At the February-March Central Committee plenum in 1 937 many members actually questioned the rightness of the established course r^arding mass repressions under the pretext of combating "two-facedness. Comrade Postyshev most ably expressed these doubts. He said: I have philosophized that the severe years of fighting have passed. Party members who have lost their backbones have broken down or have joined the camp of the enemy; healthy elements have fought for the party. These were the years of industrialization and collectivization. I never thought it possible that after this severe era had passed Uncorrected transcript of Stalin's speech at the Joint Plenum of the CC and the CCC of the.\UCI>(b).April 22. 1929, in Kak lomaB NEP. Sttmffoimj Pkmam TsK VKP(b} t92S- 1929 gg. VStomakh. Tom 4. (Moscow: MDI',2000). p.655. 46 Khrushchev lied Kaipov and people like him would find themselves in the camp of the enemy. (Karpov was a worker in the Ukrainian Central Committee whom Postyshev knew well.) And now, according to the testimony, it appears that Kaipov was recruited in 1934 by the Trotskyites. I personally do not believe that in 1934 an honest party member who had trod the long road of unrelenting fight against enemies for the party and for socialism would now be in the camp of the enemies. I do not believe it... I cannot imagine how it would be possible to travel with the party during the difficult years and then, in 1934, join the Trotskyites. It is an odd thing... ^ In the mid-1990s the trsuiscript of this February- March 1937 Central Committee Plenum was finally published. We can now see that, while this quotation of Postyshev is genuine, Khrushchev's commentary is deliber- ately false. Khrushchev obviously knew he was lying about it. Khrushchev said "many members... questioned the rightness..." In fact, not a single member did so. Even Postyshev did not do sol After the section quoted by Khrushchev, Postyshev went on to condemn Karpov, and anyone else who had joined forces with the enemy. Postyshev was actually harshest of all at expelling large numbers of peo- ple, and was removed as candidate member of Politburo for this at the January 1938 CC Plenum. Getty demonstrates at length how Postyshev was raked over the coals at this Plenum for excessive repression, speak- ing of "the overvigilant Postyshev as being sacrificed for the sake of end- ing mass expulsions in the party.. (Getty & Naumov 517; cf 533ff.) ** Sex- Lubiaiihi. StaSn i Glmtm uprm/kmi guhc^pasimH NKID 1937-1938. Moscow: MI!)!'. 2004 (hcrc-aftcr I.ubianka 2) No. 17, pp. 69 ff., a report made to Stalin by Itzhov on I'ebruary 2» 1937 of an interro)ration of.Asranfian about a "Ri^ht-lieftist" ot^nization in the Ukraine that was collaborating with the 'rrotsk)'ist and Ukrainian Nationalist undergrounds. In the transcript of.Nsranfian's confession of January 14, 1937 Stalin circled Karpov's name and wrote "AX'lio is thisr^' in the margin - p. 7 1 -2. (lelt)', J. Arch and Oleg \'. Naumov, Tht Rixui/o Tenw. Statin ami tht St^-Dtstnuthii e/tbt Bobbmks, 1932-1939. New I laven: Yale University Press, 1999 (hereafter (ietty & Nau- mov)., 517; cf. 533 ff. 'llie dtKument confirming Postyshcv's expulsion and arrest is nrproduced on pp. 514-516. (iluptcf lliai-. Stalin's "Arfaitcaiincss" to the Puiy 47 luii Zhukov's analysis agrees that at the January 1938 Plenum the Stalin leadership again tried to put brakes on the First Secretaries' illegal repres- sions. The document confirming Postyshev's expulsion and arrest for repressing innocent people in a mass way is quoted at length, in transla- tion, by Getty and Naumov. Khnishchev was present at the January 1938 CC Plenum, and certainly knew all about Postyshev's fate and why he was sacked. As a Plenum panidpant Khrushchev also had to know that "many members" did not "question the rightness" of the repressions. Khrushchev himself made a hanh, repressive speech at the February-March 1937 CC Plenum in uiiich he supported the repression wholeheartedly. Futtheimore, it was Khrushchev who replaced Postyshev as candidate member of Politburo.^ According to Getty and Naumov Khrushchev himself was one of those who were **speaking up forcefully against Po- siy'shei'.*^' Therefore, Khrushchev was lying. Far from "questioning" the mass re- pressions, Postyshev was one of those who most flagrantly engaged in them himself, to the point where he was the 6rst to be removed from candidate membership in the Politburo, and soon after that expelled from the I\irty and arrested The partial transcript of this Plenum now available confirms this. Postyshev's lawless and arbitrary repressions are dociunented in a letter &om Andreev to Stalin of January 31, 1938. Postyshev was soon arrested, and later confessed to involvement in some kind of conspiracy to participating in a Rightist conspiracy, naming a number of others, including other First Secretaries and CC members. According to Vladimir Karpov, Postyshev confirmed his confession to Molotov. Given the documentation cited above — a small fraction of all that is available but not yet released — there is every reason to believe that Posty- shev's arrest, trial and execution were justified. His execution came more than a year after his arrest. We know there is a lengthy investigative file on him, and a trial transcript, but virtually none of this has been released by the Russian government. ^ Stalinskoc Politbiuro v iO^ gody. Sbotnik dokumentov (Moscow: AIRU-XX, 1995), p.l67. Getty & Naumov, 512 Chapter 4. The "Cases" Against Party Members and Related Questions 16. Eikhe Khrushchev: The Central Committee considers it absolutely necessary to inform the Congress of many such fabricated "cases" against the members of the party's Central Committee elected at the 17th Party Congress. An example of vile provocation, of odious falsification and of criminal violation of revolutionary legality is the case of the former candidate for the Central Committee Political BMISSING: David Dancause
43 YO 5 ft 6 160 lbs
Last seen June 25th on Capitol Hill. Wearing a blk shirt & jeans.
Call 911 if seen. pic.twitter.com/BP0wXQgIlp — Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 3, 2017
From Jeff Gerstbrein
My brother in law and long time resident of Capitol Hill has not been seen since the morning of Sunday, June 25th. Last sighting was on Capitol Hill near E. Union St. and Minor Ave. It’s out of character for him to miss work. Keys, wallet, phone and car all left behind. He never goes off the grid. All information is on the flyer below. Please contact Seattle PD if you know anything. Please share this to get it in front of as many people as possible and help us find David. Thanks.Oh boy. There's not a fibre in my body that would have believed that, what has become one of the longest days of my life, would also be what will become one of the most memorable days of my life, considering the way it all kicked off in the wee, dark hours of this morning.
For those of you who have been following my journey along the Inca Trail as part of a larger month-long G Adventures tour of Peru and Bolivia, you would know that I signed off yesterday's entry, day 3 on the Inca Trail, crossing fingers hoping for good weather this morning. I mean, we've heard stories over the past few days about groups that have trekked all the way in dry weather only to wind up in an unidentifiable Machu Picchu covered in low, thick cloud – not something I wanted to encounter.
"All the finger crossing in the world, however, was not going to save us this morning."
All the finger crossing in the world, however, was not going to save us this morning. Up and at it before 4am, the nightmare reality of having to deal with heavy rain as we made our way up to Intipunku (the Sun Gate), overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu, became all too real. By the time we had washed, packed, eaten and broken camp, there were already a number of groups ahead of us waiting at the park entry check point. Not too keen on lining up behind in the rain, we decided instead to take shelter at the campsite restaurant/bar building along with scores of others and wait for our turn to head down.
Patience paid off as we eventually had our credentials verified and we set off as a group, away from Wiñay Wayna and into the damp darkness with our head lamps on hand to light the way. Only a couple of hours hiking was required this morning through a forest of large trees and giant ferns, before a final push upwards towards Intipunku, where we would either be met with breathtaking views over Machu Picchu, or, being more realistic considering the current weather conditions, views over a valley filled with dense cloud.
Alas, although the rain had stopped by the time we reached the Sun Gate, the ruins that we so desperately wanted to lay our eyes upon, were blanketed in swirling cloud.
Intipunku (the Sun Gate)
"So what's this Sun Gate thing all about", I hear you ask? Well, for those of us who had taken up a resting spot near our guide, Nancy, we received a quick rundown on the significance of the ruin. Consisting of two discernable stones flanking a narrow passageway leading through a crevice in the mountain, the gate is consistently struck by the first rays of sunlight each morning. Hence, the name "Sun Gate".
Given the vast focus Inca religion placed on the worship of the sun and the essential role it played in all aspects of life, providing light, warmth and fuel to their crops, it's safe to assume that this place of worship would have played host to many ceremonies in ancient times.
Right now, however, we were just hoping that the sun was going to answer our collective prayers and burn off the cloud which, thankfully, looked to already be dispersing as we made the decision to start the descent along the trail that led directly into Machu Picchu.
About 300 metres down the gentle sloping trail, from the back of our group I began to hear a number of gasps as we approached the clearing of another, smaller temple ruin. Sure enough, in the short time we had taken to hike down to this next point, the screen of cloud that was obscuring any views we had of the valley lifted and there it was – the stunning, silent, mysterious, Machu Picchu drenched in sunlight.
It was really interesting to observe the split reactions of our group at this point.
On one hand you had a bunch who instantly reached for their cameras and set about madly snapping away, filling up their precious memory cards with their first glance of this ancient wonder of the world. On the other hand, there was a group of us who chose to take a moment, sit down, stare and just reflect on the magnitude of what we had accomplished over the past few days, and the significance to our lives of what we were about to explore and experience...
...then we TOO got our cameras out and started snapping madly! Haha!
After hundreds of frames had been snapped – panoramic shots, telephoto shots, individual shots and shots with friends (that's me and the big man, Sam, above), it was time to continue past the odd grazing Llama and into the actual grounds of Machu Picchu.
Although we had been hiking the same stone pathways as the ancient Incas for the past couple of days, there was something special and surreal about treading this final section.
With a few minutes up our sleeve to observe the magnificent stone walls and unfinished structures from a different perspective prior to assembling and meeting Julio down at the visitor centre, the cameras started firing again. In a little over an hour's time Machu Picchu was likely to be overrun by tourists traveling up to the site on day tours from nearby Aguas Calientas, so it was somewhat a priority to grab as many "unblemished" scenic shots as we could, while we could.
Reaching the visitor information centre, we were immediately met by the beaming, unmistakable smile of Julio, our lead guide on the Peruvian leg of this G Adventures tour. Julio was all ready to congratulate us all on completing the Inca Trail and propose a toast using a couple of champagne bottles that he distributed to the group.
Simon and Rob (above) took on the job of popping the corks, and the cool bubbly liquid was soon flowing into small plastic cups which were raised for multiple toasts in honour of finishing, of Nancy’s expert guiding over the past few days, and to the Incas, without whom we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be standing where we were.
Machu Picchu – A day of ancient exploration
With 20-30 minutes of free time allocated to take care of whatever "comfort" things we needed to do (change clothes, hit the loos etc) we also had a brief opportunity to check out the visitor centre, gift shop and snack bar to stock up on munchies in preperation for the next few hours that would be spent exploring every last square foot of the magical site.
It's funny, while we whole-heartedly appreciated the semi-sanitary pay toilets, have the opportunity to purchase drinks and put our daypacks into storage (allowing us to "take the load off" for the remainder of the day), I couldn't help but be a little dismayed with even the existence of the large visitor centre so close to the site. It undoubtedly impacts the romance of the experience.
I had the same feeling when I visited Stonehenge in England a decade ago. Had I been forced to hike over rolling green hills and descend into a hidden valley protecting the massive formation of druid stones, I probably would have appreciated the occasion more than I did. Pulling off the highway, getting out of the car and walking no more than 20m to stand at the foot of the circle kinda crueled it for me. Just saying...
Anyway, with Nancy's expert and informative guidance at our disposal, we spent the next 2 hours visiting and becoming familiar with the more notable sections of Machu Picchu. Features such as the "Watchman’s Hut", "Intipata" (Inca bridge), "Temple of the Three Windows", "Intihuatana", the "Main Plaza", "Condor Temple", "Intimachay", "Ceremonial Baths", "Temple of the Sun", "Royal Sector" and more.
I could literally spend the next 2 weeks writing all about each of the aforementioned ancient attractions in turn. Although I appreciate all my reader's thirsts for knowledge, I have neither the time, nor the literary stamina to indulge in that exercise right now, so the fairly comprehensive collection of images following will have to do you all this time around.
Just know that Machu Picchu is absolutely everything you would expect the ancient wonder to be, and more! As evidenced by the hundreds, if not thousands of shots I took over the course of the day, I was well and truly blown away by the experience. Hopefully you'll be able to absorb some of my amazement from the following shots.
It's hard to imagine any photo of the ruins without this iconic rock featuring prominently. While the hike to the top of this mountain is known to be quite treacherous, you can pay to be part of two regulated groups that make the climb daily. While the views from the top would no doubt have been quite spectacular, I wasn't about to devote a couple of hours of exploration time to yet another ascent.
Just like in the stone walls found throughout Cusco, the stone blocks are so tightly and accurately aligned that despite the lack of any kind of mortar, it's impossible to slide even a coin in between the huge bricks.
The three steps you can see to the bottom right of the entrance is representative of "Pachamama" (Mother Earth). The inside walls of the cave (roped off to tourists) are covered with perfectly united cobblestone bricks punctuated by four, door-sized trapezoidal niches.
I'm not sure why the above photo is one of my favourites from the day. Maybe it has something to do with the multiple elements – Huayna Picchu shrouded in cloud, terraced ruins of Machu Picchu under blue skies and a couple of birds in flight. Nice.
The view from the urban sector back up towards the "Watchman's Hut" where I had read presented one of the best all-inclusive vantage points over Machu Picchu. It's where the watchman would have been stationed, so I guess that makes sense.
Nancy demonstrates how two simple slabs of stone could be effectively used by the Inca people to crush grain and prepare food.
This little guy (above), an Andean Rabbit, was spotted perched in one of the high niches in the walls of the "Principle Temple". I guess he feels safe since tourists are not permitted to enter the temple due to the danger the weakened rear wall (due to seismic activity) presents.
Left to Right: Sam (🇬🇧), Leonie (🇩🇪), Johnny (🇳🇿), Molly (🇬🇧), Sophia (🇬🇧), Florian (🇩🇪), Victoria (🇬🇧), Rob (🇬🇧), Me (🇦🇺), Lou (🇬🇧), Helen (🇬🇧), Simon (🇦🇺), Ali (🇦🇺), Atholl (🇬🇧), Anna (🇦🇺), Sara (🇦🇺).
On the road leading to the top of the pyramid where "Intihuatana" is located, there's a stone (above) which has been carved to imitate the shape of the distant mountains behind. Can you see it? Neat huh?
The winding road, clinging tightly to the steep slope of the mountain that carries hundreds of tourists to and from Machu Picchu down to the nearby village of Aguas Calientes every day, is a modern engineering feat in itself.
Remember what I was saying earlier about the "Watchman's Hut" being perhaps being one of the best vantage points in the whole site? Here's the proof (above). Iconic profile picture anyone?
Back up to Intipunku
Despite the soaring heat and the fact that after 4 days of solid hiking my bad knee was no longer my friend, Rob and I made the decision to follow through on our earlier plans to hike back up to the Sun Gate in an attempt to capture the view "from the top" that we missed this morning because of all the cloud cover. Armed with an estimated amount of water to keep us going for the 1km hike back uphill, we set off at a relatively easy pace.
Once arriving at the elevated viewing position, the rewards were immediate. Machu Picchu in all its beautiful glory to our left and the soaring, vegetation covered surrounding mountains rising up from the Urubamba River, to our right.
With our agreed meeting time back down in Aguas Calientes rapidly approaching, Rob and I headed back down to the visitor centre, pausing briefly to snap a last couple of frames, grabbed our respective gear from storage and boarded a rickety old bus back down the mountain along the winding road we had spied from the ruins earlier in the day.
I'd love to describe what would have been a pretty hair-raising experience, I am sure. But the reality is I think I snoozed nearly the whole way down until the raging waters of the Urubamba were right alongside the bus.
I took a little bit of time to explore the banks of this powerful river before heading up to the tourist strip where I would meet the rest of the group for lunch. The power of the thrashing water was awe-inspiring.
I took a bit of video of what I was witnessing, and hopefully it will give you a bit of an idea of what I saw. Anyone got a kayak?
A little down time in Aguas Calientes
For all intents and purposes, the town of Aguas Caliantes is simply a tourist trap built around a train station, obviously constructed to allow visitors to be delivered on the doorstep of Machu Picchu.
Even the main restaurant strip sits directly on a section of the train platform. Filled with colour, music, activity and smells that would cause absolutely anyone to start salivating, it was the perfect place to meet the rest of the crew who had made their way down at various times throughout the afternoon.
I have to be honest, while the first full-sized meals on offer to us for a good few days was an attractive prospect, it was the "tallie" beers that I had my heart set on. I was hot, tired, and an ice-cold bottle of Peruvian Pilsen had been on my mind since climbing aboard the bus topside. I think my resultant smile (below) says it all.
As was the case for Rob up on the Inca Trail a couple of days ago, today was Simon's birthday – an occasion we were more than happy to celebrate. I mean it was the perfect excuse for more rounds of "Pisco Sours" and cake... let's not forget the cake!
The long wait
The process post-lunch was supposed to be real easy. Get our gear together, head through town to the main train station, board a train back to Cusco around 3:30pm, settle back into our Hostel Corihausi for a good night's sleep before some of us take off for the Amazon tomorrow.
Travel wouldn't be travel without a few hiccups to challenge the best laid plans, and this evening has been no different. As I sit here writing this, we still don't know if we're going to get out of Aguas Caliantes tonight. * sigh *
Let me explain.
There's no doubt that we had our fair share of rain on the Inca Trail, but we had no idea that there had been so much rain in the area over the past couple of days that a number of land slides over the train tracks has made it difficult for us to get back to Cusco by rail. I can't really tell you too much about what has happened because the flow of information from authorities to rail staff and then to waiting, anxious passengers here is pretty poor.
All that has been left for us to do is explore town a little, check out the markets, invest a few Sols at pretty much every bar in town (without getting TOO drunk) and play LOTS and LOTS of cards.
I think we all feel a little sorry for Julio. He's been glued to his phone for the best part of the last 4-5 hours trying to find out from the G Adventures office in Cusco what's going on and attempt to make alternative arrangements in case we do get stuck here (in a town with VERY limited vacant accommodation options). We're all starting to get tired and a little cranky and, bless him, he's shouldering all the frustration.
Nothing we can do at this point other than visit another pub, play some more cards and keep checking to see if there is any new developments. I guess I'll fill you all in on what happened tomorrow night from deep in the Amazon Forest (I hope)!
📌 NOTE: For those of you who’d like to learn more about Machu Picchu, check out this great article on the National Geographic website: Top 10 Machu Picchu Secrets
All images // Rob Masefield
G Adventures // gadventures.com
Machu Picchu // wikitravel.org
Inti Punku (Sun Gate) // wikipedia.org
Stonehenge // english-heritage.org.uk
Huayna Picchu // wikipedia.org
Aguas Caliantes // wikitravel.org
Hostel Corihausi, Cusco // corihuasi.com
Top 10 Machu Picchu Secrets // nationalgeographic.com
Shout me a coffeeRecently I saw a startling graph, plotting world population from the Middle Ages to projections for 2050. The red line remains relatively flat for several centuries, starts ramping up around the time of the 19th century Industrial Revolution, and then takes off like a Roman candle right about the time of my own birth, in the mid-1950s. Granted, the steep rise was enhanced by the drawn-out time scale of that particular graph. As you shorten the time frame you’re looking at, the slope flattens out. But the numbers paint a sobering picture on their own.
I decided to plot some of my own family history against that curve. When my father entered the world on the eve of the Great Depression, there were barely two billion people populating the globe. By the time I came along, the number had nudged above three billion. This was America’s legendary Baby Boom and the beginning of the Roman candle phase (an exponential growth trajectory which continues today). Should I be so fortunate (or unfortunate) to make it to my own century mark, demographers project that by then (2055), the Earth will be asked to support more than nine billion people. That’s a tripling of the world’s population just in my (theoretical) lifetime.
Population growth seldom takes center stage in discussions of climate change, though the connection is undeniable (heck, nine billion people just breathing is a lot of CO2).
Biologist William Ryerson, President of the Washington-based Population Institute, says that population growth is “not an inconsequential impact on the climate crisis.” But breathing is not the problem; it’s consumption. Appearing on KQED’s Forum program with Michael Krasny, Ryerson said that were that prediction of nine billion people by 2050 to be realized, it would be “the climate equivalent of adding two United States to the planet.”
Ryerson, who also heads the Population Media Center in Vermont, says we’ll be lucky to make it to nine billion. Ryerson said that in his view, “the resources just aren
|
him to do so."
Without legislative intervention, the state's mental health agency said it would run out of state appropriations in November. OHCA, which administers Medicaid, said it would in run out January, and DHS said it would in May.
Several organizations that represent the state's health care infrastructure met this week to discuss the situation. Nico Gomez, president of the Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers, said they left the meeting without answers.
“We didn't come up with any concrete solution because the solution has to come from the Legislature and the governor,” Gomez said. “We're asking legislators to keep the promise they made in the last budget. And their promise was we weren't going to cut those Medicaid rates that support our seniors and individuals with disabilities.”
Lawmakers respond
House Speaker Charles McCall didn't have a response to the governor's news release on Wednesday, but a spokesman said the ideal course is still to wait and see what the court does with other new revenue streams that have been challenged.
Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz issued a statement that echoed the speaker's office.
“If the governor calls a special session, the Senate will abide by her call,” Schulz said. “While a special session seems inevitable, there are still court cases pending. Just as important as addressing this quickly, we must address this correctly and completely. As we wait for other court rulings, the Senate continues to look at all the available options to best help the three health care agencies facing budget cuts.”
Craig Jones, president of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, said the Oklahoma Health Care Authority told his group that without the cigarette fee, Medicaid providers could see an 8-percent cut in reimbursements.
“That's on top of the 18-percent cuts that providers have taken over the last three to four years combined,” Jones said.
The authority said it is trying to avoid rate cuts if possible and is working with lawmakers to find a solution.
“Across-the-board provider rate reductions save the agency about $21 million in total funds (including $8.6 million state dollars) for every 1 percent reduction,” said spokeswoman Jo Stainsby. “However, we have not started the rate reduction process at this time.”
House Minority Leader Scott Inman, whose bloc of Democrats are key to negotiating significant new revenue measures, said he agrees that a special session is necessary.
“House Democrats have already put forth a constitutional, bipartisan plan to Restore Oklahoma and are ready to negotiate in good faith with the governor, speaker, and pro tem to find a viable, long-term budgetary solution before a special session begins,” he said, referencing the group's budget proposal.
Among other items, the Democrats' Restore Oklahoma plan would include raising the tax on oil and natural gas production to 7 percent.The BBC is under fire after the Home Affairs Editor appeared to compare notorious hate preacher Anjem Choudary to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Following a lengthy report on last night's BBC News at Ten about Choudary's 'radicalising force', Mark Easton appeared to question whether there were similarities between Britain's most famous extremist and two of history's greatest civil rights campaigners.
Referring to Theresa May's pledge to clamp down on extremism, the journalist said Gandhi and Mandela had been seen as extremists and that those stances 'are sometimes needed to challenge very establish values'.
But outraged viewers slammed the comparison as 'disgusting' while campaigners said the 'ludicrous' comments gave credence to Choudary's 'complete rejection' of democracy and tolerance.
Scroll down for video
Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton (pictured left) appeared to question whether there were similarities between Britain's most famous extremist Anjem Choudary (right) and Mandela and Gandhi
Speaking after a'special report' which gave further airtime to Choudary and his radical views, Mr Easton said: 'It's one thing to ban someone for inciting hatred or violence, but quite another to pass a law that silences anyone who challenges established values.
'I was in Parliament Square today - a statue of Gandhi looking down at me who was jailed for being extremist; Mandela who was jailed for being an extremist.
'History tells us that extreme views are sometimes needed to challenge very established values that people at the time hold so dear.'
MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee in the last parliament, said: ‘It is outrageous to make any comparison between Gandhi, Mandela and Anjem Choudary.’
Mr Vaz said that while Gandhi and Mandela campaigned for civil rights, Choudary and his followers were ‘seeking to destroy the basic values of our community’.
Tory MP Michael Ellis, a fellow member of the last home affairs select committee, added: ‘The BBC seems obsessed with giving as much airtime as possible to hate preachers. To make a comparison between historic figures who campaigned for peaceful change and a hate preacher like Choudary is appalling, offensive and inflammatory.’
Even Choudary himself rejected the BBC’s comparisons last night. He said: ‘The comparisons with Mandela and Gandhi are false. They are kuffar (non-believers) going to hellfire whilst I am a Muslim. Alhamudililah (praise God).’
The comparison was also rejected by the Gandhi Foundation, which continues the work of the former Indian leader – who was assassinated in 1948 – towards tolerance, democracy and non-violence. Mark Hoda, chairman of the trustees, said: ‘Choudary is someone who advocates hate and violence and justifies terrible acts, so I think it is an absurd comparison.
‘Even though Gandhi may have been seen as an extremist at a certain time, his philosophy was non-violent. He was also accommodating of other views.’
Unlike Mandela and Gandhi, Choudary completely rejects those values of democracy and tolerance which makes the comparison completely false Adam Deen, founder of the Deen Institute, a Muslim debating forum and think-tank
Richard Caborn, a minister in the Blair government who was a leading member of the UK campaign to free the late South African leader, said Choudary’s Al-Muhajiroun group was ‘against what (Mandela) stood for’. Mr Caborn, who attended Mr Mandela’s inauguration as president in 1994, said: ‘I don’t think he would have been pleased with the comparison.
‘He defended the armed struggle in South Africa but that was about economic sabotage. Both Mandela and Gandhi stood for universal suffrage, freedom of the individual and freedom of expression.’
Adam Deen, founder and executive director of The Deen Institute, a Muslim debating forum and think-tank, said the journalist was trying to make the point that dissenting views are essential in a democracy.
But he said that Choudary's views 'completely reject' democracy and tolerance - the very values by which Gandhi and Mandela's views were inspired.
Mr Deen said: 'I think the journalist's point is underpinned by the view that dissenting views are important for a democracy and that these voices can highlight areas where a society may have gone wrong.
'But the error is that he is assuming that Anjem is arguing in the same way or dissenting in the same way as the likes of Mandela or Gandhi, both of whom were dissenting with a backdrop of views that the establishment already held.
'Unlike Mandela and Gandhi, Choudary completely rejects those values of democracy and tolerance which makes the comparison completely false.
'Anjem rejects democracy, is very anti non-Muslim and is very much anti-western. So to regard Anjem as a legitimate dissenting voice - and to open up this topic, saying that "maybe we've got it wrong to clamp down on his organisation" - is absurd.'
He added: 'Anjem does not behave in the way that he does because he believes in the value of democracy and freedom of speech. It is because he is an extremist Muslim who believes that 'The Good' can only be derived from scripture.'
Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton questioned whether there were similarities between the likes of the radical activist and two of history's greatest bastions of free speech, Mandela (left) and Gandhi (right)
A spokesman for the Clarion Project, an organisation that challenges radical Islamism and promotes dialogue, added: 'It is ludicrous to compare Anjem Choudary, who promotes the most extreme form of Sharia law which denies entire segments of the population their basic human rights, to human rights champions such as Gandhi and Mandela.
'Choudary’s challenge of “established values” such as “rule of law, democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faith and beliefs” has arguably led to more British citizens joining ISIS or committing acts of terror than any other single individual.'
Viewers also expressed their concern over the comments.
One user wrote on Twitter that 'to compare Gandhi with Choudary is not becoming of a respected journalist', while another asked: 'Are you trying to compare the islamist scum in uk to Gandhi and Mandela? If they are your views then they're disgusting?'
Another simply said it was a'silly analogy'.
A spokesman for the Gandhi Foundation added that it was an 'absurd comparison' because Gandhi took a non-violent approach.
Mark Hoda, chair of the trustees, said: 'By my understanding, Choudary is someone who advocates hate and violence and justifies terrible acts, so I think it is an absurd comparison.
'Of course, there is an issue of extremism being a relative concept but, even though Gandhi may have been seen as an extremist at a certain time, his philosophy was non-violent.
'He was also accommodating of other views, which is different to Choudary who has a narrow view of Islam.'
Mr Easton raised the topic following a special report by security correspondent Gordon Corera which asked: 'Is preacher Anjem Choudary a radicalising force?'
He studied the question in light of the government's changes to extremism laws which, in a bid to clamp down on radicalisation. could include banning and dispersion orders for those 'undermining British values'.
As part of the report, the corporation - which has already given Choudary airtime on several occasions - filmed Mr Corera meeting with the hate preacher in a café.
Talking about the report back in the studio, Mr Easton said: 'Against a background of hundreds of Muslims heading off to fight and with people like Choudhary whose rhetoric is encouraging them to go, the government thinks this (the new laws) needs to take place.'
Whereas Mandela and Gandhi fought to free those unfairly oppressed by state rule, Choudary is infamous for praising the Islamic State, calling the 9/11 terrorists'magnificent martyrs' and saying that Woolwich terror victim Fusilier Lee Rigby would 'burn in hellfire'.
'Choudary’s challenge of “established values” has arguably led to more British citizens joining ISIS or committing acts of terror than any other single individual Clarion Project, an organisation that challenges radical Islamism
Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world, while Mandela famously fought for the overthrow of the South African state during Apartheid.
Their so-called extremist views led to Gandhi being imprisoned for many years in South Africa, India and Britain, where he was jailed for sedition under Prime Minister Lloyd George.
Margaret Thatcher also previously described Mandela's party, the African National Congress, as 'a typical terrorist organisation'.
Choudary, a trained lawyer, is a figurehead for a proscribed group which calls for Sharia Law to reign in UK. Yesterday, he claimed that Ms May's extremism laws would 'criminalise young people for upholding the values of freedom of religion and expression.'
The 48-year-old said: 'Are you going to start putting Communists in jail because they believe in a different way of life - where is it going to stop? I will continue to speak out against Draconian laws and injustices and snooper's charters.
'They are trying to silence anyone who is opposed to the government's foreign policy. The Conservative government is at war with Islam and Muslims.'
Choudary, who founded the radical Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun 20 years ago which was later banned, is seen as a recruiting sergeant for Britain's radical Muslims.
Mr Easton said he thought of the comparison while in Parliament Square, where there are now statues of Mandela (pictured) and Gandhi
He was one of nine men held in a series of co-ordinated dawn raids by counter terrorism police in September last year.
All the men were held on suspicion of being a member of, or backing a banned terrorist group and supporting terrorism.
The alleged offences, which come under two counter- terrorism acts, carry a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
Choudary was arrested at an unknown location after fleeing his home in the middle of the night in the wake of threats from far-Right groups.
Just hours before he was held, he posted a burst of nine inflammatory messages on Twitter, branding US bombing raids in Syria as a 'rallying call for Muslims' and labelling the actions of Western governments in Muslim countries as 'terrorism'.
Since then he has remained on bail.
HOW CHOUDARY HAS LED EXTREMISTS FOR TWO DECADES Anjem Choudary is most notorious for fronting radical Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun, a group set up in 1986 which has also re-emerged as Islam4UK and Need4Khalafah. A report revealed earlier this year says half of terror attacks carried out or plotted in Britain involve members of this extremist group. Michael Adebolajo (left) and Michael Adebowale, who murdered fusilier Lee Rigby, had both attended events organised by Choudary's group Al-Muhajiroun Author Raffaello Pantucci found that since its formation in the 1980s, the group has been central to Islamic extremism in the UK. At least one of the bombers who carried out London's 7/7 bombings had met a key supporter of al-Muhajiroun, Omar Khyam, before the attacks which killed 52 people on underground trains and a bus in 2005. Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in a street in Woolwich, south-east London in 2013, had both attended events organised by the group. Despite having been banned in 2005, the group has morphed to take on a series of other names, and its influence continues to be felt, with Brustholm Ziamani, who was sentenced in March for plotting an attack inspired by that on Lee Rigby, also having been inspired by al-Muhajiroun. Research shows that out of 51 attacks and plots carried out or foiled in Britain, al-Muhajiroun had influence in at least 23.
A 2013 report by campaign group Hope Not Hate labelled groups linked to Choudary as the'single biggest gateway to terrorism in recent British history', and claimed he was the link between groups who encourage the safe passage of British and European Muslims into Syria where they join Al Qaeda-linked forces.
It also suggested that he should be considered a'serious player' in the promotion and recruitment of young Muslims to terrorist cells.
A BBC spokesman said: 'The news story reflected the deep concerns over Choudhary and the extent of his influence and Mark Easton reiterated that point in his live broadcast. He then made a wider point that the definition of extremism can change over time.
'He was not suggesting that the views of Anjem Choudary will be thought of differently in the future and we believe this was clear to the viewer.'
Easton, the Beeb's in-house sociologist
By Daily Mail Reporter
Mark Easton has long irritated Tory aides and ministers for his perceived Left-wing leanings
The BBC’s home affairs editor has long irritated Tory aides and ministers for his perceived Left-wing, metropolitan leanings.
Mark Easton came to prominence working for Channel Four News – also considered by many to have a Left-wing slant – and Five News.
The father of four had earlier worked on local papers after being ‘inspired’ to become a journalist at the age of 13 when he played the board game ‘Scoop’.
But he rarely involves himself in the day-to-day reporting of breaking stories, preferring to leave this to the BBC’s large team of home affairs correspondents. Instead, he operates as a kind of in-house BBC sociologist, who is said to have described himself as sitting on a cloud looking down on events as they unfold.
Last year he went on a ‘devolution road trip’, driving from one end of Britain to the other – via Wales – in a blue Mini with a Union Flag on top.
He says of his role at the BBC: ‘I try to look at Britain from outside, endeavouring to make sense of the dramatic and rapid change affecting the UK by standing well back.
‘What I want to do... is join some of the dots left by the dozens of stories we report each day. I want to understand our country, to see which direction we are heading in and what challenges lie ahead on our journey.’
In 2013, Mr Easton was accused of bias after apparently taking the side of the European Union in a row about benefits paid to migrants.
Figures compiled by Brussels showed there were 600,000 ‘non-active EU migrants’ living in the UK, equivalent to the population of Glasgow.
The annual cost to the NHS of EU migrants living in Britain was estimated at £1.5billion.
In a report for the Ten O’clock News, Mr Easton interviewed a small sample of Poles who insisted that they did not know anyone who came to Britain exclusively to claim welfare. He also insisted that the Government had provided no evidence of benefit tourism.
He went on to claim the European Commission’s report called the idea of benefit tourism ‘a canard’ – a word it never used.
Mr Easton, one of four children, was born in a small detached house on a new estate on the edge of Glasgow in 1959, according to his BBC blog.The BBC has backed the change to give it
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale today said he would close the iPlayer loophole shortly
TV viewers slammed the Government's 'outrageous' announcement today that it will close a loophole allowing people to watch BBC iPlayer without a TV licence.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said the BBC only worked if everyone who watched it paid for it and vowed to end the chance for people to get a 'free ride' to watch hit shows such as Sherlock or the Great British Bake Off.
He said he would press ahead with changes to the law and the loophole - which is thought to cost the BBC around £150 million a year - is expected to be closed within months, meaning iPlayer viewers who do not have a licence will face fines of up to £1,000.
But viewers reacted angrily to the news and vowed to abandon BBC programmes altogether in favour of private TV streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Others questioned how the BBC will enforce the charge for iPlayer viewers and the move also resurfaced calls for the BBC to change its payment model so it only charges viewers for the programmes they watch.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has campaigned for fundamental reform of the BBC's funding, told MailOnline that the move was 'not a sustainable model for the BBC going forward' and suggested it should only start charging for its iPlayer if it put its whole back catalogue online, which could raise money for the corporation from across the world.
The iPlayer, which pioneered online streaming for a mass audience when it launched in 2007, is freely available in the UK to anyone who visits the site. No log in details are required.
Today's announcement comes amid on-going talks over the future of the BBC charter, its governance and funding model - based on the £145.50 a year licence fee.
Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention today, the Culture Secretary said: 'When the Licence fee was invented, video on demand did not exist.
Viewers were outraged by the decision to start charging for the iPlayer and some questioned how the BBC would enforce the new charge
'And while the definition of television in the legislation covers live streaming, it does not require viewers to have a licence if they watch BBC programmes through the iPlayer even if it is just a few minutes after transmission.
'The BBC works on the basis that all who watch it pay for it. Giving a free ride to those who enjoy Sherlock or Bake Off an hour, a day or a week after they are broadcast was never intended and is wrong.
'So, having discussed this with the BBC and the BBC Trust, I will be bringing forward, as soon as practicable, secondary legislation which will extend the current TV licensing regime not only to cover those watching the BBC live, but also those watching the BBC on catch-up through the iPlayer.'
He said he would fast-track the change through by the end of May by using so-called secondary legislation, which does not require lengthy Parliamentary debates.
Closing the iPlayer loophole will mean viewers will no longer be able to access the site, pictured today, without a TV licence
Viewers suggested the BBC only charge for the programmes they watch while others called for the corporation to put its whole catalogue online if it starts charging for the iPlayer
The BBC today backed the proposed law change.
A spokeswoman said: 'We are happy to have reached an agreement with the Secretary of State on how to close the iPlayer loophole.
'Its swift closure will help give the BBC funding certainty.'
One viewer, Kevin Watkins, said on Twitter: 'So I’m going to be forced to buy a TV licence to watch iPlayer? Why not just charge me a subscription fee for the stuff.'
Another raised doubts over the BBC's ability to enforce the online charge. 'Nice idea but good luck implementing it,' tweeted one viewer named 'Tim'.
And Daniel Barnes said the move would drive him to other online streaming services. He tweeted: 'Thank you @JWhittingdale for pretty much confirming that I won’t ever be paying for a TV license, Netflix and Amazon Prime here I come.'
Mr Whittingdale said online viewers who do not also have a TV licence would no longer get a 'free ride' to watch shows such as Sherlock, left, and the Great British Bake Off, won last year by Nadiya Jamir Hussain, right
The crackdown will affect almost 1.5million people in 700,000 households and businesses who can legally watch major series such as War And Peace and The Great British Bake Off.
Students and other young people are thought to be the main culprits – effectively relying on older generations to subsidise their viewing. The BBC could use different methods to police online viewers.
WHITTINGDALE NAMES STRICTLY AND BAKE OFF WHEN CHALLENGED ON BBC 'DISTINCTIVENESS' Strictly Come Dancing has been a huge hit for the BBC but prompted concern from some it damaged commercial outlets Culture Secretary John Whittingdale today named Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake Off when challenged about BBC 'distinctiveness'. Mr Whittingdale insisted such decisions would not be for him but were a judgement for whoever was appointed to 'assess' programmes. The Culture Secretary has also focused on'soft news' as potentially being outside the BBC's public service remit. He praised new drama The Night Manager today as an example of something clearly 'distinctive'. While a backbencher, Mr Whittingdale was criticised for suggesting populist BBC shows including the Voice should not be made by the publicly funded broadcaster. Shortly after he was appointed to the Cabinet, he was forced to defend the remarks and insisted he was not an 'enemy' of the BBC.
Top of the list of options would be a Netflix or Sky Go-style password linked to each television licence, which users would have to enter before they are able to watch programmes on the iPlayer. Bosses have resisted this so far, fearing the move could turn the BBC into a subscription service.
The broadcaster would have to decide how many gadgets it should allow people to access for every television licence bought. Too few, and large families may not have enough for everyone’s televisions, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Too many, and they are likely to be abused and shared too widely.
An alternative would be to ask viewers to enter their personal details before using the service, and simply cross-check these with addresses whose residents have paid the annual £145.50 licence fee. If the details don’t tally, the BBC could send warning letters and even enforcement officers to get miscreants to pay up.
Although this is not the most sophisticated method, the BBC has successfully used it to scare people into paying the licence fee. In fact, it is frequently criticised for being heavy-handed.
Yesterday Mr Whittingdale received a detailed review on the future of the BBC which suggested an overhaul of the organisation's governance as part of the on-going charter renewal process.
The report by Sir David Clementi recommended scrapping the BBC Trust, handing regulation to Ofcom, and establishing a single BBC board to run the BBC.
Mr Whittingdale said today: 'Sir David has not only characterised the current arrangements very fairly – both in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.
'He has also set out a clear, sensible, vision for how the BBC can be reformed for the better.
'And his ideas for the principles of simpler Governance structures and streamlined regulatory arrangements that have public interest and market sensitivity at their heart, are ones that it would be very difficult for this – or indeed any – Government to overlook.'
Mr Whittingdale said a further report had identified a lack of 'distinctiveness' in the BBC's mainstream offering.
He said today: 'The report also shows that in some areas the BBC has become less distinctive in recent years – particularly on BBC 1.
'It also flags up that Radio 1 and Radio 2 are less distinctive than the BBC claim and that the soft news element of the BBC's online services is of limited public value.
'The report goes on to suggest that a more distinctive BBC would provide benefits both for the organisation itself, and for the wider media sector…
Because not only would it deliver greater variety for licence fee payers, it could also have a positive net market impact and increase commercial revenue by over £100m per year by the end of the next Charter period.'
Mr Whittingdale added: 'But what the headline figures show, is that the Director General's drive for greater distinctiveness can be good for the BBC, good for Licence Fee payers, and good for the wider sector, and that is something that the next Charter should encourage and embrace.'
Speaking after his speech, Mr Whittingdale told the Guardian said: 'Whether or not Strictly or Bake Off or other programmes are too removed or absolutely distinctive that is for the judgment of whoever will have the task of assessing BBC programming.'
BBC2 'IS BRITAIN'S WHITEST TV STATION' BBC2 is the whitest television channel, race campaigner Trevor Phillips has claimed. The former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission criticised the station for failing to attract enough viewers from ethnic minorities. ‘BBC2... is by some distance, Britain’s whitest TV station,’ he said. His comments come 15 years after the BBC’s then boss, Greg Dyke, branded the broadcaster ‘hideously white’. It has since tried to boost the number of black presenters and actors, as well as those from other minority ethnic backgrounds. Research shows 5.7 per cent of TV viewers watch BBC2. However, that figure falls to 3.3 per cent among black and other ethnic minority audiences. The figures are worse for current affairs programmes – 30 per cent of the TV audience watches the BBC Six O’Clock News, compared with 15 per cent of ethnic minority viewers. A BBC spokesman said: 'BBC Two has been growing its Black, Asian, and ethnic minority audience over the last year. 'Major seasons of programming on India and China have aired recently and a new season on Black Britain is being shown this Autumn. New and established talent such as Liz Bonnin, David Olusuga, Dr Saleyha Ahsan, Anita Rani, Romesh Ranganathan, Javone Prince, Rory Reid, Patrick Ayree, Monica Galetti, Jing Lusi and Reggie Yates all feature in a wide range of BBC Two programmes. 'Three quarters of BAME audience households feel that the BBC serves them well and BBC One is the most popular channels across all BAME audiences.”
A BBC spokeswoman today said: 'We agree with improving distinctiveness, but not with shrinking the BBC.
'The BBC's services are distinctive and have become more distinctive in this Charter period.
'The response to the Government's Green Paper shows that licence fee payers overwhelmingly agree.
'The BBC's services must continue to be run in the interests of audiences, not for the benefit of competitors.
'We are concerned that some of the report's proposals would risk undermining the universal appeal, reach and quality of the BBC's main services, BBC1, BBC2, Radio 1, Radio 2 and BBC Online.'
Shadow culture secretary Maria Eagle yesterday slammed the proposed changes to the BBC regulatory structure.
She said: 'Any replacement of the BBC Trust must stand up for license fee payers and viewers, not the Government of the day.
'The BBC currently handles around ten times more complaints than Ofcom.
'If Ofcom is to take on entire regulatory oversight of the BBC, the Government must provide sufficient resources for them to do a proper job.'
The BBC backed Sir David's report.
A spokeswoman said: 'We share his view that external regulation and a unitary Board for the BBC will bring greater clarity to the Corporation's governance.
'If delivered, these proposals will bring about the most significant change in governance and regulation of the BBC in its lifetime.
'That is why it is important they are implemented in a way that strengthens the BBC's editorial independence and ensures that future decisions about the Corporation are made very clearly in the best interests of audiences, who own the BBC.'
BBC Trust Chairman Rona Fairhead: 'Sir David Clementi proposes a strong BBC board and a strong external regulator – a change we have argued for.
'It will be important to get the details right, and we now want to work with the Government to ensure roles are clear, the structure is effective and the BBC's independence protected.'
Ad-blockers are a 'protection racket' and content will disappear if media companies can't make money, Culture Secretary admits
Mr Whittingdale today warned new albums from artists such as Muse would be impossible if media firms could not sells adverts around otherwise free content
The Government could intervene over online ad-blockers, the Culture Secretary said today.
John Whittingdale said he shared the concern about the impact of the software - which hides adverts on websites automatically - had on industries from music to news.
He told the Oxford Media Convention research suggested the public advertising funded media but objected to instrusive advertising.
But the Secretary of State said ad-blockers were running what some saw as a'modern day protection racket'.
And he warned: 'If people don't pay in some way for content, then that content will eventually no longer exist.
'And that's as true for the latest piece of journalism as it is for the new album from Muse.'
Mr Whittingdale continued: 'What (consumer) dislike is online advertising that interrupts what they are doing. They don't like video or audio that plays automatically as soon as a web page has loaded.
'Or pop-ups that get in the way of their browsing experience.'
The Culture Secretary added: 'If we can avoid the intrusive ads that consumers dislike, then I believe there should be a decrease in the use of ad-blockers.
'I am not suggesting that we should ban ad-blockers but I do share the concern about their impact.
'And I plan to host a round table with representatives from all sides of the argument to discuss this in the coming weeks.Wandering the local beer aisles you may have noticed a ‘new’ style that is hard to say but nevertheless appearing more frequently. Gose (pronounced “goes-uh”) is in fact not new at all, and is a traditional German wheat beer that, until recently, was nearly forgotten. The brew is historically brewed with salt and coriander and is tart, light, and refreshing – perfect for the upcoming summer months.
Leading the charge in the gose comeback story is Westbrook Brewing Company out of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Westbrook Brewing's Gose is a light colored and hazy beer that smells funky, briny, and lemony and pours a pale gold color. A blast of flavor hits your tongue and it forces you to naturally pucker, producing a rush of saliva. It is sweet, tart, and salty, and the sourness reminds me of a lemonade flavored Warhead. After the initial hit wears off it finishes dry and leaves your mouth begging for more. Bottom line, it is an intriguing and delicious beer.
Westbrook has been around since 2010 and makes a number of other great beers, including Mexican Cake Imperial Stout and a delicious White Thai wit. The brewery is run by a husband and wife tandem and is the highlight of a small but growing South Carolina presence. Gose is available March-December but distribution is limited to a few states in the southeast. So travel or trade to get your hands on a can!TEHRAN – The Iranian nuclear chief said on Friday that Iran can return to its previous nuclear program in response to violations of the nuclear agreement, ISNA reported.
“On the nuclear issue, Iran has not burnt its bridges and can return to its previous condition,” noted Ali Akbar Salehi, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
The nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is an international contract that was reached between Iran and the 5+1 group (the U.S., Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany) in July 2015.
Salehi suggested that Iran should have put more time on the text of the nuclear agreement as to prevent any misinterpretation and ambiguity.
“With our present experience regarding America’s sanctions and its failure to fulfill its duty, we could have definitely reached a better deal,” he said.
Tehran has on numerous occasions questioned Washington’s commitment to the deal, accusing it of placing obstacles in the path of the JCPOA implementation.
The AEOI director further criticized Washington for not keeping its side of the bargain, saying, “Today, we clearly see that the Americans have broken their promises, and they have done so many times.”
On the implementation of the nuclear deal, Salehi, a nuclear physicist, said, “I’m responsible for the technical aspect of the nuclear negotiations and, Alhamdulillah, things go smoothly at the moment.”
“But we have run into troubles regarding the sanctions,” he said, adding that the other side – being the 5+1 group – has failed to meet its commitments.
MH/PAA looong long time ago time didn’t exist – the cavemen lived from dawn ’til dusk, from spring to winter without any need to actually count the hours, minutes, and seconds as we do now. And since the concept of time wasn’t ‘invented’ yet, could we say that it really didn’t exist?
Anyways, let’s leave the existential questioning behind and skip forward a couple of hundred years to the invention of the first mechanical wall clock in 723 A.D by a Chinese monk and mathematician I-Hsing. He called it ‘Water Driven Spherical Birds-Eye-View Map of the Heavens.’ Pretty cool, I-Hsing, pretty cool.
Skipping forward a thousand years or so more, the clocks have found their ways into everybody’s homes, and now we couldn’t imagine the concept of ‘living without time.’ As with everything that we use in our everyday lives, the aesthetic appearance of things is a desirable bonus, so a cool wall clock is a must.
Enter Bored Panda. We have compiled a list of the unique wall clocks there are, that even the most snobbish time-watcher would find aesthetically pleasing. In the pictures below you’ll find cool clocks made from unexpected materials, decorative wall clocks fit for even the most modern interior and everything in between.
P.S.: If you are a ticking clock hater, there’s a Facebook group for you called “I HATE hearing a clock tick when I’m trying to sleep”.
1. Turntable Clock
This clock was created using a recycled Sanyo turntable and a Ronco’s Greatest Hits album titled “Get It On” which is replaceable. (Designed by pixelthis)
2. RND Time
The most unusual feature of this clock lies in its entirely random application to the wall, hence the name “rnd_time”, where “rnd” is used to indicate the random factor. (Designed by progetti)
3. Pop Quiz Clock
Think back to a time when you were a young geek. Sure, you were brilliant at math, but being asked to solve problems on the chalkboard… That’s the stuff of nightmares. Thankfully, that time is over… Or is it? The smell of chalk and the feel of the blackboard is still fresh in your mind. If you close your eyes, you can almost feel the eyes staring at your back as you labor to engage your brain and simplify the polynomial. (link)
4. Clock Made From A Recycled Bike Wheel
This clock was made from a recycled aluminum Mongoose bike wheel. The wheel mounts directly to the wall through the hub using a hollow wall anchor and gives the illusion that it is floating off the wall. The clock movement is a high torque German quartz movement and is attached to a set of rear cassette gears to conceal the movement. (Designed by pixelthis)
5. Domino Clock
We live in a hectic world. Alerts, alarms, and reminders prod us through our days with unforgiving precision. Challenging this pressure-filled environment, the Domino Clock™ takes a simple, iconic object and transforms it into a new way to tell time. (Designed by Carbon Design)
6. Whatever Clock
Funny clock features black rim with “What Ever!” dial face and novelty Arabic numbers. This unique clock can spice up your modern room. (buy)
7. Definition Of Time
This clock is not really suited for easy time telling but the piece is quite sculptural easily making it a centerpiece in your home. (Designed by Wooteik Lim)
8. Melting Clock
This Dali inspired melting clock is hand painted Silver Gray with a subtle metallic sheen. It has a black border and numbers along with two daliesque ants. The clock face is finished with multiple coats of pre-catalyzed lacquer for a durable high gloss surface. (link)
9. Sundial Clock
The circular metal disk holds each of the twelve numbers perpendicular to the surface which become evident when their shadows are cast on to the painted white base. When viewed straight on the numbers appear to be a series of simple, parallel lines unlike the playful overlapping numbers which are visible when viewed from the side. (Designed by: frontdesign)
10. Manifold Clock
A wall mounted clock with a manifold that connects the two hands to create a 3D movement. At any given moment the manifold is located in a different position and different parts are seen. As the hour can be understood according to the traditional location of hands, a new reading of time is created. (Designed by: studio ve)
11. Color Blind Clock
Take a closer look and you will see numbers hidden in amongst the spots. This clock is made of strengthened
|
for mediocrity. Even if they roll their eyes, they will respect what you have to say about Chris Webber’s overrated abilities and what his rightful place in basketball history should be. It’s not an easy conversation to have, but it’s an important one. I had a long Chris Webber talk with Dylan, and now we both feel better. I urge you to do the same.The freshest lobser in Sweden, hiking in the Alps and three beautiful boltholes in Scotland
Take me there: Sweden's Weather Islands
Sweden's lobster season kicks off next month, heralding a six-week celebration of all things crustacean. From 24 September to 4 November, hotels and restaurants along the country's wild west coast will be offering Shellfish Journey packages. The Väderöarnas guesthouse in the beautiful and sparsely populated Weather Islands is giving guests the chance to indulge their love affair with lobster on a two-night package which includes a fishing trip, a cooking class and a three-course lobster feast, as well as plenty of time for kayaking or lounging in a hot tub by the sea (+46 525 32001; vaderoana.com; £722pp).
Jo's travel clinic: Alpine walking
The dilemma My friend and I, both in our late 50s, are fit and love hiking. We'd like to tackle some high-level walks in the Alps next spring yet we are fond of our home comforts and don't want to rough it in mountain refuges. I think a group holiday might be too regimented but we don't feel confident enough to set this up on our own. What can you suggest? Marion, by email
Collett's Mountain Holidays is a family-run tour operator specialising in walking holidays in the Alta Badia, one of the most spectacular valleys in the Italian Dolomites (colletts.co.uk). Stay at one of its four hosted chalets and you can dip in and out of a weekly programme of guided walks of varying difficulty, ranging from gentle strolls through Alpine meadows to more challenging high-mountain routes.
All of the walks are optional and free of charge, so you can choose to have a rest day at the chalet or consult the local walk organisers about setting off on your own. A sociable three-course meal with other guests is provided every evening. A seven-night full-board stay at the charming Chalet Bracun in Corvara costs from £645pp. Flights to Venice are not included.
Three of the best Scottish hideaways
Shore Cottages, Caithness A new Landmark Trust restoration of two traditional fishermen's cottages, sleeping two or six. From £186 a week (landmarktrust.org.uk)
Herston Hall, Orkney A stylishly converted mission hall on Widewall Bay, South Ronaldsay, one of Orkney's 60 islands. Sleeps two. From £295 (unique-cottages.co.uk)
Hillview Cottage, Tighnabruaich Swap TV and Wi-Fi for log fires and views on to the ocean at this simple retreat. Sleeps five. From £355 (holidaylettings.co.uk)Caceres in hospital after crash
By Football Italia staff
Juventus defender Martin Caceres is in hospital after a car crash last night in Turin, but is not in serious condition and avoided fractures.
“He arrived in hospital with a cut to the head, which was immediately stitched up, and one to the cheekbone. He did not sustain any fractures,” read a statement from Juventus.
“Caceres will remain in hospital today and should be released tomorrow.”
It is reported he has a heavy bruise on his leg that will keep him off the field for 30 days and might even undergo plastic surgery for the cuts to his face.
The Uruguayan was travelling in Turin down Via Nizza at around 3.20am local time on his Porsche Cayenne.
A car coming from Corso Dante sped up as the traffic lights were about to turn red, did not respect right of way and the two vehicles collided.
It’s claimed Caceres and his car were sent flying on to the entrance of the underground station.
The 25-year-old was taken to the trauma unit at the Maria Adelaide hospital in Turin, but his condition is not serious.
Caceres was on the bench in last night’s 2-0 victory at Bologna.TODAY marks seven years since Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin passed away.
It was September 4, 2006 when Steve was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine while snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef.
He left behind wife Terri, daughter Bindi and son Robert.
>> RELIVE SOME OF THE BEST MEMORIES OF STEVE IN OUR PHOTO GALLERIES AND VIDEOS BELOW
According to crocodilehunter.com.au, Stephen Robert Irwin was born to Lyn and Bob Irwin on 22 February, 1962, in upper Fern Tree Gully, Victoria.
He moved with his parents and two sisters to Beerwah, Queensland, where his folks opened the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park in 1970.
Photos View Photo Gallery
Steve grew up loving all wildlife, especially reptiles. He caught his first venomous snake (a Common Brown) at the tender age of six and would often arrive late to school after convincing his mother to pull over so he could rescue a lizard off the road.
By the time he was nine-years-old, he was helping his dad catch small problem crocodiles hanging around boat ramps by jumping on them in the water and wrestling them back into the dinghy. He always had an uncanny sixth sense when it came to wildlife and he spent his life honing that skill.
Tribute to Steve Irwin by editorial cartoonist Peter Broelman. Peter Broelman
In the 1980s Steve spent months on end living in the most remote areas of far North Queensland catching problem crocodiles before they ended up shot by a poacher's bullet. He worked with his little dog, Sui, and developed crocodile capture and management techniques that are now utilised with crocodilians around the world.
bindi irwin trubute steve: Bindi Irwin pays tribute to her dad, Steve.
By 1980, the family wildlife park was called the 'Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park' and where Steve called home. Steve and his best mate, Wes Mannion, worked countless hours caring for the wildlife and maintaining the grounds.
Photos View Photo Gallery
In 1991 Steve took over managing the wildlife park and met Terri Rains, a visiting tourist, on 6 October. Steve and Terri were married in Eugene, Oregon, on 4 June 1992 at the Methodist church Terri's grandmother used to attend.
Instead of a honeymoon, the couple embarked on filming a wildlife documentary with John Stainton from the 'Best Picture Show' company.The show was so successful it turned into a series and the Crocodile Hunter was born.
Steve and Terri Irwin with their beloved Harriet, who was one of the oldest creatures on the planet.
After Steve's parents retired in the 1992 Steve worked tirelessly to improve and expand his wildlife park. Re-naming it Australia Zoo in 1998, Steve's vision for the world's best Zoo was coming to fruition. In July 2006 Steve set out his ten year business plan for his beloved zoo.
Terri Irwin's Grief : Terri Irwin talks on the grief she faces since the loss of her husband Steve.
He couldn't know he would be gone just two months later, but he believed his conservation work would go on. His two beautiful children will make sure it does.Photo: Dominique Issermann. Styling by Jonathan Huguet; Hair by Cyril Laloue at Julian Watson Agency; Makeup by Megumi Zlatoff at Calliste; Swimsuit by Agent Provocateur. Photo: Dominique Issermann/New York Magazine
“Today? Today I am so-so,” says Charlotte Gainsbourg, nestled in the corner of the Ralph Lauren restaurant on Boulevard Saint-Germain, under a large painting of a seated dog. Gainsbourg is a pretty puddle of a woman, present and elsewhere at the same time. Her suede overcoat is in a pile next to her, and she’s drinking a café crème and ignoring the silver bowl of caramel popcorn while occasionally, and considerately, refilling my glass from a bottle of Evian. We’re here to discuss her role as Joe, the titular nymphomaniac in Lars von Trier’s two-part, determinedly dirty four-hour-plus sex epic in eight confessional chapters (interspersed with humanistic philosophizing). It’s like a porny, anxious Decameron à deux, in which Gainsbourg—as a character, yes, but also as an actress—is thoroughly, and voluntarily, abused, pleading repeatedly, “Fill all my holes.”
Nymphomaniac is her third time around with von Trier, and she says she’s “very sorry to say” that their collaboration “might be over,” though it becomes clear the worry might be just in her head. Over the restaurant’s tastefully muted Gershwin soundtrack, she tells me that she wasn’t able to go to the Berlin International Film Festival in February, where the completely uncensored, longer, and even more abject director’s cut of the film premiered. (And where her co-star Shia LaBeouf got in the acting-out act, showing up in a tux with a bag over his head, declaring himself no longer famous.) Von Trier, trying to persuade her to come to Berlin, told her, “That might be the last time we see each other.” Which she took possibly a little too much to heart, to mean that this would be her last film with him. “He is very mysterious,” she says. “He always gives little hints. And you have to catch and understand whatever you can. I wasn’t going to be very specific after that and ask him, ‘What does that mean? We’re not going to work together anymore?’ ” But she is visibly deflated at the prospect. After all, von Trier, the writer and director, gives her, the hungry actor, “things to eat,” she says.
But the reason for her so-so day has nothing to do with her relationship with a director who’s become something of a surrogate parent (withholding, semi-sadistic, but enthralling—she says he is “always right”), and everything to do with her real family. Earlier that day, she’d been “trying to put some order in my office and falling into a lot of things which had to do with my sister.” She’s referring to the photographer Kate Barry, her half-sister (they share a mother), with whom Gainsbourg was raised. Barry had fallen to her death out the window of her apartment in the 16th Arrondissement in December, apparently a suicide. “So it was quite emotional,” she says, enunciating carefully. “But it’s part of what I live now, the life I have now, without my sister. Sorry. It is very personal, but you ask, how was my day? And I couldn’t say perfect.”
She chose Ralph’s (“It’s so American,” she says, half-apologizing, with her gasping laugh) because it is close to the duplex she shares with the actor-director Yvan Attal and their three kids, who range in age from 2½ to 16. (The youngest is named Jo: “I chose Jo before Lars did. He wanted a boy’s name” for the nymphomaniac. “Our Jo doesn’t have an e. For the French, without an e, it’s more a boy’s name. The e is more feminine.”) And Ralph’s is only two blocks from the home of her late father, the louche and clever singer and mid-century French national treasure Serge Gainsbourg, on Rue de Verneuil, which she has kept, shrinelike, exactly as he left it when he died abruptly in 1991. (Except there’s a NO SMOKING sign on the front door today.) Her mother is Jane Birkin, the British singer-model-actress who sang the famously panting duet of romantic mixed signals with Serge, “Je t’aime … moi non plus,” which was such a sensation it was banned by radio stations in the U.K., Spain, and Italy. She also inspired that Hermès bag and lived until not so long ago a couple of blocks away, on Rue Jacob.
Gainsbourg was born in 1971 and has lived here, in the medieval center of Paris, and in the postwar center of the French pop consciousness, for most of her life. “I always want to move from here and try to find another place,” Gainsbourg says—perhaps in New York. “There’s a light there that is so beautiful which you can’t find here. The light can be quite depressing here. Nobody has filmed Paris in a very beautiful way the way New York is filmed. Godard was able to film it, of course, in a very beautiful way. In the ’60s, there was still some kind of magic,” she says.
She and Attal have been together for more than 20 years, but they aren’t married. “I’m superstitious,” she once said. “We’ve never married, and we’re happy. My parents weren’t married, so I don’t have an ideal image of marriage that I’m hoping for.” Her father was a self-created provocateur, painter, actor, director, and musician, the embodiment of French showmanship. Born Lucien Ginsburg, he was the son of a cabaret pianist who’d emigrated from Russia. Serge was the sort of drunk who called a press conference to announce he’d be upping his drinking and smoking after his first heart attack, even while going on TV as a caricature of himself he called “Gainsbarre.”
With the help of the architect Jean Nouvel, Charlotte tried for 15 years to turn Serge’s home into a museum. It is, after all, an accumulation of his life—framed gold records, toy monkeys, puppet dolls of himself, empty red jewelry boxes from Cartier, cameras, police badges from all over France, pictures of the women who sang his songs—Brigitte Bardot, Anna Karina, Petula Clark, Juliette Gréco, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Marianne Faithfull, Françoise Hardy, Vanessa Paradis, and Birkin, with whom he stayed for 13 years. The outer walls of the house on the otherwise demurely picturesque block are to this day covered with layers of graffiti: LA POSTÉRITÉ L’AIME QUAND MÊME SERGE!, GAINSBOURG TOUJOURS!, etc., all accompanied by pasted-on drawings of his head, icons of cool.
These are the terms of her very French fame: Gainsbourg is the muse of Nicolas Ghesquière (who recently left Balenciaga for Louis Vuitton); her half-sister Lou Doillon is a model and actress; and Barry, a public advocate for recovery who battled addiction herself, had tried her hand at fashion design before turning to photography. Barry once said that taking up the camera was partly a defense: “I was photographed a lot as a kid. It must have made an impression on me … For a long time, my camera was a defense against the melancholy I felt.”
Gainsbourg, it seems, had an easier time of it, doted on (if that’s the word) by her father. It was always clear that she was going to go into the family business: acting, singing, modeling. “My mother knew I wanted to be an actress before I knew,” she says. “She understood it and could see it. I didn’t know what I wanted.” This was back in the early ’80s, when “I think she was shooting La Pirate,” about a lesbian trying to reconcile with her married ex, “and she said I looked like I was so envious of the little girl. There was a young girl of 14 in the film, and she could tell, when I was on set, that I was envious. I had that look of just wanting to be there.” In 2007, her proud mother told The Guardian: “Charlotte should be Katharine Hepburn, she has that elegance and funniness and a tragedy when her face is inert. She can make you cry without moving a muscle.”
Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg had split by the time Birkin encouraged Charlotte, then 13, to sing a duet with Dad called “Lemon Incest”—a pun, in French, on “lemon zest”—and also, perhaps more notoriously, to star in a video of it where he lounged shirtless, and very much 56, surrounded by smoke-machine effluvia, next to her, slightly stunned-looking but compliant, in little but a boy’s shirt—and looking rather like a boy (“The love that we will never make together / Is the most beautiful, the most violent …”).
Since then, she’s acted in both French films and English (most notably The Science of Sleep and Todd Haynes’s Bob Dylan movie, I’m Not There) and won awards (in 1986, she won a César Award for Most Promising Young Actress for L’Effrontée, and in 2009, Best Actress at Cannes for von Trier’s Antichrist). But she says she’s far from a “workaholic.” Twenty years passed between the album made with her father (Charlotte for Ever) and her next one, called 5:55, which came out in 2006.
Photo: Dominique Issermann. Swimsuit by Thapelo Paris. Photo: Dominique Issermann/New York Magazine
“I felt very much in my father’s hands when he did ‘Lemon Incest’ with me,” she says, echoing the way she speaks of giving herself over to von Trier’s narrative and directorial machinations. “I was never embarrassed by the song. Never, ever. I understood the lyrics. But that video—ack.”
In 2001, Attal, whom she’d met on a film set, made a cinematic love letter to her called My Wife Is an Actress. It’s about a sportswriter named Yvan who’s constantly being semi-humiliated by the fact that his wife, “Charlotte,” played by Gainsbourg, gets accosted on the streets of Paris but also gets him out of speeding tickets and into snooty restaurants (as well as clubs where he otherwise lacks “the look”), simply for being assuredly herself. This is played for laughs, though Yvan begins to lose it when he’s asked if it bothers him that “she sleeps with other men for a living.” “No, that’s a whore,” the character Yvan replies. Then he punches the man.
It’s an interesting film given Nymphomaniac, which features lots of whoring around, albeit with an adult-film actress doing what amounts to porn stunts. Von Trier’s Copenhagen-based film studio, Zentropa, also has made porn movies, both straight and gay, and, as with Antichrist, the director decided to include real sex. He allowed Gainsbourg, now 42, to choose her sex stunt double. “It was so embarrassing,” she says. The one she picked was German. “But because porn actresses have no hair down there, they had to put—too much hair I think. It was all fake hair. The guy who did the props, it was so funny: He had all these dicks and fake vaginas.” In the director’s cut, the physical consequences to Joe’s body are, she says, excruciating. “I’m very hurt in the end.”
But she seems to feel she gets von Trier, a notorious oddball who no longer talks to the press. (He was banned from Cannes in 2011 after making some sardonic comments about being able to “understand Hitler.”) And he her. “I wish he couldn’t shoot with any other actress,” she says. “I’ve always felt very close to him. He’s not a spectator.” In some ways, they seem to have complementary neuroses, or needy fragilities. “I’m very anxious, very unsure of myself,” says Gainsbourg. “Embarrassed, always embarrassed. I felt very, very normal facing him.” In fact, when they first met, for Antichrist, “I felt that he thought I was too normal. He called and said, ‘I want you in my film. But you have to agree to all of the nude scenes. There will be storyboards so you will know exactly what you have to do. So there are no surprises.’ I think the actress who was supposed to do the role—there was something which she didn’t want to do.”
But Gainsbourg was up for it—really up for anything. “For each film, there were really tough scenes he put me through. I mean, the death scene in Antichrist was really tough,” she says; for that, she was throttled around the neck by Willem Dafoe at von Trier’s direction. “He wanted to do it in one shot; it was so long and painful.” She’d just had surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage following a waterskiing incident, and “I thought my head was going to explode. It was terrible to do,” she says. (The hemorrhage meant getting lots of MRIs, the hums of which inspired her album IRM—MRI in French—which was produced by Beck and came out in 2009.) She also had to go and masturbate outside for the crew, her only direction from von Trier that she do it harder. And there were parts of von Trier’s Melancholia, a comparatively sedate film about the end of the world in which she played a comparatively sedate character, that she thought were “torture.” That said, “I never felt he was taking pleasure out of my suffering. He goes through those emotions with you. Or that’s what I felt. But at the same time I’m very masochistic.”
Even the trailers for Nymphomaniac were NSFW internet sensations. And while the uncensored version was edited down and softened for theatrical release—and split into two parts, to be released to theaters a month apart—the film is still an absurdist, push-your-buttons-you-bourgeois-hypocrite product by a director who has the letters FUCK tattooed on his knuckles. Its first life will be via on-demand video, which might be the movie’s natural, furtively avant-garde audience.
Each of the eight chapters is shot as its own film, in its own style. “I don’t have an explanation for why he is using black and white for this one and Godard’s light for this one, but it was very specific,” Gainsbourg says. “He had real principles for each chapter. In chapter one, he wouldn’t move the camera. And in another it was handheld. It was very established the way each one was going to be shot. But I don’t have an explanation. And I don’t really need any.”
One thing she’s not entirely happy with: the casting, as Joe’s younger self, of English actress Stacy Martin (Nymphomaniac is, for some reason, supposed to be set in the U.K., though like most of von Trier’s films it’s really set in a darkly enchanted fairyland of his own devising). “He did say when he gave me the script that I would not be playing myself young. But of course I wanted to play myself all the way through,” Gainsbourg says.
For someone who is so willing to be so thoroughly degraded—stripped naked, used, bruised, gangbanged, and nihilistically kicked to the curb, at least on film, but defiled and defiant to the end—Gainsbourg worries that people won’t still want her as an aging ingénue. So, as if in defense, she’s gotten busy: She’s done four films since September and has more to come this year (including Every Thing Will Be Fine, the Wim Wenders 3-D drama with James Franco). And she’s beginning a music project: She’s always been a mouthpiece for others’ music (from her father to the French group Air to Beck), but with her next project, “I’m trying to write it, if I can. I’m trying. I try to write the beginnings. I start off. I have ideas. But then I admired Beck much more than what I did myself. So it was very obvious to not go through the process by myself. But this time, I won’t work with Beck. I’m not sure who I will be working with. So I am trying to get as far as I can on my own.”
It’s all part of her effort to make herself more assertive, it seems. “In America,
I find that actresses can be producers and take control of themselves. Whereas when I started saying I really wanted to do that, I was not sure of who I was enough to say, ‘I am able to play this part and trust in me.’ I needed people to desire me.”
Then she thinks about that. “I say that I’m not a workaholic, but I understand that it’s been four years where I’ve been running from one project to another a bit helplessly. I can see that I am getting older and it does end. For women, it becomes harder, after 45 maybe. I hope 50.” “Embraceable You” is playing on the Ralph Lauren jazz-fantasy-of-Paris soundtrack. “It’s not that nice to see yourself aging. You can’t say that it’s something that’s very pleasurable.”
And then, digging into that shar-pei of a suede coat piled next to her, she notices a text. “Oh! It’s Lars! He is saying he had a great time in Berlin.” She smiles, delighted, relieved. “Oh, I love him.”
*This article appeared in the March 10, 2014 issue of New York Magazine.RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL-NBC) — A House committee voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would eliminate North Carolina's requirement that people obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
House Bill 746 creates "parity" for people who are allowed to carry guns openly but suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the law if they put on a jacket and cover up their holstered sidearms simply because they lack a concealed carry permit, said sponsor Rep. Chris Millis, R-Pender.
"This bill would allow law-abiding citizens to be able to carry concealed, regardless of obtaining the mandatory government permit, and this ability to carry concealed is only in places where it is currently allowable to openly carry a firearm," Millis said, noting 13 other U.S. states have similar rules on the books.
Concealed carry permits are issued through a county sheriff's office, which conducts a criminal background check and looks for records of mental illness or incapacity. The requirement has long been a sore spot with gun rights advocates, who say it gives sheriffs too much power to deny gun owners what they say is their constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon.
Guns purchased through a licensed dealer would still require a federal background check, but those checks aren't required for purchases from non-licensed sellers at gun shows or for private sales. In those cases, however, the North Carolina buyers would have already gone through the background check called for to obtain a pistol purchase permit from their local sheriff.
Still, gun control advocates say the concealed carry permit offers extra backup for those sales and ensures that gun owners have basic safety training.
"This bill would roll back one of North Carolina's core public safety laws by allowing people to carry hidden loaded handguns in public with no permit and no firearm safety training," Christy Clark of Huntersville, North Carolina chapter leader for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, told members of the House Judiciary IV Committee.
The bill does include a provision for a firearm safety class to be offered as an elective course in North Carolina high schools.
Daniel Patrick, of gun rights group Grass Roots North Carolina, called the proposal a "gradual evolution of personal protection legislation" and noted that other states that have similar laws haven't had any problems because of it.
North Carolina gun owners could still obtain a concealed carry permit to use when traveling out of state, as many states recognize each other's permits.
Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover, said she worries that removing the permit process puts the onus on individuals to determine if they are qualified to carry a gun.
"I do see a paradigm shift in the way we are treating this, and I do see that we are eliminating a very valuable stopgap measure," Butler said. "Gun violence has proliferated like crazy in this country. We all know that. My fear is that we're asking citizens to disqualify themselves, to understand and know whether they are capable of carrying (a weapon) in an open fashion, and I just think that's a dangerous step to take."
Millis said the state's pistol permit process already gives sheriff's the ability to perform background checks.
"Right now, status quo, if you don't pass this bill, criminals have the advantage in our state," he said. "They can see if you have a firearm on you, or they're playing the odds that, did you traverse the permit process?
"This bill puts our law-abiding citizens to be able to defend themselves," he said.
Republicans on the committee beat back several Democratic-sponsored amendments to the bill, such as raising the age to carry a handgun from 18 to 21 or allowing people in state agencies to determine that someone should be prohibiting from possessing a gun because of a mental issue, and the passed the bill on a voice vote.
The bill must still go through the House Finance Committee before getting a floor vote.
Copyright 2017 WCNCCosta has swiftly adjusted to the demands of the Premier League
Diego Costa could add a further historic flourish to a spectacular start to his Chelsea career in Sunday's clash with champions Manchester City.
The Spain striker has scored more goals - seven - in his first four Premier League games than anyone before him. Another goal for the Spain striker at Etihad Stadium could see him equal the record of eight - jointly held by City's Sergio Aguero and former Coventry forward Mick Quinn - for a player's first five outings in England's top flight.
Player Team Total goals after first four Premier League games Total goals after first five Premier League games Diego Costa Chelsea (2014-15) 7? Mick Quinn Coventry City (1992-93) 6 8 Sergio Aguero Manchester City (2011-12) 6 8 Jurgen Klinsmann Tottenham Hotspur (1996-97) 5 6
On the evidence we have seen so far, and despite a nagging hamstring problem restricting him to a substitute's role in Wednesday's Champions League draw with Schalke, few would back against him getting more than one.
Considering his sensational form since his £32m move from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid this summer, the easy assumption is that Costa is a natural-born goalscorer who has always been a prolific marksman.
That is far from the case, however. Until just over 12 months ago, he had a very different profile and looked more likely to spend his career as a useful but problematic squad player rather than "one of the greatest strikers in the world", as Jose Mourinho recently called him.
Costa has lived up to his Chelsea manager's expectations so far this season
Early struggles and street spirit
Although Costa has always been a tremendously hard-working, committed and team-oriented player, for a long time goal-scoring was by no means his greatest strength - in fact, it was arguably his greatest weakness.
Costa's record Season Club League goals/games 2007-08 Celta Vigo 6 in 30 games 2008-09 Albacete 10 in 34 (+1 sub) 2009-10 Real Valladolid 8 in 32 (+2) 2010-11 Atletico Madrid 6 in 13 (+15) 2011-12 Rayo Vallecano 10 in 15 (+1) 2012-13 Atletico Madrid 10 in 24 (+7) 2013-14 Atletico Madrid 27 in 34 (+1)
After leaving his native Brazil as a 17-year-old in 2006 to sign for Portuguese side Braga and then joining Atletico a few months later, he was sent on loan to no less than five different clubs and failed to set the world on fire. During his first six seasons in Spain, two of which were spent in the Segunda Division with Celta Vigo and Albacete, Costa's league-scoring tallies were less than impressive: 6-10-8-6-10-10.
With his loan spells doing little to suggest he would ever become a regular starter for Atletico, Costa came extremely close to leaving the club for good in the summer of 2011, a move to Turkish side Besiktas only falling through when he suffered an injury after the deal had been agreed.
In those early days Costa always had potential, and his sheer determination was greatly appreciated by his various managers, but he was also extremely raw and inconsistent - especially in front of goal.
Costa (right) spent a season with Real Valladolid in 2009-10, scoring eight goals in 34 games
But there is a simple explanation for the striker's late development: until the age of 16, he had essentially been a street player, receiving little in the way of formal coaching and playing virtually no organised football.
Whereas most young players develop their technique under the guidance of qualified coaches and the benefit of professional facilities, Costa learned the hard way on the streets of Lagarto, his small hometown in Brazil.
'No heart and no shame'
Rather than scoring feats, the statistics that caught the eye in Costa's early years were his disciplinary problems. The fiery forward received 49 yellow cards across five league campaigns between 2008 and 2013.
His street-fighting mentality and fierce ambition to establish himself as a successful professional was a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it made him an incredibly hard-working and brave player with little consideration for his own personal safety. On the other, it made him a magnet for trouble, his unquenchable competitive spirit too often crossing the line into outright nastiness. At times, he appeared to be so busy looking for a fight he would forget to play football.
Sevilla's Geoffrey Kondogbia (left) accused Costa of racism after the two clashed in February 2013
The most unpleasant manifestation came in February 2013, when he embarked upon a running battle in a match against Sevilla which concluded with opposing midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia receiving a red card for a stamp on Costa and later accusing the Atletico striker of racism.
A few weeks earlier, Costa had enraged Real Betis defender Antonio Amaya by aggressively mocking him for a mistake which led to an Atletico goal, leading Amaya to spit on him in a subsequent encounter and thunder: "Costa has no heart and no shame."
At that time, the Brazil-born striker was firmly established as public enemy number one for opposition fans and even his greatest admirers would have been forced to condemn some of his on-pitch antics.
His temperament was getting in the way of his talent.
The main man - and a father figure
The major turning point in Costa's career came in the summer of 2013 when Atletico accepted an offer from Monaco for Radamel Falcao, their leading scorer and attacking focal point.
Suddenly, Costa's role was transformed. Rather than serving as a physical foil for the Colombian's predatory talents, he was now the most important striker at the club, around whom the team's style would be constructed.
The additional responsibility presented a huge challenge, but it also brought a welcome display of confidence and immediately proved to be the making of a significantly improved player.
Another key factor was the huge influence of Atletico boss Diego Simeone, a fellow South American who knows a thing or two about successfully harnessing an aggressively competitive nature. He recognised a kindred spirit in Costa.
Costa thrived on the responsibility of being the attacking focal point for Atletico
Simeone could regularly be seen yelling at Costa from the sidelines during games, beseeching him to calm down and avoid trouble. Motivating Costa has never been a problem, but Simeone managed to channel his energies in a more constructive manner.
He also played Costa cleverly with his media declarations, simultaneously reinforcing his confidence by regularly telling the world how good he was, while also keeping his striker focused by issuing public reminders that he still had a lot of room for improvement.
The combination of Costa's new importance within the team, his greater experience after a late start in the game and his relationship with the father-like Simeone turned him into a far more mature performer, thriving on his new status as Atletico's chief goal-getter.
Costa's rapid improvement saw him score 27 league goals, and 35 in all competitions, to spearhead Atletico's unlikely title triumph last season, and also moved Spain national boss Vicente Del Bosque to persuade him to switch international allegiances from his native Brazil.
After a long and fraught journey, Costa had finally arrived.
Lingering doubts - a question of style?
Despite his success over the past 13 months, can a player who never registered more than 10 league goals in a season until he was 25 really transform himself into a goal-per-game scorer?
History suggests that kind of dramatic improvement is rarely sustained in the long term, but one man who bucked the trend is former England captain Alan Shearer. The Newcastle legend (206 goals in 404 games) was not a particularly consistent marksman during his early days with Southampton (23 in 118 league games) but became a goal machine after moving to Blackburn (131 goals in 172 games).
Shearer has been impressed by Costa's exploits in England so far, telling Match of the Day: "He is looking the real deal. When it is not going as it should be for Chelsea, they have a goalscorer who can get them out of it.
"He is always available. He always wants the ball to feet and if you want to push him around and bully him, it is all right because he will do the same to you."
While Costa will never shy away from a physical challenge - one of the main reasons he has adapted so quickly to English football - what will happen when English football adapts to him? Will Costa continue to be so successful when Premier League managers have worked out how to negate his strengths?
Brazilians dressed in Spain's kit were supportive ('We are with you') during the World Cup, but questions remain whether Costa fits Spain's team's
|
the sky.
Kim Prather at the University of California, San Diego, studies these aerial ecosystems. She and her team fly in special research planes over the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the United States. You may have seen biologists chasing butterflies and dragonflies with insect nets; what Prather is doing is the equivalent in a cloud. Her team takes samples of clouds and analyzes the content.
“We’re seeing lots of biological components such as bacteria and molecules associated with microbial life,” she says.
It’s not the first time microbes have been found to be present in the atmosphere. A few years ago I interviewed Brent Christner of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. He had collected fresh snow from diverse locations in the United States, France and Antarctica, and in all samples he found evidence that bacteria were not only present, but that they had been influential in actually causing the snow to fall in the first place.
How on Earth can that be?
Rain falls when something “seeds” the development of ice crystals in a cloud. Tiny particles cause ice to form and grow, and eventually it will fall. If it warms up enough as it falls, it will be rain. Sometimes ice crystals themselves are the catalyst for growth, and sometimes ice grows around tiny particles of dust.
Prather’s group is directly sampling from the clouds over the Pacific to find out more details. Last week she presented her work at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco.
Her starting point is the understanding that the atmosphere is chock-full of dust and other particles, and that bacteria, algae and fungi live there too. Understanding the exact chemical makeup of the dust and the biological molecules on it helps understand and predict how rain and snow fall from clouds. How, when and how much — crucial information for farmers, and for us all.
“The standard belief is the more ice you have in a cloud, the more likely you will get precipitation out of it,” Prather says. “Our goal is to catch the first stages of ice forming and find out what exactly the chemical constituents are that the ice is forming on.”
What they have found is that the ice crystals have biological markers. They have proteins that can’t be derived from dust particles in the air, but that are signatures of bacterial life in the atmosphere.
“We’ve learned that not all of the particles in the air at high altitudes have the same influence on clouds. We’re starting to think that these differences contribute to how rain gets distributed,” says Prather.
Most of the dust that Prather’s team detects in clouds and precipitation originates in deserts in Asia. It gets swept westward by the jet stream, where it mixes with other airborne particles, including smoke and spray from the sea. Prather says that each of these types of particles — collectively known as aerosols — has its own, distinctive impact on clouds.
But living on the particles are varieties of microbes.
The microbes make proteins, which lace water molecules together. The water forms a pattern similar to an ice crystal’s lattice, which encourages ice to form. Ice crystals then grow in the normal way, and rain — or snow — falls.
A long-term goal of Prather’s research is to improve cloud-seeding technology. This was most publicly used just before the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to ensure clear skies for the opening ceremony. But the techniques are not always reliable. “Mother Nature has developed very effective ways to seed clouds, so perhaps we could take some tips from her,” says Prather.
Evidence, if any more was needed, of the extraordinary power of natural selection. All organisms need to be able to disperse and find new areas to live. After staying alive and reproducing, dispersal is the third most important item on any organism’s to-do list. It seems a range of organisms have found a way to manipulate weather systems to help them do that.
There are occasionally reports of masses of frogs raining out of the sky, or of fish falling in the desert. In Kerala, in southern India, there was an infamous occurrence of red rain, which had some people speculating that alien life forms had rained down from space when a meteor exploded in the atmosphere. It turned out to be red algae that had been swept into the air after a storm, just like when frogs and fish are swept up on freak air currents.
But the finding that there are organisms that live for at least part of their life cycle in the atmosphere — that is as wonderful as stories about magical creatures that live in the clouds, and all the more impressive for being true.
Rowan Hooper (@rowhoop on Twitter) is the news editor of New Scientist magazine. The second volume of Natural Selections columns translated into Japanese is published by Shinchosha at ¥1,500. The title is “Hito wa Ima mo Shinka Shiteru (The Evolving Human).”A Romanian, a German, and a South African hailed a cab. It was around 11 p.m. on a cool night last September in Manhattan, and the men were planning to make a video. They all worked for Greenpeace, the international environmental nonprofit, but had little in common besides that. The Romanian was Radu Dumitrascu, a 33-year-old communications specialist who’d joined Greenpeace after burning out on a D.C. desk job and spending a couple of years working to protect mountain gorillas in the Congo. The German, 46-year-old Wolfgang Sadik, was a lifer; he’d been with the organization for 25 years. He helped run the actions team, the cloak-and-dagger unit that does the planning when, say, an oil rig needs scaling. The South African was the boss, Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo. A tall, lanky, former human-rights activist with a kind manner, a gray-flecked beard, and an ever present African shirt, 50-year-old Naidoo is the organization’s public face.
The men were in New York City for the UN Climate Summit, a meeting of 100 heads of state billed as the next major stage in international efforts to tackle global warming. Naidoo was excited about the previous day’s march, in which nearly 400,000 people filled the streets of Manhattan, but no one was particularly optimistic about the UN gathering itself. Earlier that day, appearing on a panel at the 92nd Street Y with 350.org founder Bill McKibben and rockers turned activists Linkin Park, Naidoo had called it “verbal masturbation.”
So he, Dumitrascu, Sadik, and a few others were going to apply pressure. The plan was to shoot a short social-media video of Naidoo calling for governments to enact clean-energy policy and, as he intoned in his deep baritone, “Listen to the people, not the polluters!” Later, at about 3 a.m., Sadik and a team would project that phrase onto one face of the UN building, on Manhattan’s East Side, in several languages. The stunt was illegal but not dangerous, so Naidoo had only just been told the day before.
“The actions are often done on a need-to-know basis,” he told me as the cab rolled along. “Most actions, I won’t be consulted about it. But if it’s something where it could be prison time or a very big court case, then they’ll come to me and say, ‘We are doing this action, it requires so much of the activists, the legal assessment is this, the worst-case scenario is this.’ And I’ve never said no. Because our people are competent.”
Naidoo is Greenpeace’s great hope. He spent his teenage years fighting apartheid in South Africa, buried too many friends, went into exile, and later rose to prominence in the international human-rights world. Greenpeace recruited him in 2009, when the organization was having what could gently be called a crisis of relevance. At one time the most powerful direct-action group on earth, it was trapped in a frustrating phase. With about 2,500 employees spread across 41 offices around the world, Greenpeace was too big to play the underdog, but it was still weighed down by institutional nostalgia for its scrappy no-nukes days. Since taking over in 2009, Naidoo has driven an ambitious plan to turn Greenpeace from a top-down, European NGO—its headquarters are in Amsterdam—to a decentralized, quasi-guerrilla outfit with a powerful presence in the places where, he believes, the climate war will be won or lost: Africa, Asia, and South America.
We hopped out at 41st Street, where three more members of the team waited by a balcony overlooking the East River. As a cameraman prepped Naidoo, I walked off to the side with Sadik. He had a big, well-coiffed sweep of silver hair, a mustache and soul patch, and large, probing eyes. He told me that when he was 16, his buddies wanted to join a protest against a power plant, but his father, who didn’t like hippies or radicals, said he couldn’t go. So he went. “It was wintertime, and I came at night to a secret group in the forest,” Sadik recalled. “They said, ‘We are with Greenpeace.’ ” He knew then what he needed to do with his life. “I wanted to feel politics with my senses,” he told me. “That’s why I always specialized in actions.” Sadik did graduate work in archaeology at the University of Vienna but later came back to the Greenpeace fold. “Now,” he said, “I’m saving future and past.”
Naidoo finished speaking to the camera and began walking back to his hotel, leaving Sadik and the team to deal with the projection. As I watched all this, I was struck by an obvious flaw in the plan: Who would be walking by the UN at 3 a.m.? The whole thing seemed quaint and also kind of funny.
That is, it seemed funny until two months later, when an action in Peru backfired spectacularly and Naidoo was desperately trying to save Greenpeace’s reputation after the worst gaffe in its 43-year history. At that point, I thought back to the last thing he’d said that night in New York, an offhand joke as he walked away: “Don’t wake me up if you get arrested!”
Here’s what happened: In early December, a group of 20 Greenpeace activists from seven countries, including Argentina, Chile, and Germany, traveled about six hours south from Lima. Argentine Associated Press photographer Rodrigo Abd and Herbert Villarraga, a Colombian videographer for Reuters, accompanied them. They had all come to Peru for COP20, a multinational climate conference designed to pave the way for a binding agreement on carbon emissions, and they had secretly planned an action.
Their destination was the Nazca Lines, one of Peru’s most sacred sites. Starting around 500 B.C., the Nazca people, who lived in a nearby river valley, created hundreds of giant geoglyphs—trapezoids, a dog, a hummingbird, a pelican more than 900 feet long—by removing reddish brown surface rocks to expose the light soil beneath. Some scholars think they were religious symbols; others believe they were used to chart the seasons. The Nazca themselves were gone by 750 A.D., seemingly done in by vicious El Niño flooding exacerbated by their own agricultural clear-cutting. But because the Nazca Desert receives little rain and less wind, the lines have survived. A Unesco World Heritage site, they are a popular fly-over destination for tourists and aerial photographers. The hummingbird graces one of Peru’s most common coins.
In the predawn hours of December 8, the activists walked about half a mile from a dirt road to one of the most easily accessible symbols, the hummingbird. They carried backpacks, coolers of water, and a drone. As the sun rose, they unfurled tall, yellow cloth letters spelling out
TIME
FOR CHANGE!
THE FUTURE IS RENEWABLE
GREENPEACE
under the bird’s beak. According to a New York Times report published a week after the incident, one activist, who appeared to be running things, told the others to be careful not to step on the lines. The story identified him as Wolfgang Sadik. In a video uploaded to YouTube, Sadik says, “We chose the Nazca Lines because we think that these lines are a symbol of climate change. What happened here in the past on a smaller scale happens now on a global scale, and the Nazca culture disappeared because of climate change.”
The previous day, Greenpeace activists had posted footage of a similar message created at Machu Picchu. But Nazca is a more vulnerable place, and the moment the images went up on Twitter, the public attacked. Conservative media in Peru denounced the act as a violation of cultural heritage, and news outlets from the BBC to NBC followed. The activists had committed a grave insult by entering the site, which is off-limits to visitors without a guide and special footwear. Worse, the offenders left marks in the soil—their tracks and an imprint of the letter C—that, Peruvian officials allege, can’t be erased.
The day after the action, the Nazca branch of La Fiscalia, Peru’s federal prosecuting office, opened a preliminary investigation, a precursor to formal charges. But all 20 activists had left the country before any travel restrictions were put in place. Greenpeace went into damage control. The top brass claimed they had no advance knowledge of the action, and spokespeople issued anodyne apologies, including an understatement of the year: “This looks bad.” Greenpeace refused to release the activists’ names, a radical departure for an organization built on claiming credit for civil disobedience.
Like the rest of the leadership, Naidoo claimed ignorance. On December 8, he was in the Philippines, delivering solar chargers to victims of Typhoon Hagupit. That morning, before the uproar, his Twitter account retweeted an image of the Nazca stunt to his 30,000 followers, but Naidoo says he wasn’t behind the tweet—Greenpeace’s communications department helps manage his feed. Naidoo says he first heard what happened on his way to the airport in Manila to board a flight to Amsterdam. When the plane landed, his voice mail was full. He slept for six hours, then booked a flight to Lima. He arrived to find news teams waiting.
“This is not what we stand for,” he boomed into a camera. “This is not what I stand for.” When he walked out of a Nazca court after a preliminary hearing the following week, people threw eggs. “Watch out at the Taj Mahal, watch out at the pyramids in Egypt,” scolded Peru’s president, Ollanta Humala. “Because we all face the threat that Greenpeace could attack any of humanity’s historical heritage.” The group’s Facebook page filled with profane invective. Canvassers in the U.S. were harassed. “In 35 years of activism,” Naidoo told me, “there has never been a moment when I’ve felt so ashamed.”
The Nazca fiasco was raw meat for the large segment of the public that tends to think of environmentalists in general—and Greenpeace specifically—as strident or out of touch. It also surprised many, because Greenpeace has undergone a profound shift under Naidoo’s leadership. Before he was hired, the group was seen by many as too stunt oriented, northern (read: white and a little naive), hungry for credit, and smug—in short, the kind of outfit that might have unfurled a dumb slogan at the Nazca Lines. But in the past five years, Greenpeace dramatically increased its standing among environmental and business leaders alike by making a shrewd double move.
Most visibly, it has returned to classic, bold direct action. At the same time, it has reinvented itself as a pragmatic, behind-the-scenes organization that can dramatically influence large corporations’ global supply chains, convincing companies like Coca-Cola, for example, to drop fluorocarbons from its refrigerants. Last October, two months before Nazca, I spoke with Mark Tercek, CEO of the Nature Conservancy, who said, “Under Kumi’s leadership, Greenpeace is less focused on flamboyant campaigns and more focused on getting things accomplished in the field.”
Greenpeace was built on flamboyance. The organization was founded in 1972 in Vancouver, British Columbia, by would-be revolutionaries who called themselves “hobbits.” The year before, when the U.S. government had planned a nuclear-bomb test at the Aleutian island of Amchitka, 11 protestors sailed north to intervene. They didn’t stop the test, but they did launch a movement that would endure. Greenpeace picked and won big fights by relying on a simple formula: find someone harming the environment, confront them with cameras rolling, and use publicity to generate outrage. There were bumps along the way—notably, the 1985 sinking of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior vessel by French foreign-intelligence operatives in New Zealand—but during its first two decades, Greenpeace was arguably the most effective activist operation in history. It created a generation of antiwhaling and antinuclear activists, and gave donor-funded antiestablishment environmentalism a face.
Starting in the nineties, Greenpeace tried to paint itself as a policy influencer, ceding direct fights to groups like Rainforest Action Network and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd’s leader, Paul Watson, a Greenpeace cofounder turned vociferous critic, has become a household name, thanks to Whale Wars, the popular reality-TV series about direct action against Japanese whalers. Around 2005, Greenpeace started targeting corporations, taking on companies like McDonald’s over logging in Amazon forests. Still, its influence waned; it was too extremist for corporations and not tough enough for other environmentalists.
Naidoo was hired to perform a brand rescue. He focused on a few key climate issues, like Arctic oil drilling and deforestation in Asia and the Amazon. He also pushed for an ambitious restructuring to move people and money away from traditional European environmental strongholds to places like China, Brazil, and India.
The shift south and east has caused some turmoil in the ranks, but it has also been seen as forward-thinking as other NGOs make similar moves. “All of us big international organizations that have our roots in North America and Europe have to change,” says Samantha Smith, director of global climate and energy initiatives at the World Wildlife Fund. “We’re not winning the fights we need to win. If you can’t credibly speak to the concerns of developing countries about getting people out of poverty while also getting off coal, you’re not going to be effective.”
But it’s the return to civil disobedience that has raised Greenpeace’s public profile the most. In 2011, Naidoo became the first international executive director to get arrested when he scaled an oil rig off the coast of Greenland. Two years later, in September 2013, 28 Greenpeace activists protesting Arctic drilling, along with a photographer and videographer, were arrested in international waters off the Russian coast. Some of the group were climbing an oil platform when a helicopter materialized overhead, dropping balaclava-clad Russian troops armed with machine guns onto the deck of their icebreaker, the Arctic Sunrise. The activists were charged with piracy (later lessened to hooliganism) and threatened with 15 years in prison. For nearly three months, the so-called Arctic 30 languished in primitive, freezing jails. Naidoo offered to trade places with them, and 11 Nobel Prize winners wrote to Russian president Vladimir Putin, asking that the charges be dropped. German chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand prime minister John Key chimed in, and even Watson had to praise his old outfit. “It appears that Greenpeace has sparked a new cold war,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Nearly four months after the arrest, on the eve of the Sochi Olympics, Russia released the Arctic 30. Greenpeace, it seemed, was back.
On the surface, Greenpeace and Naidoo aren’t an obvious match. He grew up in a poor township outside Durban, the second of four children in a family descended from Indian indentured servants. But Kumi and his siblings never felt poor, even when they attended an elementary school that lacked electricity. His mother, Mana, sewed clothing for neighbors, and his father, Shunmugam, was a bookkeeper. “We have enough,” Mana would tell the kids. A picture of Mahatma Gandhi hung on a wall in the family home.
In June of 1976, when Kumi was ten, thousands of black students gathered in Soweto—the famous township near Johannesburg—to protest the government’s decree that Afrikaans would be a compulsory language in public schools. Police opened fire, killing hundreds. The Naidoo kids were only vaguely aware of the violence. “I clearly remember our teachers telling us we were privileged because we were top students, and we would get out of the township,” says Kumi’s younger brother, Kovin, now a leading optometrist in South Africa.
In 1980, this optimism crashed down in a sudden stroke when Mana committed suicide. Kumi, who was 15, briefly sought refuge in alcohol, getting tanked and falling asleep on park benches. Then he and Kovin threw themselves into the student protest movement, taking part in dangerous clashes with police. Kumi has often asked himself whether his mother’s death pushed him to the front lines. “If she had been alive,” he says, “would I have had the courage? I always wonder.”
Kumi and Kovin were expelled from high school for their roles in the marches. The principal called Shunmugam and told him to pick up his sons. Shunmugam replied that the boys could walk and hung up. Shortly after that, sensing the potential for more trouble, he took the boys’ passports and hid them.
In 1983, Kumi enrolled at the University of Durban-Westville, where he studied politics. He and Kovin soon joined the African National Congress—an illegal act, since the party had been forced underground—working in different cells. Kumi helped lead the ANC’s student group and also organized for the armed revolutionary branch, recruiting and distributing illegal literature. He told me he never took part in any violence, an assertion that a half-dozen sources in South Africa back up. “I was so high-profile in the mass movement,” he says. “They were bugging our phone. So I was never put under pressure to join the armed struggle.”
Still, Naidoo says, it was a different time with a different moral code, and he spent most of his weekends at the funerals of friends killed by police. In December 1986, he was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to study political philosophy at Oxford University. By then, however, Naidoo’s ANC cell had been compromised and he was on the run, hiding in friends’ houses. Soon after the Rhodes news, the police came to his dad’s house late at night, threatening to kill Kumi if they caught him. Another night, he snuck back home and Shunmugam gave him his passport. The next spring, to avoid a court summons that he was convinced would lead to his imprisonment and torture, he had some doctor friends admit him to a hospital, where they administered a placebo IV. He was discharged just before the court sent police racing over.
But before Naidoo could flee to England, he still had to take his exams. So he asked a friend, prominent playwright Ronnie Govender, to design a disguise. “He said, ‘We’re going with the Lionel Richie,’ ” Naidoo recalls. The young activist got a perm, shaved his beard, and walked around unmolested while finishing his exams with the help of a sympathetic professor. Close friends couldn’t recognize him. He made it to England and was just a year into his Ph.D. studies, in June 1988, when Kovin was arrested and thrown into solitary confinement for eight months.
In 1990, the ANC was unbanned and Nelson Mandela was released from prison. Naidoo returned to South Africa to help establish the ANC as a legitimate party, then trained electoral staff for the country’s first democratic election, in 1994, when Mandela became president. It wasn’t long before he saw his comrades taking lucrative jobs or entering politics. “People like me became marketable,” he says. “I jokingly said the term NGO no longer stands for nongovernmental organization, but next governmental official.”
He founded an umbrella group for South African NGOs, then joined Civicus, a small human-rights organization that punched way above its weight. He soon found himself fielding invites to talk at venues like the World Economic Forum, in Davos. His many fans from the international NGO circuit point to one standout trait: his humility. “When he comes in and speaks, he’s speaking on behalf of a lot of people,” says Cynthia Ryan, a trustee of the Schooner Foundation, which funds human-rights and security initiatives. “He’s very aware of that.”
Naidoo started tuning in to environmental issues in part through his daughter, Naomi. (He has never married; Naomi’s mother is a friend from Oxford.) In 2008, he joined Greenpeace Africa as a board member. In 2009, Lalita Ramdas, the chairman of Greenpeace’s board, called. At the time, environmental NGOs were starting to look south and east while moving away from nature-centric strategies and toward a vision that accounted for human wellbeing. Greenpeace, meanwhile, was caught largely in the past. “They needed to bring relevance to an organization that many saw as increasingly irrelevant,” says M. Sanjayan, executive vice president of Conservation International. But Naidoo was 19 days into a hunger strike to protest the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
“Thank you very much,” he said. “But I’m afraid it’s bad timing.”
That night he spoke about it with Naomi. “Dad,” she said, “if you don’t consider this, I’ll never speak to you again.”
So he took the job.
Greenpeace has an annual budget of about $330 million, all of which comes from individual donors or foundations; it doesn’t accept corporate contributions. That’s roughly $200 million more than Conservation International’s annual operating cost, but $300 million less than the World Wildlife Fund’s and $400 million less than the Nature Conservancy’s. Naidoo doesn’t wield the influence that the Nature Conservancy’s Tercek or Conservation International CEO Peter Seligmann do. He can’t preserve small Edens with the stroke of a pen. His compensation is also lower: Naidoo makes about $150,000—around a quarter of what Tercek does.
But Greenpeace’s resources are used in a way that gives Naidoo a singular power, one that is particularly scary if you’re the CEO of a multinational corporation. Greenpeace spends about $100 million a year on campaigns and media outreach, much of which is aimed at attacking specific brands. These days it pays to be seen as a Greenpeace ally—or, more specifically, to avoid being seen as a Greenpeace foe.
I saw this firsthand at the climate summit in New York, where executives from Asia Pulp and Paper pulled Naidoo aside for a photo op. In 2011, Greenpeace targeted the toy company Mattel over its use of packaging from APP, which was clear-cutting Indonesian rainforests. It first tried to convince Mattel to change its supply chain. When Mattel didn’t, Greenpeace’s social-media team cooked up a video in which Barbie gets dumped by Ken. In the spot, an unnamed whistle-blower shows Ken a video of Barbie chainsawing orangutan habitat. Ken yells, “It’s over! That fucking bitch!” After receiving 500,000 e-mails, Mattel dropped APP.
Other successful campaigns have targeted Nestlé, for its use of Indonesian palm oil in KitKats, and Facebook, for its reliance on coal-fired power plants. (The latter campaign was coordinated on Facebook.) Last year, Greenpeace took on Lego for its reported $116 million partnership with Shell, the Arctic-dreaming oil giant. Lego resisted an initial protest, in which Greenpeace activists dressed as Lego figures showed up at the company’s flagship store in New York City. But in July, a video showing toy figures drowning in oil went viral. Six million people read the words “Shell is poisoning our kids’ imaginations.” As a result, Lego agreed to stop selling Shell-branded toy race cars.
Business executives I spoke with portrayed Naidoo as a shrewd, pragmatic negotiator who would rather implement change behind the scenes than twist a public knife. “He’s not an extremist,” says Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, which was persuaded by Greenpeace to ditch hydrofluorocarbons, a greenhouse gas used in refrigerants. “It’s not always Greenpeace’s way or the highway. It helps with these discussions to take the emotion out of it, and Kumi should be credited with that.”
To Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson, this is called selling out. “They’re a multinational eco-business,” he likes to say. “The have a ship that goes around fundraising, and they make money from people’s genuine concern.” He also told me, “Kumi’s not really an environmentalist. He came from a human-rights background. What did change since Kumi came in is that Greenpeace isn’t doing as many campaigns.”
Greenpeace would readily agree that its focus is increasingly multinational. The plan for the shift to developing countries—the “new operating model,” as it’s called internally—was first raised by Naidoo’s predecessor, a German scientist named Gerd Leipold. But Naidoo, who is at heart a community organizer, has made it a defining cause.
“We don’t win if we don’t win in the countries with significant population sizes in the global south,” says Naidoo. “Even if everyone else says, ‘We’ll do the right thing,’ if China, Brazil, African countries, and India go for a carbon-intensive economy, we will lose.”
Under the system, scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year, all 40 of Greenpeace’s national chapters will pool their funds. Areas like Asia, Africa, Brazil, and the U.S. (important because of its energy consumption) will receive the lion’s share of the money, while big fundraising countries like Germany and the Netherlands will sacrifice. Nearly 70 of the 250 jobs in Amsterdam will move overseas, a process that’s already begun.
Campaigns in the global south and east take many forms. Some are feel-good, like the 2010 effort to set up solar-powered projectors in rural South Africa so people could watch the World Cup. Some are contentious: last year, the Indian government froze Greenpeace’s funds for six months and arrested two of its activists in a heated battle over a proposed coal mine. Some are still fuzzy: in China, where civil disobedience is about as welcome as Free Tibet stickers, Greenpeace has focused on legal campaigns and awareness-raising art—ice sculptures melting in front of a temple and a powerful short film about smog by a Chinese director. Some can be dangerous: in 2010, a Greenpeace camp was torched in Indonesia, and someone hung an effigy of Naidoo outside the Jakarta office in 2012.
And some are pretty boring: in Cameroon, Greenpeace has quietly informed communities about a New York agriculture firm that wants to clear forests to produce palm oil. The idea is not to claim credit but to educate locals so they’re better prepared next time. “Kumi is encouraging people to look at issues more systemically,” says Annie Leonard, the U.S. director. “The environment is deeply connected to all these other issues: economic injustice, racism, problems with neoliberal economies. That is a deeper analysis than ‘You have to save the forests,’ and I appreciate that.”
Another U.S. staffer put it more succinctly: “He’s helping privileged environmentalists pull our heads out of our asses.”
Still, the master plan has created friction. Last summer, the European press, which covers Greenpeace closely, erupted when one of the group’s financial officers lost four million euros speculating on international markets. Then Naidoo’s second in command, Pascal Husting, was outed for commuting regularly to Amsterdam from his home in Luxembourg by plane. Forty-three members of the Netherlands office called for Husting to resign. Naidoo apologized and Husting kept his job, though he now takes the train.
“This was hugely sensitive,” says Sylvia Borren, the director of that office. “I’m not sure Kumi and Pascal understood the reputation risks in the Netherlands on this.” Borren is a firm supporter of Naidoo’s changes. “There are still a lot of people who want Greenpeace mostly how it was—David and Goliath,” she told me. “We’re not in that space anymore. I’m not a hippie. We’re a major organization, and we need to get more professional.”
In the aftermath of the Nazca stunt, some observers raised their eyebrows at the notion that Greenpeace’s leaders were ignorant of the plan. “There can be no doubt that Kumi knew of the stunt beforehand,” Paul Watson wrote on Facebook. “And if he did not, he should resign for the incompetence of not knowing that this action would take place.”
There was also plenty of anger within the organization itself. Greenpeace code stipulates that activists take responsibility for their civil disobedience, but the Nazca 20 fled. It looked cowardly. “We don’t do that,” said one U.S. staffer; another told me, “I want to know who needs to be told to leave.”
“This activity was completely in violation of Greenpeace values,” Naidoo said. The situation put the organization’s leaders in a bind: normally, Greenpeace takes pride in protecting its activists by paying for legal fees and attracting media attention. Now they were in the sticky situation of condemning the action publicly but refusing to name those responsible out of fear of legal repercussions.
In December, Greenpeace launched an internal investigation. Naidoo told me then that it appeared the stunt had been organized by a single person without institutional approval. When he testified in the preliminary hearing in Nazca on December 18, he revealed the organizer’s name to Peruvian authorities. “What do you do as a leader?” he had said to me then. “On the one hand, I had to do the right thing in terms of accountability. On the other, I had to take into account that many young people in good faith relied on someone leading the process.”
He didn’t tell me the person’s name, but judging from early press reports, it wasn’t too hard to suspect Sadik. This was confirmed a few weeks later. In January, the First Court of Preliminary Investigation in Nazca issued an order of preventive detention—basically an arrest warrant—for Mauro Fernández, a 26-year-old Argentine who had served as spokesman on one of the videos of the stunt. Fernández, along with the AP and Reuters journalists Abd and Villarraga, were charged with attacking cultural heritage, which can carry a six-year prison term. On January 18, a visibly shaken Fernández, speaking from his home in Buenos Aires, told a Peruvian news station, “Sadik is the one who evaluates the situation and designs the activity and makes the final decision.”
Two days later, a lawyer for Greenpeace International delivered papers to prosecutors in Nazca. They contained voluntary statements from Fernández, Sadik, and two other Germans, all of whom described their roles in the action. Sadik—who, through Greenpeace, declined to speak to Outside after the Nazca action—named himself as the organizer.
Naidoo rejected the idea that Greenpeace was making one person fall on his sword. “From what I’m being told,” he said, “the activists didn’t know what site they were going to beforehand. So people acted without proper information, and the person holding the information didn’t share it. It seems fair that this person should hold responsibility.”
What about the organization’s decentralized structure—did Greenpeace’s guerrilla strategies open the door for errors in judgment? “It’s not about changing the fundamentals of our approach,” Naidoo said. “This was an objective individual failure rather than an objective institutional failure.” Still, he seemed optimistic that the activists might avoid prison time. He cited precedent: in 2013, followers of the Dakar Rally, an international off-road car race, inflicted significantly more damage to the Nazca Lines and avoided punishment. That same year, with government permission, a Red Bull BASE-jumping team landed near the lines in wingsuits.
When I spoke with Ana Maria Cogorno, director of the nonprofit Maria Reiche Association, which is dedicated to protecting the lines, she suggested that the government was using Greenpeace to divert attention from its own unwillingness to preserve the site. “They have to blame somebody,” she said. She’s no Greenpeace fan, but she hopes that the attention might finally lead to some protections. “Greenpeace has been such a help to me!”
As of early February, no further charges had been filed. Greenpeace was wrapping up its internal investigation, Sadik was working in the Germany office, and the others were still on the payroll as well. An Argentine judge declined to detain Fernández but ordered him to stay in the country and remain near his home.
How badly the episode will damage the organization is another question. “The way it’s been presented by Greenpeace is that it was a rogue event,” Michael Dorsey, a member of the Sierra Club’s board of directors, told me. “There are very few groups that have rogue events. And anyplace you have that, it gets shut down and people get fired.”
Both Tercek, the Nature Conservancy CEO, and Sanjayan, of Conservation International, believe Greenpeace can weather this if it learns from its mistake. “I don’t think it will hurt them in fundraising,” Sanjayan says. “People who support them understand them. It’s like, ‘Yep. Par for the course. That’s Greenpeace.’ But if Kumi wants to coalesce the organization around a few key points, this does derail that. He’d do well to more strongly articulate what they want, and to build around that, because otherwise the brand is going to get diluted. I mean, think about the word, the name Greenpeace—I’m not even sure what that means.”
It means different things to different people in different places. In America its activists are seen as treehuggers. In Europe they’re keepers of a noble flame. In boardrooms they’re threats. In India they’re criminals. And in Naidoo’s mind they’re just getting started. “The way I see it,” he once told me, “addressing climate change is more important than all the injustices we’ve fought over time put together. Colonialism, slavery, apartheid, the right to vote. This is about survival. So if it was OK for people like me to be prepared to go to prison and be prepared to get killed, then surely when the very future of the existence of the species of humanity is at risk, then I think we need to be willing to take much higher risks.”
In December, Naidoo
|
the Black Leadership Forum and other students that the names of Mulledy and McSherry be removed from buildings on our campus are consistent with the conversations in our working group over the past two months. For this reason, we are very encouraged by and welcome the suggestions of the Black Leadership Forum and other students. Their words are shaped by a thoughtfulness, a passion, and a spirit of constructive engagement that we appreciate deeply and hope will sustain us through the course of this important and painful conversation about our history and its legacy. We are especially moved by the concern for the naming of buildings and the identification of special sites on campus, such as burial plots.
The Working Group is in the process of figuring out the full extent of Georgetown’s unjust enrichment at the expense of the enslaved and is developing ways to foster a conversation about the history and its legacy. It is a complicated history. We cannot, as of yet, even determine with certainty the number of slaves sold by Father Mulledy or the larger number who contributed for decades to the growth of the school.
At the same time we share the urgency felt in many corners of the university community that something must be done to address the symbolic injustice preserved in the naming of two campus buildings after Jesuit administrators who effected the mass sale of enslaved persons in 1838.
At our meeting on Friday, November 13th, we passed two resolutions as recommendations to President DeGioia. First, we recommend that the names of Mulledy and McSherry be officially stricken as soon as possible from the student residence and from the building that houses the John Main Center for Meditation. Second, we recommend that by the end of the academic year both buildings be permanently renamed with attention to Georgetown’s historical relationship to slavery and that the Mulledy Building be renamed specifically with reference to the enslaved persons who were sold at Father Mulledy’s direction in 1838.
Until a broader conversation within the community enables us to recommend a permanent renaming of these buildings, we propose to the entire community that for the remainder of the academic year we refer to the Mulledy Building as “Freedom Hall” and to the McSherry Building as “Remembrance Hall.”
We propose the provisional name “Freedom Hall” for two reasons: first, “freedom” is, quite simply, exactly what the Society of Jesus and Georgetown College chose not to offer the enslaved in the early nineteenth century. And second, the name would give recognition to the historical, global, and pervasive fight for freedom that people around the world are still engaged in and dream to realize.
We propose the provisional name “Remembrance Hall” for three reasons: first, remembering the specific persons whose involuntary servitude has unjustly enriched our university is exactly what we have failed to do. Second, remembering this history and these people is at the heart of our current undertaking. And third, remembering this history and these people is what we want to ensure for the future. In addition, we are mindful of the current purpose of “Remembrance Hall” as a center for meditation and the part that meditation can play in bringing peoples together in peace.
In light of these values’ signal importance—freedom and remembrance—and their neglect in our own history, the Working Group has begun planning a symposium on the relationship of the university and slavery to coincide with Emancipation Day, the April 16 holiday in the District of Columbia corresponding to the abolition of slavery in the city. The purpose of the symposium will be to draw together the many projects, events, and voices that we hope will have shaped our conversation about the university and slaveholding over the coming months. The Emancipation Day symposium will then be the launching point for the final recommendations of the Working Group to the university’s President and Board of Directors. These will build on and bring to completion the recommendations we have made in this statement.
In the meantime, we encourage immediately the adoption of the provisional naming at all levels of and in all corners of the university – Freedom Hall and Remembrance Hall.
Finally, we invite you to join the conversations about how to best continue our work, beginning with several events in the coming weeks.
Two conversation circles will take place next week (on Wednesday, November 18, 7:30-9:30 p.m., in the Social Room of the Healey Family Student Center, and on Thursday, November 19, 11:30-1:30 p.m. in Riggs Library, in Healy Hall). Please RSVP here.
A teach-in will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 4:00-6:00 p.m., in the Social Room of the Healey Family Student Center.
Our goal in these events, and throughout the year, is to encourage robust and honest conversation, to provide a forum where ideas can be exchanged and developed, and to foster a creative response to this shameful part of our history. Listening is where the Working Group begins; the conversation is yours to shape.
With best regards,
Fr. David Collins, S.J., Ph.D., Chair of the Working Group
Ayodele Aruleba (C'17)
Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., Ph.D.
Marcia Chatelain, Ph.D.
Haben Fecadu, J.D. (F’08)
Carolyn Forché, M.F.A.
John Glavin, Ph.D. (C'64)
Maurice Jackson, Ph.D. (G'95, G'01)
Rosemary Kilkenny, J.D. (L'87)
Connor Maytnier (C’17)
Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., J.D. (C'88)
Matthew Quallen (F’16)
Adam Rothman, Ph.D.
Daviree Velazquez, M.Ed.
Chris Wadibia (C’16)
Crystal Walker (F'16)YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - A former GM factory floor is the site of President Donald Trump's first visit to Michigan since being inaugurated as the 45
th
president of the United States.
Trump is scheduled to meet with automotive and business leaders at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township, according to the White House. His last visit was in Grand Rapids in December as part of his victory tour.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Willow Run is is the future home of an autonomous and connected vehicle testing facility being created by the American Center for Mobility.
While the property's first purpose was a sort of country retreat created by Henry Ford for inner-city youth, it later housed production facilities for Ford Motor Co. and was later owned and operated by General Motors.
Here's what to know about Willow Run and the American Center for Mobility ahead of Trump's visit:
The history of Willow Run
The Willow Run site closed in December 2010, after decades of manufacturing modes of transportation like B-24 bomber planes during World War II and GM vehicle parts.
Its parking lots and building remained empty for several years following GM leaving the site.
Autonomous vehicle testing facility will boost economy, Washtenaw County leaders say Leaders expect well paying jobs and economic growth will come with autonomous vehicle facility.
September 2013: Connected vehicle research center slated for former Willow Run plant
Walbridge Development LLC says it will buy most the Willow Run property to create a connected vehicle research center. Demolition begins a month after the purchase is announced, but the property remains devoid of development for several years.
January 2016: Planned connected vehicle facility at Willow Run years in the making
Gov. Rick Snyder announces the state of Michigan is planning to purchase and redevelop the former General Motors Willow Run Powertrain plant into a testing site for autonomous vehicles during his state of the state address.
What the American Center for Mobility is:
The American Center for Mobility (ACM) is a joint initiative of the State of Michigan, including the Michigan Department of Transportation, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
It is led by CEO John Maddox, the former assistant director of the University of Michigan Mobility Transformation Center, which operates U-M's connected vehicle research facility called MCity. He was selected in March 2016.
July 2016: State approves $17M loan for autonomous vehicle site at Willow Run
The Michigan Strategic Fund approves a $17 million loan for the planned connected and autonomous vehicle site at the former Willow Run site, for design and construction of research facilities at the American Center for Mobility.
September 2016: MDOT proposes $10 million U.S. 12 project to improve safety near Ypsilanti
ACM officials talk with township residents at a community meeting hosted by the Michigan Department of Transportation, to discuss possible changes to neighboring U.S. 12 and Wiard Road. Those changes could include turning the one-way boulevards of Wiard Road and U.S. 12 from Ecorse Road to Wiard into two-way roads.
There is a request by ACM to use the deserted traffic lanes as a practice route for automated vehicles, to create a 2.5-mile loop and use existing structures to go under or over the proposed U.S. 12. CEO John Maddox called it "an incredible amount of infrastructure" during the meeting.
November 7, 2016: Property purchased for automated, connected vehicle site at Willow Run
ACM officially purchases property for its autonomous and connected vehicle testing facility. The 311 acres were previously owned by Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response (RACER) Trust.
It was purchased for $1.2 million by Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings Limited Partnership, which will lease the property to the American Center for Mobility.
November 10, 2016: Autonomous vehicle bills cruise to Gov. Rick Snyder's desk
Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills into law that, among other things, allows automated vehicle to operate on Michigan streets and highways and broaden what's allowed on roads within mobility research centers like ACM.
November 18, 2016: Township expects jobs, tax boost in Willow Run autonomous car center
Township officials discuss the economic boost they expect in relation to ACM's takeover of the Willow Run site, including an addition of 1,400 jobs and up to $500,000 in new revenue on an annual basis.
November 21, 2016: Old bomber factory celebrated as new test site for automated vehicles
Gov. Rick Snyder, along with state and local officials, visits Willow Run for a ground-breaking ceremony and talks the importance of autonomous vehicles for Michigan's future.
"We will be safer on the roads," Snyder said. "We will be using our infrastructure in smarter, better ways than ever before."
November 22, 2016: State OKs automated vehicle test site near Ann Arbor as Renaissance Zone
A new testing facility for automated and connected vehicles in Ypsilanti Township has been designated a Renaissance Zone by the Michigan Strategic Fund, with an estimated $1.85 million in property taxes abated on an annual basis.
The Renaissance Zone designation is for a 15-year time span, with property taxes partially offset by a Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement between Ypsilanti Township, Willow Run Arsenal of Democracy Landholdings Limited Partnership and The American Center for Mobility.
January 5, 2017: AT&T partnering with automated vehicle testing facility in Ypsilanti Township
ACM announces AT&T as its exclusive cellular network provider through 2020, a partnership announced Wednesday night, Jan. 4, at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
AT&T's work will include enhancing network security, connecting features for vehicle communication and connecting self-driving technologies like automatic braking, lane keep assist and automatic windshield wipers to the network.
January 20, 2017: Michigan connected vehicle test site named national proving ground
ACM's future testing facility is named one of 10 national proving grounds by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
What's next for Willow Run and ACM: WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a New York-based engineering services company, was awarded a design contract to develop a concept for ACM's testing facility and the technology intended for the site, according to Maddox.
A construction schedule is being finalized with a goal of having the testing facility open December 1, 2017. Some work has already begun on renovating buildings on the site to be reused as maintenance facilities or route features.
ACM recently submitted preliminary site plans for Phase 1 of the testing facility to the Ypsilanti Township's Planning Commission.
"We think that we've got a great team that no one else can even come close to matching at this point," Maddox said.We’re talking about a complete full sized English Electric 2-car Electric Multiple Unit. English Electric trains have been operating in the Wellington area since 2 July 1938. This specific vehicle was first introduced into service some time in the late 1940s.
Specs below:
Year: Sometime around the late 1940 – early 1950’s
Owners: At one time,more than 4 million owners (when State owned)
Odometer: Isn’t one…but estimate 4.5 million kilometres.
Operating Voltage: 1500vdc overhead – have one handy?
Track Gauge: 3’6” (1067mm)
Length: 63’ 4” (19.3m) per car
Height: 11’ 4” (3.45m)
Width: 8’ 8½” (2.65m)
Weight: Motor Car complete with bogies (suspension) approx 38,000 kg
Trailer Car complete with bogies approx 21,500kg
For more details refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_DM_class
NOW THE SERIOUS STUFF:
The vehicle is for sale on a as is where is basis (currently situated in Lower Hutt). It is not in an operational/running condition.
Note: Transportation costs may be similar to the cost of the vehicle. If suitable the train may be able to be transported to its new home via rail. Special conditions apply.
Note: There are a number of English Electric trains that are available to purchase at this time. The photos shown in this advert are not specifically related to the vehicle for purchase so please use these as a guideline only.
Note: There are strict terms and conditions that apply to the sale and purchase of this train. A full copy of these can be obtained on request.
There were no answered questions or comments placed on this listing. You must have Javascript enabled to ask and answer questions Your question and answer privileges have been disabled. You must log in to view questions and answers on this listing. We recommend reading questions before you make any purchases. Question submitted Note: You must log in to ask or answer questions posted. We recommend reading questions before you make any purchases. Available only to approved bidders. You must be an authenticated member to ask questions Find out more about becoming authenticated Your account is in debt Your current account balance is You must credit your account to use this feature. Firearms licence #
Firearms licence holder name
First name is required Last name is required
Your current account balance is Please note you will lose your question and answer privileges if your account is in debt for more than 2 weeks. Credit your account I confirm that I am over 18 years old. To prevent your personal details being misused please do not put emails or phone numbers in questions. Failure to comply may result in the suspension of your account. The seller cannot add a Buy Now price once bidding has started.ERBIL, Iraq — His index finger was raised skywards as if he were making tawhid, the declaration of faith that often accompanies a call for jihad. But here in Iraqi Kurdistan, the man’s gesture meant something else. His fingertip was coated in dark ink. He had cast his vote and was raising his hand proudly for all to see. It was a great inversion — a gesture not of war, but of democracy.
The man was one of approximately 3.3 million inhabitants in the region to vote in a referendum on Kurdish independence. The question at hand was contained in a single sentence: "Do you want the Kurdistan region and the Kurdistani areas outside the region's administration to become an independent state?”
On September 25 — in what will be a historic day for the Kurdish peoples — that question was answered: Around 72 percent of voters turned out, and just over 92 percent voted in favor of independence.
* * *
On the morning of the vote, the region’s top politicians filed into a large reception room at the Rotana Hotel, most with families in tow, to cast their ballots. Among them was Falah Mustafa, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) department of foreign relations.
The voting booths were, in fact, little more than tall cardboard boxes spaced out across the patterned gray carpet. As with most buildings in Erbil, a portrait of Masoud Barzani — the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan region — hung in the lobby. The cult of personality is strong in Kurdistan.
The real action took place elsewhere, at a small table draped in white cloth at the other end of the room. On it sat an inkwell and two boxes of tissues. The process was simple: a long line of voters approached the table, dipped their index finger in the ink, took their ballot paper to the booth to mark it and returned to drop their sealed vote into a large plastic box. All this took place in front of a thicket of cameras and microphones.
It has taken centuries to get to this point, and the Kurds were making a show of it. One man approached the ballot box and dropped his vote inside. “Goodbye, Iraq,” he said with a smile.
The referendum — which marked the culmination of a centuries-old call for independence — was controversial, to say the least.
Both the European Union and the United States want to preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq. From Berlin to Washington, the predominant fear is that Kurdish independence could further destabilize a region already ablaze with violent conflict. Threats from Baghdad of air blockades and from Turkey of a trade ban point to the potential for escalating tensions in the region.
Before the vote, both the U.S. and the United Kingdom called for the referendum to be “postponed.” Germany warned against Erbil making a unilateral decision. “Redrawing the lines of the state is not the right way,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said ahead of the vote.
Politicians of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pleaded for those who did not support their bid for independence to at least refrain from overt opposition.
Baghdad, meanwhile, denounced the referendum, as did neighboring Iran and Turkey. With the almost single exception of (rhetorical) support from Israel, the decision to hold the referendum isolated the Kurds utterly. Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani pressed ahead anyway.
The mood on the day of the vote was jubilant. Leaving Rotana, I traveled across Erbil, its cityscape of sandy beige and gray buildings submerged in a sea of green, white and red — the colors of the Kurdish flag.
But the Kurds were not entirely happy. They are pro-Western and take great care to publicize their cause and promote their image across European capitals. The tepid response emanating from Europe was a disappointment.
At a polling station set up in the Sabat School (most votes took place in schools and other public buildings), I spoke to Rehaz Azad, a station supervisor. He, too, was disappointed with the EU’s stance on Kurdish independence.
“The EU should accept and support our struggle for independence,” he said. “We suffered a lot — we were the only forces fighting ISIS [untrue but a common refrain across Kurdistan], and we welcomed millions of refugees from central and southern Iraq. We have shown what a good nation we are; the EU should welcome a country like us in the Middle East.”
* * *
Erbil is the home base of Barzani’s party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Sulaymaniyah, southeast of Erbil, is the stronghold of the region’s other major political force — the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Jalal Talabani, who ruled Iraq between 2005-2014 and is considered the second most powerful figure in Kurdish politics after Barzani.
The PUK’s headquarters sit in a large lime green building flanked by heavily armed guards on a busy street in Sulaymaniyah’s center. Its design reminded me of Soviet chic with a Middle Eastern twist.
I was there to meet Mala Bakhtiyar, who heads the executive body of the party’s political bureau. His office was filled with books. There were PUK and Kurdish flags on the wall, and bowls of sweets and a patterned, wooden box of tissues of the type seen from Tehran to Beirut on the coffee table.
Bakhtiyar, too, was keen to talk about Europe, and he was, initially, diplomatic. “[The EU] wants Iraq to be united, and it said nothing more, and it said it respectfully,” he said.
There are two main reasons why the EU doesn’t back Kurdish independence, he said — “oil and ISIS.”
“Oil is a powerful weapon to have, and Iraq has lots of it; ISIS is a threat to the EU — the war against it is finished in Kurdistan but not Iraq and Syria so they said we should wait [until that, too was completed].”
Europe owes a debt to the Kurds, he told me, recalling the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement between Britain and France that redrew the map of the Middle East. “They really, really betrayed the Kurds and Palestinians,” he said. “Sheikh Mahmud [Barzani, the Kurdish leader who led a series of revolts against the British mandate in Iraq] should have been made king of Kurdistan, but instead they split the Kurdish region.”
In 1920, Britain, Italy and France promised the Kurds a referendum on independence in the Treaty of Sèvres but bowed under pressure from other Arab countries and Turkey. “Sèvres was then broken by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne in which [Turkish leader Kemal] Ataturk separated the four parts of Kurdistan,” Bakhtiyar reminded me.
But Bakhtiyar was also keen to look to the future. “We hope that after the vote they will now support us. The Europeans must choose between the democrats of Kurdistan of the dictatorship of Turkey.”
And he was clear on the benefits that an independent Kurdistan can offer the EU. “In Kurdistan we are building a democratic state — this will help the EU. What is better for Europe: For us to become a Pakistan or Afghanistan or a democratic state?”
He continued: “We have proved our Peshmerga army is great. We have proved our worth in fighting terror. We are also rich in natural resources that will be beneficial for the EU. Kurdistan is in a very favorable geopolitical position, bordering Iran, Turkey and Syria, and if it becomes democratic it may well influence its neighbors.”
The Kurdish region is largely secular, which would “benefit a region filled with religious and sectarian states,” he said. “We have a saying here: ‘Democracy for all, religion for individuals.’”
"The European powers supported dictators in the Middle East for 100 years,” he told me, a wry grin spreading across his face. “Maybe now its time for them to experiment with supporting democracy.”
David Patrikarakos is a contributing writer at POLITICO.Stratis announced today the launch of the beta version of the Breeze Wallet including the Breeze Privacy Protocol feature as well as an enhanced user interface. It also features the Masternode Client Discovery protocol where the blockchain is used to discover, validate and connect to a Masternode which provides the privacy service. This discovery process is undertaken in a decentralized and trustless manner that is resistant to disruption.
The release is a private Mainnet beta to select community members. This environment allows the select community members and Stratis developers to work closely with one another to monitor wallets and privacy transactions allowing every privacy cycle to be verified. Due to the nature of the technology Stratis says they are investing in an extended private beta phase prior to moving to an open beta on Mainnet.
Enhancements made to both the Breeze Wallet interface and the Masternode Client Discovery Protocol have also been incorporated into the public Testnet release.
Download the Breeze wallet with Breeze Privacy Protocol (Testnet) from the link below. The wallet will then automatically discover and connect to an available Testnet Masternode.
Packages are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.Lectures about fiscal responsibility from the occupants of a plush suite on the 20th floor of one of the fanciest hotels in Las Vegas stick in the craw like a slice of cantaloupe swallowed sideways. Appropriately, the Tea Party Express's open bar, trays of fruit and skyline view at the Aria hotel on election night smacked more of a corporate event than a political, let alone a populist, one.
At one stage I turned to a man standing next to me and asked if he was a Tea Party supporter. "No," he said. "I was hoping you were." He was a state department official who had brought some foreign journalists in the hope of meeting some real Tea Party supporters to interview. But they couldn't find any. There is a reason for that.
The "Tea Party" does not exist. It has no members, leaders, office bearers, headquarters, policies, participatory structures, budget or representatives. The Tea Party is shorthand for a broad, shallow sentiment about low taxes and small government shared by loosely affiliated, somewhat like-minded people. That doesn't mean the right isn't resurgent. It is. But the forces driving its political energy are not those that underpinned its recent electoral success.
The Tea Party is not a new phenomenon. It's simply a new name for an old phenomenon – the American hard right. Over the last two years the term has provided a rallying point for a coalition of disparate groups, most of which have been around for many years. Minutemen (anti-immigrant vigilantes), birthers (who deny that Obama was born in the US), Promise Keepers (Conservative Christian men), Oath Keepers (military and police, retired and current, who vow to resist unconstitutional government "by any means necessary"), Fox News watchers, Glenn Beck lovers and Rush Limbaugh listeners who had no unifying identity before.
Having a name helps. It has offered a political identity to a significant number of people who were either not active or might not have understood themselves to be in any way connected. That name has helped reorient the stated priorities of the right away from social issues and towards fiscal ones. But this is no more than the old whine in new bottles.
Most of the characters now closely associated with the Tea Party are not new to rightwing politics. They have just moved from the margins to the mainstream. Sharron Angle, the failed Senate candidate from Nevada, has held state office since 1998. While in the 42-member state assembly she voted no so often on consensual matters that such votes were sometimes referred to as "41-to-Angle". The much-maligned Delaware Tea Party candidate, Christine O'Donnell, stood unopposed in the Republican primary in 2008 before going on to challenge Joe Biden. These people didn't join the Tea Party, the "Tea Party" term attached itself to them.
It is difficult to imagine a candidate earning the Tea Party label who is not against gay marriage or abortion, for the simple reason that no such candidate could exist. White Christian evangelicals still formed one of the most crucial bedrocks of last week's Republican success – comprising 25% of the electorate and giving 79% of their vote to the GOP. That's far more clout than black and Latino votes combined give the Democrats.
At first the term Tea Party helped us understand the insurgent, inchoate force that took to the streets last year; now it may be hindering analysis of its more choreographed march to power. For when people ask what the Tea Party will do, talk about Tea Party demands, or lay down Tea Party threats, they mistake (wilfully or otherwise) the Tea Party for a coherent formation with power of cohesive action. It's not.
Research conducted over several months by the Washington Post to contact every Tea Party group in the country found that many did not exist. Seventy per cent said they had not been involved in a political event in a year – a year in which the Tea Party was credited with transforming the nation's politics.
"When a group lists themselves on our website, that's a group," Mark Meckler, a founding member of the Tea Party Patriots, told the Post. "That group could be one person, it could be 10 people, it could come in and out of existence – we don't know."
This is less of a criticism than a description. Movement-building is hard, messy work that, if it is to be truly at grassroots level, produces uneven results. In that sense it's no different from, say, the anti-war movement, and would have been about as successful were not it for two key factors.
The first is that the Tea Party has its own "news" channel – Fox – devoted to its growth. It promotes Tea Party demonstrations as though they are events of national celebration and showcases those who pose as its leaders as though they are national celebrities. Second, it has money. A lot of it. When it comes to elections it has the backing of huge amounts of money from private corporations and individuals who are behind institutions – like the Tea Party Express, Freedomworks, Americans for Prosperity and Tea Party Patriots – which are run by people with a proven track record of rightwing Republican activism.
The relationship between these organisations and the base of people who call themselves Tea Party supporters is episodic and erratic. They show up in different places where they sense an opportunity for a breakthrough, throw money at it, attract media attention for it, and then see what sticks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires – mostly it makes barely any difference. They have no organic, let alone democratic, relationship with the grassroots that they claim, in some way, to represent. Sarah Palin, for example, endorsed 64 candidates this season. Half of them won last Tuesday; 10 lost in the primaries, 19 lost in the general elections, and three races are still too close to call. Her support is important, but hardly decisive.
It would be too easy to deduce from this that the Tea Party is simply a creation of big business and the rightwing media. Neither, alone, can explain the 50 or so conservative old men who have met at the Nugget Casino in Pahrump, a hard-scrabble town in rural Nevada, every Friday for the last five years, or most of the other groups I have seen around the country. It would also be too naive to suggest that such groups would boast anything other than a marginal presence without big money and media to amplify their voices.
What we witnessed on Tuesday was not a realignment of American politics but the first real test of the reconfiguration of the balance of forces in the American right. Exit polls show an electorate even more polarised than two years ago, where registered independents swung to Republicans but self-described moderates continued to back the Democrats. Sixty per cent of the seats that the Democrats lost were in districts where John McCain beat Obama in 2008.
Last December I interviewed Rand Paul, after he addressed about 12 people in a small town in Leitchfield, Kentucky, and asked what the Tea Party meant to him. "I call it the national open mic movement," he joked. "It's kind of good in a way. Some people were tired of not being able to speak their piece. But I don't think it has a cohesion yet. It's yet to be seen whether it can transform itself."
Back then Paul was a rank outsider; now he is a senator-elect. The Tea Party still has no cohesion, but it has been transformed. Not from the inside or below, but from the outside and above. Its name reflects a popular mood, its actions reflect an elite capability.Is there anything that doesn’t cause climate change these days? Your car, your clothes, your exhale, your mere existence is ruining the planet, according to the “Green” army. Well, add one more thing to the list – Halloween.
Yes, kids dressing up as their favorite Walking Dead character and begging for candy is killing the planet, you monster!
How, you ask? Simple: some candy uses palm oil, and the creation of palm oil is bad for the environment. At least according to the Huffington Post.
In a post under their “Generation Change” banner, Diana Donion, Director of Center for Food Safety’s Cool Foods Campaign, authors a piece entitled, “Trick or Treat? The Frightening Climate Costs of Halloween Candy.”
How does getting candy from strangers contribute to the planet’s destruction? “Many Halloween candies contain palm oil, the large-scale, monoculture production of which is driving deforestation, extinction, human rights abuses, and climate change!”
But fear not, Dianna has a solution: buy “green” candy.
In what reads like a paid advertisement, Donion plugs candy makers with names like “Alter Eco,” Equal Exchange,” and the misleadingly named “Endangered Species Chocolate,” which contains no endangered species whatsoever.
So this year, when you let your kids dress up as a zombie or wear a hazmat suit to go begging for candy, remember that they will come home with a pillowcase full of environmental destruction. And you, by perpetuating this atrocity, are history’s greatest monster.The AFL wishes to advise the Match Review Panel has reviewed the matches played in Round 21. The following charges were laid:
Charges Laid:
Mathew Stokes, Geelong Cats, has been charged with a first offence for making negligent contact with umpire Justin Schmitt ($1200 sanction) during the first quarter of the Round 21 match between the Geelong Cats and Carlton, played at Etihad Stadium on Friday August 15, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $900 sanction with an early plea.
A first offence for making negligent contact with an umpire is a $1200 sanction. An early plea reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a $900 sanction.
Pearce Hanley, Brisbane Lions, has been charged with a first offence for making negligent contact with umpire Matthew Leppard ($1200 sanction) during the third quarter of the Round 21 match between the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood, played at the MCG on Saturday August 16, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $900 sanction with an early plea.
A first offence for making negligent contact with an umpire is a $1200 sanction. An early plea reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a $900 sanction.
Jordan Roughead, Western Bulldogs, has been charged with a Second Offence for Engaging in Melee ($2800 sanction) for engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the Round 21 match between the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $2100 sanction with an early plea.
A second offence for engaging in a melee is a $2800 sanction. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to a $2100 sanction.
Mark Austin, Western Bulldogs, has been charged with a First Offence for Engaging in a Melee ($1600 sanction) for engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the Round 21 match between the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $1200 sanction with an early plea.
A first offence for engaging in a melee is a $1600 sanction. An early plea reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a $1200 sanction.
Lindsay Thomas, North Melbourne, has been charged with a First Offence for Engaging in a Melee ($1600 sanction) for engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the Round 21 match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $1200 sanction with an early plea.
A first offence for engaging in a melee is a $1600 sanction. An early plea reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a $1200 sanction.
Aaron Black, North Melbourne, has been charged with a First Offence for Engaging in a Melee ($1600 sanction) for engaging in a melee during the second quarter of the Round 21 match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, he can accept a $1200 sanction with an early plea.
A first offence for engaging in a melee is a $1600 sanction. An early plea reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a $1200 sanction.
Brent Harvey, North Melbourne, has been charged with Misconduct against Liam Picken, Western Bulldogs, during the second quarter of the Round 21 match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, under the rules available to the MRP, the matter has been directly referred to the Tribunal for its determination and he cannot accept an early plea on this matter.
Daniel Wells, North Melbourne, has been charged with a Level Two Striking Offence (125 demerit points, one-match sanction) for striking Shaun Higgins, Western Bulldogs, during the third quarter of the Round 21 match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, due to a six-year good record, he can accept a reprimand and 70.31 points towards his future record with an early plea.
Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the Western Bulldogs Football Club, the incident was assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point). This is a total of five activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Two Offence, drawing 125 demerit points and a one-match sanction. He has an existing six-year good record, which reduces the penalty by 25 per cent to a reprimand and 93.75 points towards his future record. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to a reprimand and 70.31 points towards his future record.
Daniel Wells, North Melbourne, has been charged with a Level Two Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence (225 demerit points, two-match sanction) for engaging in rough conduct against Shaun Higgins, Western Bulldogs, during the fourth quarter of the Round 21 match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday August 17, 2014.
In summary, due to a six-year good record, he can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea.
Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the Western Bulldogs Football Club, the incident was assessed as negligent conduct (one point), medium impact (two points) and high contact (two points). This
|
, as just vengeance for Admiral Hosier's disastrous blockade of Porto Bello during 1726-28, where with a greater force of 20 ships, and Porto Bello inadequately defended, government orders forbade him from firing a shot, leaving him and some 4,000 sailors to linger ineffectually off the shore and to die of tropical disease. The ballad "Admiral Hosier's Ghost: was written by Richard Glover following Vernon's triumph as an attempt to remind Walpole of his previous failed policy of inaction and to check any basking in Vernon's glory on his part. In the ballad, the ghost of Hosier appears to Vernon as he rests at anchor following his successful engagement, and congratulates him:
Unrepining at thy glory
Thy successful arms we hail.
He then charges him to let Hosier's wrongs prevail when he returns to England, upon which he and his fellow ghosts can finally rest, their reputations restored. The first half of verse 7 is thus:
For resistance I could fear none
But with twenty ships had done
What thou brave and happy Vernon
Hast atchiev'd with six alone.
Cartagena de Indias [ edit ]
In April 1741, with a much larger fleet and land forces under Major General Thomas Wentworth, 26,600 men and 186 ships,[5] Vernon turned his attention to Cartagena de Indias in Nueva Granada (now Colombia). Following initial success, Vernon wrote to England to inform that his forces had penetrated Cartagena's outer defences, giving rise to much celebration. The souvenir industry produced masses of commemorative material, including medals, prints and china. However, Vernon and Wentworth did not get on, and the former was frustrated at the land forces' cautious and slow progress, considering the rainy season was already upon them. Given the time factor, it was decided to assault the last remaining substantial fortification before the city without artillery preparation.[6] An epidemic of yellow fever, typhus, scurvy and dysentery, which ravaged the troops ashore, compounded the problems and the force returned to Port Royal.[7] A reflection of the bitter quarrel between Vernon and Wentworth is the inscription on Vernon's marble memorial in Westminster Abbey: "...and at Carthagena (Vernon) conquered as far as naval forces could carry victory".[8] This battle resulted in a major defeat for the British Navy and Army.
At the end of May 1741, the British forces in the Caribbean decided to attack Cuba. Vernon captured Guantánamo Bay, briefly renaming it Cumberland Bay. He arrived with a force of eight warships and 4,000 soldiers with plans to march on Santiago de Cuba, but finally abandoned the half-hearted attempt in December after sickness broke out again. Vernon could no longer hold back his anger at what he perceived as Wentworth’s ineptitude and a bitter quarrel ensued ending in the recall of both parties to Britain at the end of 1742.
Further political career [ edit ]
While he had been away, Vernon had been elected MP for Ipswich, after having purchased the Nacton estate in Suffolk. Vernon returned to Parliament and continued to harass the government on naval affairs. In 1745, Vernon was promoted to admiral and appointed to command the North Sea Fleet in response to the threat from the French forces in support of Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie"). This was his last operational command. When the Admiralty refused to grant him the status of Commander-in-Chief, he asked to be relieved on 1 December 1745.[9] Vernon's naval career had, however, a controversial ending. He wrote two pamphlets about his disagreements with the Admiralty. The first was entitled "A Specimen of Naked Truth from a British Sailor" and the second "Some Seasonal Advice from an Honest Sailor". As a result, the Admiralty brought the matter to King George II who advised to have his name removed from the navy flag list. He was dismissed on 11 April 1746.[10]
Naval innovation and health [ edit ]
Throughout his career, Vernon had tried to improve naval procedures and encouraged his captains to improve manoeuvres and gun drill. He introduced new instructions to aid the flexibility of handling fleets in battle and formed the basis of continuing improvement to Admiralty fighting instructions by subsequent naval commanders.[11] Vernon continued to serve in Parliament and remained active in the interest of naval affairs until his death at Nacton on 30 October 1757.[12]
His enduring claim to fame was his 1740 order that his sailors' rum should be diluted with water. In 1740, supposedly calling the new drink "grog" after Vernon's nickname "Old Grog", attributed to his habitual wearing of a grogram coat.[13][14] Some writers have claimed that Vernon also added citrus juice to prevent spoilage and that it was found to prevent scurvy. This is not the case and is based on a misreading of Vernon's order in which, having instructed his captains to dilute the sailors's daily allowance of rum with water, he says that those members of the crew "which......are good husbandmen may from the saving of their salt provisions and bread, purchase sugar and limes to make it more palatable to them." ][15] In other words, there was no official addition of lime juice or other substance at this time - any addition was the result of a voluntary choice, made by and paid for by the men themselves, and done solely if they wanted to improve the taste. It seems unlikely that many men would have spent their meagre pay on such a thing.
Likewise, it had nothing to do with combating scurvy, which was a disease of long ocean voyages—not of squadrons operating among islands where there was an abundance of fruits and fresh foodstuffs—and was seen by the medical establishment (incorrectly) as the consequence of poor digestion and internal putrefaction.[4] Standard medical remedies focused on 'gingering up' the system by imbibing a variety of (ineffective) fizzy or fermenting drinks.[16] Until an official daily issue of lemon juice was introduced into the Royal Navy in 1795, scurvy continued to be a debilitating disease which destroyed men and disabled ships and whole fleets. Practical seamen and surgeons, however, had known from practical experience that vitamin C, in the form of citrus juice, cured scurvy and in 1795, in defiance of medical opinion, the Admiralty and the admirals introduced lemon juice and sugar as a regular part of the naval diet.[17] When a few years later Spain allied itself with France and lemons became unobtainable, West Indian limes were substituted. It was from this time that British obtained the nickname limeys.
Mount Vernon [ edit ]
George Washington's older half-brother, Lawrence Washington, served on Vernon's flagship HMS Princess Caroline (an 80-gun three-decker) as a captain of Royal Marines in 1741. He named his Virginia estate Mount Vernon in honour of his former commander,[18] a name retained by George Washington.
Notes [ edit ]So, Donald Trump would have won 1.4 million more popular votes than Hillary Clinton if it weren’t for California’s legions of Democratic voters flocking to Hillary. No, I’m not saying these votes don’t count. They do, but for all the wrong reasons. We all knew California was going to go blue, and that the former first lady would get its 55 electoral votes. That was a foregone conclusion. The point is she won the state, got the votes, but didn’t win because she didn’t think that the Rust Belt or white working class voters mattered. You can’t win just by winning the West Coast, the cities, or a combination of the two, plus the liberal Northeast. That’s the beauty of the Electoral College. Trump won the South, the Plain States, most of the Rocky Mountain States, and the Rust Belt. The point is Clinton got more popular votes, yes. But it was all in the wrong places.
But since liberals can’t shut up about Hillary getting roughly three million more popular votes than Donald Trump in that irrelevant aspect of the presidential election, the reason was simple: California. Alas, why the Electoral College is necessary—it prevents coastal liberal elites from dominating national politics. California represents the political disposition of the country? Not by a long shot. But you know this already.
Just because California liberals hate Trump and ran up the score for Clinton in the popular vote doesn’t mean she won. It just means a lot of Californians voted for Clinton over Trump. Trump won 30 states that earned him 304 votes in the Electoral College.
Now, let’s stop with the removing of states for a bit (yes, I know if Texas were removed, Trump would lose). What about the third party votes? Michael Moore said that if you add up Clinton’s vote totals with that of third party candidates, 54 percent of the country didn’t vote for Trump.
The majority doesn’t like Trump, right? Nope. First of all, these people still didn’t vote for Clinton. Second, and most importantly, it’s highly flawed to just combine vote totals of those who didn’t vote for either candidate and make such a blanket statement to make Trump look bad. Yes, some might have gone to Clinton if these candidates vanished from the ether. But some would have certainly gone for Trump. In Gary Johnson’s case, 75 percent of his voters would have cast their ballot for Trump. Tom Ross, the former chairman of the Delaware GOP spoke with Johnson’s running mate—former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld—and delved into some of the Johnson-Weld campaign's internal polling, which also found that Johnson supporters had "zero appetite" to back Clinton in this scenario [emphasis mine]:
In our conversation, Governor Weld brought up a fascinating point, a point that has been largely overlooked in the reams of post election analysis. Governor Weld said that Johnson-Weld internal polling showed that 75 percent of their voters would have voted for Donald Trump had they not been in the race. The Libertarian ticket received nearly 4.5 million total votes in the election. It makes logical sense that three fourths of these voters, drawn to a ticket of former, successful two-term Republican Governors, would be more attracted to limited government advocates promising change from the last eight years. In addition, they saw absolutely no appetite amongst their limited government voters to support the Clinton-Kaine ticket. In short, if the Johnson-Weld ticket had not run, Donald Trump would have won the popular vote.
To be exact, the Johnson/Weld ticket received 4,489,233 votes. Seventy five percent of that would be roughly 3,366,924. Add that to Trump’s 62,985,106 votes and you get 66,352,030 to Clinton’s 65,853,625.
Again, Trump won the Electoral College, which is the only contest that matters on Election Day. But if a liberal wants to rehash the tired and irrelevant talking point that Clinton won more popular votes, just remind that person if the libertarians didn’t run, Trump would have won the popular vote. See how they react. You might want to wear a helmet and pads and possibly bring a fire extinguisher. The Left is really into setting things on fire when they throw a tantrum.
This post had been updated to clarify that Johnson voters wouldn't have backed Clinton if the former New Mexico governor were taken out of the equation.Back in 2010, there was an amazing Judge Judy segment that featured four people in a dispute over some smashed TVs and a dead cat. You may have seen a clip of it called "Best Judge Judy ending EVER!!!!!" (It's embedded above.)
The story was completely made up—invented by four roommates in order to get a free trip to LA and some cash out of the Judge Judy producers.
The story they invented was, basically, that a guy called Jonathan had gotten wasted at the house of a girl named Kate and smashed two TVs that she owned. One of the TVs, she said, landed on her pet cat, Trips, killing it. You can see the full segment here.
I spoke to Jonathan, the defendant in the case, to hear his side of what happened:
VICE: What gave you guys the idea to contact the show?
Jonathan Coward: Well, my friend Kate, who was the plaintiff, had just moved up to New York from Baltimore, and she asked me what a quick way to make money was. I had some friends who went on Judge Joe Brown back in the late 90s. They were on there for some sort of roommate dispute. And they told me that the show pays the settlement.
Was that a genuine case?
Yeah. So I told her we could come up with some story for Judge Judy, and we would probably get the settlement and a free trip to LA, because we knew that's where they shot. So we tried to think of a story that was absurd, something that would be good television. So I just threw out the idea of the cat thing, just off the top of my head. The whole point was that we need to have a story that's entertaining, but also involves damaged property. I was aware that the cap for small claims was around four grand. Kate got real excited about it and emailed the show straight away. And they got back to her and were interested in doing it.
How did they reach out to you?
They just called. I allowed Kate to give them my number. I was really dodgy and cagey about answering the phone, and I would, like, talk to them for a second and hang up, and I told them I'd do it if they gave me an appearance fee and flew my friend Brian out for a character witness. I guess I was more concerned about making this more of a party for ourselves than anything else.
How much of the story that you guys told is true?
Absolutely none of it. Once they agreed to put us on the show, we realized that we needed to take roles and not have this be something that was completely see-through. There were tensions at our house, so a slight amount of it was real.
So you guys actually lived together?
Yeah.
Did the cat actually exist?
The cat existed, yeah. His name was Trips, and to my knowledge he's still alive. He did end up running away, like, pretty soon after the show, though.
Is Brian, your character witness, actually your ex-boyfriend?
No, he's not. That was another funny thing about it—in some sort of confusing, childish way that I can't really understand, Kate decided to write in that I was gay. Like she thought that was going to bother me, but I had no problem with that.
So they flew you guys out to LA? Did they put you up in a hotel and stuff? How much money do you think they spent on sending you guys out there?
I would guess around nine grand. It was a decent hotel.
Were you in the same hotel as Kate?
No, they had us in separate hotels. The thing that was really funny about it was that, in some way, I think the producer knew that it was bullshit. Because the night before we were leaving, she called me and was like, "You know, you guys can comp your meals from when you get in, just save your receipts. But if you guys have receipts for the same restaurant, the whole thing is off." In this sort of wink-nudge way. Because, like, if you're to believe this story and there's animosity between us, then why would we be having dinner together?
Other than that, was there any indication that they thought you were lying? Do you think they would've cared that you were lying?
No, I think the producer liked the story so much that she wanted to, like, let it happen, but was letting us know that if it was fake—and I think she did believe it to be—that we needed to keep up the front the whole time we were there.
Did you guys have to go through any kind of screening process?
Not a lot. They just asked what exactly happened, what times, and blah, blah, blah. Just logistical things, not really anything about who we were as people.
To what extent are they your actual personalities on the show?
I can't speak for everyone else, but I knew that I had to lose to win. So in order to do that I had to be pretty despicable.
Do you mind that people probably think you killed a cat?
Not really.
Left: Arriving in LA in matching leather jackets. Right: The Judge Judy studio in Hollywood.
Has anyone ever confronted you about it?
Only once or twice have people been upset by it enough to confront me.
I'm surprised by that. I feel like, on the internet, a cat killer is the worst thing you can be.
Yeah, that's the spirit animal of the internet, I guess.
On the actual day you were filming, what was the process? Were you kept in a separate holding area to Kate?
Yeah, there was a plaintiff greenroom and a defendant greenroom.
What was the plaintiff greenroom like?
It showed us that we were the only ones lying. Everyone in there was like a caged animal just ready to be unleashed on each other. There were these girls in there from Virginia Beach just losing their fucking minds. One of them worked at a strip club, and it was some dispute about, like, one of the owners there or something, and she had half her teeth missing and was just freaking out about how, like, she couldn't wait to see his lying fucking face and that kinda shit. A lot of venom. A lot of realness.
Was it intimidating standing before Judy?
Oh, she's awful! If nothing else, the stonewashed, wide-leg, boot-cut jeans that she was wearing under her gown when she walked out really intimidated me.
Oh, so Judy keeps it casual from the waist down?
Super casual, in a really weirdo Middle American kinda way.
What kind of shoes was she wearing?
The cut of the jean was so extreme I don't think I could see them. I just remember being really astounded by how wide-legged they were.
Did you get to meet her after?
No. Our taping was so quick. The editors were amazing—we were taping for 10 or 15 minutes, and they were able to get what they got out of it. I think the best thing that happened was, Brian referred to Judy as "mama." The night before, in the hotel, he was like, "I don't care what happens; I just wanna call her mama and see what happens."
Were you worried that, at any point, they would bust you for being fake?
Yeah, definitely. I think the reason our taping was so short was because Judy ended up figuring out that we were lying. I mean, she really shook Kate. She actually made Kate cry.
What makes you think Judy suspected you were faking?
Well, because we were, and she listens to people lie all fucking day.
So how much money did you guys end up getting?
Well, I think Kate was rewarded $1250, and my appearance fee was $250.
Did you all get appearance fees?
No, I did because I was the defendant. It was compensation for my loss of character. Which is a pretty low compensation.
What did you guys do with the money?
We divided it between us. After we left the taping, we took our food stipend, went to a dispensary, rented a next-year model convertible red mustang, and we drove that past the studio and sat outside for a second, just like, tempting fate, flicking off Judge Judy for a moment. Then we went to Musso & Frank's and used our money to have a lavish, silly lunch, then took the convertible to Malibu and hung out in a hot tub with friends and drank champagne all day.
The convertible they rented and some of Judy's money
Did it feel better doing that knowing it was on Judy's dime?
It felt awesome! It felt so good. We were trying to be as excessive as we could possibly. And I think we all had some Pentecostal guilt about it for a moment, but then rationalized it like, not only are we acting—we're writing. And we should really be getting paid more for this, anyways.
Do you think people often lie on the show?
I'm sure, yeah.
There's at least 10 heavily quotable lines in there. Did you pre-write lines before you went?
No.
Really? Some of the stuff, like "We're straight; we hate those people," and "We only smash stuff outside," those lines are gold.
No, all of that stuff was definitely improvised.
Have you ever tried to do something like this with another show?
Kate was trying to do something with Maury Povich. She had a real moment where she was obsessed with the concept of pushing it further. I think the story [they took to Maury] was that Brian came from a very well-to-do family, and they'd been dating for a while, and it was coming time to introduce Kate to his parents, and he had this problem with her only wearing Winnie the Pooh gear, and he was embarrassed of that. Which was good. But it didn't end up happening. She kept trying to get Brian to try out for other things like that. And there was another moment where he was trying out for My Strange Addiction, and his whole story was that he was a kleptomaniac, but only stole tchotchkes from other people's houses.
And he didn't make it to the air?
Well, they really wanted to make it. They did interviews with him, and one of the producers was like, "Oh my god, this made our executive producer cry, it was so touching. But unfortunately, we can't do it because, if we filmed you doing these things, the camera men would be accessories to crimes."
That's a bummer.
Yeah.
-
Jonathan, Kate, and Brian are all musicians. You can check out their work by clicking on their names in the previous sentence.
Follow Jamie Lee Curtis Taete on Twitter.From the listing for this Classic Porsche 356 Race Car for sale:
An exceptionally rare and genuine early 1960s racing 2000cc Porsche T6B 356 Carrera 2 GT.
At a time when Abarth could only slowly produce aluminium bodies for some 20 GTLs, which sold fast, Porsche also produced a very small number of 356 Carrera GTs. During this period, these race versions were mostly 356 T5B-bodied 1600cc Carrera-engined GTs, however, just prior to the introduction of the 904, Porsche produced the ultimate competition version of the 356 – the 2.0 litre four-cam Porsche T6B 356 Carrera 2 GT.
Built on the 356 T6B steel body shell, the GT version was fitted with aluminium doors, bonnet and engine lid. The front and rear bumper overiders were also removed. Plexiglass windows were fitted with aluminium-alloy door frames and frameless rear qtr. windows. A lightweight GT interior featured a wood-rimmed steering wheel, lightweight GT front seats with the rear seats deleted and a steel roll-hoop installed. Under the aluminium-framed bonnet, an enlarged GT tank with 80-litre capacity was fitted with a central filler-neck protruding through the front lid. The brakes were also upgraded from drums to Porsche annular-discs. The 2-litre plain-bearing four-cam Carrera engine was also uprated considerably from the standard type 587/1 130hp GS specification. Through the fitment of Weber twin-choke carburettors, steeper camshafts, higher compression and a 12-volt ignition system, performance was raised for the type 587/2 spec engine to between 160hp. Effectively the 2000cc Carrera GT engine was practically the same as the motor in the Porsche 904 GTS, which would soon follow within 6 months.What’s in a name? If you’re a gay bar in Vermont, quite a bit, actually. Oak45, a wine bar in Winooski is reopening next week as a gay bar. But it’s the name that’s catching flack: Mister Sister.
Bar owner Craig McGaughan says he sees the name as inclusive, but others claim its transphobic.
In fact, two board members at the Pride Center of Vermont resigned following criticism the center waited too long to address the issue.
Getty
“I could no longer be part of an organization that wouldn’t take a stance against hate speech directed at the community members it was claiming to support, so I was forced to resign,” wrote Bailey Cummings, one of the members who stepped down. “I’m really sad to have had to do this — I loved being a board member at the Pride Center.”
Pride Center board Co-chair Paul Sisson said the organization needed more information before taking a position, adding that the resignations were “not a very constructive way to affect change.”
“We’re sad to see an issue like this dividing the community,” he told the Burlington Free Press.
McGaughan wrote on Facebook that “a small part of our community has chosen to attack me for this in a way that has felt extremely divisive in a time when it has never been more important to support the LGBTQ community.” He added, “These sorts of attacks do not lend themselves to productive dialogue.”
Members of the community, though, are just happy there’s going to be a gay bar in town, the first in the Burlington area in over a decade.
“It’s great to have a dedicated gay bar again,” Oak45 patron Deanna Merola told the Press. “It’s a typical turn of phrase that’s been around ever since the movement began.” Those complaining, she added, are “focusing on the wrong thing.”
It’s worth noting “Mister Sister” is also the name of a song by the B52’s Kate Pierson, an erotic boutique in Providence, and several different rock bands.Living in a car for nearly a year made me pick up number of travel-related skills, here and there. Having limited available space forced “less is more” philosophy on me, and it’s something I carried over into more stationary life. Right now I’m taking a break from car dwelling and living in a small apartment in Bay Area. It didn’t stop my love for travel though, as I’m writing this entry on my flight to Nassau, Bahamas. 5 days at the destination, leisure. One of the many weekends I’m not home.
I’m not traveling alone this time, and my traveling partner has a similar outlook on travel.
Him
Less is more. Every trip starts with packing. I use my eBags Motherlode Weekender backpack, which is about the perfect size for me when it’s compressed tightly. I can probably fit in double the stuff I packed in the backpack, but I love having room in case I pick something up at the destination.
I never have to check in my bag, and it’s light enough to carry on my back without any strain. I can explore my destination as soon as I arrive, without the need to find arrangement for my bags.
I pack minimally, only having two-three sets of each type of clothing. I hand-wash the clothes I wear before I go to bed. I cycle through a total of 3 pairs of undergarments - most dry overnight as I sleep.
Furthermore, all my outfits can be mixed and matched together, so I don’t have to worry about pairing tops, bottoms, and shoes. I like to think I have some sense of style to, for those wondering. Most people I meet won’t likely see me for more then one-two days in a row, and those who do are not likely to pay attention to my small wardrobe - as long as it looks clean and sharp.
Here’s what the clothing items for this trip look like:
Business-casual dress-shirt.
Two T-shirts.
Pair of shorts.
Icebreaker merino underwear, 2 pairs.
Darn Tough socks, 2 pairs.
Jacket.
Swimming trunks.
Travel towel, for the beach.
Flip flops.
Workout outfit: Tank top. Shorts. Sports underwear. Running sneakers.
All of the above is contained within a single packing cube and a travel shoe bag.
Doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s plenty (add the outfit I’m wearing on the plane - pants, T-shirt, sweater, shoes, pair of underwear, socks). The above lets me have outfits for all kinds of events, activities, and anticipated weather at the destination.
My personal hygiene stuff fits in a dettachable bag which comes with the backpack. Not much special here:
Toothbrushes.
Toothpaste.
Floss.
Deodorant.
Hairbrush.
Quick dry scrub net.
Contact lenses.
For entertainment and downtime I have my trusty Google Pixel C (with attached keyboard) and a pair of cheap apple ear buds. Bonus point for USB C standard - I only need to use a single charger for my tablet and a phone.
Her
Traveling with a space obsessed partner (him: Hey!) has forced me to look at packing in a different way. I first experimented with the idea of minimalism after watching The BucketList Family and avoiding airline fees is always a bonus. With every trips, I refined my set up. While I am not as lightweight and nimble as my partner, I have made significant improvements to my travel routine and picked up a few tips and tricks from him.
For example, the eBag Weekender was my first real travel purchase, which I made sure to always have ready for use, meaning that it’s always stocked with toiletries, travel documents and packing cubes. Given my propensity for sweating, I upgraded to a clean/dirty packing cube and a charcoal odor remover for my workout outfit.
For this trip, this is what is inside my bag including the clothes I am wearing to travel:
On me:
A tank top.
A hoodie.
A denim jacket.
Lululemon leggings.
Bra and underwear.
Sandals
In my luggage:
Button on shirt.
Tank top.
T-shirt.
Pair of pants.
Pair of shorts.
Rain jacket.
5 pairs of underwear (one is never too prepared in terms of underwear, and this is where I refuse to become a minimalist).
Workout oufit: Leggings. Dry fit T-shirt. One pair of socks. Workout bra. Sports sneakers. Bikini
Toiletries:
Foundation.
Makeup brush.
Travel-friendly lotion.
Natural oil for face washing purposes.
Feminine hygiene soap
Ingrown hair serum.
L’Instant de Guerlain perfume (while the current bottle takes a lot of space and adds weight, I have yet to find a travel friendly way to carry it).
If you haven’t noticed, my backpack is bigger, and my setup is a bit heavier. To be perfectly honest, I am not yet fully on board with this whole minimalistic travel but I have got to say, my shoulders are thankful.
Making Yourself at Home
We’ve learned from the bucket list family that it’s really important to unpack as soon as we get to a hotel. Especially since it’s easy to do when there’s little clothing in the bags. This way we feel at home whenever we go, even if we’re just staying at a hotel for a single night. Every item is in it’s place, and there’s no digging through the bags for clothes or gadgets.
We’ve also found that we really value downtime, every day we travel. Taking time to unwind (however long it needs to be) in the hotel room, a coffee shop, or anywhere else helps take the edge off flying and booking accommodations and the subconscious pressure to have fun as a pair.
We’ve learned this the hard way on our first trip together. Our days were packed with activities and sightseeing stops, and we were at each other’s throats by the end of the trip. Lesson learned.The Roku 4 is just three months old, but its successors are already in the works.
Roku has revealed to TrustedReviews that the next two Roku devices are already in development.
We asked Lloyd Klarke, Director of Product Management at Roku, whether work on the next Roku box was already underway.
“Yeah, and the next one after that too,” Klarke told us, during an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 in Las Vegas.
The Roku 4 was formally introduced in October 2015, bringing 4K support to the platform for the first time.
Klarke explained that Roku hopes to improve “surfacing content” speeds with future iterations of its flagship media streaming device.
He said that rather than simply upgrading hardware, there would be a focus on giving “customers the ability to get to their content faster”.
“We find that customers are happier when they stream,” Klarke explained. “And the way they get to stream more is if they get a faster path to what they’re interested in watching.”
He added: “We’re working on a number of things to shorten that.”
He cited solutions like making videos start faster, and shortening the number of steps it takes to get to a specific channel.
The Roku 4 interface
The company made a number of announcements at this year’s CES convention, including the first 4K UHD Roku TV models, a new Roku TV HDR reference design, and the first Roku TVs for consumers in Mexico.
Related: Netflix vs Amazon Video
Roku is one of the world’s most successful streaming platforms, supporting over 1,700 streaming channels in the UK, including Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, and Now TV.
(apester:565eeb91b8db3ddc5eb14aa7)
What’s your favourite way to watch TV and movies? Let us know in the comments./fset -bar -refresh -up|-down [<number>] -left|-right [<percent>] -go <line>|end -toggle -add [<value>] -reset -unset -set -setnew -append -mark -format -export [-help|-nohelp] <filename> <filter> -bar: add the help bar -refresh: refresh list of options, then whole screen (command: /window refresh) -up: move the selected line up by "number" lines -down: move the selected line down by "number" lines -left: scroll the fset buffer by "percent" of width on the left -right: scroll the fset buffer by "percent" of width on the right -go: select a line by number, first line number is 0 ("end" to select the last line) -toggle: toggle the boolean value -add: add "value" (which can be a negative number) for integers and colors, set/append to value for other types (set for a negative value, append for a positive value) -reset: reset the value of option -unset: unset the option -set: add the /set command in input to edit the value of option (move the cursor at the beginning of value) -setnew: add the /set command in input to edit a new value for the option -append: add the /set command to append something in the value of option (move the cursor at the end of value) -mark: toggle mark -format: switch to the next available format -export: export the options and values displayed in a file (each line has format: "/set name value" or "/unset name") -help: force writing of help on options in exported file (see /help fset.look.export_help_default) -nohelp: do not write help on options in exported file (see /help fset.look.export_help_default) filter: set a new filter to see only matching options (this filter can be used as input in fset buffer as well); allowed formats are: * show all options (no filter) xxx show only options with "xxx" in name f:xxx show only configuration file "xxx" t:xxx show only type "xxx" (bool/int/str/col) d show only changed options d:xxx show only changed options with "xxx" in name d=xxx show only changed options with "xxx" in value d==xxx show only changed options with exact value "xxx" =xxx show only options with "xxx" in value ==xxx show only options with exact value "xxx" c:xxx show only options matching the evaluated condition "xxx", using following variables: file, section, option, name, parent_name, type, type_en, type_short (bool/int/str/col), type_tiny (b/i/s/c), default_value, default_value_undef, value, quoted_value, value_undef, value_changed, parent_value, min, max, description, description2, description_en, description_en2, string_values The lines with options are displayed using string evaluation (see /help eval for the format), with these options: - fset.format.option1: first format for an option - fset.format.option2: second format for an option The following variables can be used in these options: - option data, with color and padded by spaces on the right: - ${file}: configuration file (for example "weechat" or "irc") - ${section}: section - ${option}: option name - ${name}: full option name (file.section.option) - ${parent_name}: parent option name - ${type}: option type (translated) - ${type_en}: option type (in English) - ${type_short}: short option type (bool/int/str/col) - ${type_tiny}: tiny option type (b/i/s/c) - ${default_value}: option default value - ${default_value_undef}: "1" if default value is null, otherwise "0" - ${value}: option value - ${value_undef}: "1" if value is null, otherwise "0" - ${value_changed}: "1" if value is different from default value, otherwise "0" - ${value2}: option value, with inherited value if null - ${parent_value}: parent option value - ${min}: min value - ${max}: max value - ${description}: option description (translated) - ${description2}: option description (translated), "(no description)" (translated) if there's no description - ${description_en}: option description (in English) - ${description_en2}: option description (in English), "(no description)" if there's no description - ${string_values}: string values allowed for set of an integer option using strings - ${marked}: "1" if option is marked, otherwise "0" - ${index}: index of option in list - option data, with color but no spaces: - same names prefixed by underscore, for example: ${_name}, ${_type},... - option data, raw format (no colors/spaces): - same names prefixed by two underscores, for example: ${__name}, ${__type},... - option data, only spaces: - same names prefixed with "empty_", for example: ${empty_name}, ${empty_type} - other data: - ${selected_line}: "1" if the line is selected, otherwise "0" - ${newline}: insert
|
This last set has really come out fit for a king. The combination of wood, steel and ivory have combined really well to give that luxuriant feel. Now we will need a pompous set of clothes to go with it. I am very happy with how this came out. I was a bit worried that this set would look a little less interesting than the other two, but with the addition of the ivory lions head and the filigree panels, it looks far from boring. The 3 bows are really quite different, which is what we tend to want in Hurtworld. Lot’s of variation and the ability to mix them really does add a lot to the game. It was particularly nice to sculpt the lion’s head, as I don’t get much chance to do organic modeling since Splatt has that well in hand. I’ve got the weight skinning almost done also, this has been a tricky process, as we have tried to simplify the method we use to accomplish this. Previously I would skin the mesh in the position that the bow was held in by the character, this took a lot of extra time and confusion as I had to move the meshes exactly into position so the animations wouldn’t look bad. I had created my own workaround for this, but it was clunky as. This time round Tom helped out and created a stripped down skeleton that contained only the necessary bones, which we then moved into position to suite the mesh in it’s axis oriented build position. The mesh then gets moved into position when the bones snap back to their previous locations later.
These are some combinations of the various parts that are possible with the Recurve Bow. We are looking into making the skinning of the RBow easier/faster, while Tom is wokring on that I will be dabbling with the Pistol for a bit, so we can get that updated and into game soon too.
Recurve Bows in all their glory; skinned, textured and added to the project.
Cow_Trix
Heya folks! Firstly, I have been optimizing our build process and starting the search for memory leaks. Our current asset structure sees the game’s SDK content split up into two parts, content and art. Content is all configuration objects, data containers, and similar assets. It’s where we define items, machines, loot tables, and all that other good gameplay based stuff. Art is where we put all the textures, audio assets, meshes, and other big binary files. The purpose of this separation is to make Content as quick a possible to build by putting all the things that slow a build down – i.e. big binary files – into the Art pack.
There’s still a fair few assets still in Content however, which I’ve been working on moving over to Art while maintaining all necessary references. There are still a few places where we will need some kind of code refactor to allow for that separation to take place, namely construction items and creatures, so that may be a project for the future.
I’ve also been looking for server memory leaks. The best way we’ve found to do this is to smash individual systems and see what explodes. This is a pretty slow and difficult way to do things, and we typically have written these tests as just throwaway code, so I’m trying to think about how we could make something a bit more reusable this time around. I’ve written a pretty simple set of tests that we can store as scriptable assets, which run on the server and record it’s memory usage. Stress testing leads to some pretty cool screenshots – check it out!
I discovered a few places where we were leaking some data, like when we exploded buildings or let them decay we would create the refund item and then it would just be left in limbo until the server was restarted. However, no big breakthroughs on massive leaks, although I’ve heard from several server owners that the worst of it seems to be fixed now.
Now, I’m back on map stuff and working on a revamp of Mangatang for this balance pass. This will mean a few structural changes to the map layout, which I’ll get more into next dev blog, but expect the central building biome to be removed as everywhere is buildable again.
TEHSPLATT
Afternoon, this week I spent my time getting the female characters game ready. This whole process went pretty smoothly, Tom had to do some Python scripting to help me out with a skinning problem causing seams to show where the different sections of the mesh met during deformation, this problem was most likely handled manually on the original character which would have consumed a lot of time, so having custom tools for the job really does save a lot of time. The main thing now is just all the small tweaks to really refine the characters. Even today alone there’s been a ton of tweaks to textures, eye size, facial structure etc. and still a few more things I would like to do. I also got two hair styles in game, sculpting hair can be a bit time consuming as it needs a lot of polish or else it looks pretty bad. I’ll be creating more hair styles this week and tweaking what ever else needs refining on the female models.
I’ve also been testing out some new environment stuff, at the moment there’s not much in the way of cover, so if you get caught out in the open it can be pretty harsh. I did some research and found a pretty easy to implement technique that can have a lot of impact both visually and from a game play perspective. These clumps of terrain really break up the silhouette of the rolling hills and give you lots of cover, they also work really well for isolating small areas to use as focal points. They are in a very early test stage visually so they don’t look amazing. Also adding in new vegetation and rocks really help break up the world as well as add additional cover. Also been looking at some new terrain splats for the future just to break up the tiling a bit, as well as hopefully getting to use a bit more water.
Tom
This week I continued working mostly with vehicles getting as much ready to go for last Friday’s 0.4.8.3 patch as I could.
I started with continuing to flesh out the vehicle destruction work with adding pvp armor onto vehicle attachment panels, this gives the attachment panels more importance in gameplay as all attachments will now have useful stats rather than just the few adding storage capacity or extra utility like a light or a seat.
Next I added the vehicle repair wrench to the game which consumes a large amount of its durability each swing to heal the hit vehicle.
TehSplatt helped me out with an improved damaged vehicle smoke particle effect and then I added a healthbar into the vehicle ui window as a damaged / not damaged state wasn’t really enough information to be able to make decisions like, can I take this vehicle on a quick run or should I repair it first?
I also spent some time working on material assignments in our mesh baking system. Currently our mesh attachment configuration assets can either take an explicit material assignment or a series of textures to be built into a material using our ‘uber’ shader. Previously the generated material was being built in the editor along with the mod it belongs to but I’ve now changed this over to happen at runtime after all mods are loaded, this allows us to share materials between mods easier reducing draw calls when these attachments are baked together.
I’ve also been fixing a bunch of bugs such as air drop caches bouncing back into the sky after touchdown, being able to enter vehicles while carrying a heavy slot item, cracks not showing up on meteor resource nodes and making sure vehicle damage smoke particles stop playing after the vehicle has been healed out of low health. As well as bug fixing I’ve been helping Mils with skinning the new bow models so they deform with their bow strings and then getting them into the game and they are looking great!When it happened, veterinarian Leanne Pinfold of Lort Smith Animal Hospital was utterly shocked.
Earlier this month, some unnamed owners brought in one of the unhealthiest, saddest-looking kittens she had ever seen.
"It was extremely weak and collapsed when it came in. It was almost non-responsive," Pinfold told Melbourne, Australia's Herald Sun.
When informed of the kitten's diet, shock turned to incredulous stupefaction. The owners -- who were believed to be vegan -- had been feeding the kitten a strict vegan diet consisting of potatoes, rice milk, and pasta.
Luckily, that was all the information the 11-year veterinarian needed to cure her furry, ailing patient. After resuscitating the kitten with a fluid drip, she immediately fed the feline meat. After three days on a carnivorous diet, it completely recovered.
In light of this horrific happening, one abetted by sheer idiocy, I'd like to briefly discuss the physiology and diet of the domestic cat.
Over thousands of years, cats evolved to be obligate carnivores; their bodies are designed to depend on the nutrients found in animal flesh. Moreover, they lack the enzymes necessary to efficiently digest most starches, plants, and vegetables. This is why most sensible cat owners know very well to not let their furry companions eat grass, as they will -- in all likelihood -- throw up, and do so all over the place.
Cats are muscular little critters. With streamlined bodies designed for prowling, running, and leaping, they need a lot of energy to function. Cats also sport a resting heart rate of 120-140 beats per minute (compared to a human's of 60-100) and an internal body temperature of 101.5 °F (compared to a human's of 98.6 °F). Their energy needs are similarly higher than ours, almost double as a matter of fact! Cats require about 57.1 Kilocalories per kilogram of body weight each day, and growing kittens need even more.
As such, domestic felines require fatty, energy dense sources of nutrition, along with plenty of protein to fuel their muscles. A massive study published in 2011 in The Journal of Experimental Biology uncovered cats' preferred diet. It consisted of about 52 percent protein, 36 percent fat, and 12 percent carbohydrate.
Now, let's review what the assumedly vegan owners were feeding their kitten. Potatoes are tasty (especially fried and topped with chili and cheese), but they do almost nothing for a cat. Ten percent of a potato's calories come from protein, and less than one percent originates from fat. Note: That's before they're mashed and slathered with gravy (which is definitely not vegan). What about pasta? It does have a higher protein content -- about 13 percent, but the rest of it? Eh, not so much. And don't get me started on rice milk. Suffice it to say, it's much worse than cat milk.
Moreover, rice milk, potatoes, and pasta all lack the amino acid taurine. Since cats can't produce it, it's essential that they receive it in their diet. Otherwise, they will begin suffering from macular degeneration, which leads to irreversible blindness. Taurine is commonly found in many types of meat.
Simply put, a typical vegan diet is absolutely nothing like what a cat should consume. And anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool, and that's putting it as mildly as possible.
Veterinarian Leanne Pinfold wasn't quite so gentle with her admonishment for the kitten's incompetent owners. As she ranted to the Herald Sun:
She said people who wanted a pet that did not eat meat should consider other animals, such as rabbits. "Concern for animal welfare has to include a biologically-appropriate diet," she said. "You can't force your ideology on the cat."Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption CCTV of Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud and his servant was shown at the Old Bailey
A Saudi prince murdered his servant in an attack which had a "sexual element", the Old Bailey has heard.
Bandar Abdulaziz, 32, was found beaten and strangled in the Landmark Hotel, Marylebone, central London, on 15 February.
The court was told Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud had carried out several assaults on the victim before he died.
Mr al Saud, 34, admits manslaughter but denies murder and one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The jury has been asked to decide whether he is guilty of manslaughter or murder.
When the body was found the prince claimed his aide had been attacked and robbed three weeks before his death.
But the jury was told Mr al Saud carried out the killing - and injuries including bite marks to Mr Abdulaziz's face showed the "ferocity of the attack to which he had been subjected".
Image caption Bandar Abdulaziz was found beaten and strangled in the Landmark Hotel
The prince has claimed he was "friends and equals" with his servant and denied being gay.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said: "The evidence establishes quite conclusively that he is either gay or that he has homosexual tendencies.
"It is clear that his abuse of Bandar was not confined simply to physical beatings.
"There is clear evidence, over and above the bite marks, that there was also a sexual element to his mistreatment of the victim."
The court heard that the prince and his aide had been staying together at the hotel since 20 January as part of an extended holiday.
Mr Abdulaziz's body was found with blood on the pillow and the defendant appeared "shocked and upset", the court heard.
Mr al Saud told police officers they had been drinking in the hotel bar until the early hours of the morning before returning to the room and that when he woke at about 1500 GMT he could not rouse the victim.
The prince had tried to clean up some of the blood and wash some of Mr Abdulaziz's bloodstained clothing, Mr Laidlaw said.
'Sexual connotation'
Bloodstains found in the room were "consistent with the victim having been the subject of a series of separate assaults before he was killed", the jury heard.
Image caption The prince admits killing his servant but denies murder
Asked by police about the injuries suffered by the victim, Mr al Saud said he had been robbed three weeks earlier on Edgware Road, in central London.
But CCTV footage showed the prince attacking his servant in the lift of the hotel on two separate occasions in previous weeks and kicking him outside a restaurant on the night of his death.
The post-mortem examination showed Mr Abdulaziz had suffered heavy blows to his head and face, leaving his left eye closed and swollen, his lips split and his teeth chipped and broken.
There were also injuries to his neck, ears and internal organs, bleeding to the brain and a rib fracture.
"There were bite marks to his cheeks, which had 'an obvious sexual connotation," Mr Laidlaw said.
The case continues.GOP presidential candidates have overreacted to Vladimir Putin’s move to aid the Syrian establishment. The no-fly zone recommended by many Republican hopefuls risks the possible death of Russian servicemen. But are the stakes so high in Syria that a U.S. president should risk war with another great power? As in the case of another nearly forgotten civil war, the answer is again no.
Americans should view the fighting in Syria as a smaller-scale replay of the Spanish Civil War, which tore apart that country from 1936 to 1939. Waged between authoritarian rebels under the leadership of General Francisco Franco (the Nationalists) and a mix of pro-government left-wing factions (the Republicans), the war cost 600,000 lives. It also revealed how combatants, more than foreigners, determine how civil wars begin, progress, and end.
Spain was an impoverished country in the 1930s, and the economic strains of industrializing during a depression caused a great deal of political turmoil. Inflammatory rhetoric and political assassinations convinced right-wing Spaniards that the Second Republic intended to start a class war. After weeks of planning, a military coup was initiated on July 17, 1936.
The military’s uprising faltered when left-wing citizens helped defeat the rebellion in five cities in eastern Spain. The government armed trade unions, taxi drivers crashed their cars into machine gun-nests, and revolutionary anarchists took over Barcelona.
Advertisement
What energized ordinary Spaniards to support the Republic? As in the case of those who wish to overthrow Assad, it was not some abstract love of democracy. George Orwell, a volunteer in the conflict, noted the source of the ardor in his book Homage to Catalonia. “It was the kind of effort that could probably only be made by people who were fighting with a revolutionary intention – i.e. believed that they were fighting for something better than the status quo.”
Like those who oppose Assad’s regime today, the Spanish Republicans needed this fervor on their side to overcome the factious nature of their supporters and the realities of fighting a conventional war. Its military counted loyal soldiers, liberal democrats, Catalan separatists, anarchists, communists, and international volunteers among its ranks. Ideological divisions aside, the “Popular Front” was ill-equipped to win a conventional conflict. As British historian Antony Beevor noted in his book The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936 – 1939, the insurgents held advantages in manpower, weaponry, and military experience. Yet crucially, the Nationalists were ideologically cohesive. As conservative Catholics, monarchists, and authoritarians, they were likely to hang together in a prolonged conflict.
Foreign intervention doubtlessly worked against the Republic. The Nationalists began receiving aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as early as late July of 1936. Throughout the war, the German Condor Legion bombed Republican military positions and Spanish villages (Guernica most infamously). On the ground, 50,000 Italians bolstered Nationalist ranks. By contrast, the western democracies imposed an arms embargo on both belligerents. In reality, this decision only impacted the Republic. Not only was the Republic forced to purchase weapons from the USSR, its act of doing so reinforced Nationalist claims that the Republic was a Soviet stooge.
But the Republic also suffered greatly from unforced errors. Its persecution of the Catholic Church during the “Red Terror” handed the Nationalists ample material for propaganda. Stories of gratuitous violence against priests and nuns, some of which was true, helped discredit the Republic in the eyes of the western democracies. The U.S. Ambassador to Britain Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. counseled President Franklin Roosevelt against aiding the Republic. According to Kennedy, many American Catholics wanted Franco to win. He and others got their wish in April of 1939 when the Nationalists captured Madrid.
Aside from a few books, the Spanish Civil War is no longer remembered today, illustrating the often inconsequential nature of civil wars in backwaters. Franco’s establishment of a totalitarian kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula did not impact the security of any great power. In a fitting irony, Franco thanked his patrons in Berlin and Rome by staying out of World War II.
The civil war in Syria has not approached the level of carnage once seen in Spain. Moreover, it is not clear that Putin possesses sufficient resources, both military and economic, to sustain Assad’s war effort, let alone help him achieve victory. After nearly five years of war, the government in Damascus remains locked in a stalemate with the rebels. Much like Hitler and Mussolini before him, Putin will not receive a lot in return for backing one side in a destitute country’s civil war.
The Syrian Civil War is being waged between parties who do not pose a meaningful threat to American security, and for reasons that do not jeopardize vital U.S. interests. The conflict will only become a world war by proxy if politicians insist on making it one.
Tim Reuter writes from Washington, D.C.Hello everyone, Kahotan here! (@gsc_kahotan)
The vending machines have finally all started to sell warm drinks! I’m looking forward to some nice warm amazake as well!
Anyway, today I’m going to be taking a look at…
Nendoroid Saitama!
From the popular anime currently being broadcast ‘One-Punch Man’ comes a Nendoroid of the man who obtained unrivalled power, Saitama! The characteristic round appearance of his head has been completely preserved in Nendoroid form! He comes with two head parts with different expressions – one with his standard unconcerned expression and one with a more serious expression to show off during battle scenes! He also comes with a super market packet to hold to display the calmer side of his life as well! Simply pick the parts and pose that you prefer, and enjoy the company of the invincible Saitama!
Sensei!!!! (´□｀｡)
The hero who spent three years training to obtain his power, which now allows him to defeat even the strongest of enemies with a single punch!! Saitama is joining the Nendoroids! ☆
The rounded form of his head and completely not strong looking appearance has been faithfully shrunk down into Nendoroid size!
The design looks rather simple, but the smaller details such as the flowing appearance of his cape look lovely! (｡･ω･)ﾉﾞ
Plus those cheerful eyes that look hand-drawn…!
△ The Nendoroid was changed again and again to capture this style! ♪
He also comes with folded arms for a more heroic pose!!
△ I can just imagine an evil villain on the other side of that gaze…!
But the thing that makes Saitama so special if that even though he has such unfathomable power… he still fits in as an everyday guy as well! In order to help bring out that normal side of him, he also comes with this! ★
A shopping bag from the Munageya super market!
They must have had some stuff on special for him to buy! (‘-‘*)(,_,*)(‘-‘*)(,_,*)
△ He looks quite satisfied! It must have been quite a bargain! ♡
But Sensei does have another side to him that also needs to be shown… which is why he also comes with this expression!!
A serious expression!★
He looks so… manly!!
I can just hear him shouting “TODAY WAS THE SPECIAL SALE AT THE SUPER MARKET!” from that one scene, along with countless other one punch scenes! The expressions are exchanged with a complete swap of the entire head part!
The pose also comes with a much more defined fist part that makes his punch look all the more powerful and imposing to match with his change in expression!! ♪
△ The tight fitting texture of the gloves also comes out nicely!
By the way, if you pose him with the normal expression and punch…
What an innocent looking punch!!
The difference between this punching pose and the last is just a few parts and yet the change is huge!! (*ﾟｰﾟ*)
Plus he even comes with an alternate cape part to show the power behind his punches! ٩(๑òωó๑)۶
The standard cape drops down and flutters down at his feet, while the alternate part is clearly being blown to the side with amazing force!! (｀・ω・´)ゞ
You can also combine the serious face and crossed arms…
／100 Push-ups! 100 Crunches! 100 Squats! ＼
This reminds me of the scene where he taught his secret to becoming so powerful! (/ω・＼)
I think I’ll need to change his pose each day! I can’t decide which I like best!! ♪
All of them capture Sensei so perfectly!!
Nendoroid Saitama!!
He’ll be up for preorder from tomorrow!!
Orders from the GOODSMILE ONLINE SHOP will include a Vaccine Man Acrylic Plate (Includes Stand) as a bonus!!
△ Place it next to Nendoroid Saitama to give him something to punch! ♪
Be sure to keep the bonus in mind when preordering! (●´ω｀●)
･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ
A quick reminder of this weekend’s events!
①
===================================
Animate Girls Festival 2015
Date: 7th – 8th November 2015
Time: 9:30 – 16:00
Location: Ikebukuro Sunshine City
World Import Mart 4th Floor A Hall
Cultural Centre 4th Floor B Hall
Cultural Centre 3rd Floor C Hall
Cultural Centre 2nd Floor D Hall
Cultural Centre 5th Floor Special Area
Booth: Y-25/Yellow AREA (Cultural Centre 2nd Floor D Hall)
Ticket: http://www.animate.co.jp/special/agf/pc/ticket.php
URL: http://www.animate.co.jp/special/agf/
===================================
This will be a booth by ORANGE ROUGE! Various figures including those from Touken Ranbu will be on display at the event!
Tsurumaru Kuninaga is just one of many to see!
Prerelease goods from Idolish 7 as well as various wooser goods will be on sale!
We hope to see you there!!
②
=====================================
GSC&MAX Autumn Exhibit Caravan in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka
Dates:
① 2015/11/7 – 2015/11/8
② 2015/11/14 – 2015/11/15
③ 2015/11/28 – 2015/11/29
④ 2015/12/5 – 2015/12/6
Locations:
① animate AKIBA Cultures ZONE
② Sofmap Nanba Store ZAURUS 1
③ animate Sakae
④ Volks Akihabara Hobby Tengoku
=====================================
The first exhibit caravan in quite some time! A few of the items you’ll be able to see are Saber Bride and Hatsune Miku mebae Ver. ♪
* More details about what will be on display where at a later date!
If you visit during the caravan you can also get your hands on a set of stickers featuring the many company and brand logos of GSC and Max Factory!
Be sure to stop by if you’re in the area!!
･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ
♥︎ Today’s Date ♥︎
On a date with Himiko! Here we are under a 5-story pagoda in Kyoto! She fits in with the Kyoto atmosphere perfectly!
– 建安風骨
What is ‘Today’s Date’?
Today’s date is a photo corner featuring figure photos sent in by fans with the theme ‘The Perfect Date’. See the bottom of this post for details on how to take part: Kahotan Post Office
･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟ ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ
∧＿∧
（ ・∀・）.｡oO（Nendoroid Saitama’s TV commercial is great…)
oノ∧つ⊂）
(（ ・∀・）.｡oO（… It’ll also be on the product page tomorrow!)
（ ∪ ∪
と_）_））
Planning Team / Kahotan / Twitter ID：@gsc_kahotanGetty / Craig Barritt EU leaders will hold their first detailed discussion next week of specific steps they can take against Russia if Ukraine's elections are not free and fair, including restrictions ranging from luxury goods imports to an oil and gas ban.
A two-page document setting out three scenarios - low-intensity, medium-intensity and high-intensity sanctions - was circulated to member states last month and will form a basis of discussion at a leaders' summit on May 27.
Under the first, low-intensity scenario, according to details from the document provided to Reuters, theEU would impose restrictions on imports of Russian luxury goods including diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka and caviar.
In terms of exports, the EU could restrict the sale of fertilizers, chemicals, tires and vessels to Russia, although components for the steel and nuclear industry would be excluded. There would also be restrictions on arms imports and exports.
At the toughest, high-intensity end of the scale, the EU is considering capital-market restrictions, a potential prohibition on new investment in Russia, the strict application of EU regulatory rules on any Russian assets held in EU companies, and ultimately a complete ban on imports of oil and gas fromRussia.
Banning oil and gas would have a powerful impact on the economy. The EU imports around 30 percent of its energy needs from Russia at a total cost of about 130 billion euros in 2013, according to European Commission figures. Several countries are nearly entirely dependent on Russian energy.
The measures under consideration by the EU are what have been dubbed "stage three" sanctions, following asset freezes and travel bans on Russian and Ukrainian individuals - the first step - and restrictions on some companies.
However, while the EU has repeatedly said it is prepared to move to stage three sanctions if Russiadestabilizes eastern Ukraine or interferes with presidential elections on May 25, there is no unanimous backing for such a move.
Some countries with close trade and energy ties with Russia, such as Italy, Greece and Germany, are worried about the potential impact on their economies of stricter sanctions, and others, such as Cyprusand Austria have close financial links.
Unless there is unanimous backing for stricter sanctions, the EU will not be able to move ahead - a hurdle that has been frustrating for the United States, which is keen for Europe to move further in imposing restrictions on Moscow.
At their summit on Tuesday, leaders will discuss a list of sanctions that combines elements from the low-intensity, medium-intensity and high-intensity categories, one diplomat said.
"A basket of concrete measures has already been prepared... and it takes measures from all three scenarios, including sanctions in the financial, energy and arms sectors," said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Caviar, Arms, and Oil
The middle scenario laid out in the document includes restrictions on trade and investment related to financial services and on the free movement of capital, as well as an import ban on coal, restrictions on maritime and road transport and a pause in investment in the Russian energy sector.
Germany's Deutsche Bank said in a research note that Europe could afford to impose tough sanctions on Russia, arguing that the impact on GDP would not be excessively damaging.
"The Ukraine crisis and further sanctions will not be inconsequential for the profile of the European recovery, but when looking at the distribution of costs, it seems that the West can afford to be tough towards Moscow," it said.
Even if sanctions force Russia's economy to contract by 10 percent, the impact on Germany - its largestEU trading partner - would be minimal, knocking about 0.5 percentage points off 2014 growth, Deutsche Bank said.
Nonetheless, EU member states remain highly concerned about the possible blowback from tough sanctions on Russia, and diplomats have said they do not want to provoke another economic crisis after years of debt turmoil.
That suggests that while sanctions will be a key topic at Tuesday's summit, reaching a unanimous position on further tough measures remains some way off and may never happen if Russia steps back and Sunday's elections in Ukraine are calm.Standard Films reached the 20-year milestone this year with the release of TB20, so Vice sent their Powder & Rails crew to sit down with the men responsible for making these snowboard films so groundbreaking. This has some awesome old footage from TB2 in it, plus some behind the scenes stuff from a session with Gjermund Bråten, Gulli Gudmundsson and Halldor Helgason at Alpine Meadows.
Here’s the chat:
VICE today announces the premiere of the fourth season of Powder & Rails, a series developed by VICE and Burton devoted to exploring the frosty world of snowboarding, the onslaught of shredding, and day-glo jackets.
In the first four episodes of the new season, VICE heads out to Red Rocks, Colorado to attend the world premiere of TB20 (Totally Board 20), in celebration of Standard Films’ 20th anniversary. There, we catch up with Travis Robb and Mike and Dave Hatchett, the first of their kind to join together big mountain, back country boarding with freestyle hi-jinks. In this episode, the guys invite us to see some of TB20 in the making at Alpine Meadows, Lake Tahoe with the company of snowboarder friends Gjermund Bråten, Gulli Gudmundsson and Halldor Helgason. They divulge Standard Films’ inception, tracking its history with the likes of Standard alumni Tom Burt, Jim Rippey and Jeremy Jones.
For the fourth season of Powder & Rails, not only do we go behind the scenes of Standard Film’s TB20, but we get up close and personal with the likes of snowboarding’s first backcountry maniac, Tom Burt, the most badass board developer, Chuck Barfoot, and hit up Summit County where we chat with Marc Frank Montoya, Dave England, Mikey LeBlanc, Scott E. Wittlake, the Tarquin Robbins, and many more.AMMAN (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and scores wounded on Wednesday in a bomb attack on a local administrative office in the Kurdish-held Syrian town of Tel Abyad, near the Turkish border, witnesses said.
They said a suicide car bomber attacked the building run by Kurdish local authorities in the town, which was captured by the Kurdish YPG militia last year from Islamic State militants in an offensive backed by U.S.-led air strikes.
Tel Abyad lies north of Raqqa and had been a key supply line for the Islamic State stronghold.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later said at least 10 people were killed in the blast with nine wounded, some seriously.
Amaq news agency, affiliated to Islamic State, said militants detonated a car near a gathering of YPG fighters near the old local parliament building in the city center.
The YPG is one of the most powerful militias in Syria and seen as the backbone of the Syria Democratic Forces, whose campaign to seize Islamic State controlled Manbij is supported by U.S.-led air strikes and American special forces.
Islamic State militants have carried out more car bombings in Kurdish controlled areas after losing significant territory in northeastern Syria.The eBay forums have had their share of controversy over the years right up until today, including one long-lasting debate over the company eBay hired to moderate the forums on its behalf. But as of this summer, it looks like LiveWorld will no longer have the eBay contract.
Over the years, there have been numerous reports that LiveWorld heavily censored the boards, with some unhappy users accusing the company of spreading eBay propaganda and using "trolls" and "sock puppets" to target users who were too critical of the marketplace. Many an EcommerceBytes reader has forwarded a letter they received that goes like this:
Hello (user id),
We appreciate your participation in the eBay Community Center. We are writing to let you know that we removed the following post:
(title of thread)
In order for the community center, which is based on the eBay Community Values, to be a place where all members can feel comfortable interacting with each other, there are certain types of posts we remove when they are reported to us. The guidelines for posting in the forums are defined in the Board Usage Policy. Your post was removed for the following reason:
(reason)
We understand that most posts that are removed were not intentional violations. We invite you to take some time to review the Board Usage Policy via the following URL for clarification about the types of posts that we do not allow.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/everyone-boards.html
Again, we value your participation in the forums, and we appreciate your support.
Regards,
(name)
eBay Moderation Team
eBay is not alone in attracting both controversy and conspiracy theories about discussion boards: Etsy's changes to its forums in 2011 were controversial, and it's planning more changes, and Bonanza just rolled out changes to its boards.
We haven't heard what eBay is planning for its discussion boards this summer - should it hire another contractor to moderate the boards, should it moderate the boards itself? And if eBay scales back its forums as its smaller counterparts have done, how will that impact you? What do you think of other marketplace discussion boards?
If you miss having a place to chat with your colleagues, you're always welcome on the EcommerceBytes forums - and you won't have to speak in code when you reference marketplaces, such as River (Amazon), Ranch (Bonanza) and Bay (eBay).PLEASE NOTE: click on the link below for the most recent oil forecast update http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3623 which includes forecasts for Kuwait and the UAE.
Major Changes from the Previous Update Aug 2007
The major changes from the previous update are the additions of forecasts for Kuwait and UAE, and the inclusion of a forecast using Colin Campbell’s URR estimate in Fig 2. Minor changes have been made for the increase in OPEC production quota by 0.5 mbd starting 1 Nov 2007 and for the UAE maintenance shutting in 0.6 mbd for Nov 2007. Consequently, Saudi Arabia production has been increased slightly due to the recent OPEC quota increases and increases are also assumed for the maximum depletion rate and total ultimate recoverable oil reserves.
1. World Total Liquids Supply & Demand
Although crude oil & lease condensate (C&C) production is forecast to continue declining, the total liquids supply remains on a plateau until 2009 (Fig 1), due to offsetting production increases from natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), ethanol and XTL (BTL - biomass to liquids, CTL - coal to liquids and GTL - gas to liquids). The main causes for the end of the total liquids plateau in 2009 (Fig 1) are that the C&C production decline rate changes from 1%/yr to 4%/yr in 2009 (Fig 3) and the production growth from natural gas plant liquids stalls (Fig 15).
Fig 1 - Total Liquids Supply & Demand to 2012 (bottom up forecast) - click to enlarge
Is future total liquids production likely to exceed the current peak of 86.13 mbd on July 2006? It might be possible but it appears unlikely. Maintenance in the North Sea would be mainly responsible for the big drop in Norway’s production. After the maintenance is finished, North Sea production should increase in the next few months but then North Sea production should resume its decline. Mexico's production is in decline now. Former USSR production might increase by a small amount. Canada's production should increase slowly but the oil sands are experiencing production constraints and despite claimed reserves of up to 315 Gb (billion barrels), the oil sands will probably
|
trying to block pro-life attorneys from taking a seat on the bench,” said Hawkins. “We pray that the assailant from today’s attack is brought to justice swiftly. But we also pray for the protection of those who volunteer their time to speak for the innocent, preborn infants and their mothers.”
Follow Rob Shimshock on Twitter
Connect with Rob Shimshock on Facebook
Send tips to [email protected].
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] all know the Disney princesses for their lovable natures, magical adventures, and proclivity for needing rescue, but what if our favorite Disney princesses had answered the prophet’s call to serve as missionaries? Another opinion is always good when it comes to figuring out their most useful assets as a missionary, if any.
Belle
Strengths: Memorized the entire Standard Works.
Most Converts: The sheep
Sister Belle was quite the scriptorian, and though she avoided them as much as possible, she was quite the formidable opponent in a Bible bash.
Belle’s strengths lay in her knowledge, but she was also extremely social. She would often gather groups on the street like the original missionaries did.
Though she had many human converts, Belle found most of her success with the humble sheep.
Jasmine
Strengths: Church tours and avoiding marriage
Weaknesses: Kleptomania
Sister Jasmine was great with kids. She strived to follow the instructions in Preach My Gospel to seek out and teach families.
Like most missionaries, Sister Jasmine often found herself in uncomfortable confrontations. The local “street rats” took it upon themselves to protect the sisters, and were often helping them escape disgruntled shopkeeps.
Sister Jasmine found many converts through tracting, but Jasmine’s real talents lay in giving church tours.
Ariel
Strengths: Unmatched charisma, ASL trained
Weaknesses: Mute
Ariel had always wanted to serve a mission, so when Thomas S. Monson announced that she could leave two years earlier than she had planned, she was ready to go.
Sister Ariel was originally called to the land-dwellers non-speaking mission, but her visa took a while to be approved so she spent some time in the Under-Sea Guppy Speaking Mission
The culture took some getting used to, so dinners with members were pretty interesting.
Upon her return it didn’t take Ariel long to rekindle her relationship with her high school boyfriend. They were engaged in two weeks.
Yes, Ariel was that sister.
Mulan
Weapon of choice: Pass-along cards
Most embarrassing moment: Dressed up as an Elder but got caught
Sister Mulan had the testimony of a lion. Her approach was aggressive, but proved to be effective.
She became quite fond of the pass-along cards, so when she had the chance to meet the emperor of China, she didn’t hesitate.
Her persistence paid off, but unfortunately, not everyone appreciated it.
Aurora
Strengths: Voice of a song-bird
Most Embarrassing Moment: Fell into a deep sleep while helping an investigator with a sewing project.
Sister Aurora was particularly adept at working with the woodland creatures. Many avian families were united in the Gospel during her ministry.
She wasn’t afraid to talk to anyone, and her questions were as golden as her hair.
Unfortunately Sister Aurora developed a bad case of narcolepsy, and after 13 months returned to her castle to recover. After the spell was broken she was blessed to be able to return and complete her 18 months.
Cinderella
Strengths: Hard-working & Service-minded
Weaknesses: Often distracted by dreams of marrying a handsome prince
Sister Cinderella had a kind heart, and was often found helping people with household chores.
She would go to great lengths to help her investigators keep their commitments. She even once switched out a family’s entire stash of coffee with hot chocolate.
For Sister Cinderella the evening schedule was never an issue. She was more than grateful for an excuse to be in well before midnight. When her companions would question her about her peculiar aversion to pumpkins and mice, she would just sigh heavily and stare off into space. Sister Cinderella was always obedient, but before all else she made sure to follow the instruction to have attractive shoes.
Pocahontas
Strengths: Testimony as strong as the tallest oak trees.
Weaknesses: None. She was flawless.
Pocahontas was actually a convert to the Church. After reading and praying about the Book of Mormon, she knew what she had to do.
Sister Pocahontas had faith like you wouldn’t believe, almost too much sometimes.
Sister Pocahontas was patient as the rushing waters, and her lessons as varied and interesting as the colors of the wind. She took seriously the council in Preach My Gospel to, “Not be afraid of silence,” and occasionally had to quiet her companions to let the Holy Ghost do His work.
Snow White
Strengths: Extremely neat & tidy, and always baked pies for district meeting
Weaknesses: Morning schedule.
Sister White was very tidy, and always made sure to keep her apartment clean. She and her companion were once transferred into an area to replace the Elders, and were astonished to find that whole place had been infested with vermin.
Sister White was a diligent missionary, but the morning schedule wasn’t her strong point.
Despite her weaknesses, Sister White was an extraordinary missionary. The food-related near death experiences of her past life came in handy when teaching The Word of Wisdom, and she helped many an investigator escape addictions.
And they all lived happily ever after.
*All images © Disney Inc. 2015 – We do not own any of the images in this articleDonald Trump: Jeb Bush wouldn't take my call
CLOSE Jeb Bush and Donald Trump engaged in a head-to-head battle during the Republican debate Tuesday night. With Trump defending his proposal to target the families of terrorists, Bush dismissed him as not a "serious" candidate. (Dec. 15) AP
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told reporters on his campaign plane Tuesday that he plans to meet with former Florida governor Jeb Bush soon and that “campaigns are a competitive environment, so things happen.”
“That never changed my feelings towards him and I don't think it changed the feelings towards me,” Rubio said. “Jeb and I are friends.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush prepares to tell supporters in Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 20 that he is dropping out of the presidential race. (Photo11: Matt Rourke, AP)
While Bush, who dropped out of the race Saturday, may be ready to try and patch things up with his one-time protégé, it appears he is not taking another candidate’s calls, according to one of our correspondents from the Reno Gazette-Journal in Nevada:
.@realDonaldTrump on Jeb: I called him to wish him the best. He didn’t take my call. That’s not nice. That was very insulting. — Anjeanette Damon (@AnjeanetteDamon) February 23, 2016
Trump repeatedly blasted Bush for months, labeling him and his campaign as "low-energy," "weak," a "lightweight," a "total embarassment," "really pathetic," oh, and a "total disaster."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1TE4Al1A historical cartoon from Palestine, the PLO Information Bulletin, of November 1981, illustrates Israeli arms sales to apartheid South Africa and Latin American dictatorships.
Naftali Tamir
Israeli ambassador to Australia
In a recent interview published in Haaretz, Naftali Tamir, the Israeli ambassador to Australia, articulates a perennial need for ‘white’ collaborators that has defined the Zionist project since its inception.
He speaks bluntly of an Israeli partnership with Australia, founded on racial solidarity, to “enhance” Israeli influence over East Asia. Only perhaps in the nineteenth century could a Western diplomat have spoken so plainly about race as the basis of a political alliance. Infinitely better armed against their Arab victims, the Israelis have no need for caution. They can dispense with diplomacy, with political correctness.
The Israeli ambassador feels no compunction in speaking the language of racial stereotypes. “Israel and Australia are like sisters in Asia,” he says. “We are in Asia without the characteristics of Asians. We don’t have yellow skin and slanted eyes. Asia is basically the yellow race. Australia and Israel are not - we are basically the white race. We are on the western side of Asia and they are on the southeastern side.”
The Israeli ambassador’s plan is ambitious. With Israel dominating the western flanks of Asia and Australia anchored off the east of Asia, it appears that these two white sisters have all of Asia cornered. The plan is malicious too. It expects to appeal to, and deepen, Australian anxieties about the growing power of people with “yellow skin and slanted eyes.” If necessary, the ambassador can also remind the Australians how they got to be in Asia: like the Israelis, they too had the power to steal other peoples’ land.
There is little that is surprising in any of this. The appeals to white racism, the claims of racial or civilizational solidarity with the West, have been the foundations of Zionist success since movement first proclaimed its colonial aims in 1895. Israel has succeeded by taking advantage of, and by constantly arousing and deepening, Western racism especially as it relates to Arabs and Muslims.
Israel has succeeded by encouraging the darkest instincts of the West. The leading Western powers had vital interests in the Middle East, especially with the discovery of oil in the early twentieth century. By dovetailing their own colonial project with Western imperialism, the Zionists imposed a more deadly imperialism on the region. In the words of Sir Ronald Storrs, the British governor of Jerusalem, Israel would be “ ‘a little loyal Jewish Ulster’ in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism.” As it turned out, the “Jewish Ulster” has been neither “little” nor “loyal.”
In the early decades after its creation, Israel had few friends in Africa and Asia. Israel sought to break through this isolation by forging close ties with other colonial-settler states - South Africa and Rhodesia - and right-wing military dictatorships in Latin America and Africa. It supplied arms, intelligence, and military training to these countries. Israel’s relations with South Africa were the closest. It helped the apartheid state to develop nuclear weapons in the 1970s. Israel also helped South Africa evade the mandatory arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council in 1977.
Israel also encouraged the colonial powers to create new white settler states in Africa when they faced nationalist resistance in their colonies. In 1960, when the Algerian resistance against the French occupation of their country was at its peak, David Ben Gurion urged the French President Charles de Gaulle to carve out a white settler state in coastal Algeria after expelling all indigenous Algerians. Luckily, both for the Algerians and France, de Gaulle ignored Israel’s self-serving advice.
Israel understands too well that alliances based on interests alone are risky. Interests are a fickle thing. In order to protect itself against shifting interests, the Zionists have sought to create and deepen new emotional ties with Western audiences. Since the early twentieth century it has given encouragement to a new-fangled theology in the United States that looks upon the creation of Israel as a necessary prelude to the Second Coming. These Zionist Christians now constitute Israel’s faithful foot soldiers in the Republican Party.
In more recent decades, Israel has presented itself increasingly as the West’s secular crusader state. It wraps itself in Western values. It ceaselessly reminds Western audiences that it is the ‘only democracy’ in the Middle East. Many Westerners are willing to excuse Israeli excesses against Palestinians as a small price for preserving a Western ‘democracy.’ More likely, many more see Israel as the last white outpost in the world of colored peoples, valiantly holding back the hordes of brown, fanatical Muslims. As these perceptions have taken root - with daily proddings from an Israel-friendly media - defending Israel has become a vital Western interest.
With unrivalled Western dominance in the 1990s, Israel began to break through its isolation in the Third World. Most of the non-Muslim countries in Sub-Saharan African were persuaded to recognize Israel. In 1991, the US brought pressure on the UN General Assembly to revoke its resolution of 1975 which equated Zionism with racism. Unofficially, most Arab countries ended their boycott of corporations that do business with Israel. Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania recognized Israel. A few Gulf Arab countries established informal relations with Israel.
More recently, however, the winds have been blowing in a new direction. The US invasion of Iraq, so strongly pushed by Israel and its allies inside the United States, has produced a few unforeseen consequences. Islamist Iran now openly contests both the US and Israel in the Middle East. The US- and Israel-friendly Arab regimes appear to be running out of time. In the summer of 2006, Israel eroded its deterrence power in a war it could not win against the Hizbullah. In Latin America, the United States is unable to roll back the new shift towards the left driven by the growing assertiveness of indigenous Americans. The region is not as friendly to Israel as it had once been under right-wing dictators. In several European countries too, the changing Muslim demographics do not bode well for unconditioned European support for Israel.
Perhaps, it is this changing global scenario that is causing some Israelis to emphasize their root constituency: white solidarity. Is this why Ambassador Naftali Tamir is advising Israel to forge a deeper partnership with Australia? It is possible that deep down, some Australians too feel beleaguered among a ‘sea of Asians,’ even though no Asian country threatens Australia. Perhaps, the Ambassador speaks as an insider. Perhaps, that is why he thinks it might be a good idea to exploit these Australian fears. It would be good policy, he argues, for Israel to “cooperate” with Australia - her “white sister” off the eastern edge of Asia - to “enhance” its “position in countries neighboring Australia.” Is this a signal to Australia that with Israeli support it should start casting its gaze — beyond small fries like East Timor - to Malaysia and Indonesia?
M. Shahid Alam is professor of economics at a university in Boston, and author of Challenging the New Orientalism: Dissenting Essays on America’s ‘War Against Islam’ (IPI Publications: 2006 forthcoming). He may be reached at [email protected] SG-1000[a] is a home video game console manufactured by Sega and released in Japan, Australia, and other regions. It was Sega's first entry into the home video game hardware business. Introduced in 1983, the SG-1000 was released on the same day that Nintendo released the Family Computer in Japan. The SG-1000 was released in several forms, including the SC-3000 computer and the redesigned SG-1000 II[b] released in 1984. A third iteration of the console, the Sega Mark III, was released in 1985, which provided a custom video display processor over previous iterations and served as the basis for the Master System in 1986, Sega's first internationally-released console.
Developed in response to a downturn in arcades in 1982, the SG-1000 was created on the advice of Hayao Nakayama, president of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. Shortly after the release, Sega Enterprises was sold to CSK Corporation, which was followed by the release of the SG-1000 II. The SC-3000 and the SG-1000 line both support a library of 76 ROM cartridge games and 29 Sega My Card games, all of which are fully compatible with the Mark III and the Japanese version of the Master System.
History [ edit ]
SG-1000 SC-3000 SG-1000 II Sega Mark III
In the early 1980s, Sega Enterprises, Inc., then a subsidiary of Gulf and Western, was one of the top five arcade game manufacturers active in the United States, as company revenues rose to $214 million.[1] A downturn in the arcade business starting in 1982 seriously hurt the company, leading Gulf and Western to sell its North American arcade manufacturing organization and the licensing rights for its arcade games to Bally Manufacturing.[2][3] The company retained Sega's North American R&D operation, as well as its Japanese subsidiary, Sega Enterprises, Ltd. With its arcade business in decline, Sega Enterprises, Ltd. president Hayao Nakayama advocated that the company leverage its hardware expertise to move into the home console market in Japan, which was in its infancy at the time.[4] Nakayama received permission to proceed.[5] The first model to be developed was the SC-3000, a computer with a built-in keyboard, but when Sega learned of Nintendo's plans to release a games-only console, they began developing the SG-1000 alongside the SC-3000.[6] To keep costs down while ensuring sufficient longevity, Sega opted to create the platform from popular off-the-shelf components.[6]
The SG-1000 was first released in Japan on July 15, 1983, at JP¥15,000.[7] It was released on the same day as Nintendo launched the Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan.[5][8] It was released simultaneously with the SC-3000,[5][7][9] also known as the Sega Personal Computer SC-3000,[10] as well as the upgraded SC-3000H.[11] Though Sega themselves only released the SG-1000 in Japan, rebranded versions were released in several other markets worldwide. Released at nearly the same time as the Japanese version, the SG-1000 was released in Australia through John Sands Electronics[5] and in New Zealand by Grandstand Leisure.[6] The console also saw a release in Italy and Spain,[12] but was not released in the larger video game markets of the United States, United Kingdom, or Germany.[8] Despite this, an unauthorized clone system known as the Telegames Personal Arcade was produced and made available in the United States and Taiwan, and is able to play SG-1000 and ColecoVision games.[5] An additional release of the SG-1000 in Taiwan was done by Aaronix.[6] The console enjoyed a brief period of popularity in Taiwan before the market was taken over by cheaper Famicom clones.[13]
The SG-1000's launch did not prove to be successful.[12] The three launch games, all of which were ported from Sega's VIC dual-arcade board, lacked the name recognition of Famicom launch games Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Popeye.[6] Due in part to the SG-1000's steadier stream of releases (21 SG-1000 games by the end of 1983, as compared to only 9 Famicom games), and in part to a recall on Famicom units necessitated by a faulty circuit, the SG-1000 chalked up 160,000 units in sales in 1983, far exceeding Sega's projection of 50,000 units.[6] Shortly after launch, Gulf and Western began to divest itself of its non-core businesses after the death of company founder Charles Bluhdorn,[14] so Nakayama and former Sega CEO David Rosen arranged a management buyout of the Japanese subsidiary in 1984 with financial backing from CSK Corporation, a prominent Japanese software company. Nakayama was then installed as CEO of the new Sega Enterprises, Ltd.[15] Following the buyout, Sega released another console, the SG-1000 II, on July 31, 1984[9][12] at JP¥15,000.[16] The SG-1000 II replaced the hardwired joystick with two detachable joypads.[5] The lead designer of consumer hardware development at Sega, Hideki Sato, disliked the original cartridges, saying they looked like "small black tombstones" when inserted in the console, and later remarked that his proudest achievement of the SG-1000 era was replacing them with the "cheerier", pocket-sized Sega My Cards.[6] Sega also employed popular owarai comedy duo Tunnels to provide celebrity endorsement for the console.[6]
By 1984, the Famicom's success began to outpace the SG-1000. The Famicom had more advanced hardware, allowing it to perform smoother scrolling and more colorful sprites, and Nintendo boosted its games library by courting third-party developers, whereas Sega was less than eager to collaborate with the same companies they were competing with in arcades.[6] The SG-1000 was also coming up against game consoles from companies including Tomy and Bandai.[5] This would result in the release of the Sega Mark III in Japan in 1985, which later became the Master System worldwide.[12] The last cartridge released was Portrait of Loretta on February 18, 1987.[17] In 2006, the GameTap subscription gaming service added an emulator of the SG-1000, and several playable titles.[18]
Technical specifications [ edit ]
TMS9928A video display processor, as used in the SG-1000
The SG-1000 is powered by an 8-bit Zilog Z80 central processing unit running at 3.58 MHz for the SG-1000 and SG-1000 II,[19][20] and at 4 MHz for the SC-3000.[21] Its video processor is a Texas Instruments TMS9928A, capable of displaying up to 16 colors, and its sound processor is a Texas Instruments SN76489. All three chips were also used in the ColecoVision.[5] The system includes 8 kbit (1 KB) of random access memory (RAM)[19] The controller is hardwired to the system in the original model, and detachable in the SG-1000 II. Video and audio output are supplied through an RF switch.[5] Power is supplied through a 9 V DC connector connected to an AC adapter.[19][20][21]
Several peripherals exist for the SG-1000 series. Available at ¥13,800 at its time of release, the SK-1100 keyboard connects through the expansion slot and is compatible with all models.[22] Multiple controllers were created, including the SJ-200 joystick attached to the SG-1000, and the SJ-150 joypad, made for use with the SG-1000 II. A racing wheel known as the SH-400 was made for use with games such as Monaco GP.[23] The C-1000 Card Catcher, sold at ¥1,000, allowing players to play Sega My Card titles.[24] Additional accessories existed solely for use with the SC-3000, including the SR-1000 cassette deck,[25] the SP-400 4-color plotter printer,[26] and the SF-7000 expansion device which adds a floppy disk drive and additional memory.[27]
Game library [ edit ]
Sega's software library for the SG-1000 and SC-3000 comprises 42 game cartridges and 29 Sega My Card releases that required the Card Catcher add-on. There were also 26 educational and programming cartridges for the SC-3000 that could only be played on the SG-1000 with the SK-1100 keyboard peripheral.[17] 8 game cartridges were also produced by third-party company Tsukuda Original, which were marketed primarily for their Othello Multivision clone console, but were fully compatible with the SC-3000 and SG-1000. Titles for the system include Flicky, Congo Bongo, Sega-Galaga, and Girl's Garden, the first video game programmed by Sonic the Hedgehog developer Yuji Naka. The library included licensed titles, such as Golgo 13. Packaging and game manuals came with both Japanese and English text until 1984, when manuals were switched to Japanese only and the size of the cartridge box was reduced.[5]
All SG-1000/SC-3000 software are fully compatible with the Mark III and Japanese Master System. In fact, many Sega My Card games were produced after the Mark III was launched in 1985 and these later releases advertised their compatibility with the Mark III as a selling point. Two SG-1000/SC-3000 cartridge games were also produced after the launch of the Mark III: The Castle in 1986 and Portrait of Loretta in 1987. These two games were sold in gold boxes similar to Mark III/Master System cartridges in Japan, with the latter even being released under the "Gold Cartridge" branding. The final SG-1000/SC-3000 game was The Black Onyx, released in My Card format in 1987.
Legacy [ edit ]
The SG-1000 made little impact on the video game industry, but has been recognized for being Sega's first video game console. Retro Gamer writer Damien McFerran said it was an "abject failure", but called it and the SG-1000 II "the Japanese forefathers of the Master System".[12] Writing for Wired, Chris Kohler criticized the poor response of the controller's joystick and the lack of an RCA output. He said the release timing hurt its success; "[al]though its graphics were of better quality than most consoles on the market, it had the bad luck to be released in the same month as Nintendo's world-changing Famicom, which had killer apps like Donkey Kong and could run circles around Sega's hardware."[5] Of its legacy, Kohler said, "Few have heard of it, even fewer have played it, and the games weren't that great anyway."[5] By contrast, Luke Plunkett of Kotaku recognized that "while all this makes it sound like the SG-1000 was a bit of a misfire, it was still important in the development of Sega's home console business."[8]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
^ Japanese: エスジー・セン, Hepburn: Esu Jī Sen? ^ SG-1000 II ( エスジー・セン・ツー, Esu Jī Sen Tsū)
References [ edit ]President Donald Trump is slated to give his first presidential address to Congress today. Democratic lawmakers have begun giving their tickets away to immigrants as a protest against Trump’s push to increase deportations and to block residents from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Well, this is not the first time people of Mexican descent have been demonized, accused of stealing jobs, and forced to leave the country. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, more than a million people residing in the United States were deported to Mexico — about 60 percent of them were US citizens of Mexican descent. We speak to the preeminent scholar on this often overlooked chapter of American history: Francisco Balderrama, professor of American history and Chicano studies at California State University, Los Angeles. He is co-author of Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: “Deportee,” this version sung by Joan Baez. The song was written by Woody Guthrie about a crash that killed 32 people, most of them migrant farmworkers who were being deported from California to Mexico. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: President Donald Trump is slated to give his first presidential address to Congress today. Democratic lawmakers have begun giving their tickets away to immigrants as a protest against Trump’s push to increase deportations and to block residents from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Last week, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump wants to, quote, “take the shackles off” of the nation’s immigration agents.
PRESS SECRETARY SEAN SPICER: The president wanted to take the shackles off individuals in these agencies and say, “You have a mission. There are laws that need to be followed. You should do your mission and follow the law.”
AMY GOODMAN: Last Thursday, President Trump called his deportation plans a military operation during a meeting with manufacturing CEOs.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You see what’s happening at the border. All of a sudden, for the first time, we’re getting gang members out. We’re getting drug lords out. We’re getting really bad dudes out of this country and at a rate that nobody’s ever seen before. And they’re the bad ones. And it’s a military operation, because what has been allowed to come into our country, when you see gang violence that you’ve read about like never before and all of the things, much of that is people that are here illegally. And they’re rough, and they’re tough, but they’re not tough like our people. So we’re getting them out.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, this is not the first time people of Mexican descent have been demonized, accused of stealing jobs, and forced to leave the country. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, more than a million people residing in the United States were deported to Mexico. Some estimate as much as 60 percent of them were US citizens of Mexican descent.
AMY GOODMAN: In 2003, then-California state Senator Joe Dunn held hearings in Sacramento, where survivors gave testimony about what happened to them during the forced expulsions, which the government called repatriations. This is Senator Dunn stressing the importance of the hearing.
SEN. JOE DUNN: The idea from which this nation was born was the promise to all of liberty and justice. Today we examine a tragic part of American history where we betrayed the justice part of that promise, and a betrayal that affected a staggering number of individuals. By some estimates, almost 2 million individuals were deported from the United States in the 1930s. Some estimate that almost 60 percent of those that were deported were United States citizens. And they were deported for but one reason: They just happened to be of Mexican descent.
AMY GOODMAN: The state of California went on to issue a formal apology for its role in the expulsions and built a memorial in downtown Los Angeles to commemorate the victims. But many fear that history is now on the verge or repeating itself already.
For more, we’re going to Los Angeles, California, where we’re joined by the preeminent scholar on this often overlooked chapter of American history: Francisco Balderrama, professor of American history and Chicano studies at California State University, Los Angeles. He’s the co-author of the book Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s.
Professor Balderrama, thank you so much for joining us. I think, for many, especially young people, but I am sure many more, do not know this chapter of American history. Can you lay it out for us, what actually happened?
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: You’re right that it’s largely not known — and that’s in the larger American society, the Mexican nation, as well as in the Mexican community itself — that this occurred during the Great Depression, a period of vast unemployment and underemployment, that at least over a million — Joe Dunn thinks in terms of maybe almost 2 million — individuals, Mexican nationals and American citizens of Mexican descent, were swept up and expelled out of this country. And it covered the entire United States. From Alabama and Mississippi to Alaska, from Los Angeles to New York, this mass expulsion occurred, and of a population that included Mexican nationals, many of them that had lived in this country 20, 30 years, but increasingly important is the 60 percent or more of American citizens of Mexican descent. In other words, what occurred here was unconstitutional deportation.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, Professor Balderrama, I’m wondering if you could talk also about the role of the press at that time in stirring up anti-immigrant fervor, because this began during the Hoover administration and then moved on into the Roosevelt administration. What was the role of the press, as well?
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: Well, the role of the press is significant, but it is also reflecting the larger American society at this time, as well. The key notion that the press puts forward is that a Mexican is a Mexican. There is no distinction in terms of residents in this country — as I mentioned earlier, many of them had lived in this country 20, 25 years, most of them were documented, most of them had papers — and that their children that were born in this country were US citizens. No distinctions made. And that is accepted in this society and serves as a way of looking at the population, that even though they had contributed during better times to the economic prosperity of the United States, that now that’s not recognized. They are the other, so to speak.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to Ignacio Piña, who lived in rural Idaho when sheriffs came to his house and took everybody in custody in the summer of 1931. His parents had lived in the United States for some 25 years. He was about to enter first grade. We’re taking this from a film called A Forgotten Injustice. A now-elderly Piña describes what happened that day.
IGNACIO PIÑA: [translated] My mother was cooking and hand-making flour tortillas. I remember we were eating them with melted butter. Then, all of a sudden, they arrived. They pointed their guns at us. One officer was standing outside. The other one was inside. And they said, “Come on, let’s go. Come on.” And my mother would ask, “Where?” “No questions. Come on. Out!”
They took us to the fields where my father was working. They grabbed him, too, and then they filled up the other car with Mexicans that were working there, as well.
In Pocatello, Idaho, they put us in jail. We were in jail for six or seven days. I was six years old. And as a kid, I could not understand why we were in jail if we were not criminals. My father was in one cell, and my mother was in another one with me, my three sisters and my two brothers. But I could not understand why.
Even when we were in the train on our way to El Paso, Texas, I wondered, “Where is this train going? What’s going to happen with us?” There were about five cars with lots of Mexicans, lots of families. We were so young, but I remember looking around at the people. They looked so sad, because many were suffering the same things we were facing. They were kicked out, too.
They did it so we couldn’t come back, even the ones that were born here, like us. They didn’t let us take anything with us, not even our birth certificates.
AMY GOODMAN: “Not even our birth certificates.” That was Ignacio Piña. Professor Balderrama, you knew Ignacio Piña. Can you tell us more about this story and how typical it was?
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: Well, Mr. Piña called me after we had the hearings in Sacramento. We conducted extensive interviews. And getting to meet his family, his son shared with me that he no longer has the nightmares, that this man was experiencing well into his eighties, because he was able to share his story with us. Mr. Piña, who’s recently deceased, became an activist in regards of the Apology Act and the erection of the memorial here in Los Angeles. And I think it shows that an individual that suffered with this throughout his life, that even had nightmares as a senior citizen about that, became an activist and shared that story multiple times, to the press, to the television, on and on, with a conviction that, as many of the other survivors, that this not happen to anybody else. When he said that, and the other survivors, not to happen to anybody else, he just doesn’t mean people of Mexican descent or Latino descent. Rather, what he’s saying is anybody else, and especially those that are American citizens. It shouldn’t happen. We should not have unconstitutional deportation.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Professor Balderrama, you’ve specialized in the mass deportations of the 1930s. But that was not the last of these deportations, right? In the 1950s, there was Operation Wetback under the Eisenhower administration. Then, of course, during the Bush years and into the Obama years, there were the mass deportations that occurred. It seems every time there is an economic crisis in the United States, the first reflex is to start mass deportations of “the other,” as this society begins to declare them.
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: Exactly, Juan. You’re right on target with that, that we do have these cycles. What behooves American society to understand is that this early period that I have studied, the early 20th century and the Great Depression, which is the most severe economic crisis of the 20th and the 21st century, is the fact that at that time developed this ideology, this set of beliefs, this way of thinking of the Mexican, Latino population, that somehow they are not part of our society, that they are — that many of them are criminals, many of them are here to be on welfare, that somehow, someway, they cannot become part of our society. And I think what is especially important to keep in mind for your listeners is that as we experience the nightmare of today, the crisis of today, which is different, that same ideology, that same way of thinking, is still in action today.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go, Professor Balderrama, to your late co-author, Raymond Rodríguez. This is Rodríguez speaking at the 2003 Select Committee on Citizen Participation at the California state Senate.
RAYMOND RODRÍGUEZ: My dad left in 1936, when I was 10. I never saw my dad again. How is anybody going to compensate me for that loss?
AMY GOODMAN: That was Raymond Rodríguez, your co-author. Can you tell us about him and his family’s experience? And also, why just Mexicans? Was it only Mexicans?
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: Well —
AMY GOODMAN: Because 60 percent of them perhaps were American.
FRANCISCO BALDERRAMA: Raymond Rodríguez was my — was my — not only my colleague. Raymond Rodríguez was a very, very dear friend. We spoke with one voice when we wrote Decade of Betrayal. And in countless venues, we spoke with one voice in terms
|
send one of his followers, Maulvi Abdullah, to Kashmir to investigate this tomb. Maulvi Abdullah arrived in Kashmir, conducted his investigations, and wrote back to Ghulam Ahmad about his findings. Ghulam Ahmad then published a poster that contained Maulvi Abdullah’s letter, as well as Maulvi Abdullah’s sketch of the Roza Bal.
Ghulam Ahmad began studying the local traditions of the people of Kashmir, both oral and written, and discovered that these traditions, as mentioned in the letter from Maulvi Abdullah, referred to the Roza Bal as the tomb of Nabi Isa (Prophet Jesus). According to this information, the Muslims in that locality did not believe Jesus to be in heaven, as was taught by the orthodox clergy. The Ahmadiyya publication, Review of Religions, recorded this belief in its October, 1909 edition.[8]
Modern reception [ edit ]
The claims of the book regarding a journey of Jesus to India are rejected by scholars. The documents used by Ahmad were reviewed by the German indologist Günter Grönbold in Jesus in Indien. Das Ende einer Legende (Munich, 1985), with Grönbold concluding that Ahmad had misidentified material from the Barlaam and Josaphat texts relating to a Christianized version of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, not of Jesus.[9] Another German scholar Norbert Klatt in Lebte Jesus in Indien? (1988) examined the same Muslim and Christian source texts and came to the same conclusions as Grönbold.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]By: Evan Jankens
I am not a soccer fan. Never will be. No matter how many Europeans go crazy for it, I don’t care about the World Cup. But I do remember seeing Brandi Chastain taking off her shirt when she scored the winning goal in the 1999 World Cup so I figured I would give women’s soccer a try. Little did I know they don’t take their shirts off after every goal. Could you imagine if that happened though? I would be watching all the time.
Nike unveiled their 2014 soccer kit for their away uniforms. Two big time NFL stars helped model the new unis: the Lions’ Ndamukong Suh, who is a big-time soccer fan, and Andrew Luck.
What are your thoughts on the new uniforms?received some pix and info from mister justin allen about his custom 1979 honda cx500 deluxe about a week ago. this is what he wrote about the build, with a little editing done by some ****** who posts bikes on this blog whenever he feels like it:
This bike was a Craigslist purchase. The previous owner had some friends in the car industry so he had already started modding the bike before I bought it, which seemed to be mainly hacking some of the frame off and painting tank the Honda Element green, which made me gag.
Living in Los Angeles means you either sit in four wheels in traffic for hours to get anywhere or you feel the wind in your hair and get there in 20 minutes; so I intended to ride the bike as it was and make small changes along the way. As I started doing routine “new to me” maintenance, I found a lot of issues that needed to be fixed. Exhaust leaks, an exploded fan sitting in the bottom of the radiator shroud, and a tempurature gauge that didn’t work. These things made me hesitant to trust the bike. I started getting deeper into fixing these items in the bottom level of my apartment’s parking structure. When I finally got a garage, I decided to fix the oil leaks and check out the inside of the engine. That’s when I told myself, “self, this thing is apart. Just make it what you want it to be.” So I started tearing everything down. This would be my first build without the help of my grandfather’s guidance so I learned a lot of things the hard way.
I found a lot of inspiration through blogs but I really wanted to make the bike stand out. That’s hard to do with all the great custom builders that are around right now. The front end really makes this bike pop. The forks are from an 2007 GSX-R 1000RR. The triple trees and hand controls are from a 2004 Honda CBR1000. They mated with the CX’s stem with no major modifications quite well though they did have to be modded to fit the GSXR forks.
The rotors are from a 1995 Ninja Z5 and the bolt holes match up with the stock CX wheel. Motorcycle performance in Los Angeles did the adaptor plates for the brakes.
I’ve never really been in love with the cafe bump so I wanted to avoid that if I could. This lead me to go with a more flat track style seat while embracing the nuances of the CX frame. I loved the way the slight rise in the rear of the frame looked so I fiberglassed my seat pan around that. It was then covered by Batz Auto Upholstery in Los Angeles.
Exhaust was my biggest worry but really like the set up on the bike. I think the exhaust makes or breaks a bike. I didn’t like the Motad (you actually lose a significant percentage of horsepower with the Motad system) or the MAC 2-into-1 systems so I called upon a friend and CX500forum.com member to help me out with some welding. We chopped up some old CB pipes and made the setup rest under the engine where it mates with the Supertrapp muffler.
The engine that is currently in the bike is actually the 2nd go ’round. The first one ran after I completed a “triple bypass,” but on my maiden voyage to the muffler shop my rear wheel locked up. After tearing the block down I found that the camshaft sprocket bolt had been over-torqued and snapped in half, causing my cam chain to break and the rear case of the motor to be shredded to bits. Another CX500forum.com member has been extremely helpful throughout this entire build and walked me through the possible causes of this catastrophe. He also helped get the Mikuni Smooth bore carbs, the final touch of the bike.
Dropping the stock airbox on these bikes leads to carburetor issues that never stop so the Mikuni conversion will boost horsepower by about 10% and make my life a lot easier. Once the adaptors for are complete, the bike will be done.
If I had to it over I would, but I would do a complete mock up before I had the frame powder coated! I’d also pay closer attention to details in the bike’s manual as it will save a lot of headaches in the future.
+ + +
right on, justin. thanks for the tips and build info. she sure is a sweet motorscooter.
biker
MetricAn illustration from Apple’s patent for a 3D television.
Our patent system is a mess. It’s a fount of expensive litigation that allows aging companies to linger around by bullying their more innovative competitors in court.
Critics have suggested plenty of reasonable reforms, from eliminating software patents to clamping down on ”trolls” who buy up patent portfolios only so they can file lawsuits. But do we need a more radical solution? Would we be possibly be better off without any patents at all?
That’s the striking suggestion from a Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis working paper by Michele Boldrin and David Levine, professors at Washington University in St. Louis who argue that any patent system, no matter how well conceived, is bound to devolve into the kind of quagmire we’re dealing with today.
Here’s the (slightly jargony) core of their argument, which we’ll unpack together in a moment:
A closer look at the historical and international evidence suggests that while weak patent systems may mildly increase innovation with limited side-effects, strong patent systems retard innovation with many negative side-effects. Both theoretically and empirically, the political economy of government operated patent systems indicates that weak legislation will generally evolve into a strong protection and that the political demand for stronger patent protection comes from old and stagnant industries and firms, not from new and innovative ones. Hence the best solution is to abolish patents entirely [emphasis mine] through strong constitutional measures and to find other legislative instruments, less open to lobbying and rent-seeking, to foster innovation whenever there is clear evidence that laissez-faire under-supplies it.
In plain-speak, the authors are arguing that, yes, the evidence suggests that having a limited amount of patent protection makes countries slightly more innovative, presumably by encouraging inventors to cash in on their great ideas without fear of being ripped off. But patent protections never stay small and tidy. Instead, entrenched players like intellectual property lawyers who make their living filing lawsuits and old, established corporations that want to keep new players out of their markets lobby to expand the breadth of patent rights. And as patent rights get stronger, they take a serious toll on the economy, including our ability to innovate.
We can see that cost today as tech companies like Google spend billions on “defensive patents,” which are essentially useless other than as a protection against lawsuits. We see it whenever a cool startup firm is forced to license a bogus patent from a litigious troll. And we see it in the untold dollars spent on legal fees and unnecessary patent filings for ludicrously broad or impractical ideas. The authors’ extreme case in point: Somebody out there actually patented a method for moving information through the fifth dimension. As in the Bruce Willis movie. As in faster than the speed of light.
What do we get from all this? Precious little, the paper argues. They find virtually no statistical evidence that rising patent applications actually make our economy more productive.
Eliminating patents altogether, Boldrin and Levine say, would also have fewer negative consequences than most of us assume. Most industries, they argue, only resort to patent litigation once their pace of innovation has slowed. As long as they still cranked out out new, popular products, companies like Apple would continue to profit by being the first to market, which often confers a long-term advantage.
The poster child for strong patent protection is usually the pharmaceutical industry, as drugs are easily copied and can cost upwards of a billion dollars to develop. Here, Boldrin and Levine admit that the government would likely need to step in. But rather than giving companies a legal monopoly over their formulas, the authors suggest we should modify the drug approval process to let makers start recouping their costs faster. They would also set up a prize system to reward companies that invent the new medicines we need.
Because ending all patent protections immediately would be impractical, Boldrin and Levine advocate several transitional steps, such as shortening patent terms. “The aim of policy, in general, should be that of slowly but surely decreasing the strength of intellectual property interventions,” they write, “but the final goal cannot be anything short of abolition.”
Again, it’s a somewhat radical idea—but maybe one that deserves a place in the debate.
Also on our sister site The Atlantic:
This article is part of Quartz Ideas, our home for bold arguments and big thinkers.Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders arrives to speak at a veterans forum in Marshalltown, Iowa, on Jan. 10, 2016. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
Iowa is a swing state. But when it comes to its first-in-the-nation caucuses, its conservatives tend to be quite conservative, and its liberals tend to be quite liberal.
And even socialist.
As the country begins to decide how it feels about the idea of socialism — thanks to Bernie Sanders's ascendant Democratic primary campaign — it's worth noting here that it's a word that many Democratic caucus-goers have clearly embraced. And, in fact, many even call themselves "socialists."
A little-noticed data point in the new Selzer & Co. Iowa poll, in fact, shows that 43 percent of likely voters in the Feb. 1 caucuses say they would use the word "socialist" to describe themselves.
And to be very clear, this question was not whether they would vote for a socialist or sympathize with socialism; it's whether they consider themselves socialist.
The 43 percent of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers who self-identify as socialist is actually more than the number who identify themselves as capitalist — 38 percent.
Bernie Sanders enjoys strong support among young voters, but they'll need to turn out at the polls if he wants to win the Democratic nomination. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
As our own Dan Balz notes, Sanders does better among self-described socialists — though he doesn't quite have a monopoly on them. Balz writes that socialists account for "58 percent of Sanders’s supporters and about a third of Clinton’s."
There isn't great polling on how many Americans overall consider themselves socialists, but a Gallup poll in June showed that just 47 percent of Americans would even be willing to vote for a socialist candidate. Among Democrats, that number was 59 percent.
More recently, a November New York Times/CBS News poll showed 56 percent of Democratic primary voters nationally said they had a positive view of socialism.
And that's not the only identifier that suggests a friendly electorate for Sanders. Forty-four percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers say they consider themselves "anti-Wall Street." Again, these are voters over whom Sanders has no monopoly, but he does have a leg up on Clinton, a more Wall Street-aligned former senator from New York.
Here are all the labels the Selzer poll, conducted for Bloomberg and the Des Moines Register, asked likely Democratic caucus-goers about:
Those 43 and 44 numbers, notably, aren't majorities. And given the dynamics of the Democratic primary, the winner of the caucuses will probably have to get around half of the vote (assuming Martin O'Malley doesn't surge at the last minute).
But they do get Sanders a good portion of the way there. And they suggest victory is very attainable for him — in case the recent polls showing him leading Clinton by five points and trailing her by two didn't already do the trick.A police officer injured after being stabbed by a driver in Cleveleys this morning has been discharged from hospital.
Lancashire Police said the officer was carrying out a routine stop check on a Peugeot van on Westmorland Avenue, at around 10am, when the driver got out and attacked him with a knife.
Forensics officers have been seen scouring the street for evidence
The motorist then fled the scene, leaving his victim with serious injuries, including a stab wound to his torso and facial injuries.
In a statement, the force said the officer was taken to Royal Preston Hospital for specialist treatment. His family were informed.
The ambulance service said a helicopter, understood to have landed on a nearby patch of grass, was used to get him there faster because of his injuries, which were described as serious but not life-threatening.
The officer was allowed home last night.
The officer was taken to Royal Preston Hospital suffering from serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said (Picture: Melissa Cavanagh/Facebook)
A 39-year-old Blackpool man was arrested in the car park of gymetc, off Garstang Road in Poulton, on suspicion of attempted murder a short time later.
During the arrest the windscreen of a police vehicle was damaged with a pickaxe
The man remains in custody.
Rachel Baines, who chairs the Lancashire Police Federation, said: “Our thoughts are with this officer, family and colleagues at this time. This is an ongoing investigation.
A North West Air Ambulance helictoper at the scene of this morning's stabbing in Cleveleys (Image: Darren Todd/Facebook)
“A male has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. We are supporting officers through this.”
Some 515 police officers were assaulted on duty in Lancashire last year, government statistics show.
Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, said: “This shocking incident demonstrates all too vividly the risk that our police officers run on a daily basis.
“We should be thankful the officer was not killed but it should mean we never forget the bravery that the police do need to show.
Police examine a van in the car park of gymetc in Poulton
“This shows it can happen on any street corner in any town.”
Following the attack, officers taped off a section of Westmorland Avenue while forensic experts in full white suits worked to gather evidence from the scene.
Richard Bland, who lives in Kendal Avenue, was walking by at 10.30am.
He said: “We saw a lot of police vans and then an ambulance pulled up; then we saw the air ambulance land just across the street.
“There must have been about six or seven police vans. We saw them putting the officer onto the stretcher.
“He was talking and seemed to be in good spirits. He had a smile on his face.
“He was sat up and they didn’t have him in a neck brace or anything like that.”
Nigel Crossthwaite, of Penrith Avenue, added: “I came out of the house at around 10.30 or 11am. The police were all over and I saw the air ambulance take off.
“It was only later that I found out what had happened. Why anyone would stab a police officer is beyond me.
“It’s usually a quiet area. The chances of it happening again have got to be a trillion-to-one.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw wished the officer a speedy recovery, and added: “It’s shocking an officer doing their duty should be attacked so violently.
“They are serving our communities and there can be no excuse for this.”
Police tape also stretched across the gym car park, before a white van belonging to Fleetwood firm Ashton’s Roofing was towed away.
The van was not stolen, police confirmed. Nobody at the company, based in Warren Street, can currently be reached for a comment.
Beside the van was a police BMW X5, which had a damaged windscreen.
A Lancashire Police spokesman confirmed the damage, sustained during the arrest, was made with a pickaxe.
Nobody at gymetc was available for a comment.The Patagonia Snowshot Pant is possibly my favorite piece of new gear the season. And that’s despite a simple fact: Pants are the Rodney Dangerfield of snowboard gear; they don’t get no respect. I can usually tear through pants in a few hard weeks but I put these through the Teton ringer and they never came up wanting. For pants, there are three main things I was testing: temp regulation, waterproofness, flexibility and durability. Patagonia Snowshot Pants nails them all.
“Don’t you hate pants?” – Homer Simpson
Patagonia Snowshot Pants Review
For the first time in forever, I never had to fully unzip the pant ventilation zippers except one bluebird afternoon. The polyester mesh lining wicked off the sweat while the 2-layer shell made these into the most breathable pants I’d ever worn, even when chugging full-speed up Glory.
That said, if you’re playing out in the cold in general I would 100% tell you to put on an underlayer, especially these, especially if you tend to be a little on the colder side.
Patagonia H2NO Waterproofness
This early season has been marked by powerful Pacific flow, dropping heavy, moist snow all over the Tetons. Despite this pelting ranging from hard dry whiteout to wintry mix, not a drop of moisture got through their 2-layer polyester and recycled polyester shell. This is their H2NO Performance Standard at its finest.
Patagonia Snowshot Pants Flexibility
This can be a bit more important for skiers over splitboarders. That said, there’s nothing worse than feeling like your legs are locked up when you go to crank a grab or go split-skiing down short pitches to save time. Plus the adjustable waist helps get it dialed in a little, as long as the size is at least somewhat close to the size you normally wear.
Finally, durability. It’s still too early to tell how these will hold up to the beating I put on my clothes. But I took a nasty digger the other day and thought for sure I’d gouged something, maybe nipped open a seam. Nope. I also ran my crampons over the gaiters just to see if the spikes got caught and nothing.
As part of their commitment to saving the environment, Patagonia intends for their gear to last beyond a season, beyond a few seasons. Compared to 90% of the ski and snowboard pants on the market, these just FEEL next-level rugged. They stand behind this so much that Patagonia has their Ironclad Agreement on all their products. That means if they don’t perform the way you thought, you can return them for a repair, replacement or refund. And Damage due to wear and tear will be repaired at a reasonable charge.
Issues
Sizewise, I’ve been a large for 21 years. I’m a large in street pant and sometimes XL. Through the legs these pants feel great but I was swimming in the waist, even with the adjustable internal belt. So apparently a 36 is now medium? Otherwise, these were killer in all aspects.
Overall Impression
I mean, come on, it’s Patagonia. I expected a lot out of these pants when I got them. Waterproof in the wettest heaviest snow to bless the Tetons in quite a while, comfortable in even the craziest contortions, breathably perfect despite break-necking ascension and built to last. They’re also stylish as hell, the pared-down simple vibe every soulful snow explorer lives for.
Just remember to get it a size smaller than you normally would. Now, you can stop worrying about what pants you want this winter and you can move onto the “sexier” items on your list. For a more-than-reasonable MSRP of $199.99, the Patagonia Snowshot Pants got your tail covered.Wladimir Klitschko has likened Conor McGregor to one of the characters in the movie Fight Club as the UFC superstar prepares for his blockbuster bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
McGregor has brought his outspoken, brash style to the build-up to this weekend's fight in Las Vegas, the Irishman continually reaffirming his belief that he will be the first man to defeat Mayweather.
He has claimed he will beat the American in the early rounds, something the returning boxer has dismissed as he looks to add to his 49-0 record.
And Klitschko, who recently announced his retirement from the ring following his defeat to Anthony Joshua in April, says the Irishman's big talking will quickly be forgotten after the fight and sees him more like a movie character than a boxer.
"We'll forget about 90 percent or more of all the things they are talking about in the next year or two," the Ukrainian told DAZN.
"But the image will stay in your head, forever. McGregor's image speaks for itself.
"I think he is a pretty wild guy. He reminds me of the guys in the movie Fight Club, with Brad Pitt."
A lot of money has been coming down on the underdog, with countless numbers deciding to bet on McGregor - who is being widely overlooked by the majority of experts.
The two-time world heavyweight champion has much more respect for Mayweather, though, who he believes will be remembered as a boxing legend no matter what happens against McGregor.
He added: "Whether you like him or not, you have to give him respect.
"Everything that Floyd achieved in the boxing ring in all the different weight classes only shows how much quality he has as an athlete.
"He is a boxer who deserves his place in history. He does, absolutely. He will be in the Hall of Fame, no doubt."The controversy surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been as notable for its moral poverty as its rhetorical intensity. Conservatives have branded Bergdahl a traitor, hardly worth the five Afghan detainees for whom he was traded. Liberals have defended the exchange while stopping well short of defending the man himself. But if Bergdahl did indeed desert his unit while serving in Afghanistan, he is guilty only of acting on antiwar convictions most Americans claim to share.
That Bergdahl’s homecoming has been met with such disdain exposes the shallowness of antiwar sentiment in the United States. Two-thirds of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth the costs. Nearly 60 percent believe it was wrong to have invaded in the first place. Yet present them with a soldier like Bergdahl, who reached similar conclusions and may have actually dared to act on them, and he is condemned on all sides.
It is easy to criticize Bergdahl for the timing of his epiphany. No doubt it would have been better for all involved if he had left the army before going overseas, or if he had never joined in the first place. But that was not the hand he was dealt. As e-mails released by Rolling Stone demonstrate, Bergdahl did not come to recognize the war’s injustice until he was already in the field – until he was confronted with the brutal reality of troops unbothered by running over an Afghan child with their armored vehicle. Instead of rationalizing his continued participation in an immoral war, like so many other guilt-ridden troops, Bergdahl appears to have removed himself from that violent equation. Tellingly, his father’s last e-mail to him was titled, "OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!"
This, in the eyes of the political establishment, is Bergdahl’s greatest crime. Not that he endangered his fellow soldiers – who, as occupying troops in a foreign land, were already in grave danger – but that he refused to put his conscience on hold. Rather than waiting for the politicians back home to end the war, Bergdahl stands accused of declaring his own war over. Rather than resigning himself to what Israeli peace activists call "shooting and crying," Bergdahl appears to have stopped shooting.
The significance of such an action cannot be overstated. Under a system in which suppressing one’s conscience is often necessary to get ahead – from the GM engineers who let people die in preventable car accidents to the Wall Street bankers whose mortgage fraud crashed the economy – to assert one’s principles in the moment is a revolutionary act. Agonized functionaries can be tolerated, as long as they get the job done. If Bergdahl had served out the rest of his tour without incident, if he had applied for conscientious objector status and waited for its approval, he might have returned home to a lucrative book deal with a progressive publisher. Because he allegedly did not wait to do the right thing, he has been savaged by the press and may face prison time.
This should be shocking in a country with an antiwar majority. But while most Americans claim to oppose the war, they remain unable to countenance the sort of actions that ending the war will require. The polite protests of the last decade – petitions, sit-ins, marches – have done nothing to stop the war machine. Americans forget that ending the Vietnam War had less to do with domestic protests than with resistance among U.S. troops, who deserted en masse, refused to engage the Vietnamese in battle, and even took up arms against their own officers.
Can there be any doubt that if troops in Afghanistan had followed their lead, the war would not now be in its thirteenth year? Those who claim to oppose the war while criticizing Bergdahl’s alleged desertion implicitly favor continuing the war over a breakdown of military discipline. They are essentially saying: We do not believe this war should be fought, but we expect you to remain at your post, to kill others and perhaps even die yourself, until we bring it to a proper conclusion. This is the height of privilege, the height of bourgeois self-righteousness.
Such an attitude is particularly shameful given that the American public bears a large share of responsibility for Bergdahl’s predicament. Every day that people on the home front prove unable or unwilling to stop the wars fought in their name, they leave those on the front lines stranded in what psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton has called "atrocity-producing situations." Tortured by their moral complicity and abandoned by the public, it should come as no surprise that some troops will avail themselves of the only option left to them – voting with their feet.
Bergdahl is finally home. But as long as the American people remain missing in action, more troops like him will find themselves trapped on foreign battlefields, forced to choose between their conscience and their country.
Matthew Kovac is an award-winning independent journalist and political commentator. He writes for The Chicago Bureau and has covered race and poverty issues for The Chicago Reporter. For more of his work, visit matthewkovac.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewKovac. This piece first appeared at matthewkovac.com.Australians hit with $800m in credit card surcharges, data shows, as Choice says reforms not working
Updated
Australian consumers have been hit with $800 million in credit card surcharges over the past 12 months, according to new data released today.
MasterCard has collated the figures, and says the main offenders are airlines, taxis, major hotels and utilities companies.
The data comes one year after the Reserve Bank (RBA) announced reforms to stamp out unreasonable credit card surcharges.
Consumer group Choice says the figures show the RBA's move to fix the situation has not worked.
"March 18 will mark one year since the RBA introduced long-overdue rules designed to limit credit card surcharges to the reasonable cost of the transaction," Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said.
"Surcharging should be reduced to a reasonable level, which RBA data shows on average to be less than 1 per cent for merchants processing transactions through Visa and MasterCard."
The figures showed Australian households paid an average of $100 in surcharges during those 12 months.
Choice says no government agency has the responsibility for enforcing the rules, and surcharges remain a "sneaky" way of raising revenue.
You said it When you book a flight over the internet you are given no choice. Paying by credit card is the only option and you have to pay the surcharge, otherwise you can't make the booking. To me this is very wrong! hope4all via story comment The surcharges applied by airlines and some hotels (only the expensive ones) are out of all proportion to the costs incurred; the surcharge applied by Cabcharge is even more ridiculous... losimpson via story comments
The MasterCard figures are based on the estimated value of total credit and debit card transactions that are surcharged in Australia.
A Choice review earlier this year found consumers flying with Qantas from Sydney to Melbourne could still pay 523 per cent more than the average merchant service fee, similar to the 568 per cent they were paying in March 2013.
Almost 45,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org asking Jetstar to drop its $8.50 surcharge fee.
In November, the Federal Government urged consumer agencies to actively monitor credit card provider practices for hidden fees and charges, and to develop protocols to address consumer concerns.
The request, made through the minister responsible for consumer affairs, Bruce Billson, came after a study into credit card surcharges and non-transparent transaction fees found that consumers were dissatisfied with surcharges and fees, particularly in the airline industry.
Know more? Email: [email protected]
Topics: consumer-finance, consumer-protection, australia
First posted* IEA says global oil stockpiles at record 3 billion barrels
* Oil players also contending with spike in tanker rates
By Jonathan Saul and Libby George
LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - As land storage sites worldwide reach brimming point due to a supply glut, tens of millions of barrels of oil are sitting on tankers looking for homes - threatening logistical paralysis.
The International Energy Agency on Friday said stored oil has hit 3 billion barrels. Traders say the excess of crude is leaving tankers queuing at major ports worldwide, lengthening waiting times to days, weeks and even months.
The lack of space to unload oil is tying up the tankers needed to keep oil moving, and wells running. The bottlenecks could force oil suppliers into quick, cut-priced sales just to free space, adding more pressure to oil prices already close to six-year lows.
The cost to hire a supertanker - each capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil - recently hit its highest level since 2008 at over $100,000 a day last month and currently remains at over $70,000 a day.
“We’re alarmed,” said Eugene Lindell, senior crude market analyst with JBC Energy. “There are growing indicators that it’s getting harder to digest this crude.”
FROM TEXAS TO CHINA
In the U.S. Gulf, more than 50 commercial vessels were anchored outside ports near Houston at the end of last week, of which 41 were tankers.
Trade sources said there were seven aframax tankers - each capable of carrying up to 700,000 barrels of oil - sitting outside Rotterdam waiting to unload. There was also nearly 15 million barrels of unsold West African crude oil either loaded on tankers or waiting to be loaded in the next two weeks.
Shipping and port sources, pointing to full onshore storage, said up to 20 supertankers were held up in Iraq’s Basrah terminal, with vessels experiencing loading delays of up to 12 days.
One port source said at China’s Qingdao port, one supertanker was stuck at anchorage since August and another since last month.
“There are delays across the board as a lot of cargo is being put through the system. Port delays in Basrah and China in particular but also in many other areas. This is tying up capacity,” said one tanker source.
Shipping consultants MSI said the near-term outlook for crude tankers was positive.
“Storage space in China and Europe is dwindling, leading to extended discharge times. Couple this with ongoing high load waiting times in Iraq and Turkish Straits delays and (tanker) availability is tight,” MSI said.
A problem for oil players is that tankers have not been booked on long-term charters. This is in contrast to the floating storage play seen earlier this year, when ships were parked at sea until prices recovered and were then sold by oil traders for a profit.
Sources said the current build up was parked on vessels hired for shorter journeys, meaning oil suppliers will have to unload soon or face more freight expenses.
“Those holding stocks will either have to dump their cargoes at cheaper prices or pay those higher freight costs,” a trade source said.
Another added: “Each minute the clock is ticking, they’re losing money.” (Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper, editing by William Hardy)The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said it would not be "the end of the world" if Britain failed to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, but there would be costs
ADVERTISING Read more
London (AFP)
The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Sunday it would not be "the end of the world" if Britain failed to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, but there would be costs.
Roberto Azevedo told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that although Britain would be better off with an agreement, the impact of falling back on WTO rules would be "manageable".
"About half of the UK's trade is already on WTO terms -- with the US, China and several large emerging nations where the EU doesn't have trade agreements," he said.
"So it's not the end of the world if the UK trades under WTO rules with the EU."
Britain intends to leave the EU's single market and customs union when it withdraws from the bloc in March 2019, but hopes to reach a free trade agreement (FTA) with Brussels before then.
However, trade talks have yet to formally start, and without a deal, bilateral trade would likely be subject to higher WTO tariffs as well as other barriers such as increased red tape.
"If you don't have a fully functioning FTA with the EU, there could be rigidities and costs -- but it's not like trade between the UK and EU is going to stop," Azevedo said.
"There will be an impact, but I suppose it is perfectly manageable."
Ahead of Britain's EU referendum in June 2016, Azevedo warned that exporters risked billions of pounds (dollars, euros) in extra customs duties each year after Brexit.
In a speech in London, he noted that Britain's EU membership gave it preferential trading terms not only with the other 27 member states, but also the 58 countries with which the bloc had FTAs.
Britain is currently seeking to replicate the EU's trade deals with third countries, although it cannot sign any agreements until after Brexit.
EU leaders are meeting next month to discuss whether to start trade talks with Britain, but are demanding commitments on a financial settlement and the Irish border issue.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told Sky News on Sunday: "Of course we would rather get a deal with the European Union but we're not afraid not to get a deal."
© 2017 AFPPhotograph released by the Indonesian Military shows Indonesian military chief Gatot Nurmantyo (R) and Chief of Australian Army Angus Campbell in February
ADVERTISING Read more
Jakarta (AFP)
Indonesia said Sunday its military chief had been refused entry to the United States and asked Washington for an explanation.
General Gatot Nurmantyo was due to attend a conference in Washington at the request of General Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, but the military said he was unable to board his Emirates flight in Jakarta on Saturday.
Military spokesman Brigjen Wuryanto said the general was refused entry by the US Customs and Border Protection agency.
Nurmantyo has decided not to attend the conference until the situation is explained, Wuryanto said.
"Shortly before the departure the TNI (military) commander and his wife received a notification from the airline that they were not allowed to enter US territory," Wuryanto told a press conference.
The Indonesian embassy in Washington has sent a formal note to the State Department asking for clarification and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has sought an explanation from the embassy in Jakarta.
"The (US) ambassador is currently not in Jakarta so we have asked the deputy chief of mission in Jakarta to come into the ministry tomorrow for clarification," foreign affairs spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told AFP.
"The US Embassy was, and remains, prepared to facilitate the General?s travel to the United States," it said.
"We remain committed to our Strategic Partnership with Indonesia as a way to deliver security and prosperity to both our nations and peoples."
The conference of national defence chiefs is on countering violent extremism.
Since being appointed armed forces chief by President Joko Widodo in July 2015, Nurmantyo has been at the centre of several controversies.
Earlier this year he abruptly suspended all military cooperation with Australia in a row over teaching materials, and has been rebuked by members of Widodo's cabinet for making misleading public remarks.
He helped stoke a wave of anti-communist sentiment sweeping Indonesia by ordering the screening of an anti-communist propaganda film to members of the military
Nurmantyo will step down as leader of the armed forces in 2018 and many analysts believe
|
legates who looked to her to lead them through this process and she did a huge disservice to the Sanders National Campaign in a way that may seriously damage attempts to get Sanders’ message into the platform at the DNC. Instead of calling Bilbray a hero, Sanders supporters should be furious at how she seemingly tried to manipulate the situation to her own end.
EDIT: Of course Sanders, as any leader does, has a chance to shine or falter when confronted with such things and his response could have gone a long way towards smoothing this over.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
The Temporary Rules are pretty clear about what changes can be made to them.
c. Once approved by the Executive Board of the Nevada State Democratic Party prior to the convention, these rules shall serve as the temporary rules of the convention until convention rules are permanently adopted by a majority vote.
d. Any motion to amend the Convention Agenda, the Temporary Convention Rules, or the Convention Rules shall require either a privileged resolution from the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Nevada State Democratic Party or a petition signed by twenty percent (20%) of all convention delegates.
e. Motions to amend the Convention Agenda, the Temporary Convention Rules, or the Convention Rules shall only be adopted upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all delegates
It’s also pretty clear that Suspension of the Rules is also not really possible.
III. Suspension of the Rules
a. These rules of the 2016 Nevada State Democratic Convention may only be suspended by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of all convention delegates.
b. These rules shall only be suspended in the instance where an unforeseen circumstance in these rules has prohibited the convention from conducting its required business.
c. Under no circumstances shall these rules be suspended for taking any action contrary to expressed intent or will of these rules.
d. Either the Parliamentarian or the Convention Chair shall rule any motion to suspend the rules out of order based on the above criterion.
Roberts Rules are part of the procedure but there are other rules elements as well.
IV. Parliamentary Authority a. The 2016 Democratic State Convention shall be governed in the following order of authority: The Charter and The Bylaws of the Democratic Party of the United States, the Nevada Delegate Selection Plan for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the Charter and Bylaws of the Nevada State Democratic Party, the Rules of the 2016 Nevada State Democratic Convention, and the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
FYI, the part about the NSCC board and their ability to serve if they would like to continue to serve is also in the 2012 Rules. And apparently has been in the rules since 2008.
This is from 2016:
IX. Election of Members to the State Central Committee a. Members to the State Central Committee shall be elected at the convention. b. All current members of the State Central Committee shall be given an opportunity to serve another term as a committee member. c. Convention attendees who indicate an interest in becoming a State Central Committee member during the registration process shall be given preference for open State Central Committee positions. d. Any person who does not wish to serve an additional term shall have his or her place filled by the county chair from that county.
This is from 2012:
IX. Election of Members to the State Central Committee a. Members to the State Central Committee shall be elected at the convention during county caucuses. b. All current members of the State Central Committee shall be given an opportunity to serve another term as a committee member. c. Convention attendees who indicate an interest in becoming a State Central Committee member during the registration process shall be given preference for open State Central Committee positions. d. Any person who does not wish to serve an additional term shall have his or her place filled by the county chair from that county.
EDIT: Even had Sanders won the State Convention, it would have meant a difference of 4 National Delegates. Since a 2/3 of the delegates were already allocated based on the original caucus, the final tally, had Sanders won the State, would be 18-17 Clinton. Instead, it ended up being 20-15 Clinton. There was never an opportunity to switch the State. And while a difference of 4 National Delegates might be important to some, top political people know that 4 delegates at this point will not make a bit of difference in the long run — which makes their behavior more perplexing.• New deal keeps defender at club until end of 2016-17 season • ‘There is no other place I would rather play football’
Branislav Ivanovic has signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea, the Premier League club have confirmed. The 31-year-old Serbia defender was entering the final months of his existing deal, but will now stay to the end of the 2016-17 season.
The new 12-month contract is in line with Chelsea’s policy of offering only one-year deals to players aged 30 and over. Ivanovic joined from Lokomotiv Moscow in January 2008 and has been a key component of many Chelsea successes, winning every major club honour.
He was suspended for the 2012 Champions League final win, but scored the decisive goal in the 2013 Europa League success, one of 32 goals in 341 appearances to date.
Ivanovic told the club’s website: “I am very happy to stay with Chelsea for another season. After eight years here this is my home and there is no other place I would rather play football. I have enjoyed so much success since moving to the club and I am determined to help the team achieve more in the last months of this season and next year as well.”
Ivanovic has not been at his best this term as Chelsea’s struggles led to José Mourinho’s departure, but Chelsea’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, believes he is finding defensive stability again. “He’s important. He’s one of the main characters now in this team. He’s back to where he was once was.”
The Serbian is vice-captain to John Terry, who is out of contract this summer. Following his last-gasp leveller against Everton last Saturday, Hiddink intimated he hoped the 35-year-old defender would be offered a new deal.In the latest look at the underlying components of the S&P 500 ordered by largest market capitalization, Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) has taken over the #309 spot from Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (NYSE: DPS), according to The Online Investor. Click here to find out the top S&P 500 components ordered by average analyst rating »
Market capitalization is an important data point for investors to keep an eye on, for various reasons. The most basic reason is that it gives a true comparison of the value attributed by the stock market to a given company's stock. Many beginning investors look at one stock trading at $10 and another trading at $20 and mistakenly think the latter company is worth twice as much — that of course is a completely meaningless comparison without knowing how many shares of each company exist. But comparing market capitalization (factoring in those share counts) creates a true "apples-to-apples" comparison of the value of two stocks. In the case of Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX), the market cap is now $12.54 billion, versus Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (NYSE: DPS) at $12.50 billion.
Click here to find out The 20 Largest U.S. Companies By Market Capitalization »
Below is a chart of Clorox Co. versus Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc plotting their respective size rank within the S&P 500 over time (CLX plotted in blue; DPS plotted in green):
Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of CLX vs. DPS:
Another reason market capitalization is important is where it places a company in terms of its size tier in relation to peers — much like the way a mid-size sedan is typically compared to other mid-size sedans (and not SUV's). This can have a direct impact on which mutual funds and ETFs are willing to own the stock. For instance, a mutual fund that is focused solely on Large Cap stocks may for example only be interested in those companies sized $10 billion or larger. Another illustrative example is the S&P MidCap index which essentially takes the S&P 500 index and "tosses out" the biggest 100 companies so as to focus solely on the 400 smaller "up-and-comers" (which in the right environment can outperform their larger rivals). So a company's market cap, especially in relation to other companies, carries great importance, and for this reason we at The Online Investor find value to putting together these rankings daily.
According to the ETF Finder at ETFChannel.com, CLX and DPS collectively make up 5.71% of the First Trust Consumer Staples AlphaDEX Fund ETF (FXG) which is higher by about 0.4% on the day Tuesday.
See what other ETFs contain both CLX and DPS »
At the closing bell, CLX is up about 1.2%, while DPS is up about 0.5% on the day Tuesday.Ep 1 - The Avengers/Geek Summer
by The Speech Bubble
Come one, come all to the first edition of The Speech Bubble podcast. The show, hosted by The Thought Bubble's own Sean Curry and his comic-inclined friend Adam Dello Buono. In this episode, the boys discuss The Avengers, the harbinger of a geek-centric summer movie season. The boys go through the set-up for the Avengers and try to figure out how a movie with that many interests can work (and where did all the aliens come from!?). There are some spoilers ahead, but if you've ever sat next to a Marvel comic book at one time, you should be okay.
You can download the file by clicking here, or subscribe to the show via iTunes.
Here's a run-down of the show:
0:00 - 1:58 - An introducion to the Summer of the Geek, highlighted by The Avengers
1:59 - 8:45 - How did the Avengers get here?
8:47 - 10:00 - The meaning of the Ten Rings / cultural sensativity
10:01 - 14:15 - The science in magic / atheism in comics?
14:38 - 22:05 - Foils and the focus
22:06 - 24:50 - Villains, and the rival non-Marvel Studios who own their rights
24:51 - 26:52 - Looking forward to The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises
Image courtesy of ScienceFiction.com
Follow The IN on twitter @TheInclusive or on Facebook. Have something to say? Submit a piece and Join The Heard.Just a quick note: my take on the politics of immigration is that it divides both parties, but in different ways.
Democrats are torn individually (a state I share). On one side, they favor helping those in need, which inclines them to look sympathetically on immigrants; plus they’re relatively open to a multicultural, multiracial society. I know that when I look at today’s Mexicans and Central Americans, they seem to me fundamentally the same as my grandparents seeking a better life in America.
On the other side, however, open immigration can’t coexist with a strong social safety net; if you’re going to assure health care and a decent income to everyone, you can’t make that offer global.
So Democrats have mixed feelings about immigration; in fact, it’s an agonizing issue.
Republicans, on the other hand, either love immigration or hate it. The business-friendly wing of the party likes inexpensive workers (and would really enjoy a huge guest-worker program that would both provide such workers and ensure that they can neither vote nor, in practice, unionize). But the cultural/nativist/tribal conservatives hate having these alien-looking, alien-sounding people on American soil.
So immigration is an issue that divides Republicans one from another, not within each individual’s heart.
For a long time the GOP was essentially run by business interests, with the cultural right taken for a ride; in 2004 Bush ran as the nation’s defender against gay married terrorists, then announced that the election gave him a mandate to … privatize Social Security.
But what the Tea Party really signifies, I think, is that the business interests have lost control, that the base, with its fears about the Other, has escaped from guidance. And the sudden immigration outburst is part of that phenomenon.
Democrats think this gives them an opening. I’m unclear about that, at least for 2010. But yes, in the long run you have to think that if the GOP becomes the party of angry white men, unleashed — as opposed to angry white men harnessed to the business elite — it will have a poor future.Where others in Brownsville, Brooklyn saw shuttered storefronts, N Carlos Jay, an artist with roots in the neighborhood, saw blank canvases with the potential to engage and uplift the community.
The Writing on the Walls Art District, off Belmont Avenue between Mother Gaston Boulevard and Rockaway Avenue, is the culmination of Jay’s vision. Twelve vibrant murals, painted by notable street artists and financed with a crowdfunding campaign, stake a visual claim on a neighborhood that, despite being long-maligned and underserved, has recently become a new frontier for gentrification.
As heralded by a New York Magazine cover story early in 2015, Brownsville and neighboring East New York are some of the final frontiers of gentrification in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to build new affordable housing in the area is almost certainly helping to fuel a speculative rush by real estate developers to get in on the next, last hot neighborhood in Brooklyn. “What they did to Bed-Stuy, they want to do to East New York and Brownsville,” says Jay. His goal in reaching out to the neighborhood through art was to remind residents that beauty exists everywhere and to foster a sense of local ownership through creative expression. “It’s our job to make sure your voice is heard before you don’t even have a voice,” he says.
As a Brownsville native and an artist who works in a variety of media, Jay was able to gather a group of internationally renowned and emerging street artists including Ben Angotti, Lexi Bella, Joel Artista, Zeso, WERC, El Nino de las Pinturas, Fumero, Teo Doro, Welin, and Phetus to complete the first 12 murals in summer of 2015. Now Jay is raising money through a GoFundMe campaign for another 10.
The artists were given few restrictions, only that the murals and their messages stay positive, something that children in the neighborhood could look to for inspiration.
The resulting murals range widely in subject matter and style. Some reference local heroes. In Ben Angotti’s portrait of Mike Tyson, the boxer stands defiant against a black backdrop, staring intently into the distance. The portrait is accompanied by Tyson’s quote, “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.” This mural is something of a departure from the artist’s normal style. “It is a little tighter and more restrained than my average work,” Angotti said in an email. “I wanted it to be a bold transparent statement.”
In Jay’s own mural, a man picks himself up off the ground, against a fiery backdrop of yellows, reds, and oranges. The title reads, “Stand up Brownsville.” Nearby, Eelco, a well-known Dutch street artist, painted an owl and a cat in bright blues, pinks and oranges, composed of shapes that make them look almost cubist. In a nod to future generations, BK Foxx’s backpack-toting artist-in-training wears a Nets hat and plaid shirt; spray paint in hand, he touches up the multicolored caption that reads, “Brownsville BK.” In Lexi Bella’s piece, a young black woman blows a giant pink bubble above the message, “Black girls matter.”
Werc’s mural (which includes contributions from El Niño de las Pinturas) begins on one side as a young boy, watched over by an owl and a tiger, and continues his journey to adulthood. “The mural is meant to depict the journey from childhood to manhood and the courage it takes to be strong on your path, and to not forget that there’s always wise guides looking out for you throughout your journey,” he explained in an email.
The painting process for all of these pieces provided an opportunity for conversation, as well as for reflection. Werc marveled at how “the kids that walked by told their parents they wanted to be artists or take part in the mural. One girl who rode around in her bicycle sat and watched the painting process for hours at a time and day by day.”
Seeing a Brownsville native creating these murals, Jay observed, helps kids realize that art doesn’t have to removed and inaccessible, even in a neighborhood with Brownsville’s reputation. “For the last two decades, it’s been considered a bad place to be, the murder capital of New York,” he says. As an artist, Jay found profound value in the conversations he had with children in the neighborhood. “[they were] the best conversations about my art and art in general,” he says. “Kids know.” The murals not only add beauty to everyday life, acting as a reminder that art is for everyone, they also honor committed residents who are working to bring investment and resources to the community. “People [in Brownsville] are resistant to change, even if it’s good change,” he says. “But if they see that you’re one of them, there’s less pushback.”
Writing on the Walls is currently running a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of creating 10 additional murals in Brownsville.His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud is a member of the Saudi royal family. He is a “nephew of the late Saudi King Abdullah, a grandson of Ibn Saud, the first Saudi king, and a grandson of Riad Al Solh, Lebanon’s first Prime Minister”. In 2015, Forbes Middle East released the names of the 100 richest Arab personalities in the world, which was topped by Alwaleed Bin Talal. To say he is an influential person would be an understatement.
In 2006, Alwaleed Bin Talal gifted $20 million each to Harvard University and Georgetown University (the $20 million grant to Georgetown University was the second-largest ever in the Jesuit-run university’s existence). Harvard University used the money to start an Islamic Studies Program. Shakeel Khan, is one of the “Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal” Fellows and his area of specialization is “Islamization in North India” and “the role of Sufism in facilitating this process.” Among the “core faculty” at the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program is Nicholas Burns, at present at The Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations, Kennedy School of Government. Burns was the 19th Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, during 2005-2008.
Of greater interest is another faculty members of the Islamic Studies Program – Diana Eck. She is Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies; Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; but her greater claim to fame may well be as the linchpin of the lynch mob that got Dr Subramanian Swamy’s course cancelled at Harvard University in 2011. The proposal to exclude Dr. Swamy’s course was forwarded by Eck. She had this to say at the time – “Swamy’s op-ed clearly crosses the line by demonizing an entire religious community and calling for violence against their sacred places“. Diana Eck received support for her amendment from Sugata Bose, faculty at Harvard University and currently a member of Parliament in India. Diana Eck, in case you are wondering, also wrote the book, “India: A Sacred Geography“, that was a magnificent exercise in dissembling on Ayodhya and Dwarka. I wrote a lengthy review where I pointed out gaps, flaws, and omissions that pointed to glaring lapses in scholarship, or worse. (In passing, it may also be pertinent to mention that it was Dr. Swamy’s fast-unto-death in 1987 that had yielded the government into ordering an inquiry into the killing of about forty Muslims of Hashimpura, Meerut on 22 May 1987 by the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) – ponder the irony of Eck charging Dr. Swamy with being hateful of Muslims)
- Advertisement - - Article resumes -
Returning to Alwaleed Bin Talal, HRH, in 2001 – a month after the Sep 11 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City that killed more than two thousand people – donated $10 million to the Twin Towers Fund after the Sep 11 attacks in New York City. The donation was accompanied by a statement that called upon the United States to “re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause. … While the U.N. passed clear resolutions numbered 242 and 338 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip decades ago, our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek” [bold-emphasis mine]
The then-mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani returned the check, saying, “I entirely reject that statement.”
In 2002, Alwaleed Bin Talal gave $500,000 to CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.), often linked to and described as a front organization for the Muslim Brotherhood, a Hamas-linked terror group. Egypt-born journalist and author Tawfik Hamid described CAIR as “perhaps the most conspicuous organization to persistently accuse opponents of Islamophobia”. He criticised the way the organisation uses the “charge of ‘Islamophobia’ as a tool to intimidate and blackmail those … who rightly criticize current Islamic practices and preachings”. As recently as December 2015, CAIR suggested that the US itself was to blame for the terrorist mass-shootings by Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik in San Bernardino, California, that left fourteen people dead and more than twenty injured. This is what CAIR had to say – “Let’s not forget that some of our own foreign policy, as Americans, as the West, have fueled that extremism“. In 2014, the UAE had designated CAIR a terrorist group.
Even more disturbing is the trial in what has become known as the “Muslim Mafia” case.
In 2009, WND books published a book titled, “Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That’s Conspiring to Islamize America“. The book was the result of a half-year long undercover investigation into CAIR that allegedly revealed the group’s ties to terror organizations. CAIR in turn, the same year, sued Dave Gaubatz, a former highly decorated counter-terrorism specialist. Gaubatz trained people, including his son, to go deep inside CAIR, and which resulted in the book. After a lengthy discovery process, the case was ready to go to trial. This is something CAIR wanted to avoid, since it would put into the public domain many of the thousands of pages of documents that formed part of the discovery. It therefore filed motion to reopen discovery. This motion was denied by Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in December 2015.
The same year, Alwaleed Bin Talal gave $27 million “to a Saudi telethon raising money for the Committee for the Support of the al-Quds Intifada, a Saudi “charity””
Moving on, Alwaleed Bin Talal was also the largest stakeholder in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp outside the Murdoch family (by 2010 he owned about 7 percent of News Corp; he sold most of his stake in 2015). One of News Corp’s properties was the conservative (Christian right-wing) news channel Fox News. What did this investment in Fox News, of all channels, yield? 2005 saw Paris rocked by the worst street violence since 1968. The New York Times has this to say about the riots – “a majority of the youths committing the acts are Muslim, and of African or North African origin“. Even though it was argued that there were no religious overtones to the rioting, “France’s most influential Islamic group issued a religious edict, or fatwa, condemning the violence.”
At the time of the riots, Fox News, like many other news channels, had also been covering these riots. Its screen had been carrying a ticker that read – “Muslim riots in Paris.”
Alwaleed Bin Talal got into the act. He telephoned Rupert Murdoch. Read how Alwaleed described that phone call: “I picked up the phone and called Murdoch …I said that I was speaking not as a shareholder, but as a viewer of Fox. I said that these are not Muslim riots, they are riots”
The result was the Fox News crawl changed from “Muslim Riots in Paris” across the bottom of the screen to “civil riots”
Let’s return to 2002 one last time. Alwaleed Bin Talal’s diverse investments can perhaps best be explained by the man himself. He had said – “We have to be logical and understand that the U.S. administration is subject to U.S. public opinion. We are not so active in this sphere [public opinion]. And to bring the decision-maker on your side, you not only have to be active inside the U.S. Congress or the administration but also inside U.S. society.”
Let me start the conclusion of this post by talking about a certain person named Raheel Khursheed. He is “Head – News, Politics, Govt @TwitterIndia”. Before his appointment at Twitter, Khursheed was a journalist-turned-activist. Even when he was appointed, there were objections raised over this 30 year old journalist suddenly landing such a post, given his leanings. Some of his views (which have now been deleted, credit: IndiaFacts, link)
More recently, Raheel was in the news for condoning – if not outright indulging in- the mocking and online trolling of a teenager, Jahanvi Behal. There is a post describing the controversy by Rupa Subramanya, and I reproduce some of her post here:
“he sent out a couple of tweets which appeared to poke fun at Jhanvi Behal, a 15-year-old young woman who’s in the news for challenging the views of a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student activist Kanhiya Kumar on the allegations of seditious behaviour by JNU students. Ms Behal was reported in the news to be challenging Mr Kumar to a public debate on the topic. … Unfortunately, rather than encouraging Ms Behal, Mr Khursheed appeared to mock her instead, sending out the following tweet which he subsequently deleted. … In fact, what we heard from Mr Khursheed in the immediate aftermath are snarky retweets which appear to make light of the incident. Subsequently, as previously noted he replied to a query today suggesting that his deleted tweet was misconstrued.”
The post also has screenshots of tweets; some tweets were later deleted by Raheel.
It begged the obvious question – how was Twitter allowing such a person to continue in a prominent position as his, despite a record of behavior that would have invited strict measures in the United States, where there is much less tolerance for misogyny and religious bigotry as exhibited by Raheel.
The story begins to come full circle when you find out that Alwaleed Bin Talal was an investor in the Series G funding of Twitter, in 2011. He invested approximately $300 million. In 2015, Alwaleed Bin Talal upped his investment; he and his investment company (Kingdom Holding Company) now own more than 5% of Twitter. (link, link, link)
Jack Dorsey – co-founder and currently CEO of Twitter – on the other hand, owns a little over 2% of Twitter.
If you have been reading this post this far, I’m sure you would have started to connect the dots
Share This Post and Support:My exposé of why academics’ private emails sometimes seem cranky has gotten a lot of attention. Joe Romm posted it at ClimateProgress, where it generated many comments, many expressing thanks for saying what needed to be said. George Monbiot posted a comment, pointing out that for a journalist, FoI laws are sacred: a hard won concession that allows them to fight the secrecy that normally surrounds the political establishment. So there’s clearly some mutual incomprehension between the two cultures, academic and journalistic. For journalists, FoI is a vital weapon to root out corruption in a world where few people can be trusted. For scientists, FoI is a blunt instrument, unneeded in a world where honesty and trust are the community norms, and data is freely shared as much as is practically possible.
George expands this theme on his blog, and I appear to have shifted his perspective on the CRU emails, although perhaps not as far as I might have hoped. His thesis is that scientists and journalists have each formed a closed culture, leading each to be suspicious (and worse) of the other. Well, I think this is not strictly accurate. I don’t think either culture is walled in. In fact, I’m beginning to think I overstated the case in my original post: scientists are certainly not “walled in like an anchorite”. Pretty much every scientist I know will happily talk at length to anyone who shows an interest in their work, and will nearly always share data and code with anyone who is engaged in honest scientific work. For our own research into software quality, we have obtained source code, datasets, software bug histories, and extensive access for interviews in every climate modeling centre we have approached.
Unfortunately, scientists tend to be way too focussed (obsessed?) for most people’s taste, so lay people don’t generally want to talk to them in the first place. But scientists will accept into the community anyone who’s willing to work at it (after all most of us spend a lot of time training students), as long as they show the necessary commitment to the scientific process and the pursuit of truth. Traditional investigative journalism used to share these values too, but this tradition now seems to be another endangered species. The experience when scientists talk to journalists is usually more about the journalist seeking a sensationalist angle to sell a story, rather than a quest for understanding. And a reliance on false balance rather than weighing up the evidence.
So there is a bit of a gulf between the two cultures, but its not insurmountable, and there are plenty of examples of good science reporting to show that people regularly do bridge this gulf.
No, the real story is not the relationship between science and the media at all. It’s the story of how the media has been completely taken in by a third group, a third culture, consisting of ideologically-driven, pathological liars, who will say almost anything in order to score political points, and will smear anyone they regard as an opponent. Stern calls climate change the greatest ever failure of the free markets. I think that looking back, we may come to regard the last six months as the greatest ever failure of mass media. Or alternatively, the most successful disinformation campaign ever waged.
At the centre of this story are people like Marc Morano and Jim Inhofe. They haven’t a clue what science is; to them it’s just one more political viewpoint to attack. They live in a world of paranoid fantasies, where some secret cabal is supposedly trying to set up a world government to take away their freedoms. Never mind that every credible scientific body on the planet is warning about the wealth of evidence we now have about the risk of dangerous climate change. Never mind that the IPCC puts together one of the most thorough (and balanced!) state-of-the-art surveys ever undertaken in any scientific field. Never mind that the newest research suggests that these assessments are, if anything, underestimating the risk. No, these people don’t like the message, and so set out to attack the messengers with a smear campaign based on hounding individual scientists for years and years until they snap, and then spreading stories in the media about what happens when the scientists tell them to piss off.
Throughout all this, in underfunded labs, and under a barrage of attacks, scientists have done their job admirably. They chase down the uncertainties, and report honestly and accurately what they know. They doggedly compile assessment reports year after year to present the mass of evidence to anyone who cares to listen. It simply beggars belief that journalists could, in 2010, still be writing opinion pieces arguing that the scientists need to do a better job, that they are poor communicators, that we need more openness and more data sharing. That these themes dominate the reporting is a testament to how effective the disinformation campaign has been. The problem is not in the science, or with scientists at all, nor with a culture gap between science and the media. The problem is with this third group, the disinformers, who have completely dominated the framing of the story, and how honest journalists have been completely taken in by this framing.
How did they do it? Well, one crucial element of their success is their use of FoI laws. By taking the journalists’ most prized weapon, and wielding it against climate scientists, they achieved a whole bunch of successes all at once. They got journalists on their side, because journalists have difficulty believing that FoI laws could be used for anything other than good old-fashioned citizen democracy. They got the public on their side by appearing to be the citizens fighting the establishment. They set up the false impression that scientists have stuff to hide, by ignoring the vast quantities of open data in climate science, and focussing on the few that were tied up with commercial licence agreements. And they effected a denial of service attack by flooding a few target scientists with huge numbers of FoI requests. Add to this the regular hate mail and death threats that climate scientists receive, and you have a recipe for personal meltdowns. And the media lapped up the story about personal meltdowns, picked it up and ran with it, and never once asked whose framing they were buying into.
And the result is that, faced with one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced, the media got the story completely backwards. Few journalists and few scientists seem to have any conception of how this misinformation campaign works, how nasty these people are, and how dirty they play. They have completely owned the story for the last few months, with their framing of “scientists making mistakes” and “scientists distorting their data”. They’ve successfully portrayed the scientists as being at fault, when it is the scientists who are the victims of one of the nastiest public bullying campaigns ever conducted. History will have to judge how it compares to other such episodes (McCarthyism would make a fascinating comparator). And the stakes are high: at risk is our ability to make sensible policy choices and international agreements based on good scientific evidence, to ensure that our children and grandchildren can flourish as we do.
We’re fucking this up bigtime, and it’s not the scientists who are at fault.
Share this: Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Reddit
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Print
EmailChoi "Acorn" Cheon-ju and Lisheng "Xiaoxi" Wei have left LGD Gaming.
Acorn made the announcement Monday on Weibo with a photo of his work station and the caption "Goodbye." LGD Gaming later confirmed to theScore esports that Acorn had left the team.
Xiaoxi also made a statement about his departure from the team on Weibo. In the caption, Xiaoxi said that he's not happy to leave, and thanks his fans for caring about him.
Though it is unknown where Acorn and Xiaoxi will be heading next, LGD Gaming's social media manager Jenny Lee said on Twitter that Acorn would be playing for a Chinese team. The tweet has since been deleted.
LGD Gaming placed 7th-8th in the 2016 LPL Spring Playoffs and placed fourth in the LPL Spring Split's Group A. Acorn appeared in one game for LGD this season racking up a 2.33 KDA on Poppy against Energy Pacemake.All, while Xiaoxi's put up 1.83 KDA on four different champions.
Olivia Da Silva is a news editor at theScore esports. You can usually find her freaking out over someone's dog or telling terrible jokes to anyone who will listen. Feel free to follow her on Twitter.MABAMEX (Mattel Baja California Mexico) was the principal manufacturer of Mattel USA in the 80’s in Mexico. This company (which still exists), is located in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. MABAMEX manufactured many toy lines such as Barbie, See ‘N Say, Hot Wheels and of course figures and vehicles for the Masters of the Universe toy line, even though those were only destined for the United States market and were not actually sold within Mexico.
Roberto Verdugo is originally from Sinaloa and studied in Guadalajara, Jalisco where he spent some time working in the shoe industry. In 1980 he moved to Tijuana to look for work and found MABAMEX, dedicating 15 years of his life to working for that company. He began as a production engineer in charge of receiving assembly material and shipping to the distribution centers in the United States.
Mr. Verdugo was kind enough to dedicate a few hours to the foundation to discuss a bit about his work at MABAMEX in the 80’s.
With the launch of production on the Masters of the Universe line in 1982, Mattel USA decided to include MABAMEX as part of this new project. During the first few months, the company only handled painting, assembly, and packaging of the product since the injection process was being done in China and then sent to MABAMEX as MABAMEX did not have the molds for the plastic injection process.
After making some adjustments to manufacture their own molds (tooling), MABAMEX invested in over 100 plastic injection machines for mass manufacturing, thus completing the toy-making process in house from the injection to packaging and delivery. However, the printing for the packages and the comics was still being done in the United States.
Mr. Verdugo told us that when a new product arrived for production, he always took the first samples off the line to his children so they could play with them. These pieces are now a treasure for collectors as the figures can be slightly different than the common production figures due to color and paint variations or even mold defects.
Mr. Verdugo also told us that the Masters of the Universe line has been one of the most successful from Mattel as he remembers having seen literally millions of figures in his hands. He knew it was the product of successful sales. After a rewarding participation in the manufacturing process for MABAMEX, he spent his last
|
all.
Earnest stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s live show after Trump’s first address to Congress to talk about “fake news” and how the president and current press secretary Sean Spicer have communicated the new administration’s agenda so far.
“Did you ever feel the way [Spicer] looks?” Colbert asked at one point. Earnest laughed, but also agreed that he had, because that’s kind of part of the job of being press secretary.
“There’s supposed to be friction between the White House press corps and the White House,” Earnest insisted. “The day there’s not … is the day that the press corps has stopped doing its job.”
Still, he agreed that the lengths to which Trump and Spicer have gone to antagonize the press in these early days have been unusual, like the moment at CPAC last week when Spicer barred several critical media outlets from his daily briefing. When Colbert pointed out that some defended that move as reminiscent of something the Obama administration would pull with Fox News, Earnest vehemently disagreed.
“We had our differences with Fox … but there was never a situation in which we prevented Fox from participating in a day of the White House briefing,” he said. “In fact, we didn’t just let them attend the White House briefing, [but] every day I was press secretary, I called on Fox News.”
“That’s not what I hear on Fox News,” Colbert replied, eyebrow raised.
It was a joke, insomuch as Colbert delivered it with a grin and the studio audience laughed. But as Earnest soon pointed out, that willingness to distort the truth didn’t come from nowhere.
“This whole idea of fake news is not a new thing,” Earnest said, pointing to how Trump and other Republicans dragged out accusations that Obama wasn’t born in the United States for years despite all evidence to the contrary.
“We tried a different strategy,” Earnest continued, earnestly. “We tried to tell the truth. Our strategy was impartial facts, and to present evidence.”
So yes, Earnest expressed some sympathy for Spicer’s position, and the daily frictions of addressing a press corps that’s there to dissect every word he says. But he was just as clear in saying that Spicer and Trump’s aggressive defensiveness with the press isn’t encouraging overall.
“If you believe passionately that you’re doing the right thing for the right reasons,” Earnest said, “then why wouldn’t you have the confidence to go out in front of the public and make your case?”
You can watch the full interview in the video above.Pharma reps may soon have to cancel any doctor dinners they have planned in California. A state-level bill would cut off most drugmaker payments to physicians, including speaking fees for that staple of pharma marketing, the slideshow over dinner.
Dinners themselves would have to be cheap, too: Per person, drugmakers could only spend $250 per year on free meals.
The California bill, approved by the state senate last week, would still allow physicians to be paid for conducting clinical trials, but it restricts a range of other payments and handouts, including free travel and entertainment, speaking and consulting fees, and, of course, meals.
Free Daily Newsletter Like this story? Subscribe to FiercePharma! Biopharma is a fast-growing world where big ideas come along daily. Our subscribers rely on FiercePharma as their must-read source for the latest news, analysis and data on drugs and the companies that make them. Sign up today to get pharma news and updates delivered to your inbox and read on the go. SUBSCRIBE NOW
Sen. Mike McGuire, who sponsored the bill, cited a University of California-San Francisco study showing that doctors who receive “industry gifts,” such as speaking fees, meals and travel, were two to three times more likely to prescribe branded meds rather than equivalent generics. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine last year, the study found that even inexpensive meals appeared to sway doctors’ prescribing habits. A previously published Harvard Medical School study drew similar conclusions.
“I’ll be the first to say that the vast majority of physicians and medical professionals put the needs of their patients first. There’s a reason why doctors answer the call to practice medicine—to help people in their time of need,” McGuire said in a statement announcing the passage of his bill. “But growing evidence reveals that financial relationships between some physicians and pharmaceutical companies confirm what has been suspected—financial incentives change minds.”
It’s not the first time state lawmakers have moved to curb pharma payments and gifts to doctors. Massachusetts has a similar law that, in its first iteration, not only curtailed speaking fees, travel, entertainment and other goodies, but more or less banned free meals. After high-profile pushback from tourism officials and restaurateurs—and grumbling from doctors who technically had to keep track of the free coffee they accepted at trade show booths—Massachusetts loosened the meal restrictions.
Vermont has its own doc-payment restrictions, as does Minnesota, which caps gifts and food at $50 per year and limits speaking fees to “reasonable” levels for “bonafide” educational purposes. Vermont’s law is so restrictive that lawmakers are trying to ease the limits to at least allow healthcare providers free sandwiches and coffee at medical conferences and CME events. Maine lawmakers are meanwhile working on a new bill modeled after the Minnesota law.
The California measure still has significant hurdles to clear. It’s now pending in the state assembly, and it’s opposed by industry groups, including PhRMA. Senators opposing the bill echoed industry contentions about similar restrictions: They could interfere with doctors’ ability to learn about new products—and with their sales, which fund new R&D.
“Successful products provide the funding for the research, for cures,” Sen. Ted Gaines argued (as quoted by the Times-Standard). “Why would we do anything to diminish the ability of pharma companies to be successful in providing these new products?”
California doctors racked up more than $1.4 billion in payments and gifts in 2014, according to ProPublica data, a figure larger than any other state’s total. Next in line was New York with $517 million.This week, HP announced the Sprout, its bold attempt to reinvent what it means to work on the PC. Forget a mouse and keyboard. You control the Sprout by sliding your hands across an illuminated touchpad, on top of which various interface elements have been projected. This touchpad uses Kinect-like sensory technology to see what your hands are doing, allowing you to use the Sprout’s touchpad like a keyboard, touch screen, or even as a Leap Motion-style 3-D interface.
We were impressed by idea the Sprout: at the very least, it’s a ballsy concept that’s coming from a company mostly known for building more conventional, office-friendly PCs. But can the Sprout really change the future of computer interface?
We reached out to three UI futurists to see what they thought. The consensus? Cautious optimism.
Sean Follmer, MIT Tangible Media Group, co-creator of the InForm
I think what is interesting about the Sprout is that it is the first commercial product to feature an integrated projector-camera system for interaction purposes. There have been products before that focus on gestural interaction using depth cameras (the Leap Motion, the Kinect, and so on), but the Sprout shows something that we and others have been working towards for years: a radical new way of interacting, not with a touch screen, but with tangible objects in the physical world. Imagine, for example, building a Lego set where the computer could highlight which bricks need to go where, or playing a game with someone over the internet and seeing their hand over the game board. This type of projected augmented reality has been long in development in the research world as far back as 1991 but the Sprout is the first commercial hardware implementation that could support it. Unfortunately, what was shown in the demo videos falls short of that. The Sprout only touches on multi-screen interaction. Previous products, such as the Toshiba Libretto, have already explored this. To me, the success of the Sprout depends on how well it can open up new avenues for how we interact more naturally with digital information, not only through touch but through physical objects, but the Sprout’s abilities in this regard seem limited by its current software. Where it seems to shine, though, is a more holistic understanding of interaction with multiple screens and modalities – touch, gesture and pen input.
R. Clayton Miller, UI Designer, Creator of 10/GUI
To me, Sprout looks like several good experiments in interaction design that lack focus as a product. I’ve long been a proponent of expressive desktop touch surfaces as a post-mouse solution, and I think Sprout’s form factor is great. A touchscreen you can rest your hands on combined with an upright one could work as a next-gen product on its own (especially if it stuck with LCD for both displays). The cameras and projector are where I think Sprout starts to overextend itself. I can’t see it having the image quality to replace either a scanner or a DSLR for most professionals, and the novelty of scanning in objects will likely wear off for casual users. Professionals aren’t going to rely on the color accuracy of a projected image, which makes the bottom screen unsuitable for its core purpose of direct manipulation. A lot of gestures it demonstrates involve touching the vertical screen, too, which is going to lead to fatigue with regular use. What’s most exciting to me about Sprout is that HP is taking a high-profile chance on a promising two-screen form factor. I hope it leads to more experiments to find the best ways to utilize the concepts involved.
Phillip Schoessler, MIT Tangible Media Group, Co-Creator Of THAWThis article is about the Viking. For other uses, see Erik the Red (disambiguation)
Erik Thorvaldsson (Old Norse: Eiríkr Þorvaldsson; 950 – c. 1003), known as Erik the Red (Old Norse: Eiríkr hinn rauði)[1] was a Norse explorer, remembered in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland. According to Icelandic sagas, he was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Þorvald Ásvaldsson. He therefore also appears, patronymically, as Erik Thorvaldsson (Eiríkr Þorvaldsson). The appellation "the Red" most likely refers to his hair color[2] and the color of his beard.[3] Leif Erikson, the famous Icelandic explorer, was Erik's son.
Exiles [ edit ]
Erik the Red's father (Thorvald Asvaldsson) was banished from Norway because of some killings.[4] He left with his son Erik to northwest Iceland, where he died before 980. According to the "Grænlendinga Saga," “There was a man called Thorvald, who was the father of Eirik the Red. He and Eirik left their home in Jaederen, in Norway, because of some killings and went to Iceland, which had been extensively settled by then;”[5] when Erik was about 10 years old.[6] He sailed west from Norway with his family and settled in Hornstrandir in northwestern Iceland.[7] The Icelanders later sentenced Erik to exile for three years for killing Eyiolf the Foul around the year 982.[8]
After marrying Thjodhild (Þjóðhildr), Erik moved to Haukadalr (Hawksdale) where he built a farm called Eiríksstaðir. The initial confrontation occurred when his thralls (slaves) started a landslide on the neighboring farm belonging to Valthjof (Valþjófr). Valthjof's friend, Eyiolf the Foul (Eyjólfr saurr), killed the thralls. In retaliation, Erik killed Eyjiolf and Holmgang-Hrafn (Hólmgöngu-Hrafn). Eyiolf's kinsmen demanded his banishment from Haukadal.[6]
Erik then moved to the island of Öxney. He asked Thorgest (Þórgestr) to keep his setstokkr – inherited ornamented beams of significant mystical value,[9] which his father had brought from Norway. When he had finished his new house, he went back to get them, but they "could not be obtained". Erik then went to Breidabolstad and took them. These are likely to have been Thorgest's setstokkr, although the sagas are unclear at this point.
Thorgest gave chase, and in the ensuing fight Erik slew both Thorgest's sons and "a few other men".
After this, each of them retained a considerable body of men with him at his home. Styr gave Erik his support, as did also Eyiolf of Sviney, Thorbjiorn, Vifil's son, and the sons of Thorbrand of Alptafirth; while Thorgest was backed by the sons of Thord the Yeller, and Thorgeir of Hitardal, Aslak of Langadal and his son Illugi.[10]
The dispute was resolved at an assembly, the Thing, with the result that Erik was outlawed for three years.
Discoveries [ edit ]
Map of the northern region (including some fantasy islands) by Abraham Ortelius, ca. 1570
Summer in the Greenland coast circa the year 1000
by by Carl Rasmussen
Even though popular history credits Erik as the first person to discover Greenland, the Icelandic sagas suggest that earlier Norsemen discovered and tried to settle it before him.[11] Tradition credits Gunnbjörn Ulfsson (also known as Gunnbjörn Ulf-Krakuson) with the first sighting of the land-mass. Nearly a century before Erik, strong winds had driven Gunnbjörn towards a land he called "Gunnbjarnarsker" ("Gunnbjörn's skerries"). But the accidental nature of Gunnbjörn's discovery has led to his neglect in the history of Greenland. After Gunnbjörn, Snæbjörn Galti had also visited Greenland.[citation needed] According to records from the time, Galti headed the first Norse attempt to colonize Greenland, which ended in disaster. Erik the Red was the first permanent European settler.
In this context, about 982, Erik sailed to a somewhat mysterious and little-known land.[citation needed] He rounded the southern tip of the island (later known as Cape Farewell) and sailed up the western coast. He eventually reached a part of the coast that, for the most part, seemed ice-free and consequently had conditions—similar to those of Iceland—that promised growth and future prosperity.[citation needed] According to the Saga of Erik the Red, he spent his three years of exile exploring this land. The first winter he spent on the island of Eiriksey, the second winter he passed in Eiriksholmar (close to Hvarfsgnipa). In the final summer he explored as far north as Snaefell and into Hrafnsfjord.[citation needed]
When Erik returned to Iceland after his exile had expired, he is said to have brought with him stories of "Greenland". Erik deliberately gave the land a more appealing name than "Iceland" in order to lure potential settlers. He explained, "people would be attracted to go there if it had a favorable name".[12] He knew that the success of any settlement in Greenland would need the support of as many people as possible. His salesmanship proved successful, as many people (especially "those Vikings living on poor land in Iceland" and those that had suffered a "recent famine") became convinced that Greenland held great opportunity.[citation needed]
After spending the winter in Iceland, Erik returned to Greenland in 985 with a large number of colonists. Out of 25 ships that left for Greenland only 14 arrived, 11 were lost at sea.[13] The Icelanders established two colonies on the southwest coast: the Eastern Settlement or Eystribyggð, in modern-day Qaqortoq, and the Western Settlement or Vestribyggð, close to present-day Nuuk. (Eventually, a Middle Settlement grew, but many people suggest it formed part of the Western Settlement.) The Eastern and Western Settlements, both established on the southwest coast, proved the only two areas suitable for farming. During the summers, when the weather favored travel more, each settlement would send an army of men to hunt in Disko Bay above the Arctic Circle for food and other valuable commodities such as seals (used for rope), ivory from walrus tusks, and beached whales.[citation needed]
Eystribyggð [ edit ]
In Eystribyggð or Eastern Settlement, Erik built the estate of Brattahlíð, near present-day Narsarsuaq. He held the title of paramount chieftain of Greenland and became both greatly respected and wealthy.
The settlement flourished, growing to 5,000 inhabitants spread over a considerable area along Eriksfjord and neighboring fjords. Groups of immigrants escaping overcrowding in Iceland joined the original party. However, one group of immigrants which arrived in 1002 brought with it an epidemic that ravaged the colony, killing many of its leading citizens, including Erik himself.[14] Nevertheless, the colony rebounded and survived until the Little Ice Age made the land marginal for European life-styles in the 15th century (shortly before Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492). Pirate raids,[15] conflict with Inuit moving into the Norse territories, and the colony's abandonment by Norway became other factors in its decline.
Relations [ edit ]
Eiríksstaðir, the homestead of Erik the Red in Haukadalur
Medieval Icelandic tradition relates that Erik the Red and his wife Þjóðhildr (Thjodhildr) had four children: a daughter, Freydís, and three sons, the explorer Leif Eiríksson, Þorvaldr (Thorvald) and Þorsteinn (Thorstein). Erik himself remained a follower of Norse paganism, unlike his son Leif and Leif's wife, who became Christians. After being baptized by king Olaf Tryggvason, Leif brought the message of Christianity to Greenland, becoming something of an evangelist. While his wife took heartily to the religion, even commissioning Greenland's first church, Erik greatly disliked the faith and stuck to his Norse Gods – which, the sagas relate, led Thjodhild to withhold intercourse from her husband.[16] Thjothhild was the daughter of Jørundur Ulfsson and Thorbjørg Gilsdottir (from whom Gilsfjørd is named). Jørund's mother Bjørg was granddaughter to Irish king Cerball mac Dúnlainge (Kjarval) through his daughter Rafarta.
While not the first to sight the North American continent, Leif Erikson became the first Viking to explore the land of Vinland (part of North America, probably near modern-day Newfoundland). Leif invited his father on the voyage, but according to legend, Erik fell off his horse on his way to the ship and took this as a bad sign, leaving his son to continue without his company.[16] Erik died the winter after his son's departure. There is no evidence that Leif was aware of his father's death until he returned to Greenland.
Comparisons to Grœnlendinga Saga [ edit ]
There are numerous parallels to the Grœnlendinga saga, including recurring characters and recounts of the same expeditions, although with a few notable differences. The saga of Erik the Red presents a number of the expeditions in the Grœnlendinga saga as just one expedition led by Thorfinnr Karlsefni, although Thorvaldr Eiríksson, Freydís Eiríkssdóttir and Karlsefni's wife Guðríðr play key roles in the retelling.[17] Another notable difference is the location of their settlements. In the Grœnlendinga saga, Karlsefni and the others settle in a place that is only referred to as Vinland, while in Erik the Red's Saga, they form two base settlements: Straumfjǫrðr where they spend winter and the following spring, and Hop, where they later settle and run into problems with the natives, as depicted in the Grœnlendinga saga. Otherwise, the tales are largely similar, both with heavy focuses on the exploits of Thorfinnr Karlsefni and his wife Guðríðr.
See also [ edit ]“Fetcher” Reports to Spring Training; Tries to Walk On As Member of 2014 Brewers
Caitlin Moyer Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 19, 2014
Bernie, watch your back.
Move over, Brat, Polish, Italian, Hot Dog and Chorizo — there’s a new Top Dog in town.
We’re not sure where he came from, but a little stray pup is quickly becoming not just the Brewers unofficial Spring Training mascot, but a valued member of the team.
The pooch, who has since been named Hank (after who else but Hank Aaron?), wandered into Brewers camp two days ago looking a little grubby but ready for play. In no time, this little dog has stolen more hearts than Tommy Harper stole bases in 1969.
A staff member took Hank to the vet where he received his shots and a bath, but this little scrapper’s jersey will never be spotless. His white uniform looks to be permanently shaded a little on the gray side in places, but when you get to know this little fella’s personality, you see it’s a perfect fit.
Hank spends each day roaming offices and playing fields, visiting with everyone from Doug Melvin, Ron Roenicke, players and coaches to ticket office and concessions staff. Hank is going home with members of the organization each night to a warm bed, and he recently completed a day at the Team Store where he picked out his favorite styles from the latest Brewers pet gear.Australian Trade Minister Says That Releasing IP Enforcement TPP Treaty Text Would Be 'Problematic'
from the for-whom? dept
Your suggestion that draft negotiating text and position papers should be made public is understandable but problematic. First, this would only be possible if all parties agreed. Many negotiating parties would consider releasing the text as a breach of confidence. Second, negotiating text really has no status until it is agreed by all parties. I am not convinced that exposing contested text, potentially including ambit claims, would assist informed public debate on the issues.
We've pointed out how the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is shaping up to be the son of ACTA, but worse. And one area where negotiators seem to be following the ACTA blueprint is on near total secrecy about the negotiations (even as some are leaking ). This is really stunningly stupid. As many people pointed out when it came to ACTA, the excessive and unprecedented levels of secrecy really gave critics a key point to focus on that generated tremendous interest in what would otherwise have been seen as a boring trade agreement.And yet, TPP negotiators are doing the exact same thing. A few years ago, you may recall, that US Trade Rep Ron Kirk dismissed calls for transparency in ACTA negotiations by claiming that it would be problematic in that some of the participants might walk away from the table if they had to tell the citizens they represented what they were actually negotiating. Of course, later in the negotiations, when some countries pushed for transparency and openness, it became clear that it was the US -- who really kicked off ACTA -- that was the driving force behind the unprecedented level of secrecy.Now, with TPP, it appears they're making the same totally unsubstantiated claims. Glyn Moody points us to a letter sent by Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson, which pays lip service to "transparency," but when it comes down to the key question of opening up what's being negotiated, says that's not really possible Almost none of that makes sense. First, the claim that it would only be possible if all parties agree should not be a stumbling block. The simple response is that all parties should agree. This is a treaty that will likely have significant impact on people in all these countries. Why shouldn't it be discussed publicly? The "breach of confidence" claim is meaningless for the same reasons. These are about laws and enforcement that will impact citizens. There shouldn't be anything "in confidence" going on here. That the document has "no status" until it's agreed upon certainly sounds like "hey, please don't complain about the document until it's all done and we've agreed to what's in it." Talk about missing the point. The reason people want the negotiations to be open is to stop bad and damaging things from being in that "agreed" upon resolution.Finally, the last claim is the most ridiculous. How can a more informed publicassist in informed public debate? Seriously. It takes amazing hubris to try to claim that keeping a document secret leads to greater "informed public debate" on the subject.
Filed Under: australia, tpp, transparency, treatiesOn October 7th, Bloomberg reported that ISIS is spreading to Kobani, a crucial Syrian city bordering Turkey. Kobani’s fall to ISIS would means that the terrorist group has secured over 100 kilometers of land connecting Syria and Turkey. US officials are downplaying the significance of the current battle, but the militaristic importance is clear: ISIS is spreading, and there’s little the United States can do to stop it.
It’s been said time and again that the ongoing crisis with ISIS is similar to the United States’ conflict with al Qaeda. Like last time, we’re faced with a stateless, fundamentalist terrorist group that has grappled the media’s attention because of the needless killings they have committed. Amazingly, while polls suggest that Americans are uncomfortable with boots on the ground in affected countries, they are still overwhelmingly rallying around policies that have been demonstrably ineffective over the past thirteen years. Unfortunately, the media is right. The problems with ISIS directly mirror Iraq and Afghanistan, but policy makers should have learned from our undefined goals, intelligence gaffes, and misuse of the military before confronting another non-state actor.
Ultimately, the United States is treating ISIS like a country instead of an idea taking hold of people across territories around the globe. This disconnect between the US’s strategy and the reality of the battle it’s fighting will lead, and has led, to the ultimate failure of America’s military objectives in the Middle East.
Firstly, the US still does not understand the nature of guerilla warfare. This lesson has been taught time and again, starting with the Tet Offensive but bears repeating. America’s military is well-equipped for state enemies with clear borders and objectives. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States would destroy Taliban or al Qaeda leadership, only to make "no tactical gains."
However, territory is not at the heart of ISIS’s mission; influence is. If the wars of the past decade have proved anything, it’s that the United States cannot beat back ideas with bombs.
Secondly, during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, American policy makers lacked clear purpose. Chuck Hagel noted in early 2013, "One of the reasons we’re in trouble in Afghanistan is because we went well beyond our mission." President Obama’s mission for destroying ISIS is colored with rhetoric. He calls the group a "major counterterrorism operation" and wants to “degrade and destroy” it. But what does that mean for our troops? Just like when President Bush called for a "War on Terror," there are no clearly defined goals for the ISIS mission. This is an invitation for scope creep.
If having ill-defined goals isn’t detrimental enough, the US is acting on faulty intelligence yet again. Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. Pakistan turned out to be more of an enemy than an ally. US intelligence agencies failed to collaborate with other allies’ intelligence groups, leading to massive failure in Afghanistan. Unremarkably, the intelligence failures led to "a mismatch between forces, capabilities, missions, and goals," according to an assessment from the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
The federal government should have learned this lesson last time, but it didn’t. American policymakers were shocked when they learned that ISIS could assemble "between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria" – far more than the original 10,000 predicted before President Obama addressed the nation. As ISIS continues to grow, the President is already blaming intelligence agencies and their leadership for the failures.
Finally, during the wars with Afghanistan and Iraq, policy makers relied heavily on the US’s relative power to justify recommended foreign policy. Hubris, unfortunately, does not win wars or engagements – not in the past and not today. In 2001 and 2003, the US enjoyed the same economic and military hegemony as it does now, but, as this country should have learned in its prior two wars, "staying the course" does not guarantee lasting success. As David Rothkopf writes in Foreign Policy, "The [US] faces financial constraints. There are limits to what its allies are willing to support. There are cultural, historical, geographical, and demographic obstacles that the United States can never surmount."
Those same financial, cultural, and geographical hurdles still exist today. When confronting ISIS, President Obama has limited the military to airstrikes only. While airstrikes are particularly good at destroying a state’s economy, has a weak history of toppling states let alone stateless institutions such as ISIS.
Additionally, our allies suffer from cultural problems. A report from Strategy Page notes that the ground troops at our disposal – largely from allied Middle Eastern states – are "demoralized," particularly if they’re from Iraq. Air support will do little if there are no effective ground troops to finish the job.
It’s clear that the ISIS conflict bares incredibly close resemblances to Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, US policy makers’ approaches to defeating ISIS will be just as ineffective as they have been since 2001, and for the very same reasons. It’s time for the United States to reevaluate its strategy before its caught in another never-ending war.
Rachel Burger is a Young Voices Advocate living in Washington, DC.Back in January, 2012, we mentioned that the Guggenheim (the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed modern art museum in NYC) had put 65 art catalogues on the web, all free of charge.
We're happy to report that, between then and now, the number of free texts has grown to 109. Published between 1937 and 1999, the art books/catalogues offer an intellectual and visual introduction to the work of Alexander Calder, Edvard Munch, Francis Bacon, Gustav Klimt & Egon Schiele, Fernand Léger, and Kandinsky. Plus there are other texts (e.g., Masterpieces of Modern Art and Abstract Expressionists Imagists) that tackle meta movements and themes.
Anyone interested in the history of the Guggenheim will want to spend time with a collection called "The Syllabus." It contains five books by Hilla Rebay, the museum's first director and curator. Together, they let you take a close look at the art originally housed in the Guggenheim when the museum first opened its doors in 1939.
To read any of these 109 free art books, you will just need to follow these simple instructions. 1.) Select a text from the collection. 2.) Click the "Read Catalogue Online" button. 3.) Start reading the book in the pop-up browser, and use the controls at the very bottom of the pop-up browser to move through the book. 4.) If you have any problems accessing these texts, you can find alternate versions on Archive.org.
You can find many more free art books from the Getty and the Met below.
Related Content:
Download Over 250 Free Art Books From the Getty Museum
Download 397 Free Art Catalogs from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
800 Free eBooks for iPad, Kindle & Other DevicesCesaro had a fantastic match against John Cena on Raw that went nearly 20 minutes and was one of the best WWE TV matches of the year. However, backstage WWE officials may not be too pleased with how the match unfolded. During the contest, Cesaro had to be briefly censored during the USA Network broadcast where it looked like he was flashing his middle fingers at Cena. Upon closer inspection, it was actually his two ring fingers that he was showing because Cesaro tapes his two ring fingers and they are the ones that are clearly visible. It is likely a reference to the "brass ring" line that Vince McMahon said on WWE Network to Steve Austin. Due to that line, his team with Tyson Kidd was referred to briefly as the "Brass Ring Club" although that name never became official for them. You can see the black screen appear at 1:33 of this video of a fan commenting on the match and then it came back with the match continuing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgMBxUnzBWg This is one of those things that shouldn't have been blacked out because Cesaro definitely did not give Cena middle finger salute. Since WWE is a PG company, they don't want anybody doing something like that even though Steve Austin did it many times in his career in the Attitude Era. Things are much different in WWE today. Cesaro also wore a white armband that said "KIDD" on it in honor of his injured tag team partner Tyson Kidd. It was an awesome tribute to his good friend and a reminder of how serious Kidd's injury is.Contains distressing images.
The UK press has united in urging the government to soften its stance on the record numbers of people migrating to Europe. The reason? A series of distressing photos of the body of a three-year-old Syrian boy, face down in the sand on the Turkish coast.
Most papers decided to run one or more of these pictures on their front pages, accompanying headlines entreating David Cameron to take notice. While your mole wholeheartedly supports this message, it can't help noticing the sudden u-turn executed by certain newspapers on the subject of the refugee crisis.
First, they used to call them "foreigners" and "migrants" (a term that has rapidly lost its neutrality in the reporting of the crisis) who were flooding Europe and on the way to "swarm" the UK. Now they've discovered that these people are victims and refugees who need saving.
Photos: Twitter/suttonnick
The Sun went so far as to run a column by Katie Hopkins five months ago in which she referred to them as "cockroaches" and "feral humans". She wrote:
Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad. I still don't care. Because in the next minute you'll show me pictures of aggressive young men at Calais, spreading like norovirus on a cruise ship. Make no mistake, these migrants are like cockroaches.
Photo: Twitter
Now the same paper is urging the government not to "flinch" from taking in "desperate people", those in a "life-and-death struggle not of their own making":
Photo: Twitter/@Yorkskillerby
And the Daily Mail still seems confused:
It's not really the time for media navel-gazing, but perhaps the papers that have only just realised the refugees' plight can look closer at the language they've been using. It may have contributed to the "dehumanising" effect for which Cameron and co are now being condemned.These sorts of near-misses aren't even as recent as this millennium. Check out this account from exactly 30 years ago, and see if any of the details ring a bell:
Continue Reading Below Advertisement
Joseph and Roberta Santamaria sued last week in federal court in Orlando seeking an unspecified amount in damages for them and their son Paul, now 9, who was attacked at a pond at the Fort Wilderness campground in October 1986. The suit says the boy was pulled into the pond by the gator while he was kneeling and feeding ducks. He was rescued by a brother who knocked the reptile on the head and his sister, who pulled Paul out of the gator's mouth. The boy suffered knee and thigh injuries. The suit charges Disney failed to warn visitors about the alligator, which often sought out people to feed it after "losing its fear of humans."
Via conservativeoutfitters.com
An unfortunate plot development that could not be solved through true love's kiss.
Continue Reading Below Advertisement
That last part is important. But why were the gators in the vicinity becoming so bold, creeping up on humans like carnivorous pigeons to a senior citizen tossing bits of meatloaf from a park bench? Well, it turns out tourists have been feeding these cold-blooded deathbringers for years. And the reason that Disney didn't take the strict safety measures that one might expect was reportedly because they didn't want to upset the wealthy guests staying in their upscale resorts, who loved tossing the reptiles treats from the safety of their elevated bungalows. In fact, the presence of the alligators may have all been part of a grand scheme, as one "insider" told The Wrap: "With the opening of the bungalows, it brought the guests that much closer to wildlife. Or, the wildlife that much closer to the guests."
Via pixabay.com
Continue Reading Below Advertisement
To their credit, any live chickens had to be purchased off-site.
A lot of (horrible) people placed the blame squarely on the parents when their toddler was dragged to an untimely death. But I was on that same beach a year before, and I can tell you right now that an alligator attack was the last thing you would expect. Yes, we were in Florida, but this is a man-made lake in the Happiest Place On Earth we're talking about. And while there were "No Swimming" signs around, I didn't see a single one mentioning that a creature whose bite power could lift a truck might be nearby. When my wife asked why swimming wasn't allowed, she was told it had to do with "bacteria levels," and I will be happy to sign an affidavit affirming same. Combine that with the fact that every night there are fireworks and "electric water pageants" drawing visitors close to shore, and the tragedy seems inevitable in retrospect. As inevitable as a douchebag in a beach-adjacent bungalow taking selfies while dropping the remainder of a room-service Mickey burger into the jaws of a predator.
Continue Reading Below Advertisement
E. Reid Ross also pokes various creatures with a stick over at The Featured Creature. Feel free to follow him on Twitter here.
Learn where all the Disney drunks hang out in 6 Things Nobody Tells You About Working At Disney World, and find out why kids at Disney can be the worst in 6 Hidden Sides Of Disneyland Only Employees Get To See.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see the truth behind one
|
that the challenge of federal deficits stems from low tax revenue and the recession's after-effects, as well as from untamed spending habits.
That helps explain why many economists support the idea of tax reform that enhances federal revenues – as was also favored by President Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission. Among survey respondents who wanted to see both spending cuts and tax increases, 44 percent preferred a package based primarily on spending cuts, according to Monday's NABE report. Some 37 percent said fiscal reforms should use equal parts spending cuts and tax increases.
Many finance experts have argued in recent months that tax reform could be pursued in a way that simplifies the tax code and keeps rates low – perhaps even reducing some tax rates – while also raising more revenue by closing loopholes and reducing deductions.
But some economists worry that efforts to expand tax revenue in the near term, or to cut federal spending too fast, could damage a weak economic recovery. Nearly 37 percent of the economists said fiscal policy should aim to provide more stimulus to the economy in the next two years, rather than less (as would occur with tax hikes or spending cuts).
Although most of the economists tipped against the Republican Party's argument on tax revenues, they also appeared to contrast with Democrats on some issues. Asked what steps would most likely help reduce future deficits, the most popular choice in the survey (selected by 40 percent of respondents) was "contain health care costs in Medicare and Medicaid." In the recent debt talks, many Democrats opposed proposals that would reduce those entitlement benefits.
On Federal Reserve policy, most of the economists said current Fed policy is "about right," while about one-third argued that the Fed is being too loose, or stimulative. Six percent see the Fed as too restrictive.
For his part, Mr. Obama has said he is open to deficit-reduction plans that emphasize spending cuts over tax hikes. He has proposed that more tax revenue be raised primarily from the highest-income Americans.
The large percentage of survey voices supporting higher tax revenues may be surprising, but it's also a reminder that finance experts see the difficult fiscal choices ahead, often involving trade-offs between unpopular program cuts and unpopular tax hikes.
Also, although some business groups support generally conservative economic policies, members of the economics profession are politically diverse in their views.Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) would be wise to avoid the mistake Ronald Reagan made early in his 1976 insurgent campaign to supplant President Gerald Ford as the Republican presidential nominee. Cruz needs a crystallizing justification — a signature issue.
Reagan only found one mid-way through his 1976 race, but he was able to use it to carry him to victory in 1980. Reagan’s populist call to hold on to the Panama Canal — “We built it! We paid for it! It’s ours! And we’re gonna keep it!” — resounded with voters in 1976. Cruz has an equally populist issue that could prove as successful: campaigning against the U.S. Supreme Court’s eminent- domain ruling.
Though many Republicans loath the infamous Kelo v. City of New London decision, which allows government use of eminent domain, front-runner Donald Trump strongly supports it. Cruz is already featuring eminent domain in a new ad. But he could be doing far more.
When Reagan decided to take on Ford, there was no clear rationale for his entering the race. True, Reagan, like many conservatives, was dismayed by Ford’s refusal to meet with celebrated Soviet dissident Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. Ford had refused to sit down with the Nobel Prize-winning author, who had recently been expelled from the Soviet Union. Reagan took Ford to task for knuckling under to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev with heated radio commentaries and newspaper columns. The Teamsters agreed with Reagan and refused to load grain onto Russian vessels heading for the Soviet Union. But this was a reason for running, not a rationale.
Reagan’s emerging conservatism had also increasingly put him at odds with the Nixon administration. But he got on well personally with the “trickster” — a fellow Californian and fellow vehement anticommunist. By the time Nixon resigned in August 1974, however, Reagan had soured on Ford. Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford could barely be in the same room. The chemistry just was not there.
By the spring of 1975, the deteriorating relationship hit rock bottom. The Ford White House aimed many insults at Reagan, both personal and ideological. Ford did not help things when he joked during the 1974 Gridiron Dinner, “Governor Reagan does not dye his hair. … He is just turning prematurely orange.”
Reagan’s campaign in the fall of 1975 and into 1976 was somewhat bumbling — unusual for the usually smooth candidate. But his campaign staff was not ready for national prime time.
Ford won New Hampshire in a stunning upset. In rapid succession, Reagan lost Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Illinois, the site of his alma mater, tiny Eureka College. Reagan was $2 million in debt, and more and more GOP power-brokers were calling for him to drop out.
However, Reagan found his resonant issue in the Florida primary. He mentioned, in passing, the “giveaway” of the Panama Canal, scheduled to be turned over to the Panamanian government in 1999.
Reagan was startled when his opposition to the Panama Canal Treaties drew such resounding applause. But a groundswell formed, and Reagan was soon leading a populist revolt. The “canal issue” became Reagan’s signature, propelling his campaign all the way to the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. He lost the nomination by the achingly close 57 votes.
Though the two canal treaties passed the Senate by narrow margins in 1978, the political advantage went to Reagan and the disadvantage to all who supported them. As former President Jimmy Carter astutely explained to me, support for the treaties had become toxic. Virtually every senator who voted for the treaties in 1977, and who was up for re-election in 1978 and 1980, lost.
But the narrow loss in the convention — and also on the Senate floor — set the Gipper up to run in 1980.The rest was — and is — history.
The canal issue struck a deep chord with the American people at a particularly anxious time in U.S. history. The United States had lost its first war, as well as two presidents — one by assassination and the other through resignation. It appeared to be losing the Cold War to the Soviets and, with gas lines, inflation, national malaise, civic unrest, disco and leisure suits, it seemed to many that America’s day was past — 25 years ahead of schedule by the calculations of Henry Luce, who had notably labeled the 20th century “The American Century.”
Cruz now needs his own signature issue, one that will resonate with the American people.
Trump, a big real-estate developer, is adamantly in favor of the court’s Kelo decision. The ruling, many conservatives believe, upheld the conspiracy between big government and big developers to take property from private landowners on the premise that this would produce more tax revenue for government. The court, many conservatives insist, was intellectually corrupt in its decision, the developers economically corrupt in their arguments and the government morally corrupt in facilitating the illegal transfer of wealth. Yet, as Trump told Neil Cavuto of Fox News, “I happen to agree with it.”
That’s the opening for Cruz. True conservatives know that private property has been considered sacred in America since 1787, and even before. It is, in many ways, a deeply American concept. The original draft of the Declaration of Independence, for example, contained the phrase “pursuit of property” before it was changed to “pursuit of happiness.”
Kelo came during the George W. Bush era, now regarded by many conservatives as an era of “big government Republicanism” — the era of the corporatization of the GOP. Thomas Jefferson’s admonition about a republic being the only form of government not at war “with the rights of mankind” was lost on the Bushies, as far as conservatives were concerned.
Cruz should emphasize that upholding private property is the essence of the modern conservative movement’s Jeffersonian principles. He should offer a way to address this — perhaps with a constitutional amendment, to restate the sacred property rights the framers intended. Due process, under the Fifth Amendment, has been pillaged, and left for dead.
This could set Cruz up as a champion of the people against corrupt government and corrupt corporations. It would place him on the right side of the Constitution — and Trump on the wrong side. It will be tangible evidence that Cruz is pro-Reaganism. He needs to campaign on this, making it his signature.
Jefferson viewed his 1800 election as the second American Revolution — and he indeed rolled back government, including the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts. Reagan regarded his 1980 win as yet another upheaval of the people over the state.
With Cruz, a 21st-century revolution could take now hold, as the public rejects President Barack Obama’s continual government overreach. Championing private-property owners is not only the right thing to do politically — it is the right thing to do.SeaWorld is going on the offensive, defending the way it treats its animals in the wake of the critical documentary film "Blackfish."
SeaWorld is going on the offensive, defending the way it treats its animals in the wake of the critical documentary film "Blackfish."
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Visitors to SeaWorld San Diego were met with a string of protesters Sunday.
Animal rights activists staged a demonstration asking people to boycott SeaWorld in response to the documentary "Blackfish."
On this busy holiday weekend -- people entering SeaWorld were greeted with flyers. signs and even chalk drawings -- asking them to boycott the park for its alleged mistreatment of animals.
"They have no business living in a concrete tank being forced to perform stupid tricks for profit for this large organization that does not care about these animals."
Ellen Ericksen is the activist behind Sunday's protest.
More than 100 people showed up, including Kadie Nagy, a San Diego resident who used to visit SeaWorld once a week.
That is -- until she saw movies: the Cove and Blackfish.
"We realized we want to use our voices to speak up for the animals," she said.
Organizers say they have been protesting this issue for years, but that Blackfish has brought it front and center.
"What happened to her...really could have happened to anyone."
The documentary released in October questions SeaWorld operations, and examines the 2009 death of a SeaWorld trainer in Orlando.
Just this past Friday, park officials responded to the backlash by posting an open letter in eight newspapers across the country, including the Union Tribune.
It states among other things, SeaWorld does not capture killer whales in the wild, nor does it separate calves from its mothers.
In addition, the letter states: SeaWorld has given $70 million toward killer whale habitats.
"It seems to me their words are well-manipulated for a public that doesn't ask many questions."
While these protesters are asking questions, park officials continue to fire back.
A statement released Sunday said, in part:
"The protesters' claims and accusations are, as they always have been, without merit. There is no organization more passionately committed to the physical, mental and social care and well-being of animals than SeaWorld."MADRID (AP) — The Spanish Red Cross says it has tended to 186 migrants who stormed a pedestrian border post to enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
Attempts to cross by force at pedestrian border posts are unusual as they are normally heavily policed. The thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco normally try to scale the border fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave, in their bid to enter Europe.
Ceuta’s Red Cross tweeted that four migrants were taken to a city hospital for injuries after the crossing early Monday.
Spain’s Europa Press news agency said one police officer was injured.
Comment from the Interior Ministry in Ceuta was not immediately available.
On entering, the migrants head for temporary migrant accommodation centers. They are eventually repatriated or let go.The Punisher star tells us about growing up with big ears, getting a gun pulled on him in Russia, and why Shia LaBeouf has the most beautiful soul in the world.
When Jon Bernthal walks into a café, heads turn. It’s that face: the bashed-in boxer’s nose, the brown eyes full of pain. Before he orders his Americano, his purple-bruised knuckles catch your eye. Makeup? Nope. (Although he does have a few made-for-TV scars—he’s filming the Netflix series The Punisher.) In every role—in projects ranging from The Wolf of Wall Street to Sicario to The Accountant to The Walking Dead, with directors from Roman Polanski to Oliver Stone—Bernthal brings a sensitivity rarely seen in tough-guy characters. And in person, he brings a genuine I-just-wanna-level-with-you frankness that we suspect won’t be with him much longer. Superstardom has a way of making you shut up about your off-the-rails adolescence, your stints in jail, your embrace of your feminine side, and your love of Shia LaBeouf. We’ll let him tell you the story.
I was born with these ginormous fucking earlobes, and the doctor suggested to my parents that we get elective plastic surgery. Like, who does that to a baby? Obviously my parents were like, “Fuck off.” But they were definitely very worried that I was going to be plauged. So yes, my looks have always been a source of embarrassment. In India, I guess, big earlobes are a sign of wisdom—that’s what my mom used to tell me. But then I was getting shit grades and getting kicked out of every school I went to, so I was like, “Ma, I don’t think that’s what it means.”
I got in a lot of trouble as a kid, and it definitely defined who I was as a young man: I was that kid. One of my first memories is of a kid picking on my little brother. My brother was in diapers, and I remember punching this kid in the face and realizing, “Okay, this is what I’m supposed to do.” It was my job—not to be the protector, but the tough guy, the troublemaker.
I was really scared as a kid—D.C. was a tough city then. I was 11 years old, getting thrown into a telephone booth and beat up by a bunch of 18 year olds. Then, in eighth grade, me and my friends were getting mugged, and we fought back with baseball bats. And from there it just kind of grew and grew and grew and grew. There was a group of guys that I knew that, yes, got shot or ended up in prison. I definitely got locked up a few times. That’s a world that I inherently get.
When I was at Skidmore College, I never wrote a paper. I mean, Skidmore is a total rich kid fucking [place]. But what did I do? I found the kid who was tied into Irish gangs in Boston and the gangster kids whose dads were mob guys. That’s who I wanted to be like. I went right to them, and then to the townies that were supplying the place with drugs. Those were my guys.
You had to take an arts requirement at Skidmore, and I’d heard about this class called Intro to Theater, that basically was sitting in a big auditorium with 300 people, watching movies. I heard that people would drop acid or get high beforehand, and I was like, “Fuck, yeah. That is for me.” But me being the shitbag that I am, I mistakenly signed up for Intro to Acting rather than Intro to Theater, so I wound up with these ten wannabe theater majors in Alma Becker’s class. I’m like, “What the fuck? Where are the movies? There’s only ten of us? Where am I supposed to hide?”
The first assignment was you had to bring in something that meant a lot to you, and you had to share it with the group, like a game of show-and-tell on steroids. I remember one woman brought in a Blues Traveler CD that her boyfriend had given her. She’s telling the group about it, and I’m like, “Why are we listening to this shit?”
I had baseball practice right after class, so I grabbed my catcher’s glove and launched into this story about how my mom had given me this glove on her deathbed and how me and my brother would sometimes have a catch. Of course, my mom was alive and well in D.C. But I'm telling this story, and I look around the room, and everyone’s crying their eyes out, and I’m crying my eyes out.
I don’t know what it was about Alma, but when she said “That’s what you need to do,” I was like, “Okay, fine.” All of a sudden, I had a connection with something. I was like, “Wow, nobody can take this from me. This is mine. I could be happy being in this black-box theater doing this play for the rest of my life.” I was so beholden to Alma and so grateful that when she said, “Go to Moscow,” I was like, “Fuck, yeah.”
When I got to the Moscow Art Theatre, I remember feeling tough, that whatever there was to go through, I had been through it. I lived in Park Kultury, four people in a teeny room. You’d turn on the lights in the bathroom at night and see cockroaches everywhere. Two of my roommates were lovers, and then my other roommate was in the other bed, and I slept on the floor in between them. You know how some people have sex for a couple minutes? These guys were fucking all night.
It was my birthday and the first day of school. I had to turn around because I forgot my papers, and I get lost. By the time I get back, it’s getting dark. So I get back to Park Kultury and I’m walking home on this empty side street when this car pulls up in front of me, and two guys get out and open up the back, and there’s this woman in a red cocktail dress with red hair. They grab her by the hair and pull her out of the car. She’s not protesting. She’s not screaming. She’s looking right at me.
I remember thinking she looked just like Nicole Kidman.
They pull her out across the sidewalk, and they go up to the side of this building and they’re opening her head up on it. I run at the guys and grab one of them, and I’m shouting at him, “What the fuck are you doing?” The guy takes out a gun and puts it right on my forehead and says in English: “Go. Away.”
It just hit me that I was in a different world. “I know what I’m doing” doesn't do shit for you, man. Keeping your eyes and your heart open does.
In Russia, they say that acting is actually a feminine profession, which is funny, because they come at it in such an unbelievably masculine way. But they say a male actor has to get in touch with the woman that’s inside of him. I do think that there’s something to that.
When I moved to L.A., I got this pilot and went and got spray tanned. I was playing a baseball player, so I was sweating a lot, so during the shoot, the spray tan was coming off of me. I looked like a total fucking douchebag. I looked in the mirror afterwards and said to myself, “No matter what, never do this again.” My older brother always says if I had his looks, my career would [have taken off sooner]. But I have no interest in being pretty.
I was auditioning for WB rom coms and soap operas and bullshit. I would literally walk in rooms and feel the casting director cringe at my big, nasty, ugly features. I was facing all this fucking rejection, and I would cry to my girlfriend: “Baby, I don't know if I’m cut out for this.”
When I got The Walking Dead. The actress Sarah Wayne Callies and I had just met, and basically our first scene together was having sex in the woods. I had this idea that when we met in the woods, I should turn Sarah over. We’re in a zombie apocalypse. It’s carnal. We just want to fuck, you know? And I hear calling from behind the monitors: “Stop thrusting!”
I don’t want to get into the state of the American actor, but when I started doing television and film, it was this time of monotonous, antiseptic acting, where it was all about kind of mumbling your shit and not doing much at all. To me it was just riskless. And I’m like, “Fuck that.” You know?
I’ve been so blessed, the directors I’ve gotten to work with. When I think about Polanski [on The Ghost Writer] or Scorsese [Wolf of Wall Street] or Denis [Villenueve, on Sicario] or Oliver Stone [on World Trade Center] or Oren Moverman [on Rampart] or fucking Alfonso [Gomez-Rejon, on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl] … These great directors, they’re so different from each other, but they all create this atmosphere on set where you know literally anything can happen at any time. They embolden you to take risks.
Like Shia LaBeouf. He’s my heart. I love and respect him so much, and working with him on Fury [the David Ayers World War II drama with Brad Pitt] was such a joy for me. But at first, when I saw the way he was on set, part of me was a little put off. Then he was like, “Man, I’m not here to make friends. I’m here for what’s between ‘action’ and ‘cut.’” The truth is, he’s got the most beautiful soul in the world, and he cares more than anybody about people. But it’s true—we’re not here to talk about politics or sports or whatever the fuck. Don’t do that shit around me.
I’m working on The Punisher now. You know, this whole superhero-comic-book thing is something I had zero interest in being a part of. The guys that I really, really respect as actors seem to have kind of purposely stayed away from that. I don’t mean that I’m above that or anything, just that it was not for me. But then when I got to know a little bit about this character… He ain’t got a fucking cape. He ain’t got any superpowers. He’s a fucking tortured, angry father and husband who’s living in this unbelievable world of darkness and loss and torment. Frank Castle resonates with me. And comic-book fans are the greatest fans on earth. It’s not like their insane fervor isn’t based on anything. This is a super-intelligent fan base, because reading a comic book requires you to do a lot of work. You’ve got to fill in all these fucking gaps. I’m respectful of that. These characters exist in their minds and hearts.Advertisement WMUR poll: Clinton still leads in NH, but gap narrows Democrat now leads 45 percent to 38 percent in Granite State Share Shares Copy Link Copy
The race for president in the Granite State has grown tighter in the past two weeks, but Hillary Clinton is still in a strong position to scoop up the battleground state’s four important electoral votes. A new WMUR Granite State Poll, released Monday evening, shows Democrat Clinton leading Republican Donald Trump 45 percent to 38 percent, with 6 percent for Libertarian Gary Johnson and 1 percent for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The poll shows that 7 percent of those polled are undecided. Overall, however, there is ample room for fluctuation in the final week of the campaign. The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, showed that 79 percent of likely Granite Staters have definitely decided who they will support on Election Day, while 12 percent have yet to come to a final decision and 9 percent are leaning toward a candidate. The survey center polled 641 likely voters from Oct. 26-30 and said the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. View the full poll results here. The survey center said the polling sample included 43 percent registered undeclared likely voters, 30 percent registered Republicans and 28 percent registered Democrats. But 43 percent of those polled were self-described Democrats, 41 percent were self-described Republicans and 17 percent considered themselves independents. About half of the polling was conducted prior to, and about half was conducted after, the latest major revelation in the presidential race, the survey center said. FBI Director James Comey disclosed on Friday afternoon, Oct. 28, that he was reviewing new emails in an investigation into former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s sexting and as a result, would be effectively reopening the investigation into Clinton’s private email server. The disclosure by Comey was viewed as a setback for the Clinton campaign, prompting calls by the candidate, her team and supporters for Comey to disclose more details of what the FBI had uncovered. But survey center director Andrew Smith said he does not believe the Comey disclosure had a significant impact on the poll. ‘It usually takes five to seven or eight days for something like that to sink in to the electorate. So I don’t think we’ve seen any impact of that yet, which means it will probably continue to tighten up,” he said. “We’ve seen polls tightening up on the national level as well,” Smith said. “Trump seems to be more focused and the impact of the ‘Access Hollywood’ video tape has dissipated, and we’re now getting into the final part of the campaign. There are a lot of Republicans who do not like Trump but are convincing themselves they like Clinton less and will come around to support him.” “And independents, who had been trending toward Clinton, now are leaning slightly to Trump.” Meanwhile, the poll found that 85 percent of Democratic voters, 76 percent of Republican voters and 71 percent of independents have made a final decision on who they will support on Election Day. Still trying to decide are 17 percent of independents, 14 percent of Republicans and 7 percent of Democrats. Smith explained that in the so-called “horse race” question, likely voters are asked who they would support if the election were today. The percentages for the candidates include those who are leaning toward supporting each candidate, even though they may not have made a final, definite decision on who they will vote for on Nov. 8. As a result, 12 percent of likely voters have not made a final decision about who they will support on Election Day, while 7 percent of likely voters could not say who they would vote for if the election were held today. Although the race in New Hampshire has tightened, the poll shows that 60 percent of Granite State voters believe Clinton will win the presidential election, while 25 percent believe Trump will be elected. In a WMUR Granite State Poll conducted from Oct. 11-17, the Clinton led Trump 48 percent to 33 percent with 7 percent for Johnson and 2 percent for Stein. Smith said at the time that he expected the race in New Hampshire to tighten in the final days before the election. Both candidates remain unpopular. The new poll shows that Trump is viewed favorably by only 30 percent of likely voters, while 64 percent view him unfavorably. Clinton is only slightly more popular, with 38 percent viewing her favorably and 56 percent viewing her unfavorably. The poll shows there continues to be a gender split in the race, with Clinton leading among women, 55 percent to 33 percent, and men favoring Trump, 43 percent to 35 percent. Trump’s strongest support is among working class men, leading Clinton 64 percent to 13 percent, while Clinton strongest lead is among college educated women, 64 percent to 25 percent.Nearly a year to the day after Genova’s Delicatessen closed its popular Temescal location, the DeVincenzi family announced plans to shutter the Genova Ravioli Factory at 4300 Broadway after 90 years.
The decision to close was "mostly due to the vandalism and graffiti," issues that city officials failed to address despite continued complaints, they said in a Facebook post.
Graffiti at Genova Ravioli Factory. | Photo: Dominics Original Genova Delicatessen & Ravioli Factory/Facebook
“Graffiti and vandalism continued to be a daily threat despite reporting numerous complaints and requests for assistance from [the city government.] Just recently, $15,000 worth of damage was done to the windows when graffiti was etched into the windows across the entire front of the building,” they wrote.
Because employees were repainting the "entire building almost weekly," the family "decided after a long and heartfelt resolution we must leave Oakland.”
The DeVincenzis also cited the distance between their Napa home and the Oakland locations, saying they would continue to operate their sandwich, ravioli and grocery business out of their shop in Napa. While the Oakland deli and factory had operated in some form since 1926, the family expanded their operation to Napa in 1985.
Original Genova's location in Temescal. | Photo: Genova's Deli/Facebook
The deli had been a fixture of Temescal for nearly a century. It was founded by Italian immigrants Lorenzo Balbi and Pietro Pira and taken over by Balbi’s nephew Dominic DeVincenzi in 1951.
When the store was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, he opened a spacious new store with a large deli counter, prepared food, and imported groceries like pasta, olive oil and cheese. The original store closed in 1995.
Dominic DeVincenzi. | Photo: Genova's Deli/Facebook
Now, the business is largely run by Dominic DeVincenzi’s son David, who opened the Napa expansion in 1985, and his wife Patti. When they closed the Temescal shop last year, there were reports that they were doing so because of a dispute with their landlords.
But they disavowed that idea in a statement, asking angry customers not to contact the building owner, saying that all their costs were rising and they weren’t sure if they could keep the business profitable.
This time, however, they were not shy about blaming Oakland city leaders in part for their decision, saying that they felt that their requests for help to the city went unanswered.
“With great sadness in our hearts we say goodbye to all our Oakland customers who have supported us over the last 90 years and hope that if you are in Napa Valley you will stop in to say hello,” they wrote.
Thanks to tipster Al M. for the tip. See something interesting while you’re out and about? Text Hoodline and we’ll see what we can find: (510) 757-9959.~ Chapter Thirty-Five ~
"Wow," Anna breathed softly, looking around the quiet beach house. "I can't believe I'm really leaving…"
Sliding her arm around Anna's shoulders, Elsa leaned in, laying her head on the younger woman's and sighing. "A feeling I'm all too familiar with. And it only gets harder, trust me." Then she squeezed slightly and whispered, "Are you ready?"
"No. But let's go, anyway, the cab's probably almost here. Everything packed?"
"Yeah, I packed my greatest treasure. Oh, and some clothes and things, I suppose." Anna rolled her eyes bashfully, and Elsa grinned and kissed her temple. "I still think it belongs in a museum, but… I'll take good care of it, Anna. Promise. Just wish I had something as good to give you."
"No. You gave me everything I ever wanted."
Elsa's giddy little giggle and blush in response to that was yet another gift.
Once they were downstairs, they found Esmé in the kitchen, brewing fresh coffee and making them crepes again. Her smile was easy, and she slid the plates over without a word.
"You didn't have to do this," Anna laughed as she got some coffee to go with her meal. "I was gonna find something in the airport."
"Fuck that. You know it wouldn't be as good as these." Sliding the thin crepe around in the skillet for a moment before dropping it on her "catcher" plate, she glanced at Elsa. "So… last night."
"What about it?" Elsa responded guardedly.
"How was it?"
"ESMÉ, HOW DARE YOU!" While their Romani friend cackled, she poured her own coffee, following Anna's lead. "And not that it's any of your business, but Anna and I were perfectly chaste!"
"Well, not perfectly," Anna corrected before taking a sip. At Elsa's alarmed expression, she sighed and said, "Okay, okay, we were the most lesbian nuns on the planet. Better?"
Laughing even more as she piled fruit in the middle of her own crepe, Esmé said, "So funny that I'm actually going to miss you, catburglar. But… yeah, I kinda am. You make life interesting, for me and for your girlfriend."
Elsa and Anna exchanged a glance. After a few seconds, Anna whispered, "Are you? I m-mean, do I get to… like, obviously I won't make a big deal about it to anybody but family and friends, but… is that… are we…?"
"I… I don't know," Elsa breathed, sitting down on a barstool with her coffee. "That would be accurate. If it's… if we…"
"You two gaylets," Esmé muttered with a shake of her head. "I can't believe you didn't do 'La Lambada Desnuda'. What better time than your last night in Ibiza?!"
"Whenever we do it will be the right time," Anna whispered as they scooted a little closer. Even as Esmé rolled her eyes as if they were hopeless, she also looked a little put out as she looked down at her plate. "What's the matter? Jealous?"
"Of which of you?" she demanded defensively.
"Not us, specifically. But…"
Shrugging, she began sawing through her crepe with her fork as she said, "In that case… then yeah, I am. You two are scared and excited to be starting something new. I miss that feeling. Been a while for me."
"Really?" Elsa asked. "Your activities away from the SEEK House aren't satisfying you?"
"Oh, they are, but not in that way." Flashing a mysterious little smirk, she went on, "I just miss being with someone and trusting them completely, knowing that no matter how much one of us screws up, it's only because we want so much to be there for the other person. It's so rare…"
The way Esmé put it, Anna couldn't help but reach over and take Elsa's hand, squeezing it extra tight. Even as they exchanged a smile, one full of affection and barely-concealed desires, she turned back to say, "Maybe you should pay Rapunzel another visit. You two have weird names, and she already worships the ground you walk on. It's a place to start."
"Sure, sure," she chuckled. "I don't want to start a relationship with a fan. No offense to present company."
"Oh, Anna stopped being 'a fan' when she dragged me out of a Tim Horton's. It never felt that way with her." Smiling, she let Anna's hand go and went back to her crepes. "Even when she was fangirling out, it was… different. More genuine, and more self-aware. I dunno."
"Either way, there's no guarantee Anna's friend will be the same way. Plus, she doesn't have the thing I want most in a relationship."
Scoffing, Anna asked, "What, a dick?"
"A huge salary so I can retire," Esmé corrected, prompting the other two to snort. "But I can't lie, I am a fan of the man-pole. Still…" They all remained silent and chewed while she mulled over some things. "I guess I'm in Snow's camp. I love men, but if the right woman came along… who knows? Maybe I could step up."
"So you're saying you're bi-curious?"
"I'm saying nothing's written in stone. That's ALL. God, knowing my history, I can't believe you're pushing for more."
Elsa appeared confused. "What history?"
She got no satisfactory answer.
By the time they finished eating, the taxi driver was honking his horn, so they assembled their luggage outside and let him begin loading it up. Elsa gave Esmé a quick, superficial hug, knowing they would see each other in a couple of days.
"Was great getting to know you," Esmé told Anna as she hugged her tightly, prompting a little grunt from the shorter girl. "You got my number, right?"
"Yeah, I do," Anna said. Inwardly, she was screaming that she had not one, but two numbers of SEEK members in her phone — her life just kept getting stranger! But she reined it in. "Um, take care of yourself! Safe flight when you do leave!"
"Same to you." Then a second later, she was spasming and letting out an alarmed squeak. "AY! Wh-what are you doing?!"
Dancing backward, Anna flashed her a bashful but glowing grin. "You did say the first one was free!"
As they were pulling away in the taxi, Esmé waved, her other hand holding one of her cheeks through her shorts. When Elsa shot her a questioning look, Anna merely shrugged as if she were just as confused herself.
~ o ~
"A dachsund. Or a big, fluffy German shepherd!"
Elsa laughed. "No way! How about… a Siamese?"
"Really? I mean, they're interesting, but… come on, aren't we supposed to get a dog?"
"Why would we? I don't understand."
As Anna explained about certain lesbian stereotypes, her mind was floating in a semi-pleasant myre between elated and sorrowful. A week wasn't long enough with Elsa, but it was still a week longer than she had ever thought she would have. And that kept the sadness from truly sinking into her bones. That ever-present gratitude to God and the heavens.
Then her phone went off, startling her. When Elsa frowned at her disapprovingly, she asked, "What?"
"Really? 'My Four Hearts'?"
Blushing more than she should have, Anna answered it as quickly as was possible so the SEEK ringtone wouldn't continue playing. "H-hello?"
"Hi
|
job, but her body language suggests she just wants to go home and have a hot shower to wash the failure off herself. Sean then tastes the two tempura prawn dishes – interestingly putting the food in his mouth rather than his eye sockets. Tom's prawns are just barely cooked, leading everyone to hope that at some point someone will tell him not to come the raw prawn, just to lighten the mood. Sean then observes the vegetables were very well-cut, which is a depressing sort of compliment really, like being told your child is very punctual. The suave Mr Preston steps up to taste the eighteen-course Mexican feast he asked for. He declares himself pleased with Kumar's dish, and also with Tom's, even though the latter made him pull a face like a man with jumper leads attached to his tender portions. Finally we come to the crunch – the voting. Gary tells Abla she had a tough decision, and everyone plays along with this charade. She votes for Kumar, noting that his dish "tasted nice", in a radical departure from usual Masterchef judging criteria. In a shock twist, Matt then votes for Tom, leading to a deadlock by complete coincidence. Now it's Sean’s turn – will it be Kumar's delightful prawns, or Tom's skill at cutting things into pieces? Sean prepares to show what name he is written down, and sets fire to his card. We are then confronted with the surprise news that Offspring's addictive new season returns Monday. Returning, Gary tells Kumar he has one point, and Tom that he has one point. Each man thanks Gary for reminding them, because they'd completely lost count. Sean then lies through his teeth and tells them they both did a good job. And then … he holds up his card …
And it's KUMAR! Shock sweeps the kitchen as we try to absorb what we kind of already knew. Gary, being a sadist, asks Tom what's going through his mind. We are all wondering the same thing – is he happy? Sad? Sleepy? It turns out he is "disappointed", particularly that he volunteered for the elimination at the start, instead of making Alex do it. As he goes home, Tom confides that food is more important to him than ever, because he hasn't eaten in a week. Meanwhile, back at the house, the blue team cooks dinner and waits for the red team's return. Danielle informs us that it is "tense", in yet another gripping revelation, before Kumar enters the room alone, apparently having lost the rest of the red team somewhere on the way home. And speaking of home, Tom returns to his loving family, and admits that food will always be an important part of his life, confirming that he has indeed decided to continue eating. We are also told that he has begun selling food in little boxes, a stark reminder of the psychological toll Masterchef can take. We move on to a sneak preview of tomorrow night's Masterclass episode, in which some food will have things done to it in quite boring ways, and then to an exclusive sneak peek of the new season of Offspring, which is, according to rumour, returning soon. And then it’s back to the kitchen, where Bea is threatening to put Doreen’s head in the steam press oh wait no I’m watching Prisoner now.
Ben’s book Superchef – A Parody is out now, published by Allen and Unwin Follow Ben’s live Masterchef commentary at twitter.com/pobjiechefI always think of Michelson as the artist in Science. His greatest joy seemed to come from the beauty of the experiment itself, and the elegance of the method used... --Albert Einstein, on the centennial of Albert Michelson's birth, 1952
The interplay between art and science was always complementary in the life of American physicist Albert Michelson. A talented painter since his days as a cadet midshipman in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Michelson held a deep fascination in both the aesthetic and physical properties of light. He excelled in the field of optics at the U.S. Naval Academy, and was particularly engrossed in the challenges of measuring the speed of light. He ultimately chose to pursue a career in science over art when he graduated in 1873. "The aesthetic side of the subject is, I confess, by no means the least attractive to me," he asserted about the artistic appreciation of light in a lecture at the Lowell Institute in 1899. He was more compelled, however, to seize light through the faculties of reason, not the senses, to "perceive the still higher beauties which appeal to the mind."
Michelson's decision to pursue the "higher beauties," as he referred to the laws of Nature, led him into the San Gabriel Mountains to perform one of the most famous scientific experiments in human history.
From left to right: Dr. Albert Michelson, Dr. Albert Einstein, and Dr. Robert A. Millikan, President of the California Institute of Technology, at the California Institute of Technology in the 1920s or 1930s | Photo Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library
During his career, Michelson had developed optical precision instruments to discover the effect of the Earth's motion on the observed velocity, and to show that light travels at a constant speed in all inertial systems of reference. His instruments and investigations had earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1907, becoming the first American scientist to receive the coveted award.
In 1922, Michelson was determined to best the previous 44 years of his life he had spent attempting to calculate the velocity of light. His goal was to arrive at a measurement with no more than a possible 0.001% error. This definitive measurement, he believed, could be attained with the plotting of an elegant yet daunting plan: a beam of light would be launched from a station at the Mount Wilson Observatory, travel 22 miles to a station containing a return mirror on a ridge of Mount San Antonio, called Lookout Mountain, and re-traverse its way back to Mount Wilson. The return beam would hit a rotating mirror driven by compressed air, and by measuring the minute change in angle of the mirror during a round trip, the speed of light could be measured.
Arrangement of Michelson's light experiment between Mount Wilson and Lookout Mountain near Mount San Antonio | Source: "Measurement of the Velocity of Light Between Mount Wilson and Mount San Antonio"
Michelson's Lookout Mountain station | Source: Otherhand.org
Lookout Mountain today, showing the remaining concrete piers of the station. | Photo: Daniel Medina
In order to ensure the accuracy of the experiment between Mount Wilson and Lookout Mountain, the exact distance between the two peaks had to be verified. Since the rough mountainous terrains made it difficult to obtain an accurate reading, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey stepped in to triangulate the distance from a base line they developed at the base of the foothills in the San Gabriel Valley. When it was completed, it was reported in the Survey's "A Geodetic Measurement of Unusually High Accuracy," that the error of the line between the two peaks was approximately 1 in 5,000,000." The report added, "It is believed that the length of this line has been determined with greater accuracy than that of any line of triangulation in this or any other county." Emboldened with such precision, the experiment was ready to commence in 1924.
Diagram of the Michelson triangulation | Source: "A Geodetic Measurement of Unusually High Accuracy"
Measuring the base line. | Source: "A Geodetic Measurement of Unusually High Accuracy"
The base line is measured to pass through the window in each end of a house. | Source: "A Geodetic Measurement of Unusually High Accuracy"
For the next two years, Michelson conducted his unprecedented experiments, alternating sizes and rotational speeds of the mirror on Mount Wilson. Each time, the beam of light would dash its 44-mile round trip course in far less than the blink of an eye.
Fortunately, for the then-73-year old Michelson, his great experiment in the San Gabriels worked. After compiling his data, he found that the final result of the speed of light, as published in the Astrophysical Journal in 1927, was 299,796 km per second. Modern measurements of light speed in a vacuum is 299,792 km per second; the calculations from the Mount Wilson-Lookout Mountain experiment were astonishingly accurate for its day.
Michelson became the first person to accurately measure the speed of light, the critical value "c" in Einstein's energy matter equation "E = mc2" that would pave the way for the development of the revolutionary Theory of Relativity. This universal constant proved so crucial that Einstein reiterated at an address at Caltech in 1931, "Without your work this theory would today be scarcely more than an interesting speculation."
Following his breakthrough, Albert Michelson had only a brief tenure left on earth to enjoy the accolades and acclaim that rained down on him. He died in 1931, the same year his watercolors of California landscapes were exhibited at the Pasadena Art Institute. There is little doubt that he must have cherished this particular honor that came from outside of the realm of physics. His legacy was now affixed to both the arts and sciences, a final demonstration of his reverence for the intricate wonders of light.
A geographic marker on the remains of a concrete pier on Lookout Mountain points to the summit of Mount Wilson | Photo: Daniel Medina
Shards of glass from the Lookout Mountain station are scattered over parts of the summit. | Photo: Daniel Medina
Remains of concrete piers on Lookout Mountain | Photo: Daniel Medina
A sign marks the summit of Lookout Mountain | Photo: Daniel Medina
Top Image: Mount Wilson Observatory at sunset. | Screenshot from UCLA Mount Wilson CamIndiana state senator Jim Tomes has introduced a bill in the legislature that prevents further waste in gun turn-in events, so called “buy backs”. The guns were never owned by the people purchasing them, so “buy back” is a loaded misnomer. The effort seems to be part of a trend in gun-friendly states. Kentucky appears to have been the first state to pass such reform legislation back in 1998. The Indiana bill seems loosely based on a similar Arizona reform passed last year. North Carolina is the latest in a number of states that have passed the money-saving measure...
From TheStateHouseFile.com:
“I don’t see why anyone would object to this because it benefits everyone involved,” Tomes said. Currently, guns that are obtained by law enforcement officials are destroyed and used as scrap metal. If Senate Bill 229 becomes law, local officials could only destroy guns that have a serial number that is indecipherable. Those guns can then be taken back to labs for investigation and used as scrap metal. Guns that are determined as being defective can only be sold to FFL members. The guns that are still usable will be auctioned off and the money, minus the taxes, will be given back to the department that resold the guns. The departments can use the money to buy ammunition, vests, weapons or otherwise enhance public safety.
This bill is an improvement over the Arizona reform in that firearms that aren’t working can be salvaged for parts by being sold to FFL holders. Often the parts from older firearms are worth more after being pieced out than the firearm is worth as a unit. Some companies specialize in brokering deals for firearms between police departments and large gun dealers. Some states conduct auctions of guns collected, as do some individual departments.
The Indiana Senate Judiciary committee passed the bill by 6-2. The North Carolina bill passed by large margins: 98 to 16 in the House, and 48 to 1 in the Senate. It was signed into law by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun WatchFIXES:
ENHANCEMENTS:
InfiniteNine has made an HD font/HUD/icon pack, grab it from here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89122966&postcount=1247
, grab it from here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89122966&postcount=1247 Shlomo has uploaded a few better quality textures that were shipped with the game but were unused: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=95705395&postcount=1592 Same post includes his SweetFX profile, in case you are looking for one.
that were shipped with the game but were unused: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=95705395&postcount=1592 Same post includes his SweetFX profile, in case you are looking for one. Parsnip has made a button replacement pack for DualShock 4 users: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=97577966&postcount=1644
Gamersgate version is unlocked and according to the ppl who got the game from there, there are no PC options at all not even the Resolution can be changed its locked at 720p. Click to expand...
Yep, framerate is good but the resolution is locked at 1280x720. I checked the.ini files and there are no resolution options... Click to expand...
Spoiler Durante pls
The original state of the game was pretty bad, but things are better now. Read this to minimize the game's instability issues and maximize your enjoyment!In addition to this thread it's always wise to take a look at the game's Steam forums if you are looking for help with an issue you experience: http://steamcommunity.com/app/247660/discussions/ ============================================================ORIGINAL POST:Buyers beware: http://steamcommunity.com/app/247660/discussions/0/792924952946860943/ Japanese devs strike again. whyyyORLANDO, Fla. – Declaring "we are going to get this done," an emotional Michelle Obama rallied a central Florida crowd Monday night, telling supporters on the eve of the election that it's "all on the line" Tuesday.
"Your president is nowhere near satisfied," she said, making the pitch for a second term for her husband, President Barack Obama.
The first lady has maintained a busy schedule visiting key swing states since the Democrats' national convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September.
Here in an Orlando park, she made her final solo campaign appearance of the 2012 cycle.
"Together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole that we started in," Obama said, casting her husband's first term in office as a difficult but productive road to economic recovery.
Though she didn't mention Republican nominee Mitt Romney, she warned against moving backward, touting her husband's overhaul of the health care system and regulation of the financial industry.
The campaign estimated the crowd at 2,600. The decision to hold the first lady's final rally here in Central Florida is no doubt tied to the campaign's strategy to win the state's 29 electoral votes.
Both the Obama and Romney campaigns have poured tens of millions into advertising in the Sunshine State, hoping to win the so-called "I-4 corridor," a key part of the Florida puzzle.
Obama was joined on stage Monday by Sen. Bill Nelson and Puerto Rican-born performer Ricky Martin.
Nelson, who is leading in polls against his Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, made a pitch for support in Spanish.
Almost 4.5 million people in Florida have already cast ballots, taking advantage of early and absentee voting opportunities here. The latest data from the Florida Secretary of State's office shows that Democrats have cast 1,915,630 votes – giving them a lead against Republicans, who have cast 1,747,977 votes.
But Michelle Obama warned that the president needs every vote he can get.
"Don't let anybody push you out of line," the first lady said, telling those who haven't voted yet to get to the polls early. "Don't let any delays deter you."
Michelle Obama was scheduled to appear later Monday with her husband in Des Moines, Iowa.Allow me a moment to sing the praises of Waldenbooks—yes, Waldenbooks, the Borders subsidiary that privileged grab-and-go buying ahead of casual browsing. It was the kind of place you went when you needed to buy a book but didn’t particularly care for bookstores. But as a teenager growing up in an industrial Chicago suburb, I practically lived in the store’s narrow music-book section, which is where I first discovered Greil Marcus’s Lipstick Traces, a book that hit 16-year-old me like a thunderbolt. Any bookstore that encourages you to punch above your intellectual weight is a good bookstore. Tucked between the JCPenney and the Casual Corner, the North Riverside Park Mall Waldenbooks was a good bookstore.
I have been thinking about Waldenbooks this week, after the news that Barnes & Noble plans to close almost three hundred stores in the next ten years—more than a third of all its outlets. Is this good news for literature lovers? Ever since the rapacious expansion of Barnes & Noble and Borders into suburbia in the late 1980s and early ’90s sparked the fury of independent booksellers, the chain has been depicted primarily as a foe. But then, as now, Barnes & Noble had its place. Its stores were designed to keep people parked for a while, for children’s story time, for coffee klatches, for sitting around and browsing. That was a business decision—more time spent in the store, more money spent when you left it—but it had a cultural effect. It brought literary culture to pockets of the country that lacked them.
Borders and Barnes & Noble seemed to intuit the craving for bookish culture in the working- and middle-class suburbs.
Borders and Barnes & Noble seemed to intuit the craving for a bit of bookish culture in the working- and middle-class suburbs, though more likely they market-researched it. It’s easy to forget now, but at the time suburban culture had few places that weren’t bars, bowling alleys, or the kind of restaurant where you could drink coffee and smoke for three hours without the waitstaff looking at you funny. Barnes & Noble’s campaign, in competition with Borders, to open 20,000-square-foot superstores across America throughout the decade was fueled by a realization that suburban shoppers weren’t necessarily hunting for books per se but were looking for a semblance of community, or at least a place to rest for a few minutes. As Robert Spector writes in his 2005 book Category Killers: The Retail Revolution and Its Impact on Consumer Culture, “Long before Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks Coffee, popularized the idea of a ‘Third Place,’… B&N created a locale with amenities such as public seating and restrooms, a place where people were encouraged to browse, to stay to buy another book … a magazine … some music; to relax in a comfortable armchair, nestled in a reading nook, while thumbing through a best-seller.”
And not just bestsellers. Around the same time, the retailer launched its series of Barnes & Noble Classics—reprints of warhorses like Great Expectations and Middlemarch that, being in the public domain, were essentially profit fountains. The chain may have made its profit by selling massive amounts of Stephen King and Judith Krantz, but it did so while branding itself as a seriously literary enterprise, lining its walls with reproductions of classic covers and hawking shirts with illustrations of famous authors. I won’t argue that slapping a caricature of Jane Austen on a tote bag is a powerful stand for literary culture. I mean only to say that for someone like the teenage me, the idea that I could adopt some of that culture for myself was meaningful—and an idea I wasn’t hearing much elsewhere.Joyetech eVic Basic 60W with CUBIS Pro Mini (wrinkle type)
Brand: Joyetech
Unit: set
Net Weight: 310(g)
Combined shipping cost will be calculated automatically by the system after you choose shipping destination in the checkout step. Register and sign in your account to get bulk discounts!
Product introduction
Joyetech eVic Basic 60W with CUBIS Pro Mini (wrinkle type) comes with eVic Basic Mod and CUBIS Pro Mini Atomizer. It features leak resistant cup design and variable temperature control system. It adopts firmware V4.02 supporting Custom Logo and RTC display with clock screen protection and topfill with top airflow. It uses large OLED display and can support RTC/ VW/ VT/ Bypass/ TCR modes by BF SS316-0.5ohm and LVC Clapton-1.5ohm, which is designed for both DL and MTL. With novel design and cute appearance, it will be more popular and attractive.
Parameters
Joyetech eVic Basic with CUBIS Pro Mini
Size: 22.00*32.00*97.00mm
E-juice Capacity: 2ml
Battery Type: 1500mAh Build-in- battery
Output Power Wattage: 1W-60W
Airflow Way: Top Airflow
Filling Method: Top Filling
Mode: RTC/ VW/ VT/ Bypass/ TCR
Color: Black, White, Silver, Red, Orange, Blue
Joyetech eVic Basic with CUBIS Pro Mini comes with
Simple packing. Customary Packing from the factory, the packing is subject to change without notice.
Features
1. Compact and Cute Design
2. Variable Temperature Control System
3. Custom LOGO
4. RTC (Real Time Clock) Display
5. Top fill and Top Airflow Control
6. Leak resistant cup design
7. Bottom Ventilation Holes
8. Exquisite 510 Stainless Steel Thread
9. Firmware Upgradeable
10. Dual Circuit Protection
11. SS316 0.5ohm DL. and LVC Clapton-1.5ohm Heads
12. Detachable and Washable Structure
3 Months for Battery/ Mod. Atomizer & Accessories are DOA (Dead On Arrival), please contact us within 72 hours of delivery.
Package Simple paper box. Customary Packing from the factory, the packing is subject to change without notice.Hi all
Hope you all have had a great week and looking forward to the weekend as much as I am.
Since I started blogging my watch collection has just grown and grown, to the point I now have to store them in a box. My dad is obsessed with watches so it must be something in my genes that makes me excited every time I receive a new one through the post.
I have worked with Daniel Wellington for a few years now on various collaborations. Their beautiful crafted designs are suitable for the everyday man and women.
I have now partnered up with Daniel Wellington on this competition to win yourself a brand new watch from their website www.danielwellington.com.
As Valentines Day is fast approaching us, this could be the perfect gift to give to your loved one.
All you need to do is:
Sign up to receive emails ( This can be found at the top of the page on a desktop)
Comment below on this post once done
I will be choosing a winner on Friday 29th January. The winner will be displayed on the bottom of this blog post next week.
Don’t worry If you are are not the lucky winner of this competition, I have also managed to get a discount code which will give you 15% off from any Daniel Wellington watch, when using code : InMyShoes (This discount will not be valid after 15th February)
Leather bag – High On Leather
*WINNER IS: JORDAN FOULKES!!! WELL DONE PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS DETAILS*
Comments
commentsFormer Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins is "extremely interested" in becoming his former team's next owner according to a report by TMZ Sports.
Multiple NBA sources tell us... Dominique is "extremely interested" in becoming the next owner of the Hawks -- and has already been pre-approved for ownership by the NBA. We're told Wilkins -- who has amassed his own small fortune over the years -- has partnered up with a "very well-known businessman" who believes Wilkins would be the best person to lead the Hawks back to NBA glory.
Wilkins was very vocal during the Donald Sterling situation with the NBA but he has been silent so far in relation to the Hawks scandal. Wilkins tweeted on Sunday that he would release a statement soon. He reiterated that promise again on Tuesday.
Wilkins is legend on the court and off for the Hawks and in many ways is still the face of the franchise. He has been the team's vice president of basketball since 2004 and is a color commentator on their television broadcasts.
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin told the AJC that he had taken calls from potential buyers but no names have surfaced as of yet.CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs pitcher John Lackey was apparently upset with the way San Diego Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt reacted after hitting a home run in the Padres' 1-0 win over the Cubs on Wednesday night.
"How many home runs does he have?" Lackey asked sarcastically after the game.
Wednesday was Bethancourt's third of the season, and it was a monster blast to left that landed on the street outside Wrigley Field. Bethancourt watched it for a moment before rounding the bases.
"I got a long memory," said Lackey (4-2), who took the loss after going eight innings and allowing a run on three hits, with no walks and seven strikeouts.
Bethancourt and Lackey don't have a history; this was the first meeting between the hitter and pitcher, which Lackey was well aware of.
"Oh, I know," Lackey said. "He'll learn."
Bethancourt's homer was the lone run of the game, giving the Padres a doubleheader sweep and the Cubs their first two-game losing streak of the season.The Trump Taj Mahal, left, and the Showboat, right, on the Atlantic City, N.J., beachfront. (Photo11: Wayne Parry, AP)
ATLANTIC CITY — When casino gambling came to this fading beach resort four decades ago, it looked like salvation. "The sand's turning to gold,'' observed a character in the Bruce Springsteen song named after the city.
Now the process is reversing itself.
The city's prospects this summer are the grimmest since 1978, when the first major legalization of casino gambling outside Las Vegas rescued what was becoming a slum by the sea.
Atlantic City is famous for innovations like the Boardwalk (1870), the amusement pier (1882) and salt water taffy (circa 1883). It hosted the first in 1921 and the Democratic National Convention in 1964. The names of its very streets are immortalized on the Monopoly board.
By the end of last summer, however, it didn't seem things could get any worse. Two of the 12 casinos had closed, and gaming revenues continued to shrink in the face of competition from an ever-growing number of casinos in nearby states.
But Atlantic City always manages to surprise, for better or worse. This past off season offered plenty of the latter.
Revel, a $2 billion hotel casino that was supposed to revive Atlantic City when it opened just two years earlier, closed. It was then bought at a fire sale price by a Florida investor whose dispute over an electrical bill plunged the state's second-tallest building into darkness for three weeks before power was provisionally restored.
Revel, which New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie once called "a game-changer for Atlantic City,'' will be closed all summer, maybe longer.
Another casino, Trump Plaza, closed last September. A third, Trump Taj Mahal, filed for bankruptcy and stayed open only after an 11th-hour deal its with unions. The Caesar's unit that owns two other casinos also filed for bankruptcy.
The biggest off-season shocker was Stockton State University's purchase of the shuttered Showboat Casino Hotel for $18 million. But the school's plan to turn the place into its "Island Campus" was blocked by the Taj, which is next to the Showboat and says it doesn't want students sneaking into its casino — something that apparently didn't worry the school
In the midst of this, the Stockton president who did the deal (without running it past the State Controller's office or securing the Taj's agreement) announced plans to retire, and then went on emergency medical leave.
This has frustrated attempts by legislators to ask him: What the hell were you thinking?
In what passes here for good news, the same guy who bought the Revel has agreed to buy the Showboat (and for a while talked about running a power cable from it to neighboring Revel).
The city, facing a $400 million budget deficit and the loss of a large part of its tax base, has been placed under a state fiscal monitor and forced to lay off employees, including 80% of its parks and recreation department.
About 8,000 casino or hotel employees have lost their jobs, spreading the misery across South Jersey.
This all is bad news for Christie, the could-be Republican presidential candidate who tied himself to A.C.'s revival. Now even he seems to accept the inevitability of at least one casino in North Jersey, ending this city's in-state monopoly.
Fourth of July, traditionally the biggest weekend of the season, promises to be less than celebratory this year, at least if you remember the glory days.
People will fill A.C.'s Steel Pier at dusk to watch fireworks explode over the water. But it's hard to see how America's first great beach resort, which survived the advent of air conditioning, jet travel and the backyard swimming pool, can come back this time.
Hampson is a national reporter for USA TODAY
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1IDN0IRREUTERS/Chris Keane Michael Jordan is worth $1 billion, according to Forbes.
Jordan retired in 2003, but he continues to outpace the world's biggest active athletes when it comes to earnings.
Jordan Brand, a Nike subsidiary born out of his original sneaker deal in 1984, is a dominant force in the sneaker business. The brand brings in $2.5 billion a year in sales, industry expert Matt Powell told CNBC in September, and has a 58% market share.
For comparison, LeBron's signature sneakers accounted for $300 million in sales in 2013, according to Powell.
ESPN's Darren Rovell reports that it's believed Jordan makes $100 million per year in Jordan Brand royalties. Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes put the number at $90 million in 2013.
That's more than the $90.2 million Jordan made in total salary during his NBA career. It's also more than the $72 million LeBron made in salary and endorsements combined in 2014.
Nike's footwear revenues increased by 12% in 2014. In the company's annual report, Nike attributed this growth to "increased demand for performance products, including NIKE and Brand Jordan Basketball styles."An “unruly passenger” on an Air Canada flight en route to Hungary was arrested early Thursday morning.
Peel police were called to Pearson airport at 12:30 a.m. following a complaint that a 57-year-old man had allegedly assaulted a flight attendant on board.
The plane was just past Montreal when “the passenger became disruptive,” reveals the news release.
According to Const. Bancroft Wright, John Svab got involved in an altercation with one of the stewardesses forcing the pilot to turn the plane around.
The flight attendant suffered minor injuries, but still required medical attention once the plane landed.
Svab is charged with endangering an aircraft, uttering death threats and aggravated assault and we heard the details behind those charges at the bail hearing today, but they were sealed under a publication ban.
After court today he collected his belongings and left with a woman and a younger man who had been in court to support him. He was clearly angry that TV cameras were capturing his exit. He and his companions had said they were not ready to talk about the charges.
Peel Police say they were called to the airport at about 12:30 in the morning. The flight crew reported that a man became disruptive about an hour into the flight, when the plane was somewhere above Nova Scotia. He was subdued by a couple of flight attendants and a passenger, and the flight turned back to land again at Pearson International Airport. Police say the flight attendant was injured during the scuffle.
Police won’t say whether drugs or alcohol played a role but Svab’s bail conditions include not having any alcohol in his system while outside of his house. Nor is he allowed to board any flight in Canada.
As for the 267 passengers who did not make it to Hungary yesterday, Air Canada says they’ll be accommodated on flights today, two of which are leaving from Pearson this evening.(Source: The Mighty KBC)
The Mighty KBC is going globally with The Giant Jukebox!!
Extra broadcasts on December 22, 23, 25 and 26 2012 between 15.00 – 16.00 UTC.
We are using 3 extra transmitters to go globally:
One 125 kW TX extra on +/- 9 MHz, 1500-1600 UTC, Non Directional (we already use 6095 on 22 & 23 December),
One 250 kW transmitter for the USA (East Coast time) UTC -5 n +/- 21 MHZ, 1500-1600 UTC, 300°, 250 kW
One 250 kW transmitter to Asia (Vietnam time) UTC +7 / Australia (Sydney time) UTC +11
We will soon announce the exact frequencies for those 4 days in December
A one time KBC Radio event
Sponsored by KBCimport.com and Hifun.nl
For a QSL card check the link below
http://www.kbcradio.eu/index. php?dir=qsl
Spread the word, tell your friends about The Mighty KBCPublic Land for Private Education in the Republic of Texas
A Look at Rutersville College
Texas General Land Office Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 27, 2015
The history of education in Texas is an important, yet complex, puzzle that often required outside-the-box thinking to solve. From the Spanish colonial period of frontier missions, established in part as centers of education for the native people of the region, to Stephen F. Austin’s attempts to establish academies at San Felipe,[1] and onward, various efforts were made to institute public education for Spanish, Tejano, and American settlers of the region. An initiative implemented by the Republic of Texas that granted public lands to establish private educational institutions provided one innovative solution to the challenge of education in Texas.[2]
Initial action was taken to provide for education in 1839, following President Mirabeau B. Lamar’s December 21, 1838 address to the Congress of the Republic. Lamar said:
“It is admitted by all, that cultivated mind is the guardian genius of Democracy, and while guided and controlled by virtue, the noblest attribute of man.”
Lamar proposed using the public lands to support education.[3] Congress supported this proposal by granting four leagues of land (17,712 acres) to each county for the support of schools.[4] However, the Legislature failed to provide a system of how this was to be done, creating a “land but no plan” predicament. This void was partially filled in the short term by an influx of religious institutions, which, aided by public land grants, endeavored to correct the educational deficiencies in Texas which would persist until 1854.[5]
The Texas Legislature set aside over fifty million acres of public land for public and higher education. The state also allocated a much more humble figure of 172,000 acres of public land to help establish various private schools.[6] The first private institutions were funded directly by the government through the disposition of public land. Many of the early private schools were church-affiliated, and most were established by Protestant groups. One goal for these organizations was to establish schools to further educational opportunities for Texan citizens, while also fostering their moral and spiritual needs. One such school was Rutersville College, located near present-day La Grange.
Rutersville College main building, circa 1841. Southwestern University Special Collections. http://www.southwestern.edu/library/how-we-remember/root-institutions/Rutersvillerevised.htm
Rutersville College was named in memory of Methodist missionary Dr. Martin Ruter, who had an extensive track record of establishing private, religious schools throughout the United States.[7] Dr. Ruter, however, died at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1838 shortly after arriving in Texas.[8] Rutersville College opened it doors in January of 1840 with an enrollment of 63 co-educational students.[9]
John C. Hays, County Surveyor for the County of Bexar, certifying the field notes for the Rutersville College land grant. Certificate No. 2, 16 September 1840, BEX-1–345, Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.
In 1841 the Texas Legislature granted four leagues of land in Fayette and Gillespie counties to Rutersville College by a certificate issued under “an act to establish and incorporate the Rutersville College approved 5th February 1840.”[10] The school used the revenue generated from the land to help defray costs associated with constructing new buildings, purchasing materials, and to help sustain the financial security of the college. Within the Texas General Land Office Archives are the original land grant documents for Rutersville College, which include the signatures of John C. Hays, then the County Surveyor for Bexar County, and the first Land Commissioner, John P. Borden.
Rutersville College Land Certificate No. 2, 16 September 1840, BEX-1–345, Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office. Austin, TX.
Rutersville College began its mission to educate the sons and daughters of pioneers, with over 800 graduates on record from 1840 until the school’s demise in 1856.[11] On the site of the former campus, no buildings remain, as they were removed in the 1890s. Its legacy remains alive today on the GLO’s maps of Fayette and Gillespie Counties, where the land grants issued to the school are depicted in their original locations. Furthermore, Southwestern University in Georgetown, another Methodist institution, traces its lineage through Rutersville College and is home to the original bell from the Rutersville campus. [12]
Rutersville College was not the only private institution to receive land grants; the Republic of Texas issued a total of 172,000 acres of land to help fund various private and parochial schools. In total, from 1846 to 1861 the Texas Legislature granted charters to 117 educational institutions, not all of which received land grants
|
2014 blankets any future anticipated testing and is not indicative of specific partners.
Following reports earlier this year that Apple is working on wireless charging technology, VentureBeat has dug up more evidence that suggests the company is doing so with help from developer of RF-based charging tech Energous.
The best 4K & 5K displays for Mac
As noted in the report, it has previously been speculated that Energous has a relationship with Apple behind the scenes after the company confirmed it was working with “one of the top five consumer electronics companies” earlier this year. Today’s report, however, adds more evidence to that connection noting an SEC filing from Energous specifically references “Apple compliance testing”.
We expect that our products and/or the reference designs will undergo UL/CE as well as FCC Part 15, FCC Part 18, SAR, California Energy Star and Apple compliance testing.
Unlike current inductive wireless charging solutions on the market that require devices to rest on a charging mat, Energous’ WattUp tech can charge devices from up to 15ft away using a transmitter and receiver. Here’s a description of the WattUp wireless charging tech from its website:
WattUp RF-based charging can be integrated to provide wire-free charging to a wide variety of electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, wearables, cameras, wireless keyboards and mice, headsets, sensors, LED lights, remote controls and toys… A Radio Frequency (RF) system, similar to a Wi-Fi system, delivers safe wire-free charging energy at a distances of up to approximately 15ft from a transmitter to a receiver device, such as a mobile phone, and maintains charging while the receiver is in motion. Up to 12 receiver devices can be managed by the system simultaneously, depending on system specifications.
While Apple’s new iPhone 7 line didn’t debut with wireless charging functionality, it was something that was rumored several times earlier on in the lead up to the device’s launch. Back in January, Bloomberg said Apple had partners in both the United States and Asia working on the project that would see iPhones and iPads powered from further away than current charging mat and inductive solutions allow, not unlike the WattUp tech from Energous.Outside a baby shower in Landover three years ago, Erik Kenneth Dixon snapped. As he argued with his sister and her boyfriend in a parking lot, the 25-year-old man whipped out a.45-caliber Glock and shot her in the leg. Then he chased down her boyfriend, firing between cars and at the running man's feet until he slipped on wet grass. As the prone man held his hands up in futile defense, Dixon executed him, firing seven times.
By law, Dixon was prohibited from owning a gun. He had spent almost three years in prison for shooting at a man. But three months before the baby-shower killing, he gave his girlfriend $335 and took her to an old brick house on a commercial strip just beyond the District line in Forestville, home to a gun shop called Realco.
"He knew which one he wanted and picked it out," the woman would later tell police.
Dixon's Glock was one of 86 guns sold by Realco that have been linked to homicide cases during the past 18 years, far outstripping the total from any other store in the region, a Washington Post investigation has found. Over that period, police have recovered more than 2,500 guns sold by the shop, including over 300 used in non-fatal shootings, assaults and robberies.
Realco has been known as a leading seller of "crime guns" seized by local police, but a year-long Post investigation reveals the magnitude of Realco's pattern and links the guns sold by the store to specific crimes. The Post compiled its own databases of more than 35,000 gun traces by mining unpublicized state databases and local police evidence logs.
The Post investigation found that a small percentage of gun stores sells most of the weapons recovered by police in crimes - re-confirming the major finding of studies that came out before federal gun-tracing data were removed from public view by an act of Congress in 2003. For the most part, these sales are legal, but an unknown number involve persons who buy for those who cannot, including convicted felons such as Dixon, in a process known as a "straw purchase." Such sales are illegal for the buyer and the store, if it knowingly allows a straw purchase. But cases are hard to prove. Law enforcement officials rarely prosecute gun stores, deterred by high bureaucratic hurdles, political pressure and laws that make convictions difficult.
The investigation also found that:
l Nearly two out of three guns sold in Virginia since 1998 and recovered by local authorities came from about 1 percent of the state's dealers - 40 out of the 3,400 selling guns. Most of those 40 had received government warnings that their licenses were in jeopardy because of regulatory violations. But only four had their licenses revoked, and all are still legally selling guns after transferring their licenses, reapplying or re-licensing under new owners.
l A gun store in Portsmouth, Va., transformed over the past seven years from a modest family-owned business into one of the state's top sellers of "crime guns," leading Virginia in the category of how quickly its guns moved from the sales counter to crime scenes.
l The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which investigates gun trafficking and regulates the firearms industry, is hamstrung by the law, politics and bureaucracy. The agency still has the same number of agents it had three decades ago. It can take as long as eight years between inspections of gun stores. And even when inspectors turn up evidence of missing guns, they cannot compel a dealer to take inventory.
In Maryland, Realco towers over the other 350 handgun dealers in the state as a source of guns confiscated in the District and Prince George's County, the most violent jurisdictions in the area. Nearly one out of three guns The Post traced to Maryland dealers came from Realco. The rest were spread among other shops across the state.
The store is a paradox for law enforcement and politicians. Its owners say they scrupulously follow handgun laws. State and federal regulators have documented only minor problems in numerous inspections.I will simultaneously explain how to build 2 different TetraHydro Boxes and I recommend you build 2 of whichever you choose. I need to remind you. The smaller version is experimental!! I have been pushing the limits on the Earthbox since i got it to see how much it can grow, and know that the large TetraHydro Box can grow 6 tomato plants!! But the small TetraHydro box is experimental in that i am now wondering how small the box can be as long as it has essential nutrients and plenty of water.
If you are new to this goring system... just skip the experimental small box, build the large and be amazed!! :)
Everything is nationally available and purchasable at Wallmart and Home Depot. First is the list for each box system and below is a more detail description with important notes on items like the fertilizer and dirt.
Large TetraHydro Box:
-Large 18 gallon storage bin (Wallmart $4)
-Steralyte plastic basket w/ holes (Wallmart 2 for $3)
-2 cubic feet of potting soil (this brand at Lowe's $5, but find it at Home Depot also)
-2 cups of fertilizer (Home Depot $12 for HUGE 15lbs. bag, you can buy way smaller)
-2 cups of garden lime (Home Depot 10 cup bag $3.50)
-About 1 foot of 1 inch pvc each (Home Depot $2.5 for 10 feet)
-6 scrap of any rubber tubing for drain
-Large trash bag
-Veggies!
Small TetraHydro Box:
-Small 18 quart dish bin (Wallmart $3)
-Drawer organizer plastic basket w/ holes (Wallmart 2 for $1)
-1/2 cubic foot of potting soil (this brand at Lowe's $2.5 for 1ft, but find it at Home Depot also)
-1 cups of fertilizer (Home Depot $12 for HUGE 15lbs. bag, you can buy way smaller)
-1 cups of garden lime (Home Depot 10 cup bag $3.50)
-About 1 foot of 1 inch pvc each (Home Depot $2.5 for 10 feet)
-6 scrap of any rubber tubing for drain
-Large trash bag
-Veggies!
Details:
-Box
Nothing to specific make sure its large enough and will hold the basket with holes in it upside down. If you don't buy the suggested bin you will have a good understanding of how to pick your own by the end of the guide.
-Basket:
Make sure it fits in your box upside down. you are going to drill holes in the bottom later so it will act as a membrane between dirt and water but allow the roots to penetrate.
-Dirt:
Earthbox recommends or more requires that you only use potting MIX... i use SOIL... either is fine... mix just costs more. Earthbox says the difference is that soil contains rocks and mix does not. I have no idea where they came up with that idea. I have never seen a rock in potting soil, and so what if there was a few is it worth double the price? The difference i do know of tho is that potting MIX has already been fertilized and they add perlite. Perhaps that is worth paying double for, i don't know tho. I've used them both in separate boxes simultaneously and noticed no difference.
-Fertilizer:
Earthbox says any fertilizer will work as long as the numbers are 15 or less, as in 5-8-12 or some combination. The one i am using is 16-16-16. I guess I am just defiant... lol :)
-Garden lime
Very hard to find! Strange considering how important it is for gardening tho. Earthbox recommends you use dolomite or hydrated lime. I understand that the lime used for concrete can also be used but may burn plants. The brand I found at home depot was cheap enough and has way more benefits too. The purpose is too raise the soil ph as most vegtables need more acidic soil and also to fortify the soil with calcium. Without your plants may suffer from what is called blossom end rot and it ruins you crop. I have seen it personally years ago and would add the vitamin tablets of calcium or crushed egg shells after ward, but the garden lime i found has tons of other vitamins and minerals too.Former South African President Nelson Mandela, 94, remains hospitalized with a serious lung infection. Reports about his condition, which has deteriorated in recent days, have varied — though the president of South Africa said Thursday it had improved somewhat.
President Barack Obama, who is in Africa this week, called Mandela a hero during a speech on his first stop in Dakar, Senegal.
"If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages," President Obama said.
South Africans around the country are bracing for the news, and praying for his health. Though Johannesburg has become a place for prayer and reflection, it's also become a press hub for scores of international journalists. But the media stir over Mandela's health is causing some angst in the country.
"I'm going to say it. There's sort of a racist element with many of the foreign media where they just cross boundaries," said Zindzi Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader's eldest daughter. "It's like, truly vultures waiting for when the lion has devoured the buffalo."
Crowds who have gathered outside the hospital where Mandela is being treated have also expressed their discontent with the foreign media, who they feel are being disrespectful.
"There have been incidents where ordinary members of the public have been driving past, slowing their vehicles and shouting at the media members gathered outside telling them, you know, that they should go home. Nelson Mandela is not dead, so what's the need for them to be standing there?" asked Declan Walsh, a reporter for the New York Times.
Other South Africans have said that the scores of media are an expected tribute to Mandela's popularity.
"That again reflects this broader ambivalence that South Africans, who themselves have a great appetite for news about Mr. Mandela, they want to know that he's well," Walsh said. "They just don't like the idea massing outside the hospital or his houses or making sort of a public spectacle about this.
The media presence is thought to be the largest since the early 1990s, when Mandela was freed from prison and elected president.
President Obama is scheduled to visit South Africa Friday, while the country struggles with the deteriorating health of perhaps its most cherished leader. The first black presidents elected in their respective countries have never met face-to-face.Gordon Brown admits the war with Iraq was "not justified" and claims the US "misled" the UK over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
The former prime minister, who was chancellor when the decision to go to war in 2003 was made, has revealed top-secret US intelligence casting serious doubt over the dictator's destructive capabilities was not shared with Britain.
He claimed only after leaving office did he become aware of "crucial" papers held by the US Department of Defence and believes the course of history could have been different had the information been shared.
Mr Brown said: "When I consider the rush to war in March, 2003 - especially in light of what we now know about the absence of weapons of mass destruction - I ask myself over and over whether I could have made more of a difference before that fateful decision was taken.
"We now know from classified American documents, that in the first days of September 2002 a report prepared by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff's director for intelligence landed on the desk of the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
"Commissioned by Rumsfeld to identify gaps in the US intelligence picture, it is now clear how forcibly this report challenged the official view.
"If I am right that somewhere within the American system the truth about Iraq's lack of weapons was known, then we were not just misinformed but misled on the critical issue of WMDs.
"Given that Iraq had no usable chemical, biological or nuclear weapons that it could deploy and was not about to attack the coalition, then two tests of a just war were not met: war could not be justified as a last resort and invasion cannot now be seen as a proportionate response."In the third round of the the 2014 draft, the Vikings selected little known player Jerick McKinnon from Georgia Southern. McKinnon, not really well known leading up to the draft, seemed to be somewhat of a surprise pick for the Vikings, but Rick Spielman was enamored with his athletic ability, and thought he could be a guy that could be a playmaker for the Vikings.
If their first few practices in Mankato are any indication, Spielman is on to something. The one thing that sticks out about McKinnon is his speed. Like, turbo boost on a video game type speed. He has a smooth running style, and accelerates at a rate that, at least anecdotally, seems faster than Percy Harvin. Yeah, yeah, I know this time of year, everything is about how good everyone is and appropriate hyperbole, but seriously, this kid has something special in the speed department. We were able to catch up to him after this morning's practice (only because he agreed to walk) and get his thoughts on his first few training camp practices as a member of the Vikings.
DN: Were you surprised that you were a third round pick of the Vikings, knowing that they had Adrian Peterson? And did it change your mindset, knowing that the chances of you winning a starting job were slim?
JM: I was a little bit surprised at where I went in the draft. I really didn't have a good idea of where I would be taken, but everything happens for a reason, and I'm grateful for the opportunity the Vikings gave me. It really doesn't change my mindset, because my mindset is to come in and get better every day. As a rookie you have a learning curve to work though, and a lot of things you need to pick up quick. With me knowing that Adrian (Peterson) was here, I really see this as an opportunity to make myself better. As a player, maybe not now but further down the road, to learn from a player of that caliber, who's been at the top of his game for years, it's an opportunity to come in every day and learn from him, Coach Kirby, and the rest of the veterans on the team.
DN: You were talking about the offense and picking up the schemes. Is it a complex offense to learn, or is it something you can come in and pick up pretty fast?
JM: I've been able to pick up on it pretty good, and I understand it. Coming from college and having a different playbook, at first it was a lot. But studying, and asking questions of all the great veterans here like Matt Asiata, Joe Banyard, AP of course, Zach Line and Jerome Fulton, those guys do a great job of helping me out, making sure I know what I'm doing so when I get in there I can go full speed.
DN: You've got blazing speed, and it looks like the Vikings are trying to get you into plays that get you out in space so you can use that to your advantage. Is that an accurate statement?
JM: Um, I wouldn't go that far and say that. [ED Note: Whoops, my bad man.] Speed is something I do have. I don't like to rely on it, but I do like to use it, because it's one of my strengths. I'm a firm believer in building up your weaknesses instead of working on your strengths, because I want to have an all around game, like AP one day. I'm just trying to get better as a player.
DN: What's the biggest thing you've had to adjust from between college ball and the NFL?
JM: Pass protection. I've gotten better at it since I first got here, but I kind of fell into some old habits yesterday, and I lost a couple battles. It made me mad, because I know I shouldn't have done that, and when you come out here every day to get better, you don't want to do that. It got to me, but I came out here today to show Coach I'm not a second time offender, and I'll keep working on it.
DN: Is it the straight up blocking, or is it recognizing where the pressure is coming from?
JM: I would say at first it was a little bit of both, but I've gotten better both in going head to head and recognition. There's still some things I can do better when I get engaged, but I'm looking forward to it, and hope I get better every day.Cubs/Royals (Jason Parks)
The Cubs’ brand new spring training facility is easy plus-plus and possibly elite, although I still prefer the visual aesthetics provided by Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. The complex itself is highly functional, with a mix of modern and classic styles for the eyes and state-of-the-art conveniences for the players. The only real drawback for me stems from the fact that it's located in Mesa and I’m staying in Peoria, but life is more fun when you leave the house.
Albert Almora (Cubs): Almora carries himself in a manner that stands out only because of the context of his surroundings. On the backfields, in a batting practice grouping with other prospects, Almora arrived at the cage with the confident gait and overall familiarity of a major leaguer coming to his 10th spring camp. His approach to the workout seemed casual—almost blasé—but when he stepped into the cage, he took off his nonchalant mask and went to work, besting some of the brightest bats on the farm with his impressive rounds of batting practice.
The 19-year-old looked bigger and stronger than I recall, standing every bit of 6-foot-2—if not slightly taller—with a lean but not lanky physique. He showed quick hands at the plate, tapping into his pull-side power and launching several bombs into the grassy disappearance behind the left-field fence. He showed an explosive hip rotation that was impressive for its fluidity and speed and not its violence; that allowed him to throw the bat head out and really turn on the baseball without losing his balance, hitting with authority and making hard/loud contact. After his rips, he returned to his comfortable swagger, which is probably an acceptable mixture of extremely cocky and extremely confident, both of which are characteristics I expect to see in top talents.
Kris Bryant (Cubs): He starts with a very wide stance at the plate, his legs forming a wider base than his shoulders, almost like he’s straddling a large rock while he’s trying to hit. Because of his length and the width of his setup, I assumed that he would struggle with balance when he shifted his weight and triggered his swing, but the entire process is fluid and functional and I was impressed with his overall balance. The raw power is easy to see and not news to anybody reading this. He uses his hands more than most bombers, but he also uses his lower half very well, and when he shifts his weight and fires his hips, he doesn’t open up too much and he can stay on the baseball. This puts him in a good position to track the ball from release and cover all quadrants of the zone with his swing. The bat speed is very good, and the leverage he creates with his long body doesn’t make the swing long to a fault.
Bryant comes into the hitting zone clean and with a direct path, and when he extends he can really knock the living hell out of a baseball, with enough natural plane to hit home runs but not exaggerated to the point where his bat only sweeps through the zone. Because of his eye, he’s going to put himself in favorable hitting conditions, and even though his length can work against him in certain locations and he will swing and miss, he’s going to make enough contact for his raw power to play.
In game action, he went down on strikes after a good at-bat, and despite the outcome, I thought it was very promising. It was nearing the end of the game, rain was approaching, and Bryant was called out looking on a fastball that was on the outside of the outside corner. It’s the kind of call a veteran hitter with a pedigree is likely to get, but Bryant got the hook despite falling behind early in the count (on good sequence; started off with off-speed) and working himself back in it by laying off several good off-speed pitches. Most young hitters—playing in the main stadium against quality arms—will come up to the plate hacking, looking to drive the ball and make the most of the playing time, but Bryant came to the plate with a plan and executed that plan, even if he did go down on strikes. It was a good at-bat from a very good young hitter, and if that is the way he’s going to approach the game, Cubs fans could be in for a real treat as early as this season. This kid is going to hit and he’s going to hit very soon.
Javier Baez (Cubs): Baez has the best bat speed I’ve seen since I started evaluating talent at the minor-league level, and it might be some of the best bat speed I’ve seen period. It’s violent—no doubt—and I’m not always sold that he can control the bat after he triggers. But when he unsheathes that weapon and it finds the ball, the cowhide screams in what I believe to both ecstasy and agony. Baez appears shorter than his listed height, and his body is a bit like Jean Segura's, with a thick and muscular lower half, particularly the thighs. However, it doesn’t appear to be a high-maintenance body on any level, though you can project him to become more robust up top as he ages, filling out to the point where shortstop would no longer be a possibility.
But just to soothe some of the present concerns about his defensive skill set, Baez can absolutely play shortstop. Long term is more nebulous because of the body/range, but his actions are fine (better than fine, actually), he controls his body and is coordinated, he has on-the-field instincts and moves to the ball well, and his arm is very strong. He struggles with some fundamentals at times, and he doesn’t play the position with the same confidence that he brings to the plate, but all of these things can improve through repetition and experience. His issues at the position (at present) are fixable through instruction and wrench work.
At the plate, Baez has a lot of pre-swing noise and he wraps the bat like a champ, which means he has to gain control of the stick before executing his swing, very similar to the way Gary Sheffield would wiggle and wrap before triggering. It’s not something you would teach, and unless you are special it’s not something that will work. But Baez is special. It’s a beautiful stroke once he lets it loose, and despite the noise and the wrap, the hands are elite and he sends the bat through the zone on an elevated line-drive plane. You can fool him with off-speed stuff because the violence comes at the expense of control, but he’s a very dangerous fastball hitter, and he can beat good pitches as well as mistakes.
It’s not so much that Baez's approach is overly aggressive. I think that comes off as a pejorative statement at times, and being aggressive isn’t always a bad thing. You want to see hitters take advantage of opportunities and drive the baseball with authority. I think Baez’s biggest problem at the plate is that his confidence with the bat/swing creates an environment where everything thrown in his general direction is considered an opportunity for him to drive the ball out of the park. It’s often hard to distinguish between being aggressive and being overly confident, but in Baez’s case, he’s not a grip-it-and-rip-it hitter; rather, he’s a guy who thinks he can turn around whatever a pitcher has to offer and send it out of the park. This isn’t a guy looking for singles or going the other way on off-speed pitches in order to dink a ball into shallow right. This is a guy who is going for the gold on most swings, and the rationale is that he can make it happen so why not try.
The violence in the swing and the confidence at the plate (almost sanguine at times) are both positive and negative qualities for Baez. You don’t want to change the hitter but you want him to refine a bit, and if he does, this is a superstar and a potential role 8 player at the major-league level. This is what elite looks like when it's young. But learning to find his game and make adjustments will be vital if he is to come close to that lofty, spectacular ceiling. It’s anything but a sure thing, but of all the players in the minors—and this includes Buxton, Taveras, Bogaerts, et al.​—Baez has a higher all-around ceiling.
Yordano Ventura (Royals): In two brief innings of work, he sat 98-100 and touched 101 on at least one gun. That’s good, right? Snapped a few good breaking balls that looked like future 7 pitches when he released out front; lost a few that he seemed to cast from a deeper release; flashed a few changeups with late action. He’s going to be a monster if he can stay healthy and log innings/experience. I’m a huge believer. —Jason Parks
Mets (Jeff Moore)
Amed Rosario: At shortstop, Rosario moved well for a taller infielder and had no problem getting low for groundballs and showing agility once down in fielding position. He demonstrated soft, natural hands during infield practice and a strong, accurate arm. When fielding groundballs, he did an excellent job of gaining ground and working through the ball, allowing his already plus arm to play up because he had his body and momentum heading in the right direction. He did not, however, need to get his feet and body completely under him in order to make a strong, accurate throw. He definitely had a body that could thicken over time and force him off of shortstop, but for now he has more than enough mobility to stay there.
In batting practice, he showed good bat control and a short swing for someone with such long limbs. He was able to stay inside the ball, and during the opposite-field portion of his round of batting practice, he did not settle for just going the other way. He drive the ball to right field with authority. He has strong wrists that allow him to hit the ball with some authority despite his skinny frame. Could easily have plus power as he fills out.
Dilson Herrera: At second base, Herrera showed solid actions but struggled with consistency even in a simple infield drill, dropping a few routine groundballs and feeds to second base. He was comfortable with his footwork around the base on double play turns.
In BP, Herrera showed above-average bat speed and decent pop for a shorter player, but again was inconsistent. This stemmed from wrapping the bat at the outset of his swing, causing his swing path to loop underneath the ball. Even in BP, he was getting too much of the bottom half of the ball and, simply put, hit far too many infield pop-ups and lazy fly balls than a player of his caliber should in practice.
Dominic Smith: Even when standing around listening to instructions, Smith stands out. Even among older college draftees, the 18-year-old Smith is physically developed, and when surrounded with fellow 18-year-olds, he looks like their chaperone on a class trip. This is both good and bad for Smith. It's an advantage now that gives him a leg up on low minor-league competition, but at six foot even, there's not a ton of projection left in his body. He's not physically imposing so much as he's just solidly built.
With the bat, everything Smith does is smooth. He has a fluid left-handed stroke that stems from a quiet set-up and stance. He may struggle at first with quality breaking stuff (when he eventually faces some) due to an elongated weight-transfer that is as much lunge as it is a stride, but it's a simple fix. He doesn't need as dramatic of a weight transfer to generate power.
Smith's power comes free and easy from the natural loft in his swing. He generates backspin without forcing it and the ball carries. Because he doesn't have to swing hard to generate power, he is able to control the bat within the strike zone.
Luis Guillorme: I didn't get to see Guillorme hit because he was on a different field than the Smith/Herrera/Rosario group I was fixated on, but watching him take groundballs in infield practice was enough to get me excited about seeing him again.
The actions at shortstop were as smooth as they come, and he had a real knack for fielding the ball on the easiest hop every time. His transfer and release were incredibly quick, both to first and second. Guillorme is a natural infielder who could probably excel at any position and has enough arm to do so if called upon.
Gavin Cecchini: Cecchini is currently out of position as a shortstop. This was painfully obvious watching him take groundballs in a group with Rosario and Guillorne, whose smooth actions made Cecchini look robotic by comparison. He has the athleticism and hand-eye coordination to get away with awkward actions and mechanical movements at the position in practice, but he doesn't look natural or comfortable. His hands are stiff and have no give, instead jabbing at the ball, especially on the backhand. Right now he's getting by with athleticism at the position and will need to greatly refine his movements to stay there.
At the plate, I liked Cecchini's short, line-drive swing. He doesn't generate much backspin, which will limit his power, but he controlled the bat well and should have decent doubles power in time. —Jeff Moore
Phillies (Steffan Segui)
Maikel Franco: He looks fat and he starts his swing much too late. He gets a ton of separation (probably too much) and creates excellent bat speed, but it hinders his timing—though it is early spring, so this should be taken with the largest grain of salt. It's more a swing for a svelte hitter (which I assume he used to be) who doesn't have to swing around his belly. Actually somewhat nimble at third, he has excellent hands, but it's not clear that his ever-growing body can stay there long term. Theres no chance he's 180; he has to be over 200.
Jesse Biddle: Curve was exceptionally sharp for early spring and he threw it for strikes. Didn't have good fastball command at all and was rushing mechanics a bit at first due to some upper/lower-half disconnect.
Ken Giles: He throws baseballs fast; was mid-upper-90s the other day and I have seen him at 101. Delivery looked noticeably cleaner from the fall league. He wasn't falling off to the first-base side as much, which allowed his slider to be in full effect. His slider at 89-92 has to be one of the better ones in the minors when he can repeat and command it, especially when he can bury it back foot to left-handed hitters. The split is usable too. —Steffan SeguiAssociated Press At the U.S. Open and the other three Grand Slam tournaments, IBM collects millions of data points on matches.
Tennis has a stats problem — even at the U.S. Open.
The sport often botches even its basic match data, with missing or incorrect numbers for past matches and no archived stats online for individual matches on the women’s tour. But at the U.S. Open and the other three Grand Slam tournaments, the events’ partner, IBM, has been collecting millions of data points on matches, including stats such as winners and unforced errors that aren’t logged at many tour stops. Starting last year, U.S. Open fans have been able to track online the number of times Novak Djokovic smashes overhead winners (three times against Dr. Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday) or the number of Roger Federer forehand unforced errors (16 against Tommy Robredo on Monday).Image copyright Reuters Image caption The bodies were brought ashore after the incident
Forty-two people have been killed when a boat carrying Somali refugees off the coast of Yemen was fired at from a helicopter, the International Organisation for Migration says.
Women and children were among those killed when the vessel was hit near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the IOM said.
Images from the scene showed a boat strewn with bodies.
In a separate incident on Friday, at least 22 people died in an attack on a mosque inside a military base in Yemen.
Two missiles were fired at the mosque, in the Kofal military camp west of Marib, officials said.
Boat attack
Among the dead on the boat were Somali refugees carrying identity documents issued by UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency.
About 80 survivors were rescued and taken to hospital, according to the IOM. It is also not known where the boat was travelling to and from.
It remains unclear who carried out the attack. A Yemeni trafficker who survived the attack told the Associated Press that the boat was fired at by a helicopter gunship and a military vessel.
Saudi Arabia, which is leading a US-backed coalition in the war in Yemen, has US-built Apache helicopter gunships. The coalition, which in general controls Yemen's airspace, has not commented on the incident.
A port official told AFP that dozens of Somalis who survived, as well as three Yemeni traffickers, were taken to the city's prison.
Eric Christopher Wyss, of the International Committee of the Red Cross, described the scene at the port as "gruesome and heartbreaking".
"I saw many men, women and children either killed or horribly wounded," he said. "Survivors told us that many of the passengers were refugees from Somalia or Yemen, fleeing conflict."
Despite a humanitarian crisis which has brought Yemen to the brink of famine, migrants from Africa continue to travel to the war-torn country.
UNHCR officials said the people in the boat may have been heading towards Sudan or other countries to the north to escape deteriorating conditions in Yemen.
Somalia is also currently at risk of famine, according to the UN, with 2.9m facing food insecurity - following decades of civil war and a previous famine in 2011.A man arrested for fatally stabbing a black man in Manhattan reportedly told police that the attack was motivated by his desire to kill African-Americans.
James Harris Jackson, 28, told New York Police Department officers that he came to the city from Baltimore in order to kill African-Americans due to his anger toward black men in romantic relationships with white women, the New York Daily News reported on Wednesday.
Jackson, a former army veteran, belongs to a white supremacist group in Maryland and wrote a manifesto outlining his racist beliefs, according to the New York Post.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
After fatally stabbing 66-year-old Timothy Caughman, Jackson turned himself into police, reportedly saying “you need to arrest me. I have the knife in my pocket.”
Jackson is currently being held in police custody.How come that Frank Thomas rookie card you stowed away in 1990 is now worth less than a Happy Meal? Chalk it up to the baseball card bubble of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In a new book, Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession, Dave Jamieson tells the story of how baseball cards evolved from a tobacco marketing gimmick in the 19th century into a massive, big-money industry of their own by the late 20th century. In this excerpt, Jamieson explains how baseball cards first became seen as promising investments, setting the stage for a decade of speculation and overproduction.
Around the mid-1970s, a small cabal of serious baseball card collectors grew wise to the fact that their cards had become valuable. Cards had almost always had prices attached to them, even when prolific collector and cataloger Jefferson Burdick began sending out his Card Collectors Bulletin in the 1930s. But cards that had been worth a few cents were now worth a few bucks, and some of the rarer specimens, such as the T206 Honus Wagner, were commanding hundreds and occasionally thousands of dollars apiece. The number of trade shows sprouting up in the East and the Midwest testified to a growing market.
By this time, the most aggressive card collectors had started crisscrossing the country in search of private hoards of cardboard that could be snatched up at bargain prices. Unlike school kids, these men were well-aware
|
2, 3, and 5 show that η elec increases with decreasing E appl under 100% CO 2 until E appl < 2.0 V. Below E appl = 2.0 V (entry 8), a higher salt concentration (108 mM phosphate buffer) is required to facilitate mass transport and attendant current (fig. S10). However, high salt concentrations are undesirable for R. eutropha metabolism. Thus, a concentration of 36 mM phosphate and E appl = 2.0 V resulted in optimal η elec ; the highest η elec achieved for biomass production was 54 ± 4% (entry 5, n = 4) over a duration of 6 days. Our CO 2 reduction efficiency from H 2 is comparable to the highest demonstrated by R. eutropha during H 2 fermentation (25). This biomass yield is equivalent to assimilating ~4.1 mol (180 g) of CO 2 captured at the cost of 1 kWh of electricity. The amount of captured CO 2 is 10% of the amount caught by amine-based carbon capture and storage (~2000 g at the cost of 1 kWh) (26), whose processed product cannot be used as fuel. Enlarging the batch reactor volume by a factor of 10 did not perturb the efficiency (entries 4 and 6), indicating that the system is scalable and the reactor volume does not pose immediate limits. Note that η elec under air (400 ppm CO 2 ) is 20 ± 3% (entry 7, n = 3), which is lower than for pure CO 2 by a factor of only 2.7, although the partial pressure of CO 2 is reduced by a factor of 2500. This indicates that CO 2 is not a limiting reagent (see below). The ~20% of η elec for biomass is equivalent to assimilating ~1.5 mol of CO 2 captured from about 85,200 liters of air at ambient condition with the cost of 1 kWh of electricity.
Fig. 2 Energy efficiencies η elec and kinetics of the hybrid CO 2 reduction device. (A) η elec values for the production of biomass and chemicals at different values of E appl and various configurations (table S1). Solid bars are 5- to 6-day averages; hatched bars are 24-hour maxima. Error bars denote SEM; n ≥ 3. (B and C) Optical density at 600 nm (OD 600 ; indicator of biomass accumulation) and amounts of electric charges that were passed, plotted versus the duration of experiments with 100% CO 2 (B) and air (C) in the headspace at 1 atm pressure. E appl = 2.0 V. Error bars denote SEM; n = 4 for (B) and n = 3 for (C). (D) A microbial growth model predicts linear correlation between electric charges and biomass accumulation, when the H 2 generation rate by water splitting (I/2FV) is smaller than the maximum rate of H 2 consumption by active biomass (r max X a ) (23) (fig. S12). Dashed line indicates Michaelis constant of hydrogenase for H 2. (E) Real-time monitor of biomass accumulation under “day”/“night” cycle test.
We also isolated a ROS-resistant variant of R. eutropha from one SS|CoP i water-splitting reactor after 11 consecutive days of operation (E appl = 2.3 V) with a H 2 O 2 generation rate of ~ 0.6 μM/min. Genome sequencing found several mutations between the strain (BC4) and the wild type (H16) (table S2). In the presence of paraquat as a ROS inducer (27), the IC 50 of paraquat for BC4 is almost one order of magnitude higher than that of the wild type (fig. S11). There is no obvious benefit of the BC4 strain with regard to η elec (table S1), further confirming the absence of ROS in our system (see above). Nonetheless, BC4 should find great utility for achieving high η elec in systems where ROS is problematic.
We found that biomass accumulation scales linearly with the amount of charge passed under pure CO 2 (Fig. 2B) or ambient CO 2 levels (Fig. 2C). The linear growth is accounted for by a model that combines governing equations for H 2 generation from water splitting and biomass accumulation from carbon fixation (23). The model predicts a linear correlation between biomass and charge passed after an induction period of low population density of bacteria and high H 2 concentration (Fig. 2D and fig. S12), which is consistent with the data shown in Fig. 2, B and C, where the induction period is too short to be observed. Gas chromatography measurements revealed a H 2 concentration in the reactor headspace of 0.19 ± 0.04% (n = 3) in 100% CO 2 and 0.10 ± 0.05% (n = 3) in air, corresponding to 1.5 ± 0.3 μM and 0.8 ± 0.4 μM, respectively, in water. These concentrations of H 2 are well below the Michaelis constant of ~6 μM for membrane-bound hydrogenases in R. eutropha (28), which suggests that H 2 is facilely consumed by R. eutropha. Moreover, similar linear growth conditions for both pure and ambient CO 2 atmospheres provide evidence that H 2 oxidation rather than CO 2 reduction is rate-limiting for biosynthesis. Lastly, R. eutropha halted growth during “night” cycles and continued CO 2 reduction 12 hours later upon resumption of the water-splitting reaction (Fig. 2E), confirming the intrinsic dependence of R. eutropha on H 2 generation. These data also reveal that the CoP i |Co-P|R. eutropha hybrid system is compatible with the intermittent nature of a solar energy source. Direct CO 2 reduction from air highlights the relatively high affinity of R. eutropha for CO 2 at low pressures and at high O 2 concentrations, in contrast to results reported for synthetic catalysts (29), individual enzymes (30, 31), and strictly anaerobic organisms such as acetogens and methanogens (11–14) (table S3).
Metabolic engineering of R. eutropha enables the renewable production of an array of fuels and chemical products (17). When R. eutropha confronts nutrient constraints coupled with carbon excess, the biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is triggered in the wild-type H16 strain as an internal carbon storage pathway (17). As such, digestion is necessary for PHB collection (23). Under a constant rate of water splitting, PHB synthesis was not manifest until nitrogen became limiting (~2 days), as indicated by the cessation of biomass accumulation (Fig. 3A) as well as the η elec measured every 24 hours (Fig. 3B and fig. S13). With a titer of ~700 mg/liter, the 6-day average for PHB synthesis was η elec = 36 ± 3% (Fig. 2A, entry 9) with a 24-hour maximum of η elec = 42 ± 2% (n = 3) (Fig. 3B). In engineered strains (32, 33), this PHB pathway could be modified to excrete the fusel alcohols isopropanol (C 3 ), isobutanol (C 4 ), and 3-methyl-1-butanol (C 5 ), which possess energy densities of 24, 28, and 31 MJ/liter, respectively. The culture supernatant was then analyzed to quantify the secreted alcohols (23). The accumulation of these liquid fuels followed trends similar to those observed for PHB synthesis. As shown in Fig. 3, C and E, biomass production reached a plateau while isopropanol titers grew to ~600 mg/liter and C 4 + C 5 alcohol titers grew to ~220 mg/liter. An engineered R. eutropha strain produced isopropanol with a 6-day average η elec = 31 ± 4% (Fig. 2A, entry 10) and a 24-hour maximum of η elec = 39 ± 2% (n = 4) (Fig. 3D); a strain engineered to produce C 4 + C 5 alcohols averaged a 6-day η elec = 16 ± 2% (Fig. 2A, entry 11) with a 24-hour maximum of η elec = 27 ± 4% (n = 3) (Fig. 3F). The achieved titers are higher than previous reported values, and η elec values have increased by a factor of at least 20 to 50 (10, 18). R. eutropha has demonstrated tolerance toward isopropanol (fig. S14), allowing for enriched product concentrations under extended operation.
Fig. 3 Efficient synthesis of selectively produced chemicals from CO 2 and water. (A to F) PHB [(A) and (B)], isopropanol (C 3 ) [(C) and (D)], and C 4 and C 5 alcohols [(E) and (F)] were selectively produced from the hybrid device. In (A), (C), and (E), the OD 600 values, concentrations of selective chemicals, and charges passed through the electrodes are plotted versus the duration of experiments. Shown in (B), (D), and (F) are averaged η elec values for different products, measured at 24-hour intervals. Also shown are overall η elec values combining biomass and chemical formation. The η elec values for biomass, defined as intracellular organics excluding PHB, have been corrected to exclude the PHB interference in (B) (23) (see fig. S13 for values before correction). Error bars denote SEM; n = 3.
Our combined catalyst design mitigates biotoxicity at a systems level, allowing water-splitting catalysis to be interfaced with engineered organisms to realize high CO 2 reduction efficiencies that exceed natural photosynthetic systems. Because E appl required for water splitting is low (1.8 to 2.0 V), high η elec values are achieved that translate directly to high solar-to-chemical efficiencies (η SCE ) when coupled to a typical solar-to-electricity device (η SCE = η solar × η elec ). For a photovoltaic device of η solar = 18%, the Co-P|CoP i |R. eutropha hybrid system can achieve η SCE = 9.7% for biomass, 7.6% for bioplastic, and 7.1% for fusel alcohols. This approach allows for the development of artificial photosynthesis with efficiencies well beyond that of natural photosynthesis, thus providing a platform for the distributed solar production of chemicals.
Supplementary Materials www.sciencemag.org/content/352/6290/1210/suppl/DC1 Methods Tables S1 to S3 Figs. S1 to S14 References (34–49)
Acknowledgments: We thank N. Li for ICP-MS measurement and reagents, and J. Torella, C. Myhrvold, C. Lemon, and M. Huynh for helpful discussions. C.L. acknowledges X. Ling at Nanyang Technological University. Supported by a Lee Kuan Yew Postdoctoral Fellowship (C.L.), a predoctoral fellowship from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (B.C.C.), Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative award N00014-11-1-0725 (P.A.S.), Air Force Office of Scientific Research grant FA9550-09-1-0689 (D.G.N.), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering (P.A.S.), and the Harvard University Climate Change Solutions Fund. This work was performed under the First 100 W Program at Harvard University. C.L., B.C.C., M.Z., P.A.S., and D.G.N. are inventors on patent applications (62/218,131) filed by Harvard University and Harvard Medical School related to the technology described in this paper. The genome sequences are accessible in the NCBI SRA database under accession number SRP073266.Share this Story:
Americans killed by Israel & 49th Anniversary of attack on USS Liberty. 49th Anniversary of the Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty ignored by Americans. Americans killed by Israel continue to be forgotten by Americans. There is no patriotism for their memories in an American controlled by Israel’s propaganda, lies and lobby
By Ray Hanania
Many Americans have been killed by Israel, most murdered without investigations or accountability. Few of the incidents have received the coverage they deserve in the mainstream American news media, which is controlled and bullied into pro-Israel silence by Israel’s vicious lobby, AIPAC.
As an American military veteran myself, I am ashamed of how Americans claim to be patriotic, when it is convenient. And yet they are afraid to stand up for those who were killed by a country that we have financed, we have built, we have armed and we continue to defend and excuse for war crimes and human rights violations, Israel.
Many American citizens living in Palestine in 1948 were attacked, injured and killed by Israeli forces when Israel’s new government rejected the UN Partition Plan and instead launched a military assault to takeover all of Palestine. They succeeded in capturing half of the land set aside in the UN Partition Plan that was supposed to be a part of the Arab State. And, they captured West Jerusalem, which was to be internationalized. In 1967, they captured the remaining areas of Palestine, occupying the entire country and imprisoning all non-Jews who challenged their actions.
How many Americans were killed by Israel forces in 1948? Hundreds. But officially, the United States does not acknowledge Americans who are non-Jewish killed by Israel. They only acknowledged Israelis who are Jewish killed in skirmishes with the occupied Palestinians who engage in resistance. From 1948 until 1967, hundreds more were killed as Israel oppressed the non-Jewish Palestinians — Christians and Muslims — who refused to flee and become refugees and who lived in Israel without any rights for more than a decade under Israeli military control.
On June 8, 1967, Americans were killed by Israel when Israel sought to cover up its efforts to forcibly take East Jerusalem by destroying the U.S.S. Liberty communications ship that was in the Mediterranean sea supporting the American interests, which were providing support to Israel. Israel was forced to acknowledge their killings. Yet, Israel’s lobby has fought hard to define that attack as an “accident.”
But an “accident” doesn’t last 75 minutes — 120 minutes if you base it on when Israel finally acknowledged to US Forces that they did indeed attack the ship, but couldn’t sink it. The Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty was deliberate. Israel didn’t acknowledge the attack for two hours, clearly hoping the ship would be destroyed and the evidence of Israel’s war crime against Americans eliminated.
Worse, Israel knew the ship was there and had been monitoring it for more than eight hours before deciding to attack it. Read the scathing report prepared by the U.S.S. Liberty Veterans themselves in 2005.
The U.S.S. Liberty was a commissioned US Naval vessel during the Israeli sneak attack against Egypt, Syria and Jordan in 1967, sitting in the Mediterranean Sea monitoring both sides to ensure peace and protect American interests.
Three days after Israel attacked its neighboring Arab countries, Israel was consolidating its hold on East Jerusalem, which is began attacking the night before. Israel wanted the remaining lands of Palestine which were held under a protectorate by Jordan since 1948 when the pre-State Jewish guerrillas violated a UN Partition Plan and attacked the proposed “Arab State” and captured West Jerusalem, a city that was designated as an international Zone open to Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Israel failed to take all of Jerusalem and East Jerusalem remained free, until 1967. The Israelis feared the USS Liberty might expose the lies of their propaganda which falsely claimed they were being attacked by the Arabs.
Instead, the Arabs boasted wildly about how they were angry with Israel and Egypt’s pompous dictator Gamal Abdul Nasser vowed to “drive Israel into the sea.” But their military was ill-equipped to launch any invasions, as they were ill-equipped to prevent the destruction of Palestine in 1948.
It was Israel that decided to use the boisterous Arab blather as an excuse to launch an aggressive war with one goal, capture the Sinai Peninsula, grab the Golan Heights and thus create land buffer zones that would separate Israel from Egypt and Syria, two worthless and weak Arab neighbors. But the real goal was to attack Jordan and take control of East Jerusalem and the remaining portions of Palestine that were unoccupied at the time, the West Bank.
The USS Liberty, the American spy ship, might disclose Israel’s plans to provoke Jordan that the spy ship might have been documenting. What if the ship had monitored Israel’s secret plans to attack Jordan, which had not sent any troops over the border? In fact, none of the Arab countries had sent any troops over the border.
After monitoring the ship for 8 hours, Israel ordered a deliberate attack on the USS Liberty, which was flying an American flag. The American soldiers on the ship were on stand-down, and were not wearing helmets or were armed ready for conflict. They were not preparing to attack and they were not expecting to be attacked, especially by a so-called “ally.”
The ship was easily identified as American because the Israel had been closely monitoring the ship for 8 hours. Most of Israel’s pilots were either former American or British Jewish military personnel who had immigrated to Israel. They knew what they were doing.
It was flying an American Flag!!!!
The Israelis asserted that the ship was not flying the American Flag. If that were true, they would have attacked it 8 hours earlier. But it was flaying the American Flag, according to every member of the U.S.S. Liberty. Except for one moment, when Israeli fire power destroyed the flag and the flag was taken down and replaced with another American Flag.
It was Iwo Jima Moment!
The Israelis have done more to cover up the crime and confuse the facts than Americans have done to expose the truth and stand up for the rights of the murdered Americans!
In the Israeli attack to destroy the feared listening devices, Israel killed 34 American soldiers and wounded 172 more. The Israelis did their best to sink the ship so there would be no evidence of the attack, but the Liberty and its valiant American soldiers defended themselves against the Israeli attack. As the attack continued longer than expected, almost two hours, Israel was forced to pull back its forces.
The Americans protested, but by then, Israel had launched its invasion of Jordan, a tiny dictatorship run by a Westernized monarchy and had easily taken East Jerusalem and the entire West Bank, killing thousands of civilians and forcing another wave of Palestinian Christians and Muslims to leave what Israel intended to be only a state for Jews. Non-Jews are the victims of discrimination under Zionism.
This day marks a national mourning for the forgotten American soldiers killed by Israel. Israel has killed many Americans, but for political expediency and because of the power of the Israeli lobby and the acquiescence of American politicians under Israel’s control, their plight is never acknowledged properly. And Americans murdered by Israel such as Rachel Corrie, Orwa Hammad, Mohammad Abdul-Rahman Ayyad, 21, and Abdul-Rahman Wajeeh Barghouthi, Furkan Dogan, and so many more.
Here is the list of the 34 Americans murdered by Israel on the U.S.S. Liberty on June 8, 1967 as a part of Israel’s aggressive strategy to destroy Palestine and take all of the land. Click to view names.
One of those killed on the U.S.S. Liberty was its Lt. Commander, Philip McCutcheon Armstrong, who ironically was born o the 4th of July in 1929.
What a shame that Israel can do this to America! What a shame!
↑ Grab this Headline Animator
THIS POST HAS BEEN READ 29239 TIMES SO FAR. THANK YOU!As a former Londoner, born & raised, who thought she knew everything there was to know about the city, finding out that there’s been a secret Royal Mail underground train line beneath our feet for over 85 years was just a little bit shocking. A reader sent me a tip this morning about a group of urban explorers who had managed to infiltrate this notoriously hard-to-reach underworld. The Royal Mail’s underground ‘mini’ railway was used to take letters (and possibly workers) along the tracks to different station/sorting offices stretching from Paddington to Whitechapel. In 2002, it had become an uneconomical service, losing an estimated £1.2M a day, and quietly shut down.
For almost a decade, the abandoned stations and tracks have stood in silence; only empty mail trolleys creaking from the drafts, outdated telephones sitting on abandoned control desks, trains mid-track and frozen in time.
To the thrill-seeking explorers of Silent UK, the Rail Mail was “London’s final unconquered Grail”. With most remaining access points covered in concrete or tucked away in secured live postal depots, “it is without a doubt the Mail Rail sits at the throne of London exploration, laughing maniacally at the puny adventurers unable to even stare it in the eyes without bursting into flames. There is, and will never be anything like it again, its uniqueness forever unrivalled,” recalls the anonymous author at Silent UK. I suppose every city needs its secrets.
Relive this extraordinary adventure into the London underworld with Silent UK detailing the full story behind the Mail Rail, how they infiltrated it and what they found. Hats off to the team for taking such a risk. Full article and more photographs here.
This photograph comes from Flickr user Richard Pope who seems to have infiltrated the Mail Rail in 2006. He seems to have stumbled upon an old passenger cart in the abandoned mini railway, showing that mail wasn’t the only thing traveling through those tunnels! My guess is this gem was probably removed before Silent UK’s expedition last year. Hopefully it’s safely stored away and we’ll one day see it in a museum.
Thanks to Silent UK and Richard Pope for being such bad-ass explorers!
UPDATE: The Mail Rail is back in Business!
You can now journey back in time on a specially made train through the original tunnels and station platforms under Mount Pleasant. Take a ride on Mail Rail and experience 15 minutes of immersive underground exploration on the miniature mail trains.US president Donald Trump has a long list of conflicting claims about his relations with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin—from claims in 2013 that he has “a relationship” with and has “met” Putin, to hyperbolizing in 2016 that he doesn’t “know who Putin is.”
He went a step further today, telling healthcare executives, “I haven’t called Russia in 10 years,” according to a White House press pool report.
That’s unlikely. First, he did actually speak to Russia just a few weeks ago, on Jan. 28, in a call the Kremlin described as having “substance and sense.” Trump may not have personally dialed Putin’s number, but the call would have been arranged through aides on his say-so.
Second, Trump actually held a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013 (it was before, during and after this pageant that he made most of the statements about his relationship with Putin). As anyone who’s ever done any work with Russia and its tear-inducing bureaucracy will attest, it’s unthinkable that the mogul could have arranged an event of that size without a host of phone calls. “Will [Putin] become my new best friend?” Trump tweeted about the event.
Why does this matter? It’s the latest in a list of untruths about the president’s murky relations with the Kremlin that already saw his national security advisor Mike Flynn fired. Flynn allegedly lied to the vice president about discussing sanctions with Russia’s ambassador, and there is pressure to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate contacts between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
The context for the statement? Trump spoke for about 5 minutes to healthcare executives, and at the end, journalists were ushered out of the room. A reporter on the way out asked if Trump ”supports a special prosecutor on Russia,” at which point the president reportedly mouthed “no,” and then made his ludicrous phone call claim. Such blatant falsehoods can only embolden US Democrats’ insistence on the need for an independent investigation into his Russia ties.Space agency kills off internet rumour by confirming an asteroid strike will not wipe out humanity in the next few weeks, or years, or decades
Nasa says the world is not going to end in September
Good news for those with plans for October and beyond: the Earth will still be in existence.
Nasa has confirmed – after rumours swept the internet about an imminent asteroid strike expected between 15 and 28 September – that the two-week period in question will be entirely free of Earth-destroying space attacks.
The likelihood of any known potentially hazardous asteroid striking the planet within the next 100 years stands at 0.01%, the space agency said in a statement.
This is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but with a Big Rip Read more
Persistent rumours on “numerous recent blogs and web postings” that an errant asteroid is due to wipe out not just Puerto Rico, but the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, persuaded Nasa scientists that they needed to speak up, the statement says.
“There is no scientific basis – not one shred of evidence – that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth on those dates,” said Paul Chodas, manager of Nasa’s near-Earth object office at the jet propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California.
“If there were any object large enough to do that type of destruction in September, we would have seen something of it by now.”
It is not the first time Nasa has punctured the excitement of doom-mongers. In 2012, it dismissed claims that the comet Elenin was on its way to destroy mankind, calling it a “trail of piffling particles”.
The space agency was also proved right in its assertion that the world would not end on 21 December 2012, as the Mayan calendar came to an end, heralding the apocalypse.
“There is no existing evidence that an asteroid or any other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth,” Chodas said. “In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century.”
The jet propulsion lab’s asteroid watch website helpfully lists the next five close approaches by asteroids to the Earth. Of these, the riskiest will pass within 1,689,811 km (1,050,000 miles) of our planet on 21 August. Which is today. So be careful out there.A US transit system janitor who caused an uproar over his excessive salary has been caught hiding in a closet during his work hours.
Mr Liang Zhao Zhang, who cleans the Powell Street station in downtown San Francisco, reportedly earned a total of US$271,243 (S$385,000) in 2015.
The sum includes his basic salary of US$57,945 and an additional US$162,050 in overtime pay, public records released by non-profit organisation Transparent California showed.
An investigation conducted by local television station KTVU revealed that Mr Liang's employer, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart), paid him for supposedly working 20 hours a day for 18 consecutive days.
He was also paid every single day, including weekends, for the whole of 2015.
KTVU, which recently went through two days' worth of surveillance footage from Bart's security cameras, discovered that Mr Liang frequently visited a storage closet in the station.
He would spend up to 90 minutes in the closet several times a day.
When asked, Mr Liang said he was taking his lunch break, although Bart said its employees eat their lunch in a break room and are only given 30 minutes for meals.
Speaking to KTVU, Bart's chief transportation officer Roy Aguilera said it was possible for Mr Liang to earn so much by doing overtime.
Mr Aguilera said Mr Liang had never refused extra work, and that the station's large population of homeless people meant that janitorial staff spend much of their time cleaning up urine, faeces and needles.
"People are not raising their hands and saying, 'I want some of that overtime. He has said yes. He's worked hard, he's completed the assignments, so I stand by the work he's done," he added.
Transparent California's Robert Fellner, however, took aim at Mr Liang's "obscene" pay cheque.
He said: "It's absolutely outrageous. For janitors that's obscene! It's unconscionable."
On the possibility that Mr Liang had worked every single day in 2015, Mr Fellner joked that he was "superhuman".
According to Transparent California, there were at least 49 other janitors who earned over US$100,000 in 2015.Iamsu! debut album, Sincerely Yours, will be released on May 13. Today he reveals the album artwork, created by famed artist Slvstr along with the Tracklist. The album will be available for pre-order on April 22.
The featured artists include Too $hort, E-40, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Kool John and Sage the Gemini while producers include The Invasion, Tha Bizness, Jake One, Trackademicks and Chase N. Cashe.
You can view the tracklist below.
Sincerely Yours tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. No Secret
3. Interlude
4. Only That Real feat. 2 Chainz and Sage The Gemini
5. Girls
6. Sincerely Yours feat. 1-O.A.K.
7. Stop Signs
8. I Love My Squad
9. Interlude
10. Back On Your Mind feat. Kool John & Skipper
11. What You 'Bout feat. Wiz Khalifa & Berner
12. T.W.D.Y. feat. Too Short & E-40
13. Ascencion
14. Problems
15. MartinaIt’s official. Palm’s new WebOS device is called the Touchpad. It has a 9.7-inch screen, front 1.3-megapixel camera, and comes in 16 or 32GB models. It runs a 1.2GHz Snapdragon Processor processor and the screen resolution is 1024×768.
Designed by the “hundreds of talented programmers” on the WebOS team, the TouchPad is HP’s second slate of the new decade, the first being the HP Slate 500.
UPDATE – The Product Page for the TouchPad is now live.
The TouchPad is Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein’s baby. WebOS suffered from a massive downturn when the company was sold a mere nine months ago and all of the hard work the Palm team put into it seemed for naught. However, the TouchPad points to a new direction for Palm and the WebOS’ unique “card” interface seems perfectly suited for a slate form factor.
The device supports multi-tasking and Flash. It comes with Quickoffice and supports Google Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net for cloud file storage as well as HP Wireless Printer support. It also uses Skype for video calls.
A brief spec list:
Dual core, 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon processor
802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR,
Gyro/Accelerometer, Compass
9.7, 1024×768 display, 1.3 megapixel webcam, supports video calling
1.6 pounds, 13.7 mm thick
Note that is is almost exactly the same size as the current iPad, for comparison’s sake. The device runs all of the standard WebOS PIM applications including Palm’s excellent mail app. It also supports Flash out of the box, so all of your favorite websites (that use Flash) will work seamlessly.
Product PageThe Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. is considering whether or not they should drop the "so help me God" portion from its honor oath after Military Religious Freedom Foundation filed a complaint.
"To tie the honor code to a religious test violates the no-establishment clause of the Constitution," said MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein to The Colorado Springs Gazette.
Adopted in 1984 and unchanged since, the Honor Oath reads, via Air Force Academy's cadet handbook:
We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.
Last week, the Colorado Springs Independent published a photograph of a poster which includes the cadet oath and the line "so help me god." The newspaper forwarded that photo to Weinstein who contacted Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson about the poster who responded via email saying that the "Prep School poster has been taken down."
But the "so help me God" portion of the spoken oath remains.
Academy spokesman Maj. Brus Vidal told the Air Force Times that a committee met to discuss the oath's wording earlier this week, but a decision was not yet made on how or if the wording would be changed.
Executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty Ron Crews told Fox News that, "Removing this voluntary affirmation expresses hostility toward religion." Adding, "Further, it removes the solemnity and gravity of the oath, particularly for the many cadets who come from a faith tradition."
Weinstein got into a heated exchange with Megyn Kelly on her Fox News show "The Kelly File" Wednesday evening explaining why the "so help me God" phrase's appearance in the oath is unconstitutional.
"Mikey, chill, chill," Kelly said and then let Weinstein continue. Watch the interview between Kelly and Weinstein above.Could you (or your nan) fall in love with a machine? This short story explores how far the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence could go
Grandma calls her sex robot Sony. We tell her that’s just the company who makes it.
“Well,” she says, “he looks like a Sony. Doesn’t he?”
We tell her he doesn’t. We tell her ‘he’ looks like an automaton with silver skin and copper eyelashes, which is exactly what he is, one of many mass produced for the pleasure of the lonely. We point to the round brass orb at the fulcrum of his legs. Do you know, we ask Grandma, what happens when that opens? Do you know what’s inside?
“Of course,” Grandma says. “A smart dildo. So?”
So. So nothing. We just ask her not to name him Sony.
To which she replies, “Well, what else am I supposed to call him?”
We tell her she shouldn’t call him anything. We tell her it is unseemly, having it in her house. We point to the needlework on her walls, the antique picture frames on her shelves, the holographic displays of great and great-great-grandchildren. Then we point at the sex robot, naked save for the round brass orb, stunning sculpted muscles in plastic relief, modeled, in fact, after Michelangelo’s David, though individual models are, of course, customizable.
Grandma’s, for instance, had the chest widened. Grandma is a sucker for a big chest.
“All sorts of people have these things,” Grandma says. “Why shouldn’t I?”
We tell her, people have them, they just have the decency to hide them. Their sex robots are in their closets, the corners of their basements. Their sex robots are tucked under their beds—all sex robots, of course, fold into the fetal position for easy storage. We tell her, you can have it, just keep it out of sight.
“Well,” Grandma says, “I’m just honest, I guess.”
No, we say, you’re insane. It’s too much, we tell her, too much. The sex robot is always with her. When we come to visit, it opens the door. When we call, she tells the sex robot what we’re saying to her. At Christmas, when we gather at Grandma’s house, the sex robot is there. Grandma puts presents for it under the tree. She knits a stocking with its name and hangs it over the chimney. At Christmas dinner, it carves the turkey. It sits next to her; it spoons sweet potato casserole into her mouth. And when she is finished with her meal, it massages her calloused feet. We tell her to stop. We tell her there are children present. Not physically, maybe, but digitally, watching open-mouthed through their screens.
“If you want to take him,” Grandma says, “you can. Just be careful stepping over my dead body, I want to look good for my funeral.”
We give up. The sex robot stays with her for seven years. Then, one night, Grandma’s heart monitor fails. The sex robot alerts local paramedics. No one knew it had that feature. We didn’t know it could open the door for the EMTs, or call and alert us after. We didn’t know it could stay by the door, opening it for us when we returned to figure out what could be sold and what could be shared.
The sex robot continues as if Grandma is there. At night, it sleeps on the left side of her bed, until we have her bed removed; then it sleeps on the floor where the left side of the bed used to be. Early in the morning, it wakes and makes coffee, until the coffee machine is gone. It picks out a grapefruit from the refrigerator, until there is no more grapefruit, no more refrigerator. The worse is when it sits at the table, when it cuts the grapefruit into perfect wedges, when it raises them and places them gently where Grandma’s lips used to be. When the sex robot lets go of the grapefruit, it falls on the chair with a wet plop. Until there is no more chair.
None of us has the heart to shut it down. It is powered wirelessly; if we do nothing, it will go on endlessly. Yet day by day, as we remove every last trace of Grandma, the sex robot remains. Until at last, it is the only thing that remains. In an empty house, it continues its precise pantomime of
|
deck of cards. There are even tournaments for that. The world record is 20.44s, that’s right, less than 21 seconds.
The techniques for doing that involve using your imagination to mentally build stories that involve all types of perceptions (e.g. spacial, smell, taste, sound, touch).
It does not hurt to know about these techniques. They will help memorise pretty much anything. If you want to learn more about them I recommend Dominic O’Brien’s book “You Can Have an Amazing Memory”. Also, if you want to try memorising a deck of cards try my Windows Store App Memory Ace (also on Windows Mobile).
Even though these techniques are very helpful, on their own they don’t solve the problem that given a few days you’ll forget what you learned if you don’t review it.
The solution is to accept that reality. We forget things, so we must review them in order to not forget them. At first this may seem impractical, it takes too much time, too much effort.
But that is not necessarily true, I want to share with you a “system” for doing this.
Every time you want to learn a new subject (e.g. technology, tool, framework, library, …) you read about it whenever you have time. Be it in the half hour train ride in the morning to work, during your lunch time, it really does not matter. But every time you learn a new concept you transform it into a question/answer pair.
For example, imagine you’ve decided to learn AngularJs and you’ve just learnt about the ng-show directive, you could write this question/answer pair:
Question: Imagine you have an angular controller with a property named isVisible (with a boolean value) How would you use that in a template? ________________________________________ Answer: <div ng-show="isVisible"></div> Source: https://docs.angularjs.org/guide/animations
Or for example if you’ve learned about the ng-src directive:
Question: Imagine you have an angular scope with a json object named phone. phone has a imgScr property with a url to an image Use it in a template to display the image of the phone ____________________________________ Answer: <img ng-scr="{{phone.imgSrc}}"/> If you use src="{{phone.imgScr}}" the browser will perform a request as soon as the img tag is read, and this is before angular had the chance to replace it with the intended value. Source: https://docs.angularjs.org/tutorial/step_06
After creating these question/answer pairs (which on their own help memorise whatever you are learning) you will then use them as your material for reviews. When you are reviewing, you read the question and try to answer it mentally.
The good news is, you don’t have to review very often. And the better news is that every time you review something the likelihood of you remembering it for longer increases (a lot). Here’s a graph that shows how that looks:
The optimal rate of review is relatively well known, and thankfully there is software that can schedule it for us. That software is often referred to as Spaced Repetition software.
My favourite software for doing this is Anki. When you use it, you add question/answer pairs and then Anki will schedule them for you. When you answer a question you can report how easy it was to remember the answer, and that will be used to schedule when to ask that question again.
I’ve been using it for a little less than three years (1013 days today). I can share some numbers with you so that you can have a notion of how much time the review process takes.
In these almost three years I’ve spent a total of 137 hours reviewing things. I spend an average of 8.7 minutes a day reviewing (I usually do it while I take breakfast). If you think about it that is an incredibly small amount of time given that I have added almost 3000 questions to Anki. That’s 3000 pieces of information that take an average of 8.7 minutes a day to maintain. And that number would certainly be lower if I wasn’t always adding more information (you have to review more often when the information is “fresh”).
If you are a gamer, you’ll probably immediately recognize how small a number 137 hours is. Nowadays games keep track of how many hours you’ve been playing them. I’m not a heavy gamer at all, only play a little bit online during weekends. I have more hours of playing Battlefield 4 than that.
Here’s how successful I’ve been in recalling:
Anki distinguishes the recency of the questions as “Learning”, “Young” and “Mature”. A mature question is over 21 days old; young is less than 21 days and learning is a question that has yet to be reviewed.
Practical tips for creating your own questions/answers
The most important tip is: do not use other people’s questions. The exercise of creating your own questions helps immensely to process the new information you are learning. Also, if you misunderstood something, that becomes clear very quickly when you are thinking about a way to transform that new knowledge into a question/answer pair.
Have questions that are focused. For example, do not write a question that asks you to enumerate all the options available in jQuery validation’s validate method. Add a question with a scenario relevant for each option if you really want to know them all by heart.
You need to understand the answer. If you don’t understand the answer you will always forget it.
What I mean by not understanding is: you can’t mentally link the information you want to remember with other things you know. For example, if you try to memorise that in angular calling.service is just syntactic sugar to calling.factory and returning a “service”, but you don’t know what a service and a factory are you’ll very quickly forget this fact.
This also helps you guide your study. Every time you find something you don’t know, you investigate that, and then come back to what you were studying. In this example, that would be figuring out what a factory and service are in angular.
This last tip might not seem too important, but I cannot stress enough how important it is. The sad fact is, most tutorials, books, manuals, training videos are not very good. A good technical writer is capable of having a mental model of what the reader knows given what was explained, however most seem to lack this skill. A lot of material will mention new concepts as if the reader is as familiar with them as the writer before they were properly explained in the text/video. The advice here is: stop, figure out what you don’t know, learn that, and then continue.
Conclusion
Accept that we forget things if we don’t review them. Reading a whole book to learn that new framework that will land a higher paying job during a weekend is not a good strategy. Instead while you read create review material (question/answer pairs) and review it every day (it takes less than 10 minutes per day).
This way you can use all those small free moments (train ride to work, lunch hour, a pomodoro in the evenings) because you will remember everything you learn. You can study a bit today and then continue a month from now if for some reason you could not do it before.
It's only fair to share... LinkedinTechnological advancements allow farmers to collect data on fertilizer usage, how many seeds were planted and how much was harvested. (Getty Images)
Midwestern farmland is about as far away from Silicon Valley as can be, but agricultural technology is addressing some big challenges that farmers will face in the coming years, such as climate change and feeding a growing global population.
The technology industry has now discovered agriculture, and some big names are funding startup projects. This May, Google Ventures became a leading investor in a big data company called the Farmers Business Network. AgFunder matches institutional investors with agricultural startup companies, many of them on the technology side.
While it's nearly impossible for the average investor to buy into a startup, there are several publicly traded agricultural companies that are embracing technology. Investors should realize that the sector is small, and as of now, many companies aren't pure-play agricultural technology investments. Additionally, agriculture is getting hit by the commodities bust because of reduced demand and bigger supply, so the stocks of many of these companies are down and could fall further.
Farmers are plugged in. Despite the urban person's sometimes-pastoral view of farming, the agricultural sector has been quick to adopt new technology. Farmers have always been keen to try new ways to boost crop yields, especially if results come quickly.
"This has always been going on, but what's accelerated it, particularly in the last five years, is the systems approach to agriculture," says Ned Schmidt, publisher of the Agri-Food Value View newsletter.
In the past few years, cloud technology and computerized mapping technology in tractors and combines improved, allowing farmers to collect data on how much fertilizer was used, how many seeds were planted and where and how much was harvested.
Additionally, Mike Zuzolo, president of Global Commodity Analytics & Consulting in Atchison, Kansas, says combines and tractors use GPS and guidance technology. Guidance technology is much like cruise control in a car, but can almost be self-guided.
"The guidance technology has become so good it's allowed farmers to work at night and allowed the computer to follow paths they can't see with their eyes," he says.
The mapping and the guidance technology is called precision agriculture because it allows farmers to be more precise in the fields.
Justin G. Gardner, associate professor of agribusiness at Middle Tennessee State University, says one company that uses GPS guidance technology and offers several services under the umbrella of precision agriculture is Trimble Navigation Limited (ticker: TRMB).
Drone technology. Many in the agriculture sector say the next step in precision agriculture is drone use. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, an advocacy group in Arlington, Virginia, expects that precision agriculture will make up about 80 percent of the known potential commercial markets for drones.
"Drones have the potential to replace agronomists by being able to go into the field, do the analysis and dump the data in a computer," says Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Drones can help pinpoint problems in a field, such as insect infestations or fungal problems, Schmidt says. That way, a farmer can spray just a section of the field, rather than all the plants, reducing his expenses.
But investors who want to buy drone companies will have to wait, Hackett says. "Right now, it's probably too early to figure out which drone companies will help ag," he says.
One agricultural equipment company that is teaming up with a drone manufacturer is AGCO Corp. (AGCO), which Schmidt calls "an excellent company."
AGCO is about one-third the size of rival Deere & Co. (DE), but Schmidt says that's a good thing. "They can innovate on a product and not cannibalize another part of their business. Farm equipment is all integrated, so you have the tractor, combine, etc. ACGO is bringing in the technology. It's also primarily outside the U.S., as 75 percent of its business is in South America, Africa, Europe, Middle East and China," Schmidt says.
Hackett thinks Deere is a core agricultural stock to buy for anyone who wants exposure to the sector.
Zuzolo says Deere's auto-steer technology is "probably the best in the business." Deere also has a big precision agricultural management center, including Web-based applications. The farm equipment "can collect a lot of data, even as much as what implements you use – whether for corn or soybeans – and how often," he says.
Big data collection in general is becoming an issue for farmers, Zuzolo says, many of whom feel a bit unsettled by it all. "I've spoken to many who wonder, 'Is it doing me any good?'" he says.
Zuzolo also says the low crop prices of the past few years may mean farmers aren't willing to shell out for all the bells and whistles on farm equipment like they once did during the commodity boom. Because technology can become obsolete, there's hesitancy to upgrade quickly, especially since the farming technology is costly.
"It's not like switching out your smartphone," he says. "The question is, what will they do for 2016? Will they invest in tech or fertilizer? Technology is good and will pay off down the road, but will they make the upfront payment when prices are low?"
Other technology. Another area of agricultural technology is in verifying where food has been, from farm to fork. One small company, Where Food Comes From (WFCF), traces food's path. The company produces radio frequency identification chips for cattle, and Schmidt says with the North American cattle herd expected to increase over the next few years, WFCF stock stands to benefit.
The company also audits and verifies foods for organic producers to ensure they are free of genetically modified organisms. "Right now they're a very small company, so people need to understand that," Schmidt says.
A Canadian company, Ag Growth International (AFN), helps farmers be more efficient after harvest.
"They do grain handling and storage – every part of the process from harvesting, storage, transporting grain. They do it cheaper, easier and are more efficient. They can monitor temperatures in storage bins to prevent spoilage. They're a wonderful company," Hackett says.
Gardner says potential investors in agriculture can follow corn prices to get a sense of how crop agriculture is faring in the U.S. Corn is the most prevalent crop grown here, and when prices rise, farmers' profits improve. Currently, corn prices are at the low end of recent price trends.
"Because of that, sales for some of these companies will be slow. But when corn prices start rising, farmers will have money, and then they like to buy toys," Gardner says.The Danish organic industry began more than 25 years ago. The Danish organic movement now claims that the purchase of organic foods has helped to remove more than three million kilos of poisonous substances from the environment while protecting the Danish water supply from hazardous chemicals.
According to Statistics Denmark, the country has the world’s highest market share of organics. Currently, 7.8% of all food sales are organic. Denmark also has the world’s highest level of organic trade and development, with organic trade increasing by 200% since 2007. The leading export countries are Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and France.
In 2015, more than 53 million euros were earmarked to expand organic farming. By 2020, the Danish government intends to make Denmark the first country by law to have 100% organic agriculture, offering plans to double the amount of land cultivated using organic methods.
The Danish organic vision includes serving 100% organic meals to the Danish government minsters as well as offering organic foods in schools, business settings and health institutions.
Denmark is ahead of the world in educational realms as well, promoting a reform of the current educational system to include courses in nutrition, healthy eating and organic farming. Denmark is one of 19 European Union countries who have officially chosen to Say No to GMOs by opting out from growing GMO crops and effectively banning GMO crops in their countries.
Simi Summer, Ph.D. is an independent researcher, educator, and freelance writer. She is a strong proponent of organic consumer education and informed consumer choices.
Posted 1/4/2016The price of bitcoin has been climbing all year, even as a “civil war” has divided its community of developers, and an Australian man has claimed to be its creator in a highly orchestrated media spectacle in recent days.
Bitcoin is now trading at $457, according to the Bitcoin Price Index maintained by CoinDesk. That’s a few dollars off the highest daily “closing price” in the last 12 months that the index tracks, of $465 on Dec. 15. (Since bitcoin trading never stops, closing prices differ among indices and measures.)
And one of Silicon Valley’s best connected people, YCombinator president Sam Altman, thinks bitcoin is set to rise even more:
Here’s what the one-year BTCUSD price looks like:
It has been a busy year for bitcoin. A man claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the cryptocurrency’s inventor, “unmasked” himself in a public relations spectacle last week (May 2). The price dipped slightly as the news broke, but it has regained its upward momentum since then.
In many respects, it doesn’t really matter who invented bitcoin, because the technology is designed to operate in a decentralized manner. What does matter is the code that it runs on, and that is entering a period of serious dispute that some have called a “civil war.”
The so-called “block size debate” is a fundamental disagreement between the digital currency’s top technical minds about how best to enlarge its capacity to process transactions. The fight has gotten so intense that one top programmer quit the scene altogether.
There’s also another event on the horizon that could be a price catalyst. In July, something called “halving” will occur on the bitcoin network. That’s when the reward that bitcoin miners (here’s an explainer) gets slashed in half, at a time determined in advance by the bitcoin code. Miners will earn 12.5 bitcoins per block instead of the current 25 bitcoins.
Daniel Masters, who runs a bitcoin hedge fund in Jersey and was a former commodities trader at JP Morgan, argues that the halving could boost prices even more, as the mining process will then create bitcoins at a slower rate. He draws a parallel to oil prices, which have rallied this year, possibly because oil supplies are declining. (Of course, that might now change.)
How high could bitcoin go? It’s now trading at about 70% of its two-year peak of about $660, achieved in June 2014. And that’s a far cry from the $1,200 all-time high it briefly hit in November 2013.One night in December, I was standing in heavy rain, under an umbrella, in a dark Manila alleyway, outside a house known to be a drug den, waiting with “the night shift,” the photographers and reporters on the crime beat, on the off chance of being shown upstairs to the scene of the killings. We knew the story in outline only: four men had been getting ready for a pot-smoking session on the second floor when a masked intruder burst in and shot them all dead. There was one witness, a sixteen-year-old boy, but he was said to be too shocked to speak.
Now the police were examining the upstairs room, while we examined the alleyway. There wasn’t much to it. Someone had scrawled on the wall two local synonyms for pot: dubie and chongkee. So this had been a potheads’ hangout. Now, for a while, it would belong to the SOCO—the scene of crime operatives—before the bodies were handed over to whichever firm of undertakers enjoyed the concession for this kind of work. There was an established routine in these matters.
A man came out of the building and stopped, seemingly on an impulse, as he passed by me. He was more carefully dressed than the rest of us. From the fact that he was accompanied by his own barangay policeman, I took him to be a local official, perhaps the barangay captain himself.* “Excuse me,” he said, in a tone that managed to be both urgent and fussy, “but, as a matter of information…as a matter of information, something terrible has happened here.” His face had a crumpled look that I recognized instantly from long ago—the look of a face that had seen something our faces were not designed to see: carnage, for instance.
“As a matter of information,” he repeated, as if the phrase were something he could lean on, when all other props had suddenly been kicked away, “as a matter of information, something terrible has happened in this country.” Then he made as if to go, so I was moved to thank him for taking time with me. And I turned toward the upstairs room. “Can you tell me,” I asked, “what has happened there?” He looked back with horror toward the scene he had clearly just left. He seemed about to use one word, then change his mind in order to frame the modish acronym that offended his natural fastidiousness. “EJK,” he spat it out, “EJK!” and left.
There are two chief kinds of carnage taking place here, these wet Manila nights. There is the “buy-bust” operation, in which the targeted criminal attempts…What, Me Worry? Good thing college football's top quarterback performs best under pressure, because Sam Darnold has returned USC to L.A.'s most glaring spotlight. ESPN THE MAGAZINE by Molly Knight Photograph by Dylan Coulter 08/21/17
This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Sept. 4 College Football Preview. Subscribe today! Sam Darnold is gone. It is 2002, and one moment the 5-year-old is splashing in the water on his boogie board, and then he isn't. His mother, Chris, and his 8-year-old sister, Franki, are enjoying a sun-kissed summer day at their favorite spot, Linda Lane, near their home in Capistrano Beach, California, and they don't notice Sam paddling out into the ocean on his own or the rip current that sneaks up and pulls him some 200 yards out into the Pacific. The waves swell to 6 feet, and Chris realizes Sam has been drawn out to sea with no reasonable way to safety. She sprints to the nearest tower and pleads with a lifeguard to dive in after her son, pointing to a speck on the water. "He looks huge for his age, but he's only 5!" she screams. The lifeguard tries to calm her while he assesses a set of waves and the mess the boy has gotten himself into. "Let's just wait and see if he can catch one of those and ride it in," he says. Each second feels like 60. But soon, a giant wave forms behind the little redhead on the bright yellow boogie board. Mom holds her breath as it crests. He catches it and bounces along the whitecaps all the way onto shore. His panicked mother runs to him in tears. Her boy stands and looks at her, then heads back into the water with a devilish grin on his face. Though he is still not yet old enough to legally drink a beer, Sam Darnold's legend already burns bright, even by Hollywood standards. As a redshirt freshman last season, Darnold took over as USC's starting quarterback and rallied a reeling 1-3 team to nine straight wins, including a Rose Bowl victory. Now the Trojans faithful look to him to lead the team to its first national title in 13 years, a saga that just might include his hoisting the Heisman Trophy and sitting alone atop every NFL team's draft board come April. "He's the best college quarterback I've seen at anticipating since Andrew Luck," says Stanford's David Shaw, who coached Luck in college and isn't prone to hyperbole. "When you evaluate quarterbacks who can play at the next level, you're looking for guys who can see a play before it happens and get the ball out of their hands quick. He's the best I've seen in years." More ESPN The Magazine Merrill: 2017 is not a redemption tour for the Falcons Grossman: Saquon Barkley hasn't peaked yet Adelson: Reinventing a Heisman winner Subscribe to The Mag Between now and the draft, stories will be told about Darnold's future as a franchise-saving quarterback. Jets and Browns fans will stay up past their bedtimes to watch him torch defenses on the West Coast. We'll all marvel at his ability to keep a play alive when everything goes sideways, and scouts will shake their heads in disbelief when his most accurate throws come off his back foot while he scrambles for his life. If the hype that surrounds his playmaking ability translates into a decade-plus NFL career, his smile that never needed braces will grace countless magazine covers and ad campaigns. So remember Darnold in this moment, on a sweltering afternoon in mid-July, when he ambles downstairs to the basement of the John McKay Center on USC's campus in full uniform, notices half a dozen crew members setting up a fluorescent tunnel for him to run through for the photos accompanying this article, stops dead in his cleats and asks a USC PR person: "This isn't for me, is it?" As he stands under the hot lights flipping a football back and forth between his fingers for the photographer (Helmet on! Helmet off! Now throw off of one foot! Now act like you're being chased! Smile! Don't smile!), one of his favorite receivers walks up and takes in the spectacle. "Sam deserves all of this," Deontay Burnett says. "He's just a good person." For the circus that surrounds USC football, this is no small detail. The subtext of all the Darnold stories told this year will be whether a quiet, serious kid whose plumber father drives the same pickup truck he's had since before his son was born and whose mother teaches PE at the middle school he attended is the right man to lead USC back to the pinnacle of college football after the train wreck of the past eight years: five head coaches, three athletic directors, dozens of scholarship losses, a postseason ban, one coach fired on a tarmac and another fired on his way to rehab. The truth is, it's impossible to tell Sam Darnold's story without beginning in the water. Though he left Capistrano Beach two summers ago for Los Angeles, some 60 miles north, the calmness he picked up on the sand remains, like the freckles on the bridge of his nose. Consider the play Darnold deems the best of his life so far: In the first quarter of USC's game against crosstown rival UCLA last season, the Trojans and Bruins are tied at 7, and USC faces a third-and-9 from its own 32. Darnold drops back to pass, and the pocket around him collapses, with three linemen in powder blue jerseys closing in. Somehow, he ducks out of the tangle of human limbs and sprints to his left, with Takk McKinley, a future first-round pick, on his heels. As Darnold plants his back foot and hurls the football downfield, McKinley knocks him to the ground. The ball floats into the hands of Burnett for 12 yards and a first down. Darnold practices throws like that on the beach in the offseason: The uneven sand keeps him off balance and offers a forgiving surface to fall on. He attributes his ability to stay composed when 300-pound men are chasing him to growing up a few football fields from the ocean. The water has a way of teaching you that panicking when large waves crash down on your face could spell your doom. The secret lies in figuring out how to improvise when you've got water up your nose. Darnold wasn't much of a talker growing up, so when he was 3, Chris took him to be evaluated by a teacher. The woman told Chris her boy was perfect; he was just quiet because his sister, Franki, did all the talking for him. As an adult, he remains an introvert, which is a noted bonus for any hotshot USC quarterback with permanent access to a table at Delilah or Catch or any place staked out by TMZ. The chances he will end up on Snapchat in a hot tub with a Kardashian are next to nil. The week before the photo shoot, I meet Darnold for bottled water and a chat outside USC's Heritage Hall, the building that houses the athletic department and serves as a museum for the six Heismans and 11 national championships won at the school. He offers me a gentle warning. "It takes me awhile to warm up to people sometimes," he says. "A lot of people in the media get bored interviewing me, but I'm fine with that. I'd rather be that guy than the guy who's kind of a loudmouth and doesn't know when to shut up." USC linebacker Cameron Smith finds his roommate's quiet intensity unintentionally hilarious. "He's the most competitive person I know. We'll play beach volleyball, and he's like sweating, diving, sand all over him," Smith says. Volleyball runs in the family; Franki played at Rhode Island. A few years ago, while she was home for the summer, she entered a coed tournament in Manhattan Beach. When her regular partner bailed, Franki recruited her 16-year-old brother. She asked the tournament director to cut them some slack since Sam had never played competitively. But when Sam served ace after ace, the director became furious and called every minor transgression, assuming Franki had sandbagged him. Team Darnold still made the tournament playoffs. That innate athletic ability goes back generations. Chris' father, Dick Hammer, played for the USC basketball team in the 1950s and played volleyball for the U.S. Olympic team in 1964. A firefighter, Hammer supplemented his income with acting work. (He became one of the original Marlboro men.) "He never thought of himself as a big shot, and my son never has either," Chris says. Hammer passed away when Darnold was 2, but it didn't take long for his parents to see that their son was just like his grandfather, a man of few words who excelled at every sport he tried. Whenever young Sam made a great play on the court or on the field, his parents would joke that it's "the DNA." A lot of people in the media get bored interviewing me, but I'm fine with that. I'd rather be that guy than the guy who's kind of a loudmouth and doesn't know when to shut up. - Sam Darnold His competitiveness seemed hardwired too. When Darnold was 5, his father, Mike, signed him up to play basketball at the Dana Point Community Center. It was a disaster. No other kids on his Warriors team seemed to understand the rules. "When a kid from the other team would mess up and break a rule," Mike says, "Sam would stop and go out of bounds and ask for the ball, then throw up his hands in disgust when the referees let the kids play on." After that first game, Sam sulked the whole ride home in Mike's truck. At San Clemente High, he moved from receiver and linebacker to starting quarterback his junior year but suffered a foot fracture that wiped out most of his season and, with it, his best chance to impress college scouts. So after his foot healed, Darnold suited up for the Tritons' varsity basketball team and was named the Sea View League MVP. His football coach, Jaime Ortiz, didn't have much film of Darnold at quarterback, but he sent out tape of him playing basketball to recruiters. Clay Helton, USC's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at the time, was intrigued by Darnold's vision on the court but wasn't sure he had a spot for him at USC, which already had future NFL QB Cody Kessler locked in as its starter and blue chips Max Browne and Ricky Town ready to back him up. Any doubts were erased when Darnold showed up at a USC summer camp after starring all spring in football clinics. With all of five high school starts at quarterback under his belt, he wowed his way to a scholarship. As a redshirt freshman last season, Darnold took over as USC's starting quarterback and rallied a reeling 1-3 team to nine straight wins, including a Rose Bowl victory. Chris Williams/Icon SMI Darnold committed to a USC program in disarray. After Pete Carroll left for the Seattle Seahawks following the 2009 season, USC floundered trying to recapture his two-title magic, nostalgia serving as the gateway drug to amnesia. Yet Darnold wasn't deterred by the NCAA sanctions heaped on USC from the Reggie Bush years, or the midseason firing of Lane Kiffin the year before, or the open secret that the coach at the time, Steve Sarkisian, was struggling with what would turn out to be an alcohol addiction. Darnold had grown up in a USC household, going to games and watching Bush and Matt Leinart. Besides, he had bonded with the buttoned-down Helton, who had looked him in the eye and said the starting quarterback job would be earned by the best player. Just weeks after Darnold arrived on campus, Sarkisian showed up drunk to a booster event and delivered a profanity-laced speech. A few weeks later, he boarded a plane for rehab in Utah and was fired before he landed. When asked about the upheaval of his redshirt season, Darnold shakes his head and sighs. "It was crazy," he says. "What was even crazier is there were guys on the team who had dealt with it before with Kiffin. I was like, 'Whoa, this is insane.' And there were seniors who were like, 'Eh, no big deal, it happens.'" Helton took over as interim head coach, and the team went 5-4 the rest of the way. His interim label was removed after USC rolled past UCLA 40-21 in the penultimate game of the regular season. The move gave a group of 18- to 21-year-olds what they needed most: stability. As a redshirt freshman in September 2016, Darnold watched from the bench as USC swaggered onto the field against Alabama, took a 3-0 lead, then gave up 38 unanswered points. That 52-6 shellacking was the worst season-opening loss in USC history. Darnold came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes against Utah State the next week. In the third game of the season, at Stanford, the Trojans were sputtering, trailing 27-10 late in the fourth quarter. Helton sent Darnold onto the field, and Burnett ran a double move with a linebacker tight on his hip. Darnold slid up the pocket, stepped over a defender and threw for a 28-yard gain. "As soon as I stuck my foot in the ground and looked up for the ball, it was just right in my hand," Burnett says. Neither team scored the rest of the way. USC dropped to 1-2. On Sunday, Helton told Darnold he was starting the next week, at Utah. His first start was a heartbreaker, as the Utes scored with 16 seconds left to win 31-27. Darnold rushed for a TD but threw for none. Leinart reached out to him afterward. "I asked him for tips on how to step in as a redshirt freshman and lead a group of seniors who are kind of lost," Darnold says. "USC hadn't been 1-3 in forever, and the team maybe had negative thoughts in their head. I know I did." Leinart encouraged him to stay calm, remain levelheaded. As Darnold recalls, "He basically said to continue being myself because, in my darkest moments, that's who everybody's gonna see." Darnold and a few teammates called a players-only meeting after that game. "I told them, 'Hey, we can't quit now.'" Darnold's teammates credit his ability to let go of the past as key to their success. "He's always optimistic about everything," Burnett says. "I think of his mindset as the 'next play' mentality. Like, 'Let's go out there, let's get 'em, this is the drive.'" USC ripped off nine straight wins to finish the season, capped with a thrilling comeback over No. 5 Penn State at the Rose Bowl, where Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns. With 1:27 left and the Trojans on the Nittany Lions' 27-yard line, Darnold dropped back and threw a perfect ball between two defenders in a spot where only Burnett could catch it for the tying touchdown. "The only way I can describe it is, I felt the grass in front of me and so did Deontay," he told reporters. The Trojans won on a field goal. Darnold is feeling a lot of things heading into his third fall at USC, but pressure doesn't seem to be one of them. He insists his heart was pounding against his pads during that final minute of the Rose Bowl. But that heart grew into itself in Capistrano Beach, so maybe it pounds a little slower than most. The Pac-12 media day in late July is at the Hollywood and Highland retail center, situated amid the flood of tourists on the Walk of Fame. Each team brings its head coach, an offensive player and a defensive player to be interviewed. The Trojans choose Smith and his roommate, Darnold, who is dressed like a corporate intern in a gray USC polo shirt, khaki pants and the kind of brown shoes a young man might wear to church. During Darnold's Q&A session, his pant leg creeps up to reveal black-and-white Vans socks covered in skateboards. More Year of the Quarterback Knox: Welcome to the year of the QB in college football Schlabach: Meet the NFL draft darling who couldn't get a college scholarship Rittenberg: Can Josh Rosen's play catch up to his voice? At lunch, each team delegation sits outside at a picnic table with 10 chairs, and reporters are encouraged to join them. Nylon umbrellas brought in for shade instead trap the stifling heat. Many teams have open seats at their tables; at USC's, 30 reporters jostle for seven seats, eager for Darnold's sound bites about his expectations for this season. In the rare moments when the scrum turns its focus to Smith or Helton, the usually unflappable Darnold alternates between rubbing his eyes and biting his nails. This is the hardest part of being USC's starting quarterback. Leading a game-tying drive in the final two minutes of the Rose Bowl as a redshirt freshman isn't as challenging for an introvert as talking to strangers in the middle of a mall. But he's getting used to it. The pressure won't lessen if the year goes as expected and he decides to leave for the NFL. But he won't make that decision until spring. He knows that if he goes, this is his only shot to bring the Trojans back to glory. When I asked him about that time he almost drowned when he was 5, he remembers the story a little different than his mother, insisting he was petrified. The waves were really big, and he was just a little kid. But he accepted that he was stuck in the situation until he could find an opening to scramble out of it. "When the next wave came, I was like, 'OK,' " he says. " 'This is my opportunity.' " Molly KnightMolly Knight is a contributing writer to ESPN The Magazine and the author of
|
shifted their travel out of the morning peak since the introduction of free travel in last June. This has resulted in a more even distribution of ridership, with the ratio of peak (08.00–09.00) to pre-peak (07.00–8.00) travel falling from 2·7 to 2·1.
An LTA survey found most commuters who changed times did so because of the free travel. Two out of three of those who had not shifted said this was because they do not have flexible work arrangements, and so LTA is to intensify efforts to encourage organisations to implement flexible working arrangements.FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, file photo, a customer eats lunch at a Chipotle restaurant in Portland, Ore. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. reports financial results, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)
DENVER (AP) — Chipotle says it believes an employee was working while sick at a Virginia location where dozens of customers reported becoming ill earlier this month with what health officials think was norovirus.
After the company reported improved sales for the second quarter Tuesday, CEO Steve Ells said that a company investigation into the illnesses found that its leadership at the store didn’t adhere to its protocols.
“We believe someone was working while sick,” Ells said, without giving specifics.
Given “how quickly symptoms develop with norovirus and the large number of folks involved, we will likely not be able to determine whether a patron or employee was the first to introduce the virus to the facility,” said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department.
A Chipotle representative noted that employees are not supposed to work when ill, and the company offers paid sick days for hourly employees. Ells said the company is adding training to what he called “excellent” protocols to prevent further norovirus cases.
Chipotle’s image has been vulnerable as it tries to reassure customers its food is safe since an E. coli outbreak in fall 2015, which was followed by a norovirus outbreak at a single restaurant that same year. Norovirus is a leading cause of illnesses from contaminated food, and infected employees are a frequent source of outbreaks.
The Denver-based chain has been making progress in winning back customers, and said sales rose 8 percent during the second quarter, following a 24 percent decline in the year-ago period.
But the most recent figure doesn’t reflect any potential fallout from the reported illnesses in Sterling, Virginia. At another location in Dallas, the company blamed a structural gap for mice falling from the ceiling.
Chipotle said those events have dampened its recovery efforts in recent days, but that it did not know what the long term impact might be. It stood by its guidance for sales at established location to rise in the “high single digit” percentages for the year. For all of last year, the sales figure declined 20 percent.
Larry Chiagouris, a professor of marketing at Pace University, noted that the chain will be closely watched and held accountable for any mistakes.
“If somebody gets sick after eating at a Chipotle, they’re going to be more likely to think it’s Chipotle,” he said.
Chipotle itself has noted its tough predicament, saying the social media attention has amplified awareness of its food scares compared with past incidents at other chains.
Still, the company is hoping that buzz around a potential national launch of queso will tempt customers as it tries to move past the food scares. Executives repeatedly mentioned the cheese dip during a conference call Tuesday, and said excitement around the item might change the narrative following last week’s bad publicity.
“We’re talking a lot about this one particular menu item, but you shouldn’t underestimate how much potential it has,” said Mark Crumpacker, who heads Chipotle’s marketing.
For the quarter, the company said it earned $66.7 million, or $2.32 per share. That was more than the $2.16 per share analysts expected, according to Zacks Investment Research. Chipotle noted that its restaurant level operating margin during the period improved, driven by more efficient scheduling of employees.
Total revenue was $1.17 billion. Analysts expected $1.18 billion.
Chipotle shares have dropped roughly 8 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen 11 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Tuesday, shares hit $348.40, a decline of 21 percent in the last 12 months. They rose 1.2 percent in extended trading.
_____
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CMG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CMG
_____
Keywords: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Earnings ReportImage caption Ingrid Betancourt's rescue in 2008 made international news
The abduction of people, either for political reasons or for ransom, has been common in Colombia in recent decades, earning the country notoriety as the kidnap centre of the world.
By 2001, it was estimated that some 3,000 people were being seized each year by armed groups and drug traffickers.
Since then, kidnappings have declined, although the exact number of people still in captivity is disputed.
In February 2011, left-wing Farc guerrillas released several hostages. The Colombian government has made the release of all hostages a condition for any peace talks with the Farc.
How many people are being held hostage?
According to Fondelibertad, a department attached to the defence ministry and responsible for co-ordinating anti-kidnapping efforts, 79 people were definitely in captivity as of February 2010.
Fondelibertad said its research showed that of nearly 2,800 cases recorded in 2007, more than 1,100 people had been freed, 211 had died, and 614 cases were unclear.
Fondelibertad also documented more than 700 cases of what it termed "forced disappearance" rather than kidnapping.
Its figures were disputed by non-governmental organisations involved in monitoring kidnappings. Pais Libre and Nueva Esperanza said the dramatic drop in the kidnap figure was hard to believe.
Do we have any idea who is being held?
The Colombian government says rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) still hold more than a dozen members of the security forces and scores of civilians. The rebels have long wanted to exchange these "high-profile" hostages for several hundred jailed guerrillas.
Although most of the focus falls on the Farc, over the years kidnappings have been carried out by other armed groups as well as criminal gangs, often for ransom.
What attempts have been made to free the hostages?
In June 2010, Colombian security forces mounted a rescue mission in which two senior police officers and a soldier were freed after more than a decade in captivity. Another police officer fled in the confusion and was later found alive in the jungle.
The most dramatic and high-profile rescue was in July 2008 when 15 hostages were released without a shot being fired after rebels holding them were tricked into handing them over.
They included Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician, who was running for president when she was kidnapped in 2002.
Also among the group were three American military contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howe and Keith Stansell - and 11 members of Colombia's security forces.
It was a major blow for the Farc to lose such high-profile hostages.
Have there been other unilateral releases by the rebels?
In March 2010, two hostages were freed - the first such releases for more than a year.
The negotiations were led by an opposition senator, Piedad Cordoba, who has been involved in previous missions to secure hostage releases.
The freed hostages were Sgt Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who was kidnapped 12 years earlier when he was 19, and Pte Josue Daniel Calvo.
Sgt Moncayo's father, Gustavo, walked across Colombia in chains in 2007 to highlight the suffering of the hostages.
Prior to this, several hostages, including four members of the armed forces and two politicians were freed in February 2009.
In January 2008, former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas, an aide to former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, were released after several years in guerrilla hands.
Ms Rojas was subsequently reunited with her young son, who had been born in captivity.
What about negotiations?
The Farc guerrillas have long said they wanted to swap police and soldiers they hold for the jailed rebels.
The rebels, who have come under sustained pressure in recent years and suffered widespread desertion from their ranks, have indicated that they seek talks that might lead to peace talks.
President Alvaro Uribe, who left office on 7 August 2010, had repeatedly ruled out a prisoner exchange.
His successor, former defence minister Juan Manuel Santos, has indicated peace talks can happen, but only if the guerrillas release all hostages and show their readiness to abandon their armed struggle.
Does the plight of the hostages still resonate in Colombia after so many years?
Definitely. Colombian radio stations run programmes in which family members and friends can send messages they hope their kidnapped relatives will hear.
And any developments, such as reported moves towards any releases, are covered extensively by Colombian media.In her first television interview with U.S. media, the Colombian prostitute at the center of a scandal with U.S. Secret Service agents says that President Barack Obama’s advance team was more concerned with partying than security.
“These seem like completely stupid, idiotic people,” Dania Londono Suarez told NBC’s Michelle Kosinski. “I don’t know how Obama had them in his security force.”
A scandal erupted earlier this month after an agent refused to pay Londono Suarez $800 for her services, but she says the agents were aware of the cost.
“These are very basic words: sex, sexo, cash, money, dinero,” she explained. “I made a sign with my fingers so he couldn’t pretend that I was charging $80 or 80 cents.”
After returning to his room and having “normal sex,” she said the agent fell asleep and she could have stolen sensitive documents.
And the next morning the agent became “very angry” because she refused to stay longer and asked for her money. He gave her $50 and told her to leave.
When police got involved, other agents came up with about $250 and she left.
“I think it’s fair they lost their jobs and can never have their badges again,” Londono said.
“The way they approached us, it seems obvious that they were used to doing it because people that do this for the first time are very shy,” she added. “I’m not to blame for being attractive, they are to blame for leaving their duty behind.”
In the end, Londono believes no one should feel sorry for her.
“I know that is something shameful and ugly,” the mother of two noted. “I don’t justify it, but I did it and kept it a low profile. Never again.”
Watch this video from NBC’s Today Show, broadcast May 7, 2012.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyDavid Reich of Harvard, the senior author of a paper published Tuesday in the journal Nature, said the DNA pattern was “surprising and unexpected, and we weren’t really looking for it.”
Pontus Skoglund, a researcher working with Dr. Reich who was investigating data gathered for previous research, found the pattern, or signal, as he described it. He and Dr. Reich and their colleagues used numerous forms of analysis, comparing different groups to see how distant they were genetically, to determine if there was some mistake.
But, Dr. Skoglund said, “we can’t make it go away.”
Dr. Reich reported in 2012, based on some of the same evidence, that a group he called the First Americans came from Siberia 15,000 or more years ago, and were the ancestors of most Native Americans on both continents. There was a second and later migration, he said, that gave rise to a group of Indians including the Chipewyan, Apache and Navajo, who speak similar languages. The Inuit are generally agreed to have made a separate, later migration.
Now, based on new evidence and much deeper analysis, he and Dr. Skoglund and colleagues concluded that the first migration, which began 15,000 or more years ago, consisted not only of the group he identified as the First Americans, but of a second group that he calls Population Y. They could have come before, after or around the same time as the First Americans. But Population Y, he writes, “carried ancestry more closely related to indigenous Australians, New Guineans and Andaman Islanders than to any present-day Eurasians or Native Americans.”
Population Y comes from Ypykuéra, a word meaning ancestor in a language spoken by the two Amazonian groups, the Surui and Karitiana, that show the strongest genetic connection to Australasians.Protest against the banning of Moscow Gay Pride (S)
The Russian Federation’s lower house (the State Duma) recently passed a law banning the provision of “homosexual propaganda” to anyone under eighteen, and holding gay pride rallies. Fines are in place for anyone who breaks these laws – including media organisations, foreign citizens, and schools. The State Duma also passed a bill that makes offending religious feelings a crime, punishable by up to three years in prison.
In theory (at least to Putin and his government) the new laws are mean to promote traditional Russian values and reduce the spread of “Western liberalism”, which they believe to be corrupting Russia’s youth and contributing to the protests against Putin’s rule, to which I have to say: Putin, dear, this one’s all on you, believe me.
These laws are just the latest in a string of homophobic sentiment that has been stirring in Russia.
In June 2012, Russia’s capital city Moscow banned Pride parades for one hundred years. A previous ban between 2006 and 2008 was declared unlawful by the European Court, and they fined Russia 29,510 euros (that is around $41,090). Russia appears unconcerned that there is increased pressure from the US and the European Union (as well as multiple human rights organisations and Amnesty International) to reverse the most recent ban, however, despite the fact that the ban contradicts a human right: freedom of assembly. Moscow obviously wants to forget all LGBT people, which is almost ironic considering the fact that possibly the most famous person ever to hail from Moscow, one Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was gay. I'm not seeing them rushing to cover up all his work, however.
So what was their reasoning behind the ban? In May 2013 the head of the department of regional security Alexey Mayorov stated that there was a need for “developing patriotism among the younger generation." The original Pride ban was due to the possibility that parades could cause disruptions. I’ll come back to this in a little while.
The logo of the 20012 Pride House (S)
Two years ago, Russia banned a non-governmental organisation called "Pride House in Sochi" for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Pride House was first created for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London had a Pride House for the entire games. Russia has cut the Pride House, which was intended to offer information regarding homophobia in sports and a recreational meeting place for LGBT athletes during the Games – and that’s not the worst news for athletes and fans that aren’t straight. No, the new bill that the State Duma passed permits the imprisonment of foreign individuals who break the ruling on “propaganda”.
Couple that with the increasing levels of violence towards LGBT individuals and the Russian police’s lax attitude when investigating this, and there is enough cause that even the International Olympic Committee should have sat up and actually taken notice. Last year when Russia first banned the Pride House, there were hopes that the IOC would step in and enforce their policies. Instead, they issued a statement reiterating a quote from the Olympic Charter, which “clearly states that any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”
Unfortunately there is no further action from the IOC, despite a direct letter from the Human Rights Watch, asking them to (at the very least) put out a deliberate and explicit public statement for all Olympic Hosts to demonstrate equal and total support both in word and in practice. The letter can be read in full here
Considering the IOC’s reluctance to get involved beyond repeating the Olympic Charter, perhaps it is too much to hope for.
This is Alexander Mikhailov (S)
As a final point, just in case anyone is still thinking “oh, I’m sure it’s not all that bad”. Meet Alexander Mikhailov, the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Trans-Baikal Parliament has called for the right of marines to whip LGBT people in public. Now remember, these are just words – until you realise that he’s actually trying to propose a law in his region to allow this. He also said “We have to deal with such things” when asked about his views on homosexuality.
Regardless, let’s look at the real reasoning behind Russia’s increasing anti-LGBT sentiment and their laws silencing people. Actually I’ve already said it – or, rather, Alexey Mayorov said it. There is a need for “developing patriotism among the younger generation”. Translate this from official-speak and you get “Vladimir Putin is worried that he is losing the support of the younger generation”. Putin has reason to be wary; the legislative election in 2011 was met with large scale protests in Moscow over a voting system perceived by many to be corrupt.
Putin is using the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church and other right wing groups to create a Russia where homophobia is not only accepted, but encouraged by law. This feeds into a culture of reactionary fear of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people, and gives him more support from his people. The ban on “homosexual propaganda” being distributed to people under eighteen will result in a younger generation which will not question the homophobic laws, but will instead think they are necessary and therefore will be more likely to support Putin, and it all becomes a vicious circle where Putin benefits from keeping the Russian population intolerant.
This post: now Putin-friendly!
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, with a few exceptions for slanderous speech, "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". Under the new law passed by the State Duma, this blog post would look more like the picture to the left. Russia is taking away many of the basic human rights for LGBT people, and the world as a whole needs to be paying more attention or the situation for LGBT Russians will only get worse. There is a petition calling for world leaders to put more pressure on Putin to stop the crackdown on LGBT rights, which can be found here. I'll leave you with a quick thought: Article 19 of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights states that, with a few exceptions for slanderous speech, "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". Under the new law passed by the State Duma, this blog post would look more like the picture to the left. Russia is taking away many of the basic human rights for LGBT people, and the world as a whole needs to be paying more attention or the situation for LGBT Russians will only get worse.Our Lives Are Not What We Think
Last week I asked the readers a simple question: Where are you right now in your life, at this exact moment? I tried not to lead people to answer in any particular way, just to share the moment they’re in and how they felt about it.
I was blown away by the response. So many colorful little corners of time and space. Right now there are 140-some and counting, not including a few dozen sent in email form.
A lot of people said that it hadn’t really occurred to them to ask that very basic question (where the hell am I right now, exactly) and that it was quite a catharsis to take a minute or two to do just that.
Let’s get something straight
It’s hard to really observe the moment without its apparent context pushing in on it, that context being the rest of our lives, before and after. So the present moment’s apparent value is conditional on what it seems to mean for the rest of our moments.
We often can’t help but view the present moment in terms of what it means for other moments in the “chain” and for the character that needs them all to go a certain way. We forget that the only real fact to be had is the present moment, no matter what we think it is halfway-to, leading away from, or supposed to be.
So most of the time, we’re not really perceiving the physical details of the moment, we’re perceiving a sprawling mental map of what we think of our lives, of which the present is a small part. It feels like life is made of millions of moments like this, linked by cause and effect, extending each way from here and now. This leads to two huge problems: 1) a preoccupation with these imagined non-present moments, and 2) an astronomical devaluation of the present moment.
Of course, there are no non-present moments. Let’s get that straight before we go on: life is the present only. The past is thoughts in the present. The future is thoughts in the present. You can argue all you want that the past “existed”, but the notion of something having existed is also just a thought in the present.
The present is composed of experiences only. You can experience sights, smells, sounds, sights, feelings and thoughts. There is nothing else. This is life: the experience of the present moment, whether we’re occupied with the thought aspect of it, or the sensory aspect of it, or some of both. In most people, by adulthood the thought component takes over the other parts of experience. Contrary to how we normally experience life, our lives are not what we think.
Thoughts are completely useless except in how they suggest we act in the present moment. We know intellectually that the present moment is our only way of experiencing life, yet we let thoughts about what we experience become our primary experience, most of the time. Bad habit. Tragic really. But it’s normal.
About three years ago I had a bizarre experience during a family dinner which I now realize left me different forever. I won’t quite call it a Pandora’s Box effect, because it wasn’t evil that came out of the box (the opposite, really), and the box flops shut all the time when I get worked up or preoccupied. But let’s just say I could not go back to the same way of looking at ordinary moments even if I wanted to.
I published an article describing that experience and the insight it left me with, back when this blog had an audience that could fit on my couch. But as with so many of my articles I feel like I ended up taking a potent idea that could change a person’s life, and reducing it to a kind of neato thing that you might think about and forget by the weekend.
Maybe that’s what I’m about to do again, but I think I can bring a bit more clarity to it than I did before. Long-time readers might find some of this familiar.
The beginning of time, at the dinner table
I was sitting down to dinner with my mother and grandma, watching my hand as it speared chunks of potato and romaine salad with my fork, when I had a strange sensation. I was struck by the uncanny feeling that I had not really been there before that moment.
It was as if I had just been dumped there, into that moment, into those clothes, into that seat, into that unique but by all accounts unmemorable moment in some 28-year-old man’s life. After I had a second to think, I noticed that the moment came complete with a rich assortment of memories, relationships, knowledge and privileges. It felt like the universe had just rebooted, and that dinner scene was where I found myself when the picture returned to the screen.
I discovered I was in a warm dining room styled in beige and ebony, with two fascinating people and a very colorful plateful of food in front of me. The women, whom I seemed to recognize as my mother and her mother, were in the middle of a dialogue about applesauce.
It felt like I’d been in a cave my whole life. I had very strong senses of visitation and privilege, as if I was actually a long-dead soul who’d been given a precious chance to taste the richness of life again, but perhaps only for a few moments. For whatever reason, I was momentarily allowed to witness, with all five senses, the stunning array of colors on my plate, the indescribable tastes in my mouth, and the warm voices and vivid stories of the two ladies sitting with me. I was still a bit bewildered, but I knew intuitively that to squander that moment would be a crime.
Where I was before that moment, I don’t know. But it wasn’t in that room. It made me think about how short a human life is compared to the vast stretches of time that come before and after it. Each of us is supposedly only granted a relatively tiny window of about 0 to 100 years, through which we’re endowed with the precious gift of experience. As for the two oceans of time that bookend a life, nobody really knows what they are like, but it seems fairly certain that they do not contain the same richness of experience that we have at our fingertips in every single moment we are alive.
I have since noticed that I can usually cultivate that feeling at will. Unless I’m completely hijacked by some train of thought (which is fairly often), I can look at any moment as if I’ve just been dropped here, wherever I happen to be at that moment. The most immediate effect is that my focus shifts from what I’m thinking to what I’m experiencing. Fear becomes a more distant feeling and a playfulness emerges. It’s so bizarre — who put me in this complex and beautiful place?
That experience was an instance of ego disidentification, which is a dull way of saying I hadn’t lost my personality or my thoughts about that personality, but that they no longer seemed to be mine. I felt a familiarity with them, maybe an affection for them, but no investment in them. They were just there, like any other feature of the moment, such as objects on the table or the temperature of the air. Nothing there was me. I could look down at the table, see my hands and control them, but they still felt no more like me than the tablecloth. This is an incredibly liberating sensation.
To get a sense of what the hell I’m talking about here (if you don’t already) you might check out Die on Purpose, or reread it if you already have. It’s short.
Something incredible happens when you look at your present moment as if you’ve just dropped into it from somewhere else. The moment is so rich, if you’re not already taken by your dull, dismissive thoughts about it. And that ‘somewhere else’ — whether you think of it as death, nothingness, outer space, or some warm, black void – certainly does not offer anything close to the vast palette of sensations and possibilities of a real, living moment. And if you’re reading this, that’s what you have in front of you.
And you can’t really know that this isn’t the case. Whether you arrived at this moment as the culmination of a familiar backstory, or whether you were just plunked here, is irrelevant. Experiencing that sensation doesn’t require any make-believing, because if you had really just arrived into this moment from some black void somewhere, complete with backstory, you’d never know, because all you have with which to figure it out is the present, and all that is given in it. That’s the way it’s always been anyway.
This is not a drill
This is not some cheeky exercise in agnosticism where you reason that you can’t technically know for sure that your backstory isn’t imagined, just like you can’t know that there aren’t unicorns lurking everywhere you are not looking. We know you can’t experience the “past” except as memories, which only happen in the present. Your backstory is imagined. It’s a present-moment figment of your mind. It is thought.
Some might at this point want to whip out Occam’s Razor: the notion that the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions is probably correct. But I would argue that the simpler explanation is not that some meandering backstory has driven you and parked you here, but rather that no matter what, life begins right here, and that only that which is given here and now can be presumed to be true.
And since life begins precisely here, you ought to take your cues from the present moment, as objectively as you can look at it. This means consciously downgrading the importance of the story you tell yourself about who you are, what you deserve and what you can expect, and instead cultivating an earnest curiosity about what is actually happening now.
Having said all that, I won’t argue the point any further, because it’s not a matter of believing that the moments leading up to this one are imagined. Convincing yourself of that will do no good, because that’s just more thinking about thinking. Putting this principle to use is matter of truly experiencing the reality that the present moment is all there is. The past feels real, but it is only a mental feature of the present moment.
An exceedingly peculiar fact
So stop. Look away from the screen again and absorb the details of your surroundings for a minute. The spectacle and feel of the moment. Then read on.
Can you see this moment as the very beginning? You’ve just been dropped into this scene, with this body at your disposal, with this mood and this apparent backstory as the coloring. You have an impression in your mind of how you got here, but that’s all it is, an impression. It’s a collection of mental images and preconceptions that fill out the storyline of the character you’ve suddenly found yourself to be in charge of.
Look at your hands. Pick something up and turn it over in your hands, and notice the experience of handling something. Way more interesting than nonexistence, if you’re there for it.
Who knows where you were, but you know now that you’ve been dropped here, you are capable of looking and feeling and deciding — and most importantly — you know that you don’t know how long you’ll be visiting here. This is not to be taken for granted. To be able to experience at all is a privilege. It can be taken away at any time.
Everything there is, everything we know, hinges on this one bizarre, transient condition — existence — which just happens to be your current reality. We regard the miracle of existence as a goldfish regards water, which means we don’t regard it at all. But if you think about it, it’s an exceedingly peculiar fact — that we exist.
Whenever you feel stuck in a backstory, in a corner turning in on itself… BOOM, some unknowable cosmic lottery has spit you out right here and now, in this chair, in this situation, in this form. Figure it out from here with whatever is given in the moment. The backstory is just mental dressing, not important, because you are alive and you can do things.
Thoughts about the backstory will arise. Like all thoughts, they are just passing features of the present, in the same category as warm air, broccoli, upholstered dining chairs and birds chirping. Let them, just don’t mistake thoughts about your reality for your reality itself. They are never the same thing, no matter where you believe you came from.
Use them as guides and tools, those thoughts, but don’t use them as a dependable assessment of the present. They are just thoughts, which are fleeting features of the present. They’re the notes in the margin. Sometimes helpful, often way off base, and eternally pulling you out of the actual prose and into some analysis about it.
Your experience is entirely here. The present contains the past and future, not the inside-out way we’re used to thinking about it.
As Douglas Harding reminds us, “Isn’t it the very last thing we feel grateful for — having happened? You needn’t have happened. But you did happen.”
Photo by qmnonic
Too much on your mind? Camp Calm is returning once again. More than a thousand people have learned to meditate through Camp Calm. Come learn some mindfulness skills, and take a load off your mind. It's easy and straightforward and we do it all with a fun Summer camp theme. I'm pretty proud of it, and I hope you'll consider joining us. [Notify me when registration is about to open] [About Camp Calm]A view shows the Shi'ite Muslim town of al-Foua in northwestern Syria, September 22, 2015. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A week-old ceasefire agreement in northwest Syria appeared to hold on Sunday after it was violated for the first time overnight, a monitoring group said.
An online statement attributed to insurgent alliance the Army of Conquest said rebels shelled Shi’ite village al-Foua in retaliation for government attacks on nearby areas and in the city of Homs further south.
The insurgents said government forces had violated the ceasefire.
Under the Iranian- and Turkish-backed ceasefire, warring sides agreed to cease hostilities in at least two villages in northwestern province Idlib, and a town near the Lebanese border, for up to six months.
During that time, insurgent fighters are to withdraw from the border town, Zabadani, where they are surrounded by pro-government forces. In return, civilians would be evacuated from the Shi’ite villages of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib which are under rebel siege.
Rebels shelled al-Foua overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Shortly before, government forces had dropped barrel bombs on nearby village Taftanaz. The Observatory has said Taftanaz is also included in the ceasefire.
The Homs attack, a rocket fired at a rebel-controlled neighborhood, killed at least 17 people including four children on Saturday, the Observatory said.Finnish soldiers raise the flag at the three-country cairn between Norway, Sweden and Finland on 27 April 1945, which marked the end of World War II in Finland.
Finland participated in the Second World War, twice battling the Soviet Union, and then against Nazi Germany. As relations with the Soviet Union changed during the war, Finland was placed in the unusual situation of being for, then against, then for, the overall interests of the Allied powers.
The first two major conflicts were the defensive Winter War against an invasion by the Soviet Union in 1939–1940, followed by the Continuation War, alongside the Axis Powers against the Soviets, in 1941–1944. The third conflict, the Lapland War against Germany in 1944–1945, followed the signing of an armistice agreement with the Allied Powers, which stipulated expulsion of Nazi German forces from Finnish territory.
By the end of hostilities, Finland managed to defend its independence, but had to cede nearly 10% of its territory, including its second largest city, Viipuri, and pay out a large amount of war reparations to the Soviet Union. As a result of this territorial loss, all East Karelians abandoned their homes, relocating to areas that remained within the borders of Finland.
Background [ edit ]
Finnish independence [ edit ]
In 1809, the Russian Empire conquered Finland from Sweden in the Finnish War. Finland entered a personal union with the Russian Empire as a grand duchy with extensive autonomy. During the period of Russian rule the country generally prospered. On 6 December 1917, during the Russian Civil War, the Finnish parliament Suomen Eduskunta declared independence from Russia, which was accepted by the Bolshevik regime of the Soviet Union on 31 December. In January 1918, the Eduskunta ordered General Carl Mannerheim to use local Finnish White Guards to disarm Finnish Red Guards and Russian troops in the country, which began on 27 January which began the Finnish Civil War.
German troops intervened in Finland after the Eastern Front and peace negotiations between the Bolsheviks and Germany collapsed and occupied Helsinki. The Red faction was defeated and the survivors were subjected to a reign of terror, in which at least 12,000 people died. A new government with Juho Kusti Paasikivi as prime minister, pursued a pro-German policy and sought to annex Russian Karelia, which had a Finnish-speaking majority despite never being part of Finland.
Treaty of Tartu [ edit ]
After the extinction of the Hohenzollern monarchy on 9 November 1918, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became independent, German troops left Finland and British ships cruised in the Baltic. Mannerheim was elected regent by the Eduskunta and Finnish policy became pro-Entente as the western powers intervened in the Russian Civil War (7 November 1917 – 16 June 1923). Mannerheim favoured intervention against the Bolsheviks but suspicion of the White Russians who refused to recognise Finnish independence led to his aggressive policy being overruled, then the Bolshevik victory in Russia forestalled Finnish hostilities.
Paasikivi led a delegation to Tartu in Estonia with instructions to establish a frontier from lake Ladoga in the south, via Lake Onega to the White Sea in the north. The importance of the Murmansk railway, built in 1916, meant that the Soviet delegation rejected the Finnish border proposal and the treaty of 14 October 1920 recognised a border in which Finland obtained the northern port of Petsamo (Pechenga) an outlet to the Arctic Ocean and a border roughly the same as that of the former Grand Duchy of Finland, claims on areas of Eastern Karelia were abandoned and the Soviets accepted that the south-eastern border would not be moved west of Petrograd.
Winter War [ edit ]
During the inter-war period, the relationship between Finland and the Soviet Union was tense. Some elements in Finland maintained the dream of "Greater Finland" which included the Soviet-controlled part of Karelia. The proximity of the Finnish border to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) caused worry in the Soviet leadership. On 23 August 1939 Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. A secret
|
-opening "epiphanies" (the dictionary defines "epiphany" as "a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something.").
One of those came in the mid-1990's as I was reviewing some Iron Byron results we were doing at Hogan.
Let me set this up by saying that I've always played blades - I like the shot control, trajectory and feel of them, not to mention the clean compact appearance behind the ball.
But for a few years prior to this time, I was playing Hogan Edge cavity back forgings. They felt OK, and my handicap stayed about scratch, but my game seemed different. There certainly was no question that they were forgiving.
Back to the research. I was looking at a chart of shot patterns of different irons we were testing, and was particularly struck by something I saw.
With Iron Byron set to swing a 6-iron with about 165 yards of distance, the cavity back irons we were testing were producing a pattern on dead center hits that was about 8' wide and about 15-17' long!
These are duplicate swings, dead center impact, and these shots are coming out 3-4' right or left of the target line, and as much as 8-9' short or long!
Not just with one model of iron, but with nearly every cavity back we tested. Now, realize that as we moved the impact further from the center of the face, the forgiveness factor was excellent, but I was puzzled by that "dead center" pattern.
Then I looked at the chart for the new Apex blade we were developing. On heel misses, it was slightly worse than the cavity back models.
On toe misses, the Apex was significantly worse (blades have very little mass out on the toe).
But on dead center hits - our shot pattern was about 1/4 the size of the cavity back pattern! In other words, the perfect shots were much better!
So that got me thinking. My next round of golf, I dusted off my old set of Joe Powell blades, and I had an eye-opening day.
I was playing very well at the time, but not making that many birdies. That day I hit it within 10' of the flag a number of times, and while I did experience some misses that were worse than I had been getting with the Edge irons, my best shots were better than they had been in some time.
One of my friends who knows my game well exclaimed, "Where's that guy been?"
He went on to explain that he had noticed I had not been "knocking down flags" for some time, which I usually did at least once or twice a round.
So, I made a permanent switch back to blade irons, my reasoning being that I will judge my rounds much more by the quality of my best shots than the acceptability of my worse ones.
I've kept that philosophy consistent. It's a common belief that mid- to high-handicap players need all the help they can get, and maybe that's true, but I firmly believe that more golfers can play blades than you might think - maybe even you!
There are some very good ones on the market now that have worked on the toe-hit forgiveness, so you might be surprised if you took a set of demos out for a round or two.
Just food for thought and maybe a golf tip that will help you enjoy the game more.
* The Wedge Guy's views and opinions are his own do not necessarily reflect those of SkyGolf.
photo source As I've spent 50 years playing this crazy game, and 25+ years in the equipment industry, I've had a number of eye-opening "epiphanies" (the dictionary defines "epiphany" as "a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something.").One of those came in the mid-1990's as I was reviewing some Iron Byron results we were doing at Hogan.Let me set this up by saying that I've always played blades - I like the shot control, trajectory and feel of them, not to mention the clean compact appearance behind the ball.But for a few years prior to this time, I was playing Hogan Edge cavity back forgings. They felt OK, and my handicap stayed about scratch, but my game seemed different. There certainly was no question that they were forgiving.Back to the research. I was looking at a chart of shot patterns of different irons we were testing, and was particularly struck by something I saw.With Iron Byron set to swing a 6-iron with about 165 yards of distance, the cavity back irons we were testing were producing a pattern on dead center hits that was about 8' wide and about 15-17' long!These are duplicate swings, dead center impact, and these shots are coming out 3-4' right or left of the target line, and as much as 8-9' short or long!Not just with one model of iron, but with nearly every cavity back we tested. Now, realize that as we moved the impact further from the center of the face, the forgiveness factor was excellent, but I was puzzled by that "dead center" pattern.Then I looked at the chart for the new Apex blade we were developing. On heel misses, it was slightly worse than the cavity back models.On toe misses, the Apex was significantly worse (blades have very little mass out on the toe).But on dead center hits - our shot pattern wasIn other words, the perfect shots were much better!So that got me thinking. My next round of golf, I dusted off my old set of Joe Powell blades, and I had an eye-opening day.I was playing very well at the time, but not making that many birdies. That day I hit it within 10' of the flag a number of times, and while I did experience some misses that were worse than I had been getting with the Edge irons, my best shots were better than they had been in some time.One of my friends who knows my game well exclaimed, "Where's that guy been?"He went on to explain that he had noticed I had not been "knocking down flags" for some time, which I usually did at least once or twice a round.So, I made a permanent switch back to blade irons, my reasoning being that I will judge my rounds much moreI've kept that philosophy consistent. It's a common belief that mid- to high-handicap players need all the help they can get, and maybe that's true, but I firmly believe that more golfers can play blades than you might think - maybe even you!There are some very good ones on the market now that have worked on the toe-hit forgiveness, so you might be surprised if you took a set of demos out for a round or two.Just food for thought and maybe a golf tip that will help you enjoy the game more. The Wedge Guy is sponsored by SCOR Golf, where Terry Koehler is President/CEO. He encourages you to submit your questions or topics to be considered for his columns on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each submission automatically enters you to win a SCOR4161 wedge to be given away monthly. Click the button below to submit your question or topic today.
[ comments ] MSchad says:
I going to be probably be getting a new set of irons next year, or the year after at the latest. I am going to have to seriously think about trying some blades after reading your comments. Great article Terry. 10/29/10 I going to be probably be getting a new set of irons next year, or the year after at the latest. I am going to have to seriously think about trying some blades after reading your comments. Great article Terry. wedgeit says:
i've used blades and cavity backs my first set was a set of john letters trilogy which was a mixed set cavity backs on the long irons, blades from 7 to sw. i have to say blades are far better most golfs play golf accepting miss hit shots as the norm with no thought to improving the ball striking, and there fore there swing ect ect. there is no room for error with blades but persevere and your golf will improve and your ball striking 10/30/10 i've used blades and cavity backs my first set was a set of john letters trilogy which was a mixed set cavity backs on the long irons, blades from 7 to sw. i have to say blades are far better most golfs play golf accepting miss hit shots as the norm with no thought to improving the ball striking, and there fore there swing ect ect. there is no room for error with blades but persevere and your golf will improve and your ball striking graham12121 says:
I have been thinking of going back to blades for a few months, i have never had a problem getting the ball in the air and it seems all cavity backs help you get the ball air-bourne. I'm looking for a more penetrating flight. The line above " by the quality of my best shots than the acceptability of my worse ones" might have just pushed me to start looking. 10/31/10 I have been thinking of going back to blades for a few months, i have never had a problem getting the ball in the air and it seems all cavity backs help you get the ball air-bourne. I'm looking for a more penetrating flight. The line above " by the quality of my best shots than the acceptability of my worse ones" might have just pushed me to start looking. jcarrier says:
You're a scratch golfer mind you. Not trying to piss in anyones cheerios, but you're more likely to hit dead center on the face then the rest of us. I get what you're saying, but golfers should think long on a switch to blades. 11/1/10 You're a scratch golfer mind you. Not trying to piss in anyones cheerios, but you're more likely to hit dead center on the face then the rest of us. I get what you're saying, but golfers should think long on a switch to blades. scottishguyiniowa says:
I started with blades myself back in Scotland and you have to have good ball striking or you definately lose out on your distance and accuracy. I've been playing with a cavity back set for the past few years and they definately make a big difference to your misshit shots. The new technology that everyone is talking about now is forged iron sets and I've heard nothing but good things about them from single or plus handicappers, but whether they will be any good for the higher handicaps I don't know. 11/2/10 I started with blades myself back in Scotland and you have to have good ball striking or you definately lose out on your distance and accuracy. I've been playing with a cavity back set for the past few years and they definately make a big difference to your misshit shots. The new technology that everyone is talking about now is forged iron sets and I've heard nothing but good things about them from single or plus handicappers, but whether they will be any good for the higher handicaps I don't know. archieaa998 says:
Well, I decided to give it a shot. After playing many years with Callaway x18 Pro and then the Callaway Forged Iron, I went to the Nike TW Blade. I had similar experience as Terry. Having never played blades, I tried some in the golf shop and then on the range. Thinking long and hard about it, I decided to go for broke. I longer than most women and felt that I could hit more accurately with blades. Mostly I wanted to shape my shots. I can't say that my hdcp went down, but can say that my shot making and shaping has improved and my chances at lower scores have increased. Now I have to get my putter zeroed in (always an issue). Still, three cavity back sets prior to the blades. I think I'm evolving into the set. 11/8/10 Well, I decided to give it a shot. After playing many years with Callaway x18 Pro and then the Callaway Forged Iron, I went to the Nike TW Blade. I had similar experience as Terry. Having never played blades, I tried some in the golf shop and then on the range. Thinking long and hard about it, I decided to go for broke. I longer than most women and felt that I could hit more accurately with blades. Mostly I wanted to shape my shots. I can't say that my hdcp went down, but can say that my shot making and shaping has improved and my chances at lower scores have increased. Now I have to get my putter zeroed in (always an issue). Still, three cavity back sets prior to the blades. I think I'm evolving into the set. divyaom31194 says:
This ringtone cutter helps the window mobile phone users easily get their favorite songs as ringtone 5/18/18 This ringtone cutter helps the window mobile phone users easily get their favorite songs as ringtone how to change ringtone in windows 10 mobile so without any confusion install it and share the information. chenlina says:
2018.6.15xukaimin
www.orologi-rolex.it
www.ghd-hairstraighteners.me.uk
www.mulberryhandbagsoutlet.org.uk
www.adidas.in.net
www.coachoutlet-factoryoutlet.us.com
www.sunglasses-raybans.us.com
www.bottegavenetahandbags.us.com
www.macmakeupuk.co.uk
www.airjordan.org.uk
www.scarpe-hogan.it
www.beatsheadphones.in.net
www.scarpe-adidas-superstar.it
www.maccosmetics-uk.co.uk
www.maccosmetics-outlet.in.net
www.nikeairforce.in.net
www.longchampsacpascher.fr
www.adidas-zxflux.fr
www.cheaptoms.us.com
www.converseallstar-outlet.it
www.nikeblazerpaschere.fr
www.mulberryoutlet.me.uk
www.conversechucktaylor.us
www.poloralphlauren-pascher.fr
www.prada.me.uk
www.timberlandpas-cher.fr
www.rayban--sunglasses.org.uk
www.nikefree-5.com
www.airmax90.in.net
www.adidas--superstar.fr 6/15/18 2018.6.15xukaimin loemrntdherid1 says:
Patrice roy fait ses justifications
U polo ralph lauren uk sale s beats by dre cheap of nike roshe a's christian louboutin shoes wood display rack Kara Winger christian louboutin loafers accomplished third in order jordans for sale to create jordans on sale your SCOR Golf- The Short Game Company.
Click here to learn more about Terry.redheadstock
Anywho, I hope ya'll enjoy the wallpaper.
I also uploaded the Anywho, I hope ya'll enjoy the wallpaper.I also uploaded the Sonata I made for this wallpaper.
dammit why is sonata so adorable? i saw that as popular as she has become, why aren't there any exclusive backgrounds for her? if there are, i certainly couldn't find them.this picture had an interesting reason behind it (other than not finding any wallpapers). i will try to remain spoiler free if you haven't seen Rainbow Rocks yet.What happens after the show? That quite bugged me last night, thinking about it. What becomes of the dazzlings then? I wonder if they stay together or not. Perhaps we may never get an answer.This picture is what I kinda came to accept. After the show, I feel that they wouldn't stay together, they don't really have a reason to, other than their past, and they don't seem too friendly to each other after about a thousand years of fighting among themselves. I feel that Sonata would be left on her own. Where would she go then? What will she do now? I like to think she'd take a lonely walk and think of things. Is she gonna find a quiet place to eat tacos? Who knows?Anyway.If you think her taco obsession is about as dumb as derpy's muffin obsession, well, I can understand that it shouldn't be what she's all about. She just seemed really interested in taco tuesday though. And I'm okay if her thing is always gonna be tacos.Her outfit was based on what she wore in the film, not box art vectors. I noticed the two were very different from each other. She didn't have too much going on during the film, which I think was better. Sorry for the lack of pony. I am not sure if people would've wanted human Sonata or anthro, or siren, or regular pony. So I stuck with human.cloud brushesAmong the Sleep developers Krillbrite studios is looking to get their game off the ground by using a new Kickstarter campaign. Krillbrite would like to be able to finish their game and get it out to the market by December of this year.
In order to accomplish their goal of making $200,000 through Kickstarter they will need to find the same kind of success that other game comanies like DoubleFine have managed.
The $200,000 price tag is what the development team has decided it needs in order to quit their part-time jobs and devote all of their time to the game.
This particular kickstarter campaign is slated to run through May 18 and as of now, the team looks like it is well on its way with a little over $76,000 already pledged.
Among the Sleep is a truly original survival horror game because the player actually steps into the shoes of a two-year old child.
This means that a world that honestly might not be that scary to an adult is suddenly terrifying to you as the young babe who is just trying to get back to your family.
The game features no traditional combat, so this is truly a survival game where you need to escape rather than fight your way out of tight scrapes.
Because you are basically a toddler, your movements are not what they would be if you were a well trained and fully grown person.
Instead the movements are that of someone who isn’t sure on their feet and indeed at times isn’t on their feet at all.
If this seems like a project that you want to back, you can rest assured that it won’t cost an arm and a leg.
A $20 donation will get you a digital copy of the game when it is finally released as well as some wallpaper with original art for your computer.
Spend $25 on Among the Sleep and you can get the digital copy as well as the soundtrack for the game.Sydney Morning Herald photographer Nick Moir has been detained by private security guards working for an Australian immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea.
Moir was reportedly detained in the vicinity of the Manus Island hospital, by guards who were operating outside of their jurisdiction, and he was forced by the guards to delete his photographs.
ABC correspondent in PNG Liam Fox has tweeted about a similar recent experience, saying "A...guard marched me out of a private hospital in Moresby on Wednesday while trying to get info on the injured asylum seekers sent there."
Fox also tweeted that the guards have tried to prevent media taking pictures at Manus Island airport.
Moir was on assignment to Manus Island, where a privately operated Australian detention centre processes asylum seekers offshore on behalf of the Australian Government. This policy is designed to limit the rights of asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
Violence erupted at the detention centre this week, claiming the life of an Iranian man and causing injury to 60 other asylum seekers.
Australian journalists and opposition politicians are calling for an end to the secrecy surrounding the Abbott Government's handling of asylum seeker policy which is characterised by the slogan "Stop the boats".
Moir has now been released and the Editor's Weblog understands that he is attempting to retrieve deleted images.Tomgram: Kramer and Hellman, The Washington Creation That Ate Your Lunch
[Note for TomDispatch Readers: I know I’m starting to sound like the proverbial broken record, but once again, many thanks for the surge of recent $100 donations in return for signed copies of Nick Turse’s new book, Kill Anything that Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam. (It’s great to get this sort of help defraying the unexpected costs of fixing and strengthening this site for the future, after its recent crash -- when it simply couldn’t handle a rise in traffic and popularity.) The second appearance of Nick’s book on the New York Times extended bestseller list has been a genuine surprise, and no less surprising, it’s been a runaway “bestseller” at TomDispatch as well. In fact, there have been so many requests for copies that we’ve once again run out. Be patient. We've ordered more -- and anybody who still wants to take us up on the offer, be sure to check out the TomDispatch donation page. Tom]
Once upon a time, “homeland” was a word of little significance in the American context. What American before 9/11 would have called the United States his or her “homeland” rather than “country”? Who sang “My homeland, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty”? Between my birth in 1944, as World War II was drawing to a close, and September 11, 2001, I doubt I ever heard the word in reference to the U.S.
There was a reason: “homeland” had a certain ring to it and anyone would have known at once just what that ring, that resonance, was. Not to put too fine a point on it, we’re talking about the ring of evil. It sounded like the sort of word the Nazis or maybe Stalin would have used as the terrible totalitarians of the previous century mobilized their people for horrific wars and heinous crimes.
It’s true that, in the run-up to September 11th, somewhere in the corridors of Washington, there were right-wingers already pushing to homeland-ize this country. The word, along with the idea of creating a future Office of Homeland Security, was then gestating like the monster baby in the movie Alien, awaiting its moment to burst forth.
Today, there’s nothing alien about that most un-American of terms. It has slipped so smoothly into our lives that “Homeland” is the name of a popular TV show, and college students looking for a good livelihood can now get a BA or an MA coast to coast in... yep, homeland security. (“You can build a career helping to protect our nation by earning your Bachelor of Science Degree in Homeland and Corporate Security at St. John’s University.”) And if you happen to be into securing the homeland, you can even join the “corporate and homeland security club” on campus. After college, given the money pouring into the “field,” the sky’s the limit.
Perhaps Booz Allen will hire you to consult for firms on -- you guessed it -- homeland security. (“Booz Allen is able to serve the Department of Homeland Security and our other clients because we make their mission our mission. We therefore understand what is needed to react quickly to rapidly changing events.”) Or perhaps you’ll be taken on by the Homeland Security Research Corporation in Washington to provide “premium market, technology, and industry expertise that enables our global clients to gain critical insight into the business opportunities that exist within the Homeland Security & Homeland Defense market. Government clients include the US, UK, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Singapore. US Congress, DHS, US Army, US Navy, DOD, DOT, GAO, NATO, and the EU are among others. HSRC serves over 600 private sector clients, including all major defense contractors and many Fortune 500 companies.”
Or what about the Chertoff Group, headed by Michael Chertoff, the former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, or the Ashcroft Group, headed by former Attorney General John Ashcroft, or for that matter Good Harbor Security Management, led by former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism Richard Clarke.
And that only scratches the surface. By 2006, only three years after the Department of Homeland Security had been set up, the New York Times was already reporting that “at least 90 officials” who worked there or at the White House office that preceded it had zipped through the revolving door into the private sector and were “executives, consultants, or lobbyists for companies that collectively do billions of dollars' worth of domestic security business.”
What makes all of this remarkable is how quietly, how easily, how securely that most alien of words and the organization that goes with it have entered American life (and changed it). Which is why, thanks to TomDispatch regulars Mattea Kramer and Chris Hellman from the invaluable National Priorities Project, this website is doing something rare these days: putting a spotlight on that modern cash cow and giant boondoggle lurking in the shadows of our world, the Department of Homeland Security. TomMIAMI (AFP) - Tropical Storm Irma formed in the eastern Atlantic on Wednesday (Aug 30) and is forecast to gain hurricane strength as it heads towards the Caribbean, US weather monitors said.
Irma is currently some 770km west of Cape Verde, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said in its 2100 GMT bulletin (5am on Thursday, Singapore time).
It has maximum sustained winds of 95kmh and is moving west at a speed of 24kmh.
Irma comes in the wake of Harvey, which has pummelled Texas and Louisiana with soaking rains for days, unleashing deadly floods and leaving thousands of homes under water.
The storm is currently far from land, but heading straight towards the southern Caribbean, to the area between the US island territory of Puerto Rico and South America’s northern coastline.
“Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours and Irma is expected to become a hurricane Thursday or Friday,” the NHC said.
Irma is forecast to reach the Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean in the middle of next week.Inside the original Chuck’s (Images: Dikla Tuchman for CHS)
North Seattleites — who have long enjoyed the convenience of a small corner store which also provides over 30 craft beer taps, reasonably priced growler fills to-go, and a wide selection of nearly 1,000 craft beer bottles (with an emphasis on local beer) — will now be sharing the wealth with Capitol Hill and the Central District.
Last week, Chuck Shin, owner of the above described Chuck’s Hop Shop — aka, Chuck’s 85th Street Market, signed a 10-year lease to open another venture at 20th and Union, across the street from Katy’s Corner Café and replacing the empty Copymaster building at the corner.
While the new construction will not begin until April of this year, Shin anticipates a quick buildout and hopes to open Chuck’s Hop Shop CD to the neighborhood by May 2013.
Boasting the slogan “the best bar that isn’t really a bar,” Shin anticipates success for the new location of his winning concept, which has garnered popularity and success in the Crown Hill/Greenwood neighborhood over the last three years.
When starting out with Chuck’s on 85th, Shin had a fairly modest goal in mind: Build a place where he and his family would want to hang out. “I have a three-year-old, a seven-year-old and a dog. When we try to go somewhere, my options are really non-existent! Usually we come here (to the shop) on my day off so that the kids can have ice cream and they’re happy to leave us alone for a half an hour so that we can sit down, have a beer and talk. It’s been a very nice oasis for us, too.” With his own needs and desires in mind for a family-friendly beer bar, Chuck’s Hop Shop turned out to be just what the neighborhood wanted.
CHS sat down with Shin at his current Greenwood store and chatted with him about his plans for the upcoming space.
“I think we’re expecting something like here. We’re going to be open to dogs and families – that’s our thing,” Shin said. “One of the reasons we decided to open up [this new shop] was when I was spending some time looking around, I saw a lot of strollers [in the area]. On Broadway, there’s no place to go with kids. For this area it works really well to have a place where you can bring kids. That’s why we’ve decided to open up there. I feel like it’s kind of a similar neighborhood.”
“A lot of people in Ballard can’t afford the house they want, so they’re moving out this way. Same goes for Capitol Hill – people who have a family and can’t afford the house they want there move to the CD. I definitely see that migration,” said Shin.
Chuck’s future CD home
Pulling up on 85th
Like the positioning of the 85th Street store, Shin expects to pull from several surrounding residential neighborhoods. “We’re hoping that we can attract people from Beacon Hill, Madrona, Capitol Hill, etc,” he said.
In the new space, Chuck’s will actually have a larger parking lot compared to the tiny, three-space parking lot in front of his 85th Street store. “We have eight parking spots, and we’ll have space for rotating food trucks every day. We’re also hoping to build a bit of an outdoor seating area,” Shin said.
As for its offerings, Shin has a similar plan for the store on E Union. “We’ll have ice cream for kids and we’re planning fifty taps.”. This is a marked difference from Chuck’s on 85th as the tap count grew fairly organically – starting with three and growing to a now impressive 38 taps. And not to worry; the selection of bottled craft beers in the new space will be just as large, if not larger.
The new location is a 3,100-square-foot stand-alone space, about 700-square feet larger than the Greenwood location. “We’re hoping to use that extra space to provide more seating areas for people. Here we have only one bathroom; there we’ll have three bathrooms,” Shin said.
Chuck’s will also continue to provide a similar schedule of events at the new shop: Tastings, trivia nights, and, hopefully, a weekly Euchre night (a big hit with the Midwestern Seattelites up at the 85th Street shop). Shin also plans on hooking up with some local Capitol Hill and Central District nonprofits to hold regular fundraising events which he’s had success with in Greenwood.
“We’re basically trying to copy whatever we’ve been doing here and see if it works similarly in the new location. We’re hoping to see a lot of kids come up,” says Shin. The plan continues to be an unassuming, laid-back locale that is in no way focused on décor or pretentiousness, but rather on quality beer and a quality hang-out for families and neighbors. “We’re going for homey and comfortable,” he said.
As for grub, Shin is hoping to host two food trucks a day – a lunch truck and a dinner truck – on a regular rotation.
Hours will likely be daily 10 AM to midnight, with slightly shorter hours on Sunday from 11 AM to 11 PM.
“We take possession of the space April 1, we hope to open by the end of May,” says Shin. He plans to start off slowly with a quiet, soft opening at first and then six months later, a larger, grand opening for the neighborhood. “We need to figure out the customer base before we do anything too crazy,” he said.
Notes — from jseattle
After losing Pastry Chef Joanna Chau to Nomad in New York City (go get’em kid!) we are very excited to announce the newest edition to the Rumba + Tango Team: Pastry Chef Mari Loofburrow! Mari has worked all over Seattle—both on land and at sea—since graduating from the specialty desserts and breads program at Seattle Central Community College in 2004. Following a brief stint as pastry chef on a cruise ship Mari has worked at: Opal on Queen Anne, the Tom Douglas’ pastry kitchen, and has, most recently, been pastry chef at Crush and Palisade.
Broadcast Coffee is offering beans from Handsome Coffee Roasters this month.
is offering beans from this month. “You’ve requested and we’ve listened! Beginning on Tuesday, April 2nd, both Spinasse and Artusi will re-open for Tuesday night dinner, providing our guests with the opportunity to dine with us seven days a week.”
and will re-open for Tuesday night dinner, providing our guests with the opportunity to dine with us seven days a week.” The fancypants Lark Cookbook app, etc. is now available at larkcookbook.com.
This week’s CHS food+drink advertiser directory Broadcast Coffee — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Coastal Kitchen — Web / Twitter / Facebook
Fuel Coffee — Web/Twitter/Facebook
High 5 Pie — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Honeyhole — Web/Facebook
Marination Station — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Monsoon — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Twitter/Facebook Ba Bar — Web
Poppy — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Poquitos — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Twitter/Facebook Sun Liquor — Web
Lucky 8’s — Web/ Twitter/ Facebook Poco Wine+Spirits — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Big Mario’s — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Lobby — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Other Coast — Web/Twitter/Facebook
WildRose — Web / Twitter / Facebook Bombay Bistro — Web/Twitter/Facebook
Twitter/Facebook Tommy Gun — Web
Twitter/Facebook 8oz. Burger Bar — Web Twitter/Facebook Clever Dunnes — Web
Bamboo — Web/Twitter/ Facebook
Essence Wine Shop — Web/Twitter/FacebookEditor’s note--Recent articles in Cow-Calf Weekly and BEEF magazine addressing wolf depredation of livestock and possible recourses generated some response from our readers, some of it heated. The debate began with an article written by Temple Grandin reporting on a variety of presentations at a Society for Range Management meeting. One of those presentations discussed non-lethal ways that ranchers can deal with wolf depredations of livestock.
Matt Barnes, author of the paper presented at the SRM meeting that became the genesis of the follow-up articles in BEEF, offers this response. You can read Barnes’ original paper here, which goes into greater depth on the ideas he presents in this counterpoint article.
Both wolves and livestock are here to stay in the Northern Rockies, and many ranches in the region are already coexisting with wolves and other large carnivores. Ranchers interviewed in recent BEEF articles are right that we won’t live with wolves everywhere, but it isn’t reasonable to expect them to stay in wilderness areas.
Ranchers have more ability than they are given credit for to reduce depredations using strategic, preventative and non-lethal methods—while improving their economics and overall land stewardship. The most strategic methods are based on nature’s model, especially strategic grazing management—which can also make other tools more effective—and in some cases the timing and duration of calving.
The lethal vs. non-lethal argument is a false dichotomy. Preventative, strategic management often includes both. We’ve never said that wolves don’t bite, or that no livestock will be killed. We acknowledge that lethal removal of chronic depredators will be needed.
Preventative strategies, including tactics such as non-lethal tools, can work—but only if the rancher wants them to and uses them while considering the landscape and management context. The best “tools” are the ones that think and adapt: people who both create the overall livestock management strategy and apply more specific tools or tactics.
Similarly, livestock guardian animals are inherently adaptive and can be one of the best tools. Carcass removal is also effective because carcasses attract potential predators. Mechanical tools are tactical, rather than strategic: they do work, but on small scales and for short time periods. For example, electrified fladry can work well around a relatively small calving pasture; it isn’t appropriate for large rangeland pastures. Any tool needs to be used at the right place and time, and is only as effective as the people using it.
All of the non-lethal tactics, from range riders to livestock guardian dogs to mechanical tools, only work when the livestock are relatively concentrated. Cattle are often most concentrated at calving season, and this is when we’ve been most successful with mechanical tools such as electrified fladry or any of the devices that make light or noise.
Similar livestock concentration can be created within large rangeland landscapes by strategic grazing management, with a combination of rotational grazing and herding using low-stress livestock handling. Range riders are most effective when they both create this situation by actively managing cattle, and then apply other tactics within this strategic context.
Wild grazing animals form large, dense herds that then move around the landscape to seek fresh forage, avoid fouled areas and escape predators; they exaggerate this density in response to encounters with predators. Isolated individuals and small groups are often the most vulnerable.
Strategic grazing management reflecting those patterns—high stocking density and frequent movement, as in planned rotational grazing and herding with low-stress livestock handling—can take advantage of safety in numbers, reduce the individual need for vigilance and facilitate collective anti-predator behavior, reducing the likelihood that an encounter will result in predation. These same methods can improve rangeland health and livestock production, when strategically planned and adaptively managed.
Nature's model has many benefits
We applaud the ranch featured in one of the articles for calving in May and June: that is nature’s model and has many benefits. Green-grass calving matches the cows’ annual nutrition and reproduction-lactation cycle to the annual forage production cycle, improving nutrition and bringing cows back into post-partum estrus sooner—contributing to a shorter calving season. That is also nature’s model of predator swamping, maximizing the proportion of young that survive beyond the most vulnerable stage.
The fact that losses occurred on a ranch during May-June calving doesn’t mean that timing of calving caused the losses, especially when there is no comparison to any other strategy. Moreover, it doesn’t mean that green-grass calving wouldn’t work elsewhere.
It depends on many factors, including geography, distribution of predation risk, including proximity to den and rendezvous sites, whether cattle and wild prey have their young in the same place and the calving practices of neighboring ranches. A rancher needs to consider all factors, including comparing predation risk to the number of calves lost to bad weather and all the other costs of earlier calving.
Of course, large carnivores are smart, observant and adaptive; what they learn about humans and livestock depends partly on how humans react to them. The recent Cow-Calf Weekly article on wolf depredation seems to imply that this means that human presence is ineffective; in reality, the effect of human presence depends on the potential predator associating humans with negative consequences.
For example, people should
|
he’s courting may not want to hear. There’s nothing politically opportunistic about telling a bunch of white Iowa GOP caucusers that we need to stop locking up black teenagers for drugs — or that those who have been locked up should get back the right to vote.
Paul isn’t just refusing to pander, here. He’s actually trying to lead.The most overused political insult du jour is for people to accuse each other of dealing in “fake news” and “alternative facts”. Normally, of course, they’re referring to dodgy memes on social media or the latest mad yelping from Donald Trump or his minions.
But in Scotland, our fake news is in the real newspapers.
Pretty much every day of every week of every year.
It’s worth noting that after being subjected to the scrutiny of this site, the rhetoric from the Scottish Conservatives about Scotland being the highest-taxed part of the UK – which is then dutifully parroted by the right-wing press – has been subtly toned down of late. Take this example yesterday from idiot Tory MSP Jamie Greene:
Alert readers will observe how the headline claim is now qualified by the graphic, which refers to just a small minority (somewhere around 14%) of Scottish taxpayers, not all of them. Contrast this with countless previous Tory assertions, including from Greene himself, that the whole of Scotland was subject to higher taxes than the rUK:
The papers pull similar weasel-wording tricks – this morning’s Times has a headline screaming “Scots taxpayers pay £400 more than rest of UK”, but in the very first paragraph it concedes that it’s only referring to a small subset, though it tries to make it sound bigger by saying “more than a third of a million” rather than “one in seven”. The Mail also eventually acknowledges that it’s talking about “many” Scots when the headline would lead readers to believe it’s all of them.
(We suppose we should at least be grateful they didn’t get Iain Gray in to round it up to “nearly a million” or something.)
The problem is that even with all of the cowardly, disingenuous phrasing in place the claim is still complete rubbish. Income tax isn’t the only tax people pay, and in other areas Scots pay considerably less than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.
Most significantly, for example, the average council tax in Scotland is hundreds of pounds a year lower than the average in England and Wales. (Northern Ireland has a different system and can’t be directly compared.)
And since council tax is paid by around seven times as many people as higher-rate income tax, there can be almost no credible doubt that overall Scots still pay LESS tax than people in the rest of the UK.
(And they also get more for their money – they don’t pay for prescriptions and they don’t get taxed to pay back university tuition fees, to name just two examples.)
The papers and the Tories cover a lot of this with weasel words, as we point out above. But sometimes they just can’t help themselves from falling over the line from sneaky misleading to outright lying, such as in the tweet at the start of this article from the Times’ Scotland editor Magnus Llewellin referring to a “Scottish tax hike”.
The incontrovertible truth is that NOBODY’S taxes have been “hiked”. The higher rate has stayed exactly the same as it was last year, the threshold is exactly the same as last year, and the personal allowance has increased, which means that absolutely everybody in Scotland will in fact be paying either the same or LESS in income tax as they were last year.
(And most working people, certainly those paying the higher rate of income tax, will likely also have had at least a modest pay rise, so they’ll also be paying less tax as a proportion of their income than they were last year.)
An editorial leader in the Times adds more inexplicable, innumerate drivel:
(1) Taxes haven’t been increased on ANYONE, as we’ve just shown.
(2) But even in so far as it could be said that Scots are paying more of one tax, relative to people elsewhere in the UK, that applies to people on over £150,000 exactly as much as it applies to those on £50,000. They still start paying the 40% rate at the same threshold, whether they then also go on to qualify for the 45% rate or not.
The Scottish media’s coverage of taxation is – like most of what it does – a heady concoction of things which are actual straight-up lies, and things which are merely designed to give a totally false impression but without actually saying anything untrue enough to get sued for.
As we’ve been revealing for over half a decade now, the vast bulk of Scottish political journalism is the fakest of fake news, and we can only salute the chutzpah it takes for them to accuse anyone else of that crime and still keep a straight face.A Russian jet was shot down by Turkish warplanes on Nov. 24, 2015, the first time since 1952 that a NATO jet shot down a Russian jet. (The Washington Post)
A Russian jet was shot down by Turkish warplanes on Nov. 24, 2015, the first time since 1952 that a NATO jet shot down a Russian jet. (The Washington Post)
The downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish F-16s over the Syrian border has split two obstinate strongmen deeply involved in Syria’s increasingly crowded civil war: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Officials from both countries on Wednesday discounted the possibility of direct conflict over the downing. “We are not going to wage a war on Turkey,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, although he said Moscow viewed the attack as a “planned provocation.”
The Turkish government offered its condolences for the deaths of a Russian pilot and a marine in the downing of the plane and an attempted rescue of its crew, Russia’s first combat fatalities in the country’s two-month-old airstrike campaign in Syria.
But the incident has revealed the potential for conflict between foreign powers supporting and opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad despite a shared opposition to the Islamic State. In particular, Russian airstrikes against Turkish-backed rebel groups have fomented deep frustration in Ankara.
“There is a clear message from the Turks with this downing of a Russian jet,” said Mustafa Alani, a Middle East expert at the Geneva-based Gulf Research Center. “It is a check on Russia’s policy in the region. Russia can’t do whatever it wants.”
Russia says its Su-24 bomber did not violate Turkish airspace, but Turkish officials say it did. Putin hypothesized Tuesday that even if the plane did briefly enter Turkish airspace, it was not a threat.
[This is the Russian plane that Turkey just shot down]
In Moscow at least, the event is being seen as something larger than an attack on an errant jet.
“The conflict happened because Russia was attacking rebel groups allied with Turkey,” said Alexander Baunov, an analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, when asked about the possibility of an accidental clash. “It’s wrong to say that this happened because of anything like crowded skies.”
The Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement Wednesday that Russian fighter jets will now escort the bombers, and Moscow will move into Syria powerful new ground-to-air missiles that can reach across the country and far into Turkey from the Russian air base in the province of Latakia on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Additionally, analysts say, Russia will choose from a menu of asymmetric responses in retaliation against Turkey, including informal economic sanctions and providing military aid to Turkey’s enemies, including the Kurds.
“Of course, Russia is going to intensify strikes on that part of Syria and on those groups that are affiliated with Turkey,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, a prominent Russian political analyst. He added that Russia probably would not scale back its deployment in Syria because of the incident.
1 of 7 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The moment when a Russian warplane is shot down by Turkey View Photos Russia confirmed its jet had been downed but denied it had violated Turkish airspace during a bombing campaign in Syria. Caption Russia confirmed its jet had been downed but denied it had violated Turkish airspace during a bombing campaign in Syria. Nov. 24, 2015 A still image from video footage shows the burning trail of a Russian fighter jet after being shot down near the Turkish-Syrian border. The jet was reportedly downed by Turkish forces, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported, citing sources in the presidency. Haberturk TV Channel/via European Pressphoto Agency Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
On Wednesday evening, Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anadolu, reported that Russian airstrikes targeted Turkish aid vehicles in the Syrian border town of Azzaz, killing at least seven drivers. The town is a hub for supplies being delivered from Turkey to Syrian rebels fighting government forces in the nearby city of Aleppo. The details of the incident could not be assessed independently.
Shady al-Ouaineh, a media representative for Determined Storm, a rebel group associated with the Free Syrian Army, said in a telephone interview that Russia had dramatically intensified air raids in rebel-held areas of Latakia province. Syrian government forces and allied Shiite militiamen from Iraq, backed by Russian air cover, have been trying to advance on some of the last opposition holdouts in the province, said Ouaineh, close to where the Russian jet was shot down.
“It is clear Russia is taking out its revenge on us here,” he said.
[NATO faces new Mideast crisis after downing of Russian jet by Turkey]
Russian attitudes toward Turkey, which were reasonably friendly a year ago, have turned cold with alarming speed. Most Russian tour operators stopped selling travel packages to Turkey on Wednesday. Protesters in Moscow pelted the Turkish Embassy with eggs and rocks, shattering windows. Russian lawmakers introduced a bill that would criminalize denying that the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire was a “genocide.” The issue remains highly sensitive: Turkey acknowledges that atrocities occurred but has long denied that what took place constituted a genocide.
Last December, Russia diverted a planned gas line away from Europe to Turkey in order to spurn the West. That project’s fate is also now in doubt.
“The consequences are going to be significant,” Lukyanov said.
Russia will seek retribution against Turkey but wants to avoid antagonizing the West, Baunov said. “If this becomes a fight between Russia and the West, then that goes against the goals of the intervention in the first place: to escape international isolation connected to sanctions,” he said.
Those sanctions were imposed after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and backed separatist rebels in Ukraine’s southeast.
President Obama, meeting with French President François Hollande in Washington on Tuesday, said that Turkey had a right to defend its airspace and accused Russia of attacking moderate opposition groups as opposed to the Islamic State. Russia has said it carries out airstrikes only against terrorist organizations.
“They are operating very close to a Turkish border and they are going after a moderate opposition that are supported by not only Turkey but a wide range of countries,” Obama said. At the same time he discouraged “any kind of escalation.”
[U.S., France to press allies for more assets in fight against the Islamic State]
The frantic Russian search for the missing bomber crew was marred by the death of a marine on an Mi-8 helicopter hit by an antitank missile.
“One on board was wounded when he parachuted down and killed in a savage way on the ground by the jihadists,” Alexander Orlov, the Russian ambassador to France, told Europe 1 radio. “The other managed to escape and, according to the latest information, has been picked up by the Syrian army and should be going back to the Russian air force base.”
Putin has promised the Russian public a limited engagement in Syria, with no ground forces, to limit casualties. Although the Syrian army has managed to halt a rebel offensive, Russian air power has not yet led to a significant turn of the tide in the war.
“Turkey dealt a major blow to Putin, and now he’s been placed between a rock and a hard place,” said Fawaz A. Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics. “There could be mission creep where Russia will get entangled in an unwinnable war.”
Naylor reported from Beirut.
Read more:
Russia’s Syrian intervention shows scant progress on the ground
The difficult path to end Syria’s civil war
NATO warns Russia over airspace violations
Russia’s move into Syria upends U.S. plans‘Ulaanbaatar Book’ to answer city-related questions
By M.ZOLJARGAL
This week, the Office of the Ulaanbaatar City Governor launched the “Ulaanbaatar Book” featuring basic and essential information to both old and new residents of the city.
Information on social welfare services, registration, public transportation routes, micro-bus and taxi services, real estate prices, as well as places where residents can spend their free time are all available in the book.
The book will be published every year with updated information about the city and its services. It was launched as part of Ulaanbaatar City Mayor E-Bat-Uul’s action plan for 2013 to 2016.
A book titled “Common Regulations of Ulaanbaatar City” is also being formulated by the office, as part of the “Smart Ulaanbaatar” program launched recently as part of the “From Big Government to Smart Government” initiative of President Ts.Elbegdorj.
Residents can get the book from their residing khoroo registration manager.When Peter Bro of Broder opened All-Way Burger in the former Red Coach space less than a year ago, he brought his own version of trashy fast food, mostly inspired by the In-N-Out burger chain, to Portland. The result was burgers that reveled in simplicity, with staff doing endless tastings to get the right fast-food flavors out of homemade ingredients. Days were spent trying to determine the order of the ingredients between the buns. Special sauce beneath or on top of the burger? Lettuce on the burger or on the side?
Despite earning a following of die-hard fans, All-Way Burger announced yesterday by Facebook that it has closed. As you can read below, owners Bro and Martin Hulth say that they are not abandoning the All-Way concept.
But what will happen to the Downtown space, formerly home to the Red Coach for 55 years? Will the old-school red booths ever see another round of milkshakes and onion rings?
Here's All-Way's closing announcement from Facebook:Zac Guildford has won 11 caps for New Zealand, the most recent in 2012
Three rugby players, including a New Zealand international, showed their prowess off the field when they chased and apprehended an alleged shoplifter.
Former New Zealand winger Zac Guildford and Hawke's Bay team-mates Ryan Tongia and Chris Eaton were at a restaurant in Napier on Tuesday, when they saw a man run out of a nearby clothing store.
Former Clermont Auvergne player Guildford told New Zealand television station TV3 that Australian former rugby league player Tongia chased the alleged thief 200m down the road.
"Tongia set off in his perfect running style like he was off catching a ball, it was pretty impressive to watch," said the 26-year-old, who also gave chase.
"He grabbed him by the hood and said, 'Hey mate, listen, you better stop here.'"Introduction
Ted Kaczynski wrote this letter in reply to a Turkish anarchist, Kara, who sent him a series of questions as an interview for her zine. Rather than include Kara’s letter, I have quoted only the questions which Kaczynski answered. Spelling and typographical errors, apparently introduced in transcription, have been fixed. Kara’s English has been corrected. Section headings have been added.
In the letter, Kaczynski describes his personal motivation for absconding from civilization; he quotes from his journal to explain his motive for seeking its destruction; he asserts the responsibility of technology for civilization; he addresses the idea of non-violence as a value in itself; he rebuts the romanticized vision of primitive society promoted by some primitivists; and he warns against the counter-revolutionary potential of the “Green Anarchist Movement,” which he attributes to the influence of leftist values.
Regarding his bombings, Kaczynski claims here that he sought to destroy industrial society only after the land on which he had escaped it was destroyed by development.
The letter follows.
Dear Kara,
I am sorry I have taken so long to answer your letter dated August 12. I am usually busy, especially with answering correspondence, and your letter is one that could not be answered hastily, because some of your questions require long, complicated, carefully-considered answers.
For this same reason, it would cost me an unreasonable amount of time to answer all of your questions. So I will answer only some of them — the ones that seem to me to be most important and those that can be answered easily and briefly.
Biographical
Kara: Where/when were you born?
I was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., on May 22, 1942.
Kara: Which schools did you graduate from?
I graduated from an elementary school and a high school in Evergreen Park, Illinois. I received a bachelors degree from Harvard University, and masters degree and doctors degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
Kara: What was your job?
After receiving my doctors degree from the University of Michigan, I was an assistant professor of mathematics for two years at the University of California.
Kara: Were you married? Do you have children?
I have never been married and have no children.
Rejecting civilization
Kara: You were a mathematician — do you have thoughts like that now? What has changed your ideas wholly? When did you start to think that the problem is in civilisation? Can you tell in a few words why you refused civilisation? How/when did you decide to live in the forest?
A complete answer to these questions would be excessively long and complicated, but I will say the following:
The process through which I came to reject modernity and civilization began when I was eleven years old. At that age I began to be attracted to the primitive way of life as a result of reading of the life of Neanderthal man. In the following years, up to the time when I entered Harvard University at the age of sixteen, I used to dream of escaping from civilization and going to live in some wild place. During the same period, my distaste for modern life grew as I became increasingly aware that people in industrial society were reduced to the status of gears in a machine, that they lacked freedom and were at the mercy of the large organizations that controlled the conditions under which they lived.
After I entered Harvard University I took some courses in anthropology, which taught me more about primitive peoples and gave me an appetite to acquire some of the knowledge that enabled them to live in the wild. For example, I wished to have their knowledge of edible plants. But I had no idea where to get such knowledge until a couple of years later, when I discovered to my surprise that there were books about edible wild plants. The first such a book that I bought was Stalking the Wild Asparagus, by Euell Gibbons, and after that when I was home from college and graduate school during the summers, I went several times each week to the Cook County Forest Preserves near Chicago to look for edible plants. At first it seemed eerie and strange to go all alone into the forest, away from all roads and paths. But as I came to know the forest and many of the plants and animals that lived in it, the feeling of strangeness disappeared and I grew more and more comfortable in the woodland. I also became more and more certain that I did not want to spend my whole life in civilization, and that I wanted to go and live in some wild place.
Meanwhile, I was doing well in mathematics. It was fun to solve mathematical problems, but in a deeper sense mathematics was boring and empty because for me it had no purpose. If I had worked on applied mathematics I would have contributed to the development of the technological society that I hated, so I worked only on pure mathematics. But pure mathematics was only a game. I did not understand then, and I still do not understand, why mathematicians are content to fritter away their whole lives in a mere game. I myself was completely dissatisfied with such a life. I knew what I wanted: to go and live in some wild place. But I didn’t know how to do so. In those days there were no primitivist movements, no survivalists, and anyone who left a promising career in mathematics to go live among forests or mountains would have been regarded as foolish or crazy. I did not know even one person who would have understood why I wanted to do such a thing. So, deep in my heart, I felt convinced that I would never be able to escape from civilization.
Because I found modern life absolutely unacceptable, I grew increasingly hopeless until, at the age of 24, I arrived at a kind of crisis: I felt so miserable that I didn’t care whether I lived or died. But when I reached that point, a sudden change took place: I realized that if I didn’t care whether I lived or died, then I didn’t need to fear the consequences of anything I might do. Therefore I could do anything I wanted. I was free! That was the great turning-point in my life because it was then that I acquired courage, which has remained with me ever since. It was at that time, too, that I became certain that I would soon go to live in the wild, no matter what the consequences. I spent two years teaching at the University of California in order to save some money, then I resigned my position and went to look for a place to live in the forest.
Motivation for bombing
Kara: How/when did you decide to bomb?
It would take too much time to give a complete answer to the last part of your ninth question, but I will give you a partial answer by quoting what I wrote for my journal on August 14, 1983:
The fifth of August I began a hike to the east. I got to my hidden camp that I have in a gulch beyond what I call “Diagonal Gulch.” I stayed there through the following day, August 6. I felt the peace of the forest there. But there are few huckleberries there, and though there are deer, there is very little small game. Furthermore, it had been a long time since I had seen the beautiful and isolated plateau where the various branches of Trout Creek originate. So I decided to take off for that area on the 7th of August. A little after crossing the roads in the neighborhood of Crater Mountain I began to hear chain saws; the sound seemed to be coming from the upper reaches of Roaster Bill Creek. I assumed they were cutting trees; I didn’t like it but I thought I would be able to avoid such things when I got onto the plateau. Walking across the hillsides on my way there, I saw down below me a new road that had not been there previously, and that appeared to cross one of the ridges that close in Stemple Creek. This made me feel a little sick. Nevertheless, I went on to the plateau. What I found there broke my heart. The plateau was criss-crossed with new roads, broad and well-made for roads of that kind. The plateau is ruined forever. The only thing that could save it now would be the collapse of the technological society. I couldn’t bear it. That was the best and most beautiful and isolated place around here and I have wonderful memories of it. One road passed within a couple of hundred feet of a lovely spot where I camped for a long time a few years ago and passed many happy hours. Full of grief and rage I went back and camped by South Fork Humbug Creek. The next day I started for my home cabin. My route took me past a beautiful spot, a favorite place of mine where there was a spring of pure water that could safely be drunk without boiling. I stopped and said a kind of prayer to the spirit of the spring. It was a prayer in which I swore that I would take revenge for what was being done to the forest.
My journal continues: “[...] and then I returned home as quickly as I could because I have something to do!”
You can guess what it was that I had to do.
Technology and civilization
Kara: What made you decide to bomb technological areas? How do you think we can we destroy civilisation? What will make its destruction closer?
Anything like a complete answer to these questions would take too much time. But the following remarks are relevant:
The problem of civilization is identical with the problem of technology. Let me first explain that when I speak of technology I do not refer only to physical apparatus such as tools and machines. I include also techniques, such as the techniques of chemistry, civil engineering, or biotechnology. Included too are human techniques such as those of propaganda or of educational psychology, as well as organizational techniques that could not exist at an advanced level without the physical apparatus — the tools, machines, and structures — on which the whole technological system depends.
However, technology in the broader sense of the word includes not only modern technology but also the techniques and physical apparatuses that existed at earlier stages of society. For example, plows, harnesses for animals, blacksmiths tools, domesticated breed of plants and animals, and the techniques of agriculture, animal husbandry, and metalworking. Early civilizations depended on these technologies, as well as on the human and organizational techniques needed to govern large numbers of people. Civilizations cannot exist without the technology on which they are based. Conversely, where the technology is available civilization is likely to develop sooner or later.
Thus, the problem of civilization can be equated with the problem of technology. The farther back we can push technology, the father back we will push civilization. If we could push technology all the way back to the stone age, there would be no more civilization.
Violence
Kara: Don’t you think violence is violence?
In reference to my alleged actions you ask, “Don’t you think violence is violence?” Of course, violence is violence. And violence is also a necessary part of nature. If predators did not kill members of prey species, then the prey species would multiply to the point where they would destroy their environment by consuming everything edible. Many kinds of animals are violent even against members their own species. For example, it is well known that wild chimpanzees often kill other chimpanzees. See, e.g., Time Magazine, August 19, 202, page 56. In some regions, fights are common among wild bears. The magazine Bear and Other Top Predators, Volume 1, Issue 2, pages 28–29, shows a photograph of bears fighting and a photograph of a bear wounded in a fight, and mentions that such wounds can be deadly. Among the sea birds called brown boobies, two eggs are laid in each nest. After the eggs are hatched, one of the young birds attacks the other and forces it out of the nest, so that it dies. See article “Sibling Desperado,” Science News, Volume 163, February 15, 2003.
Human beings in the wild constitute one of the more violent species. A good general survey of the cultures of hunting-and-gathering people is The Hunting Peoples, by Carleton S. Coon, published by Little, Brown and Company, Boston and Toronto, 1971, and in this book you will find numerous examples in hunting-and-gathering societies of violence by human beings against other human beings. Professor Coon makes clear (pages XIX, 3, 4, 9, 10) that he admires hunting-and-gathering peoples and regards them as more fortunate than civilized ones. But he is an honest man and does not censor out those aspects of primitive life, such as violence, that appear disagreeable to modern people.
Thus, it is clear that a significant amount of violence is a natural part of human life. There is nothing wrong with violence in itself. In any particular case, whether violence is good or bad depends on how it is used and the purpose for which it is used.
So why do modern people regard violence as evil in itself? They do so for one reason only: they have been brainwashed by propaganda. Modern society uses various forms of propaganda to teach people to be frightened and horrified by violence because the technoindustrial system needs a population that is timid, docile, and afraid to assert itself, a population that will not make trouble or disrupt the orderly functioning of the system. Power depends ultimately on physical force. By teaching people that violence is wrong (except, of course, when the system itself uses violence via the police or the military), the system maintains its monopoly on physical force and thus keeps all power in its own hands.
Whatever philosophical or moral rationalizations people may invent to explain their belief that violence is wrong, the real reason for that belief is that they have unconsciously absorbed the system’s propaganda.
Green Anarchism
Kara: How do you see anarchists, green-anarchists, anarcho-primitivists? Do you agree with them? How do you see vegetarianism/veganism? What do you think about refusing to eat and use animals? What do you think about Animal/Earth Liberation? What do you think about groups such as Earth First!, Earth Liberation Front and Gardening Guerillas?
All of the groups you mention here are part of a single movement. (Let’s call it the “Green Anarchist” (GA) Movement). Of course, these people are right to the extent that they oppose civilization and the technology on which it is based. But, because of the form in which this movement is developing, it may actually help to protect the technoindustrial system and may serve as an obstacle to revolution. I will explain:
It is difficult to suppress rebellion directly. When rebellion is put down by force, it very often breaks out again later in some new form in which the authorities find it more difficult to control. For example, in 1878 the German Reichstag enacted harsh and repressive laws against Social-Democratic movement, as a result of which the movement was crushed and its members were scattered, confused, and discouraged. But only for a short time. The movement soon reunited itself, became more energetic, and found new ways of spreading its ideas, so that by 1884 it was stronger than ever. G. A. Zimmermann, Das Neunzehnte Jahrhundert: Geshichtlicher und kulturhistorischer Rückblick, Druck und Verlag von Geo. Brumder, Milwaukee, 1902, page 23.
Thus, astute observers of human affairs know that the powerful classes of a society can most effectively defend themselves against rebellion by using force and direct repression only to a limited extent, and relying mainly on manipulation to deflect rebellion. One of the most effective devices used is that of providing channels through which rebellious impulses can be expressed in ways that are harmless to the system. For example, it is well known that in the Soviet Union the satirical magazine Krokodil was designed to provide an outlet for complaints and for resentment of the authorities in a way that would lead no one to question the legitimacy of the Soviet system or rebel against it in any serious way.
But the “democratic” system of the West has evolved mechanisms for deflecting rebellion that are far more sophisticated and effective than any that existed in the Soviet Union. It is a truly remarkable fact that in modern Western society people “rebel” in favor of the values of the very system against which they imagine themselves to be rebelling. The left “rebels” in favor of racial and religious equality, equality for women and homosexuals, humane treatment of animals, and so forth. But these are the values that the American mass media teach us over and over again every day. Leftists have been so thoroughly brainwashed by media propaganda that they are able to “rebel” only in terms of these values, which are values of the technoindustrial system itself. In this way the system has successfully deflected the rebellious impulses of the left into channels that are harmless to the system.
Primitive society
The romanticized vision
Rebellion against technology and civilization is real rebellion, a real attack on the values of the existing system. But the green anarchist, anarcho-primitivists, and so forth (the “GA Movement”) have fallen under such heavy influence from the left that their rebellion against civilization has to a great extent been neutralized. Instead of rebelling against the values of civilization, they have adopted many civilized values themselves and have constructed an imaginary picture of primitive societies that embodies these civilized values. They pretend that hunter-gatherers worked only two or three hours a day (which would come to 14 to 21 hours a week), that they had gender equality, that they respected the rights of animals, that they took care not to damage their environment, and so forth. But all that is a myth. If you will read many reports written by people who personally observed hunting-and-gathering societies at a time when these were relatively free of influence from civilization, you will see that:
All of these societies ate some form of animal food, none were vegan.
Most (if not all) of these societies were cruel to animals.
The majority of these societies did not have gender equality.
The estimate of two or three hours of work a day, or 14 to 21 hours per week, is based on a misleading definition of “work.” A more realistic minimum estimate for fully nomadic hunter-gatherers would probably be about forty hours of work per week, and some worked a great deal more than that.
Most of these societies were not nonviolent.
Competition existed in most, or probably all of these societies. In some of them competition could take violent forms.
These societies varied greatly in the extent to which they took care not to damage their environment. Some may have been excellent conservationists, but others damaged their environment through over-hunting, reckless use of fire, or in other ways.
I could cite numerous reliable sources of information in support of the foregoing statements, but if I did so this letter would become unreasonably long. So I will reserve full documentation for a more suitable occasion. Here I mention only a few examples.
Cruelty to animals
Mbuti pygmies:
The youngster had spread it with his first thrust, pinning the animal to the ground through the fleshy part of the stomach. But the animal was still very much alive, fighting for freedom. [...] Maipe put another spear into its neck, but it still writhed and fought. Not until a third spear pierced its heart did it give up the struggle. [...] [T]he Pygmies stood around in an excited group, pointing at the dying animal and laughing. At other times I have seen Pygmies singeing the feathers off birds that were still alive, explaining that the meat is more tender if death comes slowly. And the hunting dogs, valuable as they are, get kicked around mercilessly from the day they are born to the day die. — Colin Turnbull, The Forest People, Simon and Schuster, 1962, page 101.
Eskimos: The Eskimos with whom Gontran de Poncins lived kicked and beat their dogs brutally. Gontran de Poncins, Kabloona, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia, 1980, pages 29, 30, 49, 189, 196, 198–99, 212, 216.
Siriono: The Siriono sometimes captured young animals alive and brought them back to camp, but they gave them nothing to eat, and the animals were treated so roughly by the children that they soon died. Allan R. Holmberg, Nomads of the Long Bow: The Siriono of Eastern Bolivia, The Natural History Press, Garden City, New York, 1969, pages 69–70, 208. (The Siriono were not pure hunter-gatherers, since they did plant crops to a limited extent at certain times of year, but they lived mostly by hunting and gathering. Holmberg, pages 51, 63, 67, 76–77, 82–83, 265.)
Lack of gender equality
Mbuti pygmies: Turnbull says that among the Mbuti, “A woman is in no way the social inferior of a man” (Colin Turnbull, Wayward Servants, The Natural History Press, Garden City, New York, 1965, page 270), and that “the woman is not discriminated against” (Turnbull, Forest People, page 154). But in the very same books Turnbull states a number of facts that show that the Mbuti did not have gender equality as that term is understood today. “A certain amount of wife-beating is considered good, and the wife is expected to fight back.” Wayward Servants, page 287. “He said that he was very content with his wife, and he had not found it necessary to beat her at all often.” Forest People, page 205. Man throws his wife to the ground and slaps her.
Wayward Servants, page 211. Husband beats wife. Wayward Servants, page 192. Mbuti practice what Americans would call “date rape.” Wayward Servants, page 137. Turnbull mentions two instances of men giving orders to their wives. Wayward Servants, page 288–89; Forest People, page 265. I have not found any instance in Turnbull’s books of wives giving orders to their husbands.
Siriono: The Siriono did not beat their wives. Holmberg, page 128. But: “A woman is subservient to her husband.” Holmberg, page 125. “The extended family is generally dominated by the oldest active male.” Page 129. “[W]omen [...] are dominated by the men.” Page 147. “Sexual advances are generally made by the men. [...] If a man is out in the forest alone with a woman he may throw her to the ground roughly and take his prize without so much saying a word.” Page 163. Parents definitely prefer to have male children. Page 202. Also see pages 148, 156, 168–69, 210, 224.
Australian Aborigines: “Farther north and west [in Australia] [...] [p]erceptible power lay in the hands of the mature, fully initiated, and usually polygynous men of the age group from thirty to fifty, and the control over the women and younger males was shared between them.” Carleton S. Coon, The Hunting Peoples (cited earlier), page 255. Among some Australian tribes, young women were forced to marry old men, mainly so that they should work for the men. Women who refused were beaten until they gave in. See Aldo Massola, The Aborigines of South-Eastern Australia: As They Were, The Griffin Press, Adelaide, Australia, 1971
|
of listening to the athletes, to the Filipinos that majority would like to preserve the place,’’ said Ramirez, who had sleepless nights before the PSC terminated the deal with Manila through a letter sent to Estrada.
The PSC chief consulted Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Presidential Adviser Dennis Uy and other officials in Malacanang as well as his two sons in London and in California before the PSC board decided to stop the negotiations.
“My oldest son, Omar, even told me not to leave Rizal memorial and preserve the interests of the athletes. They’re my family. It’s a big thing if the closest people to you say no,’’ said Ramirez.
According to Ramirez, they’re looking at constructing one building that could house at least five to eight sports while they keep the historical facilities intact.
ADVERTISEMENT
They will also tap an architectural or engineering firm to come up with the master plan of the new RMSC with the construction projected to begin in the first quarter of 2018.
Read Next
LATEST STORIES
MOST READKyberNetwork Announces Partnership with OPSkins and WAX
Loi Luu Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 24, 2017 Unlisted
WAX and KyberNetwork: Stronger together
As we are approaching our first month post-token sale, we are glad to announce a partnership with WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange), a decentralized trading platform for video game virtual assets, powered by the executive team behind OPSkins marketplace, the largest marketplace for trading video game assets in the world with millions of users and over 200,000 new user registrations each month. To date, the company has recorded more than 150 million transactions over the past 18 months.
WAX: a game changer
WAX is designed to significantly expand the $50 billion market for buying and selling video game virtual items, and provide a solid use case for cryptocurrency. Compared to the 400 million people who buy and sell skins, there are only 4 to 5 million active cryptocurrency consumers across the entire globe.
Utilized by a savvy group of global consumers who are already well versed in trading, storing and safeguarding virtual items, WAX has a legitimate potential to bring a consumer force to cryptocurrency trading that is 100 times greater than the active cryptocurrency user base.
WAX is doing away and establishing a trustless platform, unlocking value, which can be utilized in the real world. WAX is helping gamers and aspiring gamers to become relevant in the global economy by concretizing the virtual assets within video games and dignify the rare skin collector to the same level as a stamp collector. WAX serves as a catalyst to break through the virtual item trading economy, currently valued at $50 billion, to the expansion phase.
Kyber Network
Kyber Network will be integrated directly with both OPSkins and WAX platform to facilitate the payment in both platforms. Already accepting large amount of Bitcoin payments, OPSkins will soon open up an option to allow buyers to pay in Ether. With Kyber Network’s integration, buyers on OPSkins can purchase virtual game items using ERC20 tokens seamlessly and securely, thereby enhancing user experience and improve retention.
Similarly, as WAX token will act as the sole method of payment for its ecosystem, Kyber Network’s integration will expose interested parties to the platform in this highly disruptive market. With Kyber Network incorporated on the platform, ERC20 token holders are empowered to purchase virtual items in the marketplace, even if that means the sellers on WAX only accepts payments in WAX tokens, and it allows for a seamless, efficient, cost-effective and instant participation in one of the fastest growing industries.
Kyber Network CEO and co-founder Loi Luu said: “the partnership will benefit both parties as Kyber Network will have access to millions of users in both OPSkins and WAX platform. On the other hand, Kyber Network can enhance the magnitude of the growth in the gaming asset market by allowing more crypto users to conveniently purchase their favourite game items using their crypto tokens.”
Additional Benefits
To Kyber Network, the general criteria for a partnership, is to not only generate traffic for the network itself, but it also has to create opportunities for more people to participate in the partner’s network. In this respect, Kyber Network will support WAX’s token sale from 1 November, as follows:I‘ve been looking more seriously lately for places to invest my money as we complete our large emergency fund and will start really delving more into the investing arena. When you look at the options available out there when it comes to investing and stock trading, there really area a lot of decent online discount brokerages. When it comes to choosing the right one, however, there are quite a few things we'll be considering, not least among them, the fees, minimums and costs associated with having an account. If trades are too expensive, it will take a bite out of your returns.
TradeKing, one of the first discount brokers that I’ve looked at has $4.95 trades, which is definitely one of the lowest in terms of cost when it comes to the discount brokerages. Add to that the fact that they consistently get good customer service reviews, and have a good set of online research tools to use, and they’re near the top of my list.
TradeKing Background
A relative newcomer to the brokerage business, TradeKing was launched launched in 2005, and has since become one of the top online discount brokers. From Wikipedia:
Launched in December 2005, TradeKing offers online brokerage services for active stock and option traders. The firm was an early user of social networking for investors and traders, offering free blog support and other Web 2.0-based tools to registered members and account holders since the firm’s inception. In March 2007, the firm opened a second office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
TradeKing is member of SIPC, which means your investments are protected by SIPC insurance up to $500,000 and $100,000 of it can be in cash. This means that you are protected against the company going into insolvency. You are not protected against market losses.
Awards
TradeKing has earned quite a few awards over the years and has been recognized as one of the top online brokers. Among the awards:
Smart Money rated TradeKing #1 in customer service in 2010-2012
Smart Money rated TradeKing #1 in customer service in 2010-2012 Barron's ranked TradeKing #1 for site usability in their 2011-2012 annual review of online stock and option brokers.
Consumer Reports ranked TradeKing third out of 19 brokerages reviewed in an independent survey conducted in May 2007.
TradeKing earned four stars in Barron's three-years running (2007, 2008, 2009) in Barron's Annual Survey of Best Browser-Based Online Brokers.
TradeKing Fees, Commissions And Minimums
Probably one of the most important things to consider when opening an online brokerage account is to consider what fees, commissions and minimums you’ll see when using an account.
Stock Trades
TradeKing has one of the lowest rates for stock trades in the industry with $4.95 stock trades. That rate is regardless of how many shares are purchased or if it is a broker assisted trade. Compare that to some of their competitors, like ShareBuilder or OptionsXpress at $9.95 a trade, and you’re getting a pretty decent deal.
Options Trades
For option trades, they charge $4.95 per trade, plus 65 cents per contract. Compare that to some of their competitors as in the graphic below and you can do quite a bit better using them, depending on how much activity you expect to have. Trade more than 8 contracts and they'll automatically lower the price to $8.95, plus 15 cents per contract. There's only one base charge for multi-leg option-only trades.
Fees And Minimums For An Account
TradeKing doesn’t have account maintenance fees, monthly minimums, inactivity fees or additional charges for broker assisted trades. To see a full schedule of their fees, head on over to their site.
There is also no minimum account funding level to open a cash account and a $2,000 minimum to open a margin account. Here's a comparison to some other popular brokerages:
TradeKing has a variety of trading tools you can use including MarketGrader's research reports, free technical analysis tools, interactive charts, tax reporting tools, probability calculators, profit and loss calculators, options calculators, options strategy scanner, stock screener and more! According to TradeKing their full suite of tools are a big reason Barrons' gave them 4-stars (tops among web-based brokers) in their 2008 survey. In any event, they do have a ton of tools available for everyone to use – you'll have no shortage of research, tools and calculators to aid you in making the most informed decisions possible. TradeKing Community Another one of the selling points of TradeKing is their well run blog and forums where you can chat with other traders, get advice, tips and tricks and learn from your fellow investors. There is also a section for groups where you can join other beginning investors, options traders, or those who like to specialize in different types of investments including value stocks, penny stocks, ETF’s, hedge funds, dividend stocks, and various segments of the market such as automotive, biotech, or individual companies. Conclusion When considering an online discount brokerage TradeKing is definitely one of the best best and most affordable options out there. They’ve got low fees, reasonable commissions and their slate of tools to help you make the right decisions are second to none. They’ve also been awarded for their customer service and for their general usability. When you consider all of these things together they are definitely at the top of my list and I have no qualms in recommending them. Have you used TradeKing? What has your experience been like? Are you happy with them? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. Open An Account With TradeKing Or Get Details. Click Here. TradeKing and Zecco Merger Details
Comprehensive Listing Of Discount Online BrokeragesPlus, Castlestorm, Limbo and Sound Shapes
It’s that time of the month again! The next batch of PlayStation Plus games arrive in just six days, so if you haven’t already done so, make sure you pick up all of July’s goodies before they disappear! Let’s crack on with the great titles coming your way this August……
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PS4)
First up this month on PS4 join the brave Miss Croft as she returns in a new action adventure title. This time around, Lara travels to Egypt and joins forces with rival treasure hunter Carter Bell and imprisoned gods Horus and Isis to defeat the evil god Set.
Featuring a four-player co-op story, you must work together to explore the temple, defeat hordes of enemies from the Egyptian underworld, solve devious puzzles and avoid deadly traps. At the same time, you can compete for treasure, powerful artifacts, and ultimate bragging rights.
God of War: Ascension (PS3)
Six months have passed since Kratos stood before the bodies of his wife and child, his hands stained with their blood – duped by Ares into killing the only people he ever loved. Sentenced to an eternity chained within a prison for the living damned, Kratos battles insanity at the hands of the Furies. He will be tested as he seeks freedom, redemption for his sins and vengeance for his family.
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones (PS4, PS3 and PS Vita)
Next up, welcome to the ultimate hostile work environment. In Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones you play the role of a clone escaping a sinister and high-tech testing facility in Curve’s brilliant platforming adventure. Stealth Inc 2 tests both your brain and your reflexes over 60 varied levels linked together by a sprawling overworld.
CastleStorm Complete Edition (PS3 and PS Vita)
It’s knights vs. Vikings in CastleStorm, where medieval warfare meets 2D physics-based destruction! Controlling the battle in real time, you must harness the power of medieval artillery, manage a fearsome ground attack and cast powerful spells! CastleStorm features a story-driven solo campaign, a custom castle editor, online multiplayer, co-op modes and more. Building castles and knocking them down has never been so much fun!
Sound Shapes (PS4, PS3 and PS Vita)
Finally this month, we present Sound Shapes. Play through a series of beautiful levels, where sounds and shapes seamlessly mesh together to create an unforgettable platforming experience. You can even create your own levels by building environments and choosing enemies and obstacles – and compose your own music at the same time. Can you shape the perfect blend of sound and gameplay?
Limbo (PS4)
Next up, the classic black and white puzzle-platforming adventure Limbo, where you step into the shoes of a young boy traveling through an eerie, treacherous world in an attempt to discover the fate of his sister. Playdead’s brilliant creation has never looked better than it does on PS4.
In summary
Leaving PS Plus on 4th August:
Entering PS Plus on 4th August:
*Not available in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Replacement title: Flow (PS4, PS3, PS Vita)
**Not available in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, India and Turkey. Replacement title: Flower (PS4, PS3, PS Vita)
Finally, don’t forget that Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition is available for you to download and play now. Pick your club, car and track and go hell for leather in this adrenaline-fuelled driving simulator.
Make sure you add any of the games scheduled to leave the service to your download list now to ensure you get to play them!
Not a PlayStation Plus member? Then join today from just £5.49/€6.99 per month. To find out more visit our PlayStation Plus site.
Remember, if you’ve not got access to your PS4, PS3 or PS Vita then you can also buy through our online store.TLC has some pretty big balls putting this on the air.
The cable network has just announced a special titled The Man With the 132 lb. Scrotum. Yes, this is happening. Yes, there are photos. We put them semi-discretely below the text, but beware: Once you see a man with a 132-pound scrotum, you cannot unsee him.
The special chronicles the challenges of Wesley Warren Jr., a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident who is living with a rare medical condition called “scrotal lymphedema.” The show will follow “Wes’s life as he deals with day-to-day challenges that are easy for most people. Due to the large size of his scrotum, Wes has difficulty with simple tasks like walking, preparing meals and even going to the restroom.” In the show and in public, Warren wears a hoodie to keep it his scrotum covered up.
More from the channel: “According to Wes, it all began one night in 2008 when he awoke to sharp shooting pains. Afterward, the tissue around his testicles began to swell and grew bigger ever since. It’s estimated that they were growing at an alarming rate of at least 3 lbs per month. The Man With the 132 lb. Scrotum, which highlights the difficulties of living with this bizarre situation, also reveals Wes’s many attempts to find appropriate medical care and raise money for the surgery he desperately needs.”
Notes a professor of urology, Dr. Joel Gelman: “The main specimen, after surgery, was 132 lbs, but we can’t accurately predict its total weight. With an additional specimen, tissue and cell fluid not taken into overall consideration, the starting weight could have been over 160 lbs.”
The one-hour special airs Monday, Aug. 19. So what do you think? Was TLC savvy to package this as a special? Or should the executive who ordered it get sacked?'The Hidden Wealth Of Nations' Author Explores World Of Offshore Tax Havens
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Gabriel Zucman, author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations, about the leaked Panama papers and what they say about the practice of hiding money offshore worldwide. He's estimated that up to 8 percent of the world's financial wealth is hidden away.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
For more insight into the world of offshore tax havens, we turn now to Gabriel Zucman. He literally wrote the book on this subject. He is the author of "The Hidden Wealth Of Nations: The Scourge Of Tax Havens." Welcome to the show.
GABRIEL ZUCMAN: Thank you.
SHAPIRO: You've see what is in these documents. Having studied the subject for years, were you surprised at the specifics?
ZUCMAN: No, I'm not surprised because this is what you see, you know, in the data, as I try to explain in my book. So we know that there are hundreds of thousands of shell corporations that are incorporated, you know, in the British Virgin Islands, in Panama and that are used for all sorts of criminal activity, including tax evasion but not only, so it was not a big surprise.
SHAPIRO: Given that so much of this is illegal, how have so many countries allowed this to proliferate?
ZUCMAN: That's a very good question, and I think, you know, we need to put an end to that. You know, why do we even allow such a huge financial industry to exist in the British Virgin Islands since leaks after leaks, we discover that it is largely used for criminal purposes?
SHAPIRO: You mention the British Virgin Islands. This leak comes from one law firm in Panama. Does that mean that this is just the tip of the iceberg and there's that much more that we cannot see?
ZUCMAN: Of course. You know, it's just one firm in one tax haven, and there is much more going on. And if you want to have a comprehensive view of the scale of problem, you need to look at macroeconomic statistics. And when you do that, you see that there's about 8 percent of the world's financial wealth that is held in tax havens globally. So that's about $7.6 trillion today, a huge amount of wealth.
SHAPIRO: Can you distinguish between how much of this is illegal behavior as opposed to just unethical behavior?
ZUCMAN: Yes. So the data that we have suggests that out of the $7.6 trillion total, about 20 percent of this wealth is duly reported on tax returns so does not correspond to illegal behavior. But 80 percent is not reported, and that's criminal tax evasion.
SHAPIRO: Talk about the real-world impact of this kind of behavior. If a corrupt oligarch gets rich in ways that he's not supposed to, who is actually harmed by that?
ZUCMAN: The people, you know, of the country are harmed by that. You know, if billionaires pay very little in taxes, it means that the rest of us - we have to pay more. So it means more taxes for the middle class, and so we all pay the cost of tax evasion by the wealthiest individuals.
SHAPIRO: Given the sheer magnitude of this, when you look at the Justice Department trying to penalize these behaviors, does the - I suppose if you look at it as cops and robbers, do the cops seem up to the task of stopping the robbers?
ZUCMAN: At this stage, no. You know, we've had extensive anti-money laundering regulations in place since the late-1980s, and we keep discovering year after year that the basic rules are constantly violated by a number of offshore financial institutions, and so we can rely on these rules and on some audits from time to time to curb this criminal activity.
We need to take a different approach which involves saying, look; you know, it's clear that most of the financial activity that occurs in those centers is conducive to criminal behavior, so we should have immediate sanctions that will remain in place as long as Panama, the British Virgin Islands or similar territories are able to show that they've correctly identified all the potential owners of the shell companies on their territory.
SHAPIRO: That's Gabriel Zucman, economist at University of California, Berkeley and author of "The Hidden Wealth Of Nations: The Scourge Of Tax Havens." Thanks for speaking with us.
ZUCMAN: Thank you very much.
Copyright © 2016 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.With big-name exclusives coming this year including Bloodborne, The Order: 1886, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, you may be thinking about picking up a new PlayStation 4.
Retailer GameStop is now helping make that decision easier. On Tuesday, the company announced a new trade-in promotion whereby you can get a brand new PS4 for only $275.
Now through March 1, GameStop shoppers that trade in a PlayStation 3 (120 GB or greater) or an Xbox 360 (250 GB of greater) toward the purchase of a new PS4 will receive $125 in store credit. That means you can pick up a standard $400 PS4 for only $275.
You're really getting a new PS4 and a copy of The Last of Us Remastered for $275, as all PS4s now come with the game. This deal is valid at all GameStop US stores.
The PS4 has sold more than 18.5 million units worldwide since its launch in November 2013. However, in the US, the rival Xbox One outsold Sony's new console in November and December. Can Microsoft extend its winning streak to three months? We'll find out this coming Thursday when January NPD data is released.Remember John Carpenter's They Live, a movie where aliens hid among the population as humans and could only be seen through special sunglasses? Think of pre-updated iOS as your pair of sunglasses:
Or to put it another way, the new diverse emojis don't work on a diverse array of devices yet. The new multicultural emojis, which are a subset of one another, have yet to be adopted by all platforms. Take Android, for instance, which treats all the different variations as the same (albeit interpreted differently based on the emoji art in each device):
LG Flex 2 (left) and Nexus 6 (right)
Twitter's website doesn't fare much better, but that's more because Twitter uses its own emoji art, which hasn't been updated yet (picture from new OS X 10.10.3 via Chris Welch):
Reality can be very relative, and that's especially true across various communication platforms / apps / devices. All of which will eventually update to support the new emoji, which is to say just enjoy this silly incongruity.
So tell us what you see in the tweet below. Special thanks to Khaled Holmes for the idea.
Testing: — Ross Miller (@ohnorosco) April 8, 2015
The truth is out there.Libyan paratroopers join the popular uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in Benghazi, 1000km east of Tripoli, yesterday. Picture: AFP
THE noose tightened around Muammar Gaddafi last night as his regime handed out guns to civilian supporters, set up checkpoints and sent armed patrols roving the terrorised capital after rebels consolidated control elsewhere in Libya.
As violence mounted, the Libyan leader came under growing pressure from the international community to halt the crackdown on his people, in which his goons have killed more than 1000 people in five days.
Outside the capital, rebels held a long swath of about half of Libya's 1600km of Mediterranean coastline, where most of the population lives.
Read Next
They even captured a brigadier general yesterday as the army tried to retake an air base east of Tripoli. The state-run news agency said the opposition held an air defence commander and several other officers.
In New York, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed an arms embargo on Libya, referred its leaders to the International Criminal Court, and slapped financial and trade sanctions on Colonel Gaddafi and his inner circle.
"Widespread and systematic attacks currently taking place in Libya against the civilian population may amount to crimes against humanity" and "those responsible for the attacks" must be held accountable, the resolution said.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who has triggered Australian financial and travel sanctions on Colonel Gaddafi and his cronies, welcomed the Security Council's decision to refer them to the ICC.
"The Australian government has been urging the council to take this step so that the court has the ability to act in relation to the actions of the Libyan regime," he said in Cairo, where Hosni Mubarak was swept from power on February 11.
Mr Rudd, who will attend a special session this week of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said critical Australian interests were at stake in the Middle East and the international community had to ensure Egypt was not destabilised by large-scale food shortages or youth unemployment. "If it results in the rise of militant Islamism, we have a huge problem on our hands," he said.
Julia Gillard said there was a "very limited number" of Australians still in Tripoli. The government had particular concerns about one man detained by the Libyan security forces on February 21.
"We have been unable at this stage to confirm his location or get in contact with him," the Prime Minister said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has urged all Australians to get out of Libya.
A DFAT spokesman said last night there were believed to be 32 Australians in Libya, 12 of whom were in Tripoli. Eighteen had arrived safely in Malta by boat, and one had escaped on a British naval vessel. The UN refugee agency says that close to 100,000 people, mainly foreigners, have fled Libya during the past week.
More than 1000 Libyan protesters have been killed since last Tuesday in the most brutal crackdown of the popular uprising that has swept the Middle East since the end of last year.
US President Barack Obama said Colonel Gaddafi had lost his legitimacy to rule and must step down immediately. Mr Obama signed an executive order on Saturday freezing assets held by Colonel Gaddafi and four of his children in the US.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, Libya's former justice minister, announced he was forming a transitional government to replace the crumbling regime, which controls only some western areas around the capital and a few bastions in the south. Mr Jalil said the new administration would include commanders of the regular army, much of which has defected to the opposition, and would pave the way for free and fair elections in three months.
"Our national government has military and civilian personalities. It will lead for no more than three months, and then there will be fair elections and the people will choose their leader," he said.
In Tripoli, pro-Gaddafi militiamen, including snipers, fired on protesters mounting anti-government marches.
Colonel Gaddafi, speaking from the ramparts of a historic Tripoli fort on Saturday, told supporters to prepare to defend the nation as he faced the biggest challenge to his 42-year rule.
Agencies
Read NextFrom opening statement, debate filled with attacks
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, left, and Dan Patrick start their debate on Friday with a handshake at the Houston Public Media studios. Then, the fireworks begin. The two are running for the Republican nomination in the lieutenant governor race. less Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, left, and Dan Patrick start their debate on Friday with a handshake at the Houston Public Media studios. Then, the fireworks begin. The two are running for the Republican nomination in... more Photo: Eric Kayne, ElcinorhC Eht RoF Photo: Eric Kayne, ElcinorhC Eht RoF Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close From opening statement, debate filled with attacks 1 / 10 Back to Gallery
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst continued to hammer his attacks on his primary runoff challenger, state Sen. Dan Patrick, by framing himself at a Friday debate as a truth-teller exposing his opponent as a "liar" and a "whiner."
Patrick swung back, saying Dewhurst is an underdog whose fading political career hinges on million-dollar attack ads that say nothing of the lieutenant governor's policies.
The one-hour "Texas Votes" debate was produced by the Houston Chronicle Media Group, Houston Public Media and the Texas Association of Broadcasters.
The intensity of their exchanges has increased three weeks before the runoff.
Shots were fired with the first words of Dewhurst's opening statement: "I'm David Dewhurst and I've been David Dewhurst since the day I was born" — a clear zinger about Patrick's legal name change.
Patrick introduced himself as a Christian, conservative and Reagan Republican, then started pushing back on his opponent.
Panelists questioned the candidates on education, immigration reform, pre-kindergarten and alternative energy.
On immigration, both said they would work for more vigorous border security.
Dewhurst said he would advocate appropriations of $4 million to $5 million a month for a "surge" in border agents, while Patrick said he would increase detentions of those who cross illegally.
In response to questions about Texas as a majority-minority state and funding universal pre-kindergarten, Dewhurst pressed the point that he speaks Spanish and said he supports "preschool for all students."
Patrick said he would increase opportunities for the poor by expanding school choice for residents of challenged communities.
The two also argued about whether the other has been fiscally responsible in their personal finances.
Both claimed they were rising in the polls.
The showdown was considered a must-win for Dewhurst, who failed to lead in the March primary — a four-way race in which 72 percent of GOP voters punched ballots for candidates other than the sitting lieutenant governor.
Dewhurst, an 11-year incumbent, came in second in the primary, trailing Patrick by a large margin. As home to both men, Houston is considered a key market.
After the debate, Patrick quickly declared victory.
"He wants four more years to the things he hasn't done in 12 years. Twelve years is enough. Time to move on," the state senator said.
Following the debate, Dewhurst called Patrick a "pathological liar" and asked: "What's he trying to hide?"
The two will square off again in Dallas at a debate on Wednesday.
The primary runoff election is May 27.What do you get when you combine the functionality of Facebook groups, Twitter hashtags, the e-commerce options of a site like PayPal and the communities like those at Goodreads and allrecipies.com, to name a few?
The answer is Imzy, a Salt Lake City-based startup as well as a new whimsically named platform for communities built by a team that includes a band of Reddit veterans. Its CEO, in fact, is Dan McComas, who previously led product at Reddit and who says he was dismissed not long after the user revolt that plagued the site last year.
DON’T MISS: Revolutionary glasses help color blind man see the world in color for the first time
So why has he and some of his other former ‘front page of the Internet’ colleagues got together to try to build a new social platform for communities, with few people knowing as well as they do how tall a hill that is to climb?
To answer that, it’s probably helpful to rewind the clock to around the time when Reddit put out a company-wide decree in 2014 that mandated all employees base themselves in San Francisco or face a pink slip.
“We’d all went through such a tumultuous time at Reddit,” says Imzy head of product Kaela Worthen Gardner. “All employees had to relocate to San Francisco. We went through three CEOs in less than a year. There was the whole Reddit blackout. We went through this period that was really difficult, and we weren’t able to do things in terms of policy and product we thought we should be able to do. It wasn’t necessarily anything specific – most of us had just stopped enjoying working at Reddit and ended up leaving for various reasons.”
Many of them started hooking back up with each other after they’d left. And they started to have conversations around the same basic idea – what do we do next?
“You reflect back on what happened during this significant period of your life,” says Gardner, who confirmed Imzy has already raised $3 million in funding. “We started talking to each other. What if we could do something that isn’t just a different Reddit. What could we do about community in general? And how could we build something more amazing than anything else out there?”
The answer was Imzy, which is still in beta at the moment. (There’s no story to the name, by the way. It was chosen for SEO purposes and because it sounded happy. Which, in a way, speaks to the purpose of the platform.)
One of the driving forces at Imzy is the promotion of what the team describes repeatedly as “healthy communities.” This is not, Gardner stresses, the same thing as saying Imzy wants to be some kind of “Safe Reddit.”
The difference, as she explains it, is that the structure of the communities is baked into the platform from the start. That’s unlike something like Facebook, which arguably made things up as it went along and added Groups over time, then incrementally added functionality to Groups.
“What we’re doing is thinking about community from the ground up,” said Gardner, who points to Imzy’s early partnership with groups that are already part of the platform, like Lena Dunham’s “Lenny Letter” and Black Girls Talking. “Almost all of us have worked in a community capacity before, whether at Reddit or Twitter. We’ve talked with experts and done heavy academic research on things like what makes for the best quality community, like letting our users have multiple names so they can choose how they’ll appear in each community. We’re questioning everything, all in service of – what will make users happiest?”
What they want to avoid is having to adjust later or clamp down on users, maybe issue stricter editorial guidelines because things got out of control, which fans the flames even more. Other things in place include requiring users to be a member of a particular section in order to post there, which should cut down on trolls that float in and out.
Imzy already has thousands of users. They include Dan Harmon, creator of the show “Community,” whose Harmontown Imzy group lets members pay 5 bucks to listen to Harmon record his weekly podcast. That kind of “tipping,” by the way, is how Imzy plans to make money, along with the presence of payments that it expects users to figure out over time how they’ll incorporate into their groups. One group, for example, might come together around homemade art, and users could be able to buy that art straight from the group, with Imzy taking a cut of the payment.
On the product front, the Imzy team is working on iOS and Android apps now and doesn’t plan on launching publicly before those are done.
In a Quora post a few days ago, Gardner put Imzy’s purpose this way:
“Are we trying to create a more civil place on the Internet? Absolutely! Are we trying to censor everyone and everything? Not at all. You can be rude to people. You can definitely get your feelings hurt. We’re not protecting people from that. You can have really terrible opinions that I wish didn’t exist. Because we don’t want to censor ideas at all, and we definitely don’t want to censor disagreement. That would kind of defeat the purpose of discussion. Echo chambers are terrible and unproductive. We want diversity of all opinions, because that’s a vital part of creating a healthy community. And what you see on a lot of platforms that get really out hand is that they censor in a different way, by completely obliterating anyone with an opinion they don’t like in really vicious, terrible ways that can have real, lasting damage. We want to make it possible for people to express their opinions in a civil way.”Melancholic
In a nutshell...
Melancholic people are emotionally sensitive, perfectionistic introverts.
Perfectionistic
The defining feature of a melancholic attitude is perfectionism. They are idealists who wish for things to be a certain way, and they get distressed when they are not.
They hold themselves and others to unrealistically high standards, and get distressed when these standards are not met.
This leads to them being self-deprecating - because they do not meet their own standards - and critical of others - because those others do not meet their standards.
Their generally dour demeanour comes from their inner struggle between an imperfect world and a desire for perfection.
Many melancholics wish to learn and to understand, to know the details of every little thing, because to be ignorant is to stray from perfection. They are not content to just accept things the way that they are.
They are inquisitive and ask specific questions in order to come to a clearer understanding.
This leads many of them to be overanalytical, neurotic worriers.
They are very stubborn, because they try very hard to stick to their own carefully considered views and standards of perfection, and are not easily shifted from this path. They do not go with the flow.
They are tenacious and cannot let things go, because 'good enough' is not good enough. They strive for perfection.
They are very pessimistic, and assume the worst due to these unrealistic standards.
They think and plan before they act; they are not the types who will resort to rash, impulsive behaviour, and will panic if they are unable to plan in advance.
It's easier for them to reject and hate things than it is for them to love and embrace them. Their interests and tastes are picked carefully, and they give a lot of attention to each one, and hold them close to their hearts, rather than having many fleeting interests that change quickly and often.
They complain a lot, in a 'whinging' kind of way rather than a 'put down' or 'demanding' kind of way.
They tend to argue, because they cannot simply let things be if they seem wrong. They argue using reason, evidence, logic, and explanations, delivered analytically or with pleading. They only argue to set wrongs right, rather than to assert dominance. The argument is about the issue, not about them.
They respond poorly to compliments, often'rebutting' them by saying that they're not so great after all.
"Wow, that's a really nice painting you just made!"
"I don't know, the eyes are probably too big..." (rather than "Thanks!")
They will blame themselves for mistakes, because they are acutely aware of their own imperfection.
They tend to prefer things to be tidy, organised in some way or another. This doesn't necessarily mean 'neat' as such; often they have very idiosyncratic organisation methods.
They are ideal
|
% USERNAME % ; chmod 0440 / etc / sudoers. d / % USERNAME % ;
Now, I am going to connect to the VM via SSH, using a new account.
StarWind HyperConverged Appliance is a turnkey, entirely software-defined hyperconverged platform purpose-built for intensive virtualization workloads. Bringing the desired performance and reducing downtime, the solution can be deployed by organizations with limited budgets and IT team resources. Also, it requires only one onsite node to deliver HA for your applications that make the solution even more cost-efficient. Find out more about ➡ StarWind HyperConverged Appliance
Configure SSH:
Generate the ssh keys for %USERNAME% user:
ssh-keygen 1 ssh - keygen
Leave the passphrase as blank/empty.
Edit file id_rsa.pub and remove “%USERNAME%@host” (name of the user) at the end of the string
nano /home/%USERNAME%/.ssh/id_rsa.pub cp /home/%USERNAME%/.ssh/id_rsa.pub /home/%USERNAME%/.ssh/authorized_key 1 2 3 nano / home / % USERNAME % /. ssh / id_rsa. pub cp / home / % USERNAME % /. ssh / id_rsa. pub / home / % USERNAME % /. ssh / authorized_key
Let’s add host ip (eth0) and a hostname to /etc/hosts
We have prepared our Virtual Machine for Ceph deployment.
Ceph Deployment
Finally, we are going to deploy the “Ceph-all-in-one” cluster. We need to create the directory “Ceph-all-in-one”:
mkdir ~/Ceph-all-in-one; 1 mkdir ~ / Ceph - all - in - one ;
and move to it
cd ~/Ceph-all-in-one; 1 cd ~ / Ceph - all - in - one ;
Installing Ceph-deploy is another important procedure:
sudo pip install Ceph-deploy 1 sudo pip install Ceph - deploy
Create new config:
Ceph-deploy new Ceph-all-in-one; echo "[osd]" >> /home/%USERNAME%/Ceph-all-in-one/Ceph.conf; echo "osd pool default size = 1" >> /home/sw/Ceph-all-in-one/Ceph.conf; echo "osd crush chooseleaf type = 0" >> /home/%USERNAME%/Ceph-all-in-one/Ceph.conf; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ceph - deploy new Ceph - all - in - one ; echo "[osd]" >> / home / % USERNAME % / Ceph - all - in - one / Ceph. conf ; echo "osd pool default size = 1" >> / home / sw / Ceph - all - in - one / Ceph. conf ; echo "osd crush chooseleaf type = 0" >> / home / % USERNAME % / Ceph - all - in - one / Ceph. conf ;
Next, I am going to install Ceph and add a monitor role to the node:
Ceph-deploy install Ceph-all-in-one; 1 Ceph - deploy install Ceph - all - in - one ;
(“Ceph-all-in-one” is our hostname)
Ceph-deploy mon create-initial; Ceph-deploy osd create Ceph-all-in-one:sdb; 1 2 3 Ceph - deploy mon create - initial ; Ceph - deploy osd create Ceph - all - in - one : sdb ;
(“Ceph-all-in-one” our hostname, sdb name of the disk we have added in the Virtual Machine configuration section)
Let’s change Ceph rbd pool size:
sudo ceph osd pool set rbd size 1 1 sudo ceph osd pool set rbd size 1
After the deployment, we can check the cluster status:
sudo ceph -s 1 sudo ceph - s
Conclusion
We have successfully deployed the “Ceph-all-in-one” cluster allowing you to look at Ceph abilities. You can create the RBD device to store your data. Also, you can add additional OSDs and configure Replicated or Erasure Coded pools, which I am going to cover in the following articles.
Related materials:
Views All Time Views All Time 22 Views Today Views Today 42
Appreciate how useful this article was to you? No Ratings Yet
No Ratings YetMinnesota's Hennepin County is in the midst of the state's largest measles outbreak since 2011. Nine cases have been reported since last week, and officials expect the number to rise.
So far, all of the cases are among unvaccinated children. They have something else in common too: The affected children are all part of Minneapolis and St. Paul's Somali-American community. According to a health department official, Minnesota's Somali immigrant community has been a particular target of the anti-vaccination movement, colloquially known as "anti-vaxxers."
"They're very much engaged with and targeting this community," Kris Ehresmann, infectious disease division director at the Minnesota Health Department, said in a phone call Wednesday.
According to Ehresmann, anti-vaccine groups began to target the Somali community around 2008, amid concerns about autism among Somali-American children. Anti-vaccine groups started reaching out to the Somali community and showing up at community health meetings, she said, disseminating misinformation linking autism to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR.
Since then, the population has seen a "steady decline in MMR vaccine rates."
Jim Mone/AP Hodan Hassan is shown at her Minneapolis home in 2011 with her then-6-year-old daughter Geni who has autism.
Anti-vaxxers and the Somali-American community
At least one high-profile figure in the anti-vaccine movement has made special trips just to speak to Somali immigrants. In 2011, Andrew Wakefield, a man who has been called the "father of the anti-vaccine movement," showed up in Minnesota in the midst of what was then the state's first major measles outbreak in years, the Star Tribune reported at the time.
Ehresmann said that wasn't Wakefield's first trip to speak to Somali families in Minnesota — she believes he visited once before, in 2008, when anti-vaxxers were first arriving to spread misinformation.
Wakefield, the now-disgraced British doctor who published a widely shared and subsequently discredited paper implying a link between vaccines and autism, traveled to Minneapolis to hold a private forum for Somali immigrants. The meeting was described at the time as a "support group" for families of autistic children, the Star Tribune reported.
Wakefield's 1998 paper suggested autism was linked to the MMR vaccine. That research was later discredited when it was found that he had falsified data, and Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in the U.K.
But the damage of his faulty science had already been done, and many have blamed Wakefield for falling vaccination rates and unfounded fears about vaccines in both the U.K. and the United States.
Sang Tan/AP Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced doctor who advocated anti-vaccine ideas.
"If anybody ever had a huge, huge fingerprint, it was that Dr. Wakefield," Anab Gulaid, a founding member of the Somali Health Coalition of Minnesota who has worked on autism research and outreach within the Somali-American community, said in a phone call Wednesday. "He took this vulnerable situation, and created a narrative and just left it."
Gulaid said she often encounters fears surrounding autism and vaccines among a broad spectrum of the population. "Whether they have young children, old children, educated, not educated... the message had traveled very far," she said.
"We're an oral society. This message, of the interconnectedness of vaccines and autism, got out. and it got out very fast."
John Moore/Getty Images A medical professional prepares an MMR vaccine at a clinic in Colorado in 2009.
The 2011 Minnesota measles outbreak
The 2011 Minnesota measles outbreak sickened 26, including many in the Somali community. It was eventually traced to an unvaccinated Somali child, according to research co-authored by Dr. Diane Madlon-Kay, a practicing physician who has studied the low vaccine rates among Minnesota's Somali community.
Even now there continues to be "this big gap between our Somali kids and our non-Somali kids regarding vaccination rates, specifically regarding the MMR vaccine," Madlon-Kay said in a phone call on Wednesday. A Minnesota physician with 30 years of experience, Madlon-Kay practices at a family medicine clinic where half the patient base is Somali and Somali-American.
Damian Dovarganes/AP A dose of the MMR vaccine in 2005
Other than Wakefield's visits to speak to Somali families, Madlon-Kay said she didn't know of other instances in which anti-vaxxers have specifically targeted the Somali immigrant community — but she said there's "no question" the "MMR autism issue" is driving low vaccination rates.
She and other doctors who serve that population have had little luck dispelling myths about autism and vaccines that travel quickly though the community via word-of-mouth, she said.
"We don't seem to be making any headway with that at all," Madlon-Kay said.
Despite countless studies indicating there's no connection between vaccines and autism, Madlon-Kay doesn't have much hope that science will change the minds of scared parents within the Somali community anytime soon.
"Until there's really a good explanation for the cause of autism, it's just going to be really hard to change people's feeling about this," Madlon-Kay said.
And if the vaccine rate remains low, officials say, people remain at risk for more dangerous measles outbreaks.The Muslim terrorist attacks in Europe are causing Jews to reevaluate their plans for the future since the Islamists and Europe’s hardcore leftists share the same hatred for God’s chosen people. Some religious leaders are urging their congregants to run for their very lives to the Israeli homeland.
“Europe is lost,” says Rabbi Meir Bar-Hen. “I tell my congregants: Don’t think we’re here for good, and I encourage them to buy property in Israel.”
A well-known religious leader from the Jewish community warned European Jews that Barcelona is “doomed,” thanks to Spain’s lack of will to confront radical Islam. Rabbi Meir Bar-Hen, the chief rabbi of Barcelona, warned on Friday that — thanks to not only the Muslim jihadists, but also radical leftists — Barcelona is finished, a day after the deadly car-ramming attack in the city.
According to the Times of Israel, Rabbi Bar-Hen has been encouraging his congregants to leave Spain, which he called during an interview with reporters a “hub of Islamist terror for all of Europe,” for years before the attacks Thursday and Friday, he said.
“Listening to the Rabbi brings back images of Nazi Germany and the Spanish Inquisition. The problem is no one listens until it’s too late,” said Jeffrey Blum, a former U.S. Marine and deputy sheriff. “Perhaps it’s time for a new Exodus.”
At least 14 victims and five suspected Islamic terrorists were killed in Barcelona and the resort town of Cambrils, 75 miles south of that Spanish city. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
“Jews are not here permanently,” he said of the city and region. “I tell my congregants: Don’t think we’re here for good. And I encourage them to buy property in Israel. This place is lost. Don’t repeat the mistake of Algerian Jews, of Venezuelan Jews. Better [get out] early than late.”
Some believe that Jews in Spain may experience a return of the Spanish Inquisition. During the reign of Henry III of Castile and Leon(1390–1406), Jews faced increased persecution and were pressured to convert to Christianity. The pogroms of 1391 were especially brutal, and the threat of violence hung over the Jewish community in Spain. Faced with the choice between baptism and death, the number of nominal converts to the Christian faith soon became very great. Many Jews were killed, and those who adopted Christian beliefs faced continued suspicion and prejudice.
A white, unmarked van on Thursday slammed into crowds of people on Las Ramblas while the street was packed with local residents and tourists. More than 100 were injured, and 13 people killed. The driver of the van fled on foot and was believed to be still at large on Friday. Police shot dead another man at a security checkpoint Thursday.
Hours later, police killed five men in a raid in Cambrils who cops said were terrorists planning their next terrorist operation.
The attacks exposed the presence of a large Muslim community with “radical fringes.” Once these people are “living among you,” the Rabbi said of terrorists and their supporters, “it’s very difficult to get rid of them. They only get stronger.” He also said this applied to Europe as a whole. “Europe is lost,” he said.
He pointed to the Spanish government’s decision in April to allow Leila Khaled, a Palestinian terrorist who was convicted in a plot to hijack an airplane in 1969, to enter Spain for a book festival. This showed authorities “do not understand the nature of terrorism, if they treat it as an action by the disenfranchised,” Bar-Hen said.
Ignoring calls to ban the visit by Khaled — book fair organizers hung posters of Khaled on main streets — Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau Ballano of the far-left Barcelona en Comú party led the passage in April of a city council resolution condemning Israel’s “violations of international law.”
Bar-Hen told reporters that he won’t attend the rally called by Mayor Colau Ballano as security officials instructed him to avoid public areas in the coming days because he is recognizably Jewish.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Andrew Flintoff has been caught speeding four times in three years
Former England cricket captain Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff has escaped a speeding ban after arguing "exceptional hardship" to magistrates in Carlisle.
Flintoff, 36, was already on nine points for speeding and in danger of an automatic ban after admitting speeding in his Bentley on the M6 in January.
He was caught doing 87mph near Linstock in Cumbria, magistrates were told.
But they accepted a ban would have an adverse effect on others who relied on his extensive charity work.
Instead, the cricketer, who has been caught speeding four times in the past three years, was given the three points on his licence and fined £330 but allowed to keep driving.
His solicitor Michael Neofytou told the court a ban would also affect his TV work and intrude on the privacy of his three children.
'Constantly raising money'
Flintoff, of Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, was warned he would not be able to use the same reasons again in court if he was caught speeding again in the next three years.
The latest offence would take him to 12 points, which would normally mean an automatic ban after "totting up".
Mr Neofytou mentioned his client's "illustrious" cricket career for Lancashire and England and his being made an MBE in 2005 but did not "want to dwell" on those matters, he said.
He said Flintoff was "constantly raising money, or trying to, when not in his professional role".
His client drove himself to charity speaking arrangements, cricket matches and auctions of cricket memorabilia and "never took a fee", he said.
Flintoff and his wife "juggle" running their charitable foundation, while looking after their three children, two boys and a girl, aged nine, eight and six, the court heard.
After retiring for 20 minutes to consider the sentence, David Johnson, chair of the bench, said: "Because of your position, the fact that you are well known, clearly the impact has to be on others, more than you yourself."This week on The Challenge XXX: Dirty Thirty: The Redemption House must eat their way back into Challenge House, and all racial aspects of Camila’s tirade are erased.
Welcome boys and girls to yet another filler episode of The Challenge XXX. The breakdown of this episode is 50% gross eating challenge, 25% Tony being drunk and/or a dumbass, 25% of Nicole and Jemmye being awesome. So, essentially I only found a quarter of the episode entertaining.
Redemption House
Hunter and Nicole arrive at the Redemption house to a very warm welcome by the Three Amigos. Hunter is reunited with his one true love, Cory, and Nicole is ready to spill some tea and inform Aneesa that the girls in the house have declared her the devil.
Tori (in a flashback): “Do you think Aneesa is literally the spawn of the devil?”
Ugh, Tori, this pettiness isn’t a good look on you. Also, I literally don’t get all of the hate for Aneesa. Not liking her or finding her annoying is one thing, but calling her the literal devil seems a little harsh.
The Redemption House kids normal scheduled activities of Carriage Rides, and learning water bottle flipping techniques are cut short by a surprise appearance by Mr. TJ Lavin, who informs Redemption House it is time to be redeemed. First, though, TJ needs to know the person in the house each redeemer is gunning for. Cory and Hunter are gunning for Johnny and Jordan, respectively.
The girls are unanimous in who in the house they want to destroy: Camila. (Cara Maria is also on Marie’s list). Aneesa picks Camila because “She can’t be trusted” and she’s “shady”. Marie’s choice is influenced by the fact that Camila helped orchestrate her being sent in. Nicole says it best though:
Nicole: “I don’t think she deserves to be here. Camila’s a bitch. She started some shit with Leroy. Camila, I think you are a bad person. I think you even hate your own self. You need to take a break and figure out your issues and probably never come back.”
To celebrate, Marie pops open a bottle of champagne, and the cork hits Nicole straight in the face.
Redemption Challenge
In order to secure themselves a spot back in the Challenge House, they will have to compete in an incredibly disgusting eating challenge. I didn’t catch the name of this week’s challenge, and I have no interest of rewatching it to find it out.
Here’s how it works. There are five different Colombian Delicacies that the redeemers must eat: Giant Water Rat, Cockscomb Skweres, Slimy Pork Nose, Chicken Intestine Smoothie, and Hard Boiled Cow’s Eyes. After they finish a dish they have to run up a giant ant hill, jump into a mud pit, retrieve a totumo, and run back down the hill. If there is a gem inside your totumo you get to skip the dish of your choosing and run back up the hill. If it is an everyday rock, you are SOL. Repeat the previous steps and the first one to finish all of their dishes wins.
Does anyone actually enjoy watching these food challenges? I am asking in all seriousness, and if you do I would love for you to comment and explain why. To me, it has no appeal. I do not enjoy watching people throw up. Those slo-mo upchuck shots have zero appeal to me, especially when I have to watch them basically swallow the vomit and shove more food down their throats. For me, the most disturbing part of this challenge were those huge ass cow eyeballs. I am gagging just thinking about them right now. I would like to think that, unlike Marie, I would at least try to do this challenge, but I doubt I would get very far.
This challenge came down to luck, and who picked the totumos with the gem inside. While Hunter was ahead of Cory for the entirety of the challenge, it was his procurement of the gem that secured his win. On the girls’ side, Aneesa and Nicole were side-by-side the entire time. (Marie, on the other hand, was off to the side bribing the pair to let her win and offering some stray dogs her food.) Nicole fought hard on this challenge. She forced herself to down disgusting food that has been sitting god knows how long outside in the hot Colombian sun. She pushed through tears and even removed her fake eyelashes in an attempt to come out with the win. Luck though was on Aneesa’s side, and she grabbed the totumo with the gem inside on her last run up the ant hill, guaranteeing her the win.
The Challenge House
I hope you weren’t expecting there to be any follow-up this episode regarding Camila’s racial attack on Leroy, because you will not be getting one. Production somehow edited the episode to erase all racial aspects of Camila’s tirade, starting with the “Previously On” package. They presented Camila’s attack on Leroy as just another Camilinator emergence, instead of showing it for the disgusting racist hate speech that it was. The racial aspect of Camila’s attack is also erased from CT’s explanation for making Leroy’s birthday cake when he says “After all that happened with Camila, he deserves a good birthday.”
But, let’s focus on the positive: it is Leroy’s birthday and his buddy CT is making him a cake. Has CT ever baked before? Probably not because this is how he softens butter. While the cake was made out of love, from the heart, it was also apparently straight up just butter. There was so much heart in the cake that it made Leroy, the birthday boy, sick for the rest of the night.
Now that MTV showed people being nice to Leroy, they can get back to the storyline they want you to care about: Tony. That was the drama MTV wanted to capitalize on from Camila’s drunken antics, but unfortunately, her racism distracted from that narrative. Finally, we can get back to Tony’s baby mama drama.
The producers try to get Tony to open up about his drunken kiss with Camila, and his betrayal of his girlfriend, Alyssa. He shuts down, saying that he doesn’t want a stupid thing that he did while on The Challenge to impact his real-life family. But the producer advises Tony to prepare himself for the footage to be aired. Because it will be aired, because you did it on film, while taping a reality TV show.
Tony doesn’t even have to wait to go home to deal with his indiscretions because rumors of the Tony/Camila hookup were running rampant all over Twitter during production. I want so badly to know who snitched on them while the show was still taping. Alyssa asks Tony point blank if these rumors were true, or held any ounce of truth, and Tony says no. He condemns these false accusations and sings his song of innocence because Tony would never do anything to jeopardize his family. He straight up just lied to his girlfriend on national TV, AFTER making out with another woman on national TV. As if denying the accusations would somehow erase the footage. When production presses him on why he lied to Alyssa, he says that he didn’t want to give MTV/B&M any more footage to capitalize on his mistake.
Tony’s logic makes no sense here. Not wanting to air your dirty laundry on TV is understandable, and I would understand if Tony initially waited until he got home to tell Alyssa what happened. But the news did get out, and Tony straight up lied to his girlfriend about something that will air on national TV. You already betrayed her trust by kissing another woman, now to top that off you lie to her about it? Ugh.
Also, I guess I should mention that Johnny glued feathers onto Tony’s face after he drunkenly passed out one night (a la Derrick in The Ruins). Tony got mad, threw a fit, threatened Johnny, and just as quickly as it started, Tony forgives Johnny, and the lover’s quarrel is resolved.
Other ThingsBrandon Ingram speaks with Andy Katz about what it would be like to play for the Lakers, but knows there's a chance he might not end up in L.A. (1:46)
Ingram on going No. 2: Anything can happen (1:46)
Barring a last-minute blockbuster trade offer, the Los Angeles Lakers intend to select Duke freshman Brandon Ingram with the second pick in the 2016 NBA draft Thursday night, league sources told ESPN.
NBA Draft 2016 From pingpong balls to the final pick, we've got the 2016 NBA draft covered. Draft 2016 »
The Lakers spent three hours huddled with new coach Luke Walton on Tuesday night before signaling to multiple league sources that Ingram would be their choice if the Sixers select Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick.
The 76ers have promised Simmons that he will be their pick at No. 1. The 76ers' promise was first reported by Cleveland.com on Tuesday and confirmed by ESPN.
Asked Wednesday whether he's been told by the Lakers they planned to pick him, Ingram said he hasn't "heard anything."
"I really don't know who is going to take me. I am in the blind. Whoever takes me, I'll be happy," he said.
Sources say Lakers officials believe Ingram is a great fit for the organization and a potential All-Star player down the road. His shooting and ability to defend multiple positions fit a huge need for them. Ingram has been ranked No. 2 on ESPN's Big Board since December and is widely considered the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft by rival general managers.
While the team carefully vetted several other prospects including Oklahoma's Buddy Hield and Providence's Kris Dunn, the feeling within the organization was the Ingram provided both the best fit and the most upside for the team.
With the Lakers' draft board coming into focus, sources held out a potential scenario in which Ingram didn't go No. 2 -- a last-minute blockbuster trade offer from a team offering a young but experienced All-Star in return.
The Lakers don't want to trade the pick and are bullish on Ingram. However, they would likely consider any chance to get a proven young All-Star now, according to sources. The team plans to be very aggressive in free agency in July, and a young All-Star-caliber veteran could help them lure other elite free agents.
ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.Meghan is one half of the Good Luck High Five podcast and an adjunct professor at Tolarian Community College. She loves Limited, likes Modern, and dips her toes into each Standard season. She's decidedly blue and is the #1 hater of Siege Rhino in the Multiverse.
A few weeks ago, my friend and podcast cohost Maria and I were debating whether or not people can change. Maybe it's optimism, maybe it's sentimentality, but I believe that we have the capacity to change, that we shapeshift in innumerable ways throughout the course of our lives, that each year I might be a little bit less of a complete fool than I was the year before.
In contrast, Maria, in an unusual display of faithless pessimism, believes we're all more or less stuck the way we are. It's fine, I'm sure she'll change her mind eventually.
Oddball philosophizing aside, even the skeptics like Maria must admit that in the Multiverse, we want, welcome, and even expect change.
When we last saw Odric in Magic 2013, he was crusading—or rather, cathar-ing—across Innistrad, mopping up the Zombies, Werewolves, and other big-bads made vulnerable by Avacyn's return. He embodied one of my favorite color pie dichotomies in his quest to protect the innocent, fueled by a secret and furious desire for vengeance and the conviction that his is the right side of the fight.
He was a reasonable body made exceptional by the addition of first strike, and while he was better with a legion of attackers by his side, he could hold the ground on his own if circumstances required it.
Enough trouble is brewing on Innistrad to necessitate a return, and Odric, with his proactive and sometimes scarily zealous approach to rooting out evil, will certainly be on the front lines of the fight. Expecting only change from the denizens of the Multiverse, how does Odric look now? Never fear, friends, he's still a total silver fox.
This new Odric requires both more and less support than his previous iteration.
Like his old self, current Odric rocks the Helvault out of a salt-and-pepper goatee...I mean, he's still better with a multitude of other creatures, though he no longer needs the critical mass of three daring battlefield companions. In M13, Odric could take a ragtag bunch of vanilla creatures and lead them into profitable combat, his ability requiring nothing more than charging in with sufficient numbers. While the Lunarch Marshal needs fewer creatures to make his sizeable chunk of rules text relevant to combat, his fellow Soldiers must bring their own abilities to the battlefield if they expect to get anything out of his leadership.
As soon as a creature with a pertinent ability joins the fray, however, new Odric has the opportunity to outshine his old self. Consider a legion of vanilla creatures suddenly launched into the air for a flying attack or swinging for twice as much damage thanks to double strike—a legion of creatures being ideal here because, while new Odric makes the best of a battlefield with only one other relevant body, he's still best in situations where he's granting abilities to an army rather than a posse.
While Odric is a little less imposing on his own than he once was, having lost both first strike and a point of toughness, he doesn't need much to be made impressive. A single other creature with a relevant ability like flying, deathtouch, or indestructible quickly transforms Odric—and anyone else in the vicinity—into a threatening presence. These days he needs fewer friends, but better ones.
Odric, Lunarch Marshal | Art by Chase Stone
Both versions of Odric favor decks with low curves to take advantage of his combat ability as soon as possible—in Shadows over Innistrad Odric's case, the same turn he enters the battlefield. M13 Odric allowed opponents the opportunity to maneuver around his ability by attacking with key creatures, holding up combat tricks, or pressuring life totals enough that Odric and his cadre can't afford to attack. Odric, Lunarch Marshal comes with the benefit of surprise, as his ability is relevant the turn he hits the battlefield. An unwary opponent may think they're facing down a single flier or first-striker and suddenly find themselves confronted with multiple evasive or advantaged threats.
Time hasn't tempered Odric's eagerness to be on the offensive, and he's still most at home in an aggressive deck—fear, it would seem, still has no say in faith's battle plan. But with another creature or two to grant relevant abilities, he's decent on defense as well, since he grants abilities at the beginning of each combat.
If I'm lucky enough to open a copy, I look forward to drafting Odric along with enough creatures with relevant abilities to assemble a middle-school math puzzle about the number of possible combinations of those abilities—vigilance and flying, flying and double strike, double strike and trample, trample and deathtouch. Perhaps there aren't technically infinite combinations, but there are enough to keep me interested and my opponents worried as long as Odric is in play.
Odric has undeniably changed, and my relentless optimism leaves me hoping that he's changed for the better.Alberto Contador has confirmed to Cyclingnews that he will not race the Giro d'Italia in 2013. The multiple grand tour winner will instead stake his season on the Tour de France, with the option of the Vuelta a España to be considered after the Tour. Related Articles Contador announces possible Giro d’Italia and Tour de France bid at San Luis
Nibali regrets not joining Team Sky in 2009
Contador is currently riding the Tour de San Luis and early this week made clear his intentions that the Giro was a distinct possibility. However, his press officer had been quick to play down the story, stating that the Tour was the main aim and the the Giro was only one of many options.
However, at the finish of stage 5 of the Tour de San Luis Contador spoke to Cyclingnews and put an end to the speculation:
"The Giro for me is a very special race but for the Tour de France is more important to me this year. I was at the Giro in 2011and I have very good emotions about this race but this year I want to go 100 per cent into the Tour and then afterwards we'll see if I go to the Vuelta. There will be no Giro for me."Edwin Pope realized his life’s calling before he reached puberty.
By 11, he was writing about sports for his hometown Athens (Georgia) Banner-Herald. By 15, he was the newspaper’s sports editor, the youngest person in America to hold that position.
By 28, he was crafting columns for the Miami Herald, destined to become universally recognized among the premier sportswriters of his generation.
Pope, who chronicled South Florida sports, Super Bowls, the Masters, heavyweight title fights, horse racing’s Triple Crown and much more with eloquence, a stylistic flair and an enduring sense of fairness and compassion during an award-winning career that spanned seven decades, died Thursday evening of cancer, with his family by his side, in Okeechobee. He was 88.
Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald
Pope was the respected voice of record, and the voice of reason, for everything significant that happened in South Florida sports for more than half a century.
He covered nearly every Dolphins home game and most on the road, all the big University of Miami football games, the birth of the Marlins and Heat and the biggest events nationally.
SHARE COPY LINK The Dolphins recognized Miami Herald legend Edwin Pope by naming Sun Life Stadium's press box in his honor. Don Shula was among those who spoke about Pope.
He was among a select group of sports columnists nationally whose views carried weight even in the pre-Internet era.
“Nobody ever enjoyed what they did as much as I did,” Pope said in a phone conversation in 2015. “I enjoyed every single minute of it. Never one minute did I ever want to be anything else from the time I was 11 years old, except the brief time in college at Georgia when I wanted to be a fighter.
“Writing was very natural to me, never any work. It was as natural to me as eating and walking and breathing.”
His impact and legacy extended beyond his columns. When Dolphins owner Joe Robbie asked Pope who should be hired to replace George Wilson as Dolphins coach in 1970, Pope suggested Don Shula, who was coaching the Baltimore Colts.
“Robbie immediately went after that like a shark going after bait,” Pope said.
Robbie asked Bill Braucher, another Herald columnist, to contact Shula because they were both John Carroll alumni and knew each other.
“Edwin was instrumental in me coming down here,” Shula said in a 2015 interview. “I had so much respect for Edwin. He was a wordsmith, one of a kind. Great writer.”
Pope was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and was one of only four writers to cover the first 47 Super Bowls before health issues prevented him from attending the 2014 game or any subsequent Super Bowls.
“Everybody knew him; everybody respected him,” said longtime Herald sportswriter Armando Salguero, who asked Pope to be the best man at his wedding.
“He was royalty everywhere he went, whether it was the Masters or Wimbledon or Kentucky Derby or Super Bowl. He was an icon.”
Four times, Pope was recognized by the National Headliner’s Club as the nation’s best sportswriter.
He won the Red Smith Award in 1989, the highest honor for a sportswriter bestowed by the Associated Press Sports Editors, and earned induction into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. Hard Rock Stadium’s press box is named in his honor.
SHARE COPY LINK I recently met Edwin Pope at an event where he was being honored for the amazing achievements of his career as a sports columnist with the Miami Herald. I was able to ask him about Super Bowls (he is one of four people who has covered all 45 Super
“He was one of a few that made a typewriter sing,” longtime South Florida broadcaster Hank Goldberg said. “He had one of the best lines on spring training I’ve ever seen: ‘Behind every palm tree, there’s a pennant.’ ”
Pope wrote five books, including one on Ted Williams, whom he calls the most intelligent athlete he ever covered. He delivered radio commentaries four times a day on a South Florida country music station for a decade, in the 1960s and ’70s.
Though Pope admitted he was not a “big sports fan,” his career was built on a foundation of telling stories with a human touch and a linguistic panache, capturing moments — during and after games — with richness and detail, and offering critical commentary with a measure of gentility, devoid of personal attacks.
“He was very fair on all counts, very accurate, told it like it was,” Dolphins Hall of Fame safety Dick Anderson said. “His appearance was so very serious all the time. But when you get to know him, there was always a chuckle to be had.”
Pope, who spoke with a distinct Southern drawl, explained his even-handed approach:
“I had an advantage — I had the ax, I held the gun. I didn’t want to fire it randomly. I always wanted to be fair, even to people who didn’t deserve it. It just wasn’t my nature [to be nasty]. I just wasn’t that kind of person. That’s the way I grew up, the way people were in Athens.”
His integrity earned trust among athletes and coaches.
“He was honest and forthright,” Dolphins Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti said. “If you said something was in confidence, he would take it to the grave.”
His writing talents helped his personal life, too. He met his second wife, Eileen, at a dinner party at the Miami home of former Herald columnist Al Burt in 1971.
“I was down from Canada with my 2 1/2-year-old son, David,” Eileen recalled. “Edwin walked in and immediately took to David and was carrying him all around. The next day, I was going back to Canada.
“Edwin started writing me very well-written letters and sending me tapes of a five-minute radio show he had on sports. I thought it was funny. David and I always called him the wordmaster.”
Their long-distance courtship continued for seven months, before Eileen got her visa
|
hand," he said.
"I am in regular contact with Minister Bishop, I spoke to her just now on a number of issues, so it’s very, very important to have these communications established."
Relations were also recently strained by revelations over the surveillance of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"Some [issues] to be fair is not of the current government’s making, after all the issue of surveillance is not something that just happened overnight, it’s apparently a long-established practice," Mr Natalegawa said.
And he’s sure that the links between the two countries are improving again ahead of a potential change in government in Jakarta.
"I think we are now back on the upward trajectory, you are quite correct we’ve had a somewhat difficult time recently, but both governments are working earnestly and with a great deal of urgency to try to get the relationship to back where it was before.
"I am keen to ensure that when the baton is passed from this government to the next, it will be passed where Indonesia and Australia relations is already back on track, so we must ensure that the situation gets managed quickly."
Dateline’s full interview with the Indonesian Foreign Minister“The primary objective…is to gradually defang Yellowstone as a threat to humanity,” says Dr. Brian Wilcox, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
That’s a noble goal, but could the team’s provocative ideas really work? “It’s pie in the sky right now,” says Dr. Charles Connor, a volcanologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa, “but it’s a great trajectory to think about.”
Chilling out
A supervolcano eruption can spew out hundreds of cubic miles of magma. Fortunately, such outbursts are rare. The last super-eruption happened about 74,000 years ago — long before civilization’s rise. Geologic evidence suggests that Yellowstone’s supervolcano mounts a massive eruption once every 600,000 to 800,000 years. The most recent occurred about 640,000 years ago.
Those facts may be reassuring, but experts say they’re no excuse for complacency.
“Even though it’s unlikely to happen in anybody’s given lifetime, it will eventually happen,” Wilcox says of a supervolcano eruption. “One of these things is going to blow, and it’s going to be devastating.”
In a Yellowstone super-eruption, everything within 60 miles could be incinerated. Wyoming and surrounding states could be blanketed with three feet of volcanic ash, and some ash would likely spread over most of North America. The dust and gases released by the eruption would blot out enough sunlight to wipe out crops and plunge the world into a “volcanic winter” that could last for a decade or more. The ensuing famine could kill untold millions.
But Wilcox and his colleagues say we could lower the risk by drilling into the hot rock near Yellowstone’s magma chamber, starting several miles outside the park.
Water would be pumped through the borehole into the hot rock and then return to the surface at a temperature of more than 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot water could be used to drive turbines to generate electric power. Then the water, now cooled, could be pumped back underground to steal away more heat.
Great care would need to be taken to make sure the drilling process didn’t inadvertently trigger an eruption. Going slowly and approaching the magma chamber from the sides and beneath would be the safest approach, according to Wilcox. And he says it would all be surprisingly feasible.
“Most people think of a supervolcano as this amazingly massive thing that is so huge compared to puny human engineering capabilities,” Wilcox says. “It’s not so much that the amount of heat represented is so vast beyond human experience. It’s that it’s stored for a very, very long period of time and then released all at once.”
As outlined by the NASA scientists, the project would cost about $3.46 billion. It would take thousands of years for all the heat to be fully extracted. Throughout that time, as the risk of an eruption slowly subsided, there would be plenty of heat to generate electricity at competitive prices.
Beyond human experience
Engineers aren’t about to descend on Yellowstone with drills. But Wilcox hopes his idea will spark discussion about the threat posed by a supervolcanic eruption — and how we might mitigate it. “Keeping these volcanoes from devastating the human food supply and causing the deaths of 99 percent of all of humanity, that seems like a worthwhile thing to debate,” he says.
Connor agrees that it’s time to consider how to keep monster volcanoes from blowing their tops. “These are geological events which are beyond our experience, and humanity’s not prepared to deal with them,” he says. “Honestly, in the case of a super-eruption what else would we do? We have to try geoengineering.”
FOLLOW NBC MACH ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM.Today’s Latest News on Trump Administration
Secret Service costs for Trump family protection continue to mount
With Eric Trump’s trip to the United Kingdom this week, the international hotel and car rental costs for the Secret Service agents who protect him and his brother Donald Trump Jr. have topped $190,000 since January 1st, according to a review of purchasing orders by CBS News.
White House opts not to make visitor logs public
The White House won’t make public the logs of visitors to the White House complex, breaking with the practice of President Trump’s predecessor.
Mike Pence heads to South Korea Saturday amid North Korea tensions
Vice President Mike Pence will leave Washington on Saturday for an 11-day trip overseas with his first stop in South Korea as North Korea appears to prepare for another nuclear test.
Do Americans think their tax system is fair?
As Americans prepare to file their income taxes this year, most see unfairness in the current tax system: 56 percent describe the income tax system as somewhat or quite unfair, while just over a third -- 37 percent -- think it’s quite or reasonably fair.
Sean Spicer reports to Pentagon for Navy Reserve duty, sporting his uniform
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer reported for U.S. Navy Reserve duty at the Pentagon Friday, donning his uniform, to fulfill his time in the public affairs office.
Anti-Defamation League offers training sessions on Holocaust to Sean Spicer
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has volunteered to offer training sessions focused on Holocaust education to White House spokesman Sean Spicer, whose comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Adolf Hitler on Tuesday sparked an uproar.
“The Takeout” - Bob Schieffer on Trump’s move toward centrist policies
Legendary CBS News correspondent and former “Face the Nation” moderator Bob Schieffer is the first to acknowledge he has never seen anything like the 2016 presidential campaign.
“You know, that became a drinking game among the younger people,” he said on the latest episode of The Takeout podcast. “Every time I said that on television, they had to take a shot.”
Democrats say upcoming spending bill must fund Obamacare payments
Democrats are up in arms over President Donald Trump’s threats to deny payments to health insurers under Barack Obama’s health care law.
Schedule
The president is in Mar-a-Lago for the Easter weekend with no public events today.
Recent Trump Administration News:
CIA director calls WikiLeaks Russia-aided “non-state hostile intelligence service”
CIA Director Mike Pompeo blasted WikiLeaks Thursday as a “hostile” intelligence service often aided by questionable actors like Russia.
Trump, Spicer won’t say if president specifically authorized “mother of all bombs”
President Trump didn’t say Thursday whether he specifically authorized the use of the “mother of all bombs” in Afghanistan hours earlier, simply remarking his White House has given the military “total authorization.”
Former President George W. Bush says he can’t remember if he said “that was some weird s***” after President Trump’s inauguration speech in January.
Russians laugh off idea that Putin interfered in U.S. election
What happens when you ask Russians about the Kremlin interfering in the U.S. presidential election? Dismissive finger flicks, eye rolls and laughter.
Trump reverses Obama-era rule on Planned Parenthood, abortion provider funding
President Trump signed legislation Thursday allowing states to withhold federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.
Kitchen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago had several health code violations, inspectors found
Restaurant inspectors recently found several health code violations in the kitchen at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, including undercooked meat and subpar hand-washing practices among employees.
VA hospital in Washington, D.C. criticized for unsanitary conditions, poor management
Subpar conditions at a Washington, D.C., VA medical center have prompted a scathing report from the agency’s inspector general and the dismissal of the hospital’s director.We’ve all been there. You’re having a great game, winning team fight after team fight. Then you make a mistake. Sometimes, if you’re me, you make dozens of mistakes. Mistakes can cost you the game. As George W. Bush famously said, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me… you can’t get fooled again.” Don’t get fooled again. Learning from your mistakes will help you become a better player.
Record Your Games
There are many options available on iOS to record your gameplay. I won’t go into too much technical detail, but if there is a large demand, I can write an article on it. If anyone familiar with Android would like to post some options in the comments, please do!
A 10.9 or above Mac, iOS8, Quicktime Player, and a Lightning Cable
AirServer / Reflector + Computer
Shou.tv [no computer or jailbreak required]
Jailbreak + Mobcrush tweak [no computer required]
Review Your Gameplay
Once you’ve recorded a game, go back and watch it. The first time you do this, it’s quite an amazing experience. You’ll wonder why in the world you did certain things. For example, I accidentally Spectral Smited a jungle minion with 1 stack on it. Oops. Try and find crucial moments like team fights, and focus on analyzing them. Here are some mistakes I found in one match, and I’d like to highlight them for you.
Watch me walk right into Skaarf’s Spitfire.
We were ahead already so I was overconfident. Walked right into Skaarf’s Spitfire and Goop combo. Then, I could have used my A to shield myself and block some of the scout trap damage. Also Catherine was taking heavy damage with her shield up. I was actually killed by a deflection off her shield.
It’s great to push an advantage, but you also need to realize when you’ve overextended. Practicing the same hero will help you learn those limits, and will help you get better at the game.
Don’t overstay your welcome, and Catherine enjoys window shopping.
We overstayed an invade just a bit too long. I called to pull back, but it was too late. Catherine might have been able to stun the enemy Cath out of her stun to allow Ringo to safely make it to the brush. While Ringo was being 1v3’d, Catherine was shopping. I was powerless to help Ringo as I had no support items.
Make sure you keep an eye on death timers in the scoreboard. We were hungry for the back jungle camps, but the enemy had respawned and cut us off at the tri-bush. As support, peeling for your carry is important. It’s up to you to save them from themselves sometimes! Also, whenever you shop in the jungle, if the enemy is nearby, make sure you shop very quickly, or don’t shop at all. Sometimes it’s not worth the risk.
Check your cooldowns before you wreck yourself.
After losing Ringo, I saw that Gold Mine was being taken. I went in to try and distract them, but that was a bad idea. My reflex block was on cooldown, and I got stunned by Joule. I tried to finish Joule but was unable to, leaving me way out of position and with no escape. R.I.P.
Whenever one player goes down, it’s a prime time to take objectives. I knew that they would make a play for the gold mine. A 2v3 isn’t bad if you have the Gold Miner helping you (he hits like a ton of bricks), but I didn’t have vision on the enemy. I should have just backed out, or circled around the other way once they had Miner aggro. Speaking of the Gold Miner, you can use a minion candy on him to make him hit even harder! It lasts for 1 minute and gives 60 armor/shield, 40% more damage, and.5 movement speed.
That big red circle means hit Reflex block.
We got caught again by their Catherine (excellent play, by the way), causing Ringo to be deleted very quickly. It was a 2v3, and I made a poor decision to stay and fight when I had not finished my Breaking Point yet. I also missed an obvious Joule stun, my reflexes are bad. Sitting on 1500 gold and fighting a 2v3 is usually a bad idea. To top it off, they had a Fountain of Renewal which made any chance of winning this fight impossible.
The lesson here is to know your power spikes. Krul gets a huge power spike when he finishes his Breaking Point. I needed 200 more gold and I made a poor decision to fight 2v3, again without the Gold Miner’s help. Man that guy is lazy sometimes.
Don’t face check bushes.
This time I wanted to highlight a mistake made by the enemy Skaarf. It’s never a good idea to face check bushes, especially if you just saw the enemy. Our kill of Skaarf allowed us to take their entire enemy jungle and Minion miner, giving us a nice gold boost, where we infused before the next crucial team fight.
Unless you’re a tank, you don’t want to enter the brush without vision of the enemy. Even as the tank, you should almost always carry flares. Vision is so important in this game. Lack of vision can lose you the game. Buy flares. If you don’t have flares, some heroes can check bushes with their abilities. For example, Skaarf’s Spitfire, Celeste’s Heliogenesis, Vox’s Pulse, and Joule’s Thunderstrike can all deal damage or reveal enemy heroes.
This one mistake could have cost the game.
I got overconfident again. We pushed deeper than Kraken, instead of waiting. I had the turret halfway with full smite stacks, but I incorrectly turned on Skaarf, leading to my unfortunate demise. I should have Smited the turret, got the heal, and backed off. We probably could have won the game in this push, but instead we only got 1 more turret and the enemy team got 1500 gold from killing the Kraken. Fortunately, we won the next team fight and secured the win!
We had full control of the map, both Minion Mines, a Minion wave, Kraken, and full health! What could go wrong? It’s easy to forget how much damage carries can do, especially when you have turret aggro. Don’t overextend, even when victory seems guaranteed. Play smart. Push when Kraken arrives to take that turret aggro. That’s what Kraken is for.
Follow these four easy steps to Vainglorious
So to recap, follow these four easy steps on your road to Vainglorious.
Record your game play Review your mistakes?????? Vainglorious Gold!*
*not actually Vainglorious gold. Individual results may vary.Star Wars Trench Run 2.0 on iTunes
Tyler Christensen July 21, 2010 8:00:04 AM EST
Hope you have your TIE Fighter license because Star Wars Trench Run 2.0 has been released to iTunes. This new version is the launch of the Brass Monkey technology, which allows players to use their iphone as a wireless game controller to play the web version of Trench Run at starwars.com.
Some of the new features included in the game are three new levels; Escape, Han Solo, and Han Solo Arcade. You will also be with a few new ships as well, such as the Millennium Falcon, Y-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Darth Vader’s Advanced TIE Fighter. The starwars.com web version has also been updated with new explosions and updated graphics, new 3D cockpits, new lighting features, and remote control experience powered by Brass Monkey.Image caption Images of 10 football fans have been released by the police
Images have been released by police of 10 football fans wanted in connection with disorder at Saturday's FA Cup semi-final between Millwall and Wigan.
The game was marred by Millwall supporters attacking police and fighting among themselves inside and outside London's Wembley Stadium.
Fourteen people, 12 Millwall supporters and two Wigan fans, were arrested on Saturday. Another was held on Friday.
Two men have been charged with involvement in the disorder.
Det Ch Insp Andy Barnes said police would "obtain lengthy football banning orders for all those found guilty at court".
"Over 60,000 fans went to this game to support their teams, sadly there was a small minority intent on violence.
"In sending a clear message to those intent on causing trouble, I would appeal for help from the public to identify any of the suspects featured in the images we are releasing today."You are here: Home Articles / The PlayStation Mobile Store “Reborn”—A List of Direct Game Purchase/Download Links
The PlayStation Mobile Store “Reborn”—A List of Direct Game Purchase/Download Links
Back in mid-July, the PlayStation Mobile Store closed its doors; the windows were boarded up; the cows came home. No more opportunity to buy PSM games... or so we thought at first. As we discovered in our forum, while the PSM Store’s front doors have closed, the Store itself is still open for business (until the PSM service’s complete shutdown September 10th). You can still access game entries in the PSM Store through hyperlinks clicked on in the Vita (or PlayStation TV) Web browser, which will open up the Vita’s PlayStation Store app right on the game entry. From there, you can buy games you don’t already own (and that are available in your country) or re-download games you do own—which really beats the interminable wait to load your PSM download list. In our forum, we started up a discussion topic in which we posted what PSM game hyperlinks we could find. Our resident mob boss Ofaliss then had the idea to properly present those links here, in our blog. So, after a short wait, we now present The Great PSPMinis PSM Hyperlink Collection!
To see how you can contribute to this list, and for some background info on the list, click here to jump to the last part of this post.
REMEMBER: these links will only work from the Web browser of a PlayStation Vita or PlayStation TV.
Current number of links: 420
See the latest posts in our forum topic for the newest additions to this list.
IMPORTANT: If you remove or switch your memory card, it will trigger a database rebuild, which will deactivate PSM from your Vita or PS TV. After September 10th, you will not be able to reactivate anymore. Keep this in mind as you make last-minute PSM purchases!
Can’t remember the name of the publisher/developer of the PSM game you’re looking for? Try our alphabetically ordered listing of the game links!
Action Button Entertainment
- Ten By Eight
- Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones
Adam De Broeck
- Escape
- Subway Run
Adam Mowery
- Blue Beacon
- Curse of the Crescent Isle DX
Akie Nakao
- Yuurei no Sumu Ie (Japan-only)
Akio Ogata
- DuelistCalculator
Akira Ohashi
- Popopo Garden
Alan Davies
- Blinkin Blobs
Albino Pixel
- Underline
Alex Gray (Junglingo)
- Gorillas 3D
alexSoft
- Drops x Colors x Freeze
- HEX-FLOWERS
altairworks
- Ambition of the Slimes
Amachan
- Kimodameshi (Japan-only)
- Zombi Hour (Japan-only)
AQUADIA Co., Ltd.
- BLOCK BUSTER
- Case File of Hiragi Sara (Japan-only)
- Kingdom Three Musketeers
- Kingdom Three Musketeers Music Library
- SHIKKOKU
Archifishal Software
- Aqualibrium (free)
AtelierYoka
- FlapperPrincess
Atomicom
- Switch Galaxy
Awesome Enterprises
- 25 Invisible Mazes
- Massive Cleavage vs Zombies
Beatnik Games
- Samurai Beatdown (inoperative)
Big Head Games
- ZooZooGo! (free)
Black Star Nursery
- Grand Sun R.Y.E.Z
Blackjack21
- 1 Chicken 2 Bullets
- Down in the Valley
- The Game Lab Project
- Run and Dodge Football
Booby Trap
- Shiro-kuro gattsuri tsukeru! kuma (says “hakkiri” instead of “gattsuri” in US PSM Store)
- Tobipen
- Tobipen Fly
- Vacc-Balls-Chin
Brain Seal
- Dark Quest
BRZ Games (Boris Ruiz)
- The Impossible Platformer
c minor rookie
- RYUJIN
Cafe Game Studio
- 4fun
- Bat King
- Grid Survivor
Califer Games
- Spirits Of Elduurn (free)
camel504
- Antguy – ant route puzzler! -
- The Crow
Carrot Creations
- Helicopter
- Snake
Cat Trap Studios (for earlier releases by same developer, see: David Ward)
- Mouse Bounce
cavebrave (Maxim Fefilov)
- Maze in Space
Cerberus
- Delta Strike: First Assault
CerosWare
- Paperwork
Chair Warming Facility
- About Turn
- Catch Up TV Film Guide (UK-only?)
- Shovel Shuffle (free)
- Touch Treasure
Closed Umbrella Games
- Dogs of Combat (free)
Crash Lab
- Twist Pilot
cupholderjones
- Don’t Die Dateless, Dummy! (free)
d3t
- Lemmings (free)
DanielCakeGames
- Nunnageddon
David Martinez
- Dr. Wiggly
- Trolly Bird
- Trolly Fish
David Ward (Imperative Games; for later release by same developer, see: Cat Trap Studios)
- A Bad Opera-tunity
- Castle Invasion
david.cm
- Sheep in Hell
Deadlock
- G Origin
DK_Alpha
- Green Island
Eclipse Games
- EcoFish
Edit Mode
- UFO Dad
Eiconic Games
- Arctic Adventures: Brain Freeze
Emily&Charlotte Lounge
- Saicoro-puzzle*KURA:ssic (free)
EP Games
- EP Alien Attack
- EP Chain Reaction (free)
- EP Gem Hunter
- EP Search and Find
- EP Sokoban Catzzles (free)
Evil Block Studios
- Princess Revolution
Experimental Gamer
- Boot Hill Heroes Part One
Fabresoft
- Saviour Sammie (free)
FK Digital
- MononokeSlashdown (free)
FlyteCatEmotion
- Million Shells – The First Encount
Fordesoft
- Super Blackout
Forever Entertainment
- Frederic – Resurrection of Music (inoperative)
Four Door Lemon
- QuizQuizQuiz (inoperative)
- You Are The Ref (inoperative)
- You Are The Umpire
Fraktal-Design
- Flappig 3D
FranMatsusaka
- Wing Warriors
FullPowerSideAttack
- ARP-BOX
FuturLab
- Beats Slider
- Fuel Tiracas
- Surge
Game on the Brain (Kelvin Moreaux)
- Dynamite Dude
Gamer Bear
- Super Duck! (free)
GarageSoft Co.
- Tower&Sooting (sic)
- Tower&Shooting2
Golden Ruby Games
- Hermit Crab In Space
goodSuM games
- Among The Stars
grapefrukt
- rymdkapsel
Gremlin Software
- Ball Bearing Racer
- Cave Squid
- Corridor Monster Onslaught
Hamster Corporation
- Appli Archives AlphaNuts CrimsonBlue
- Appli Archives AlphaNuts Deserter’s 2DX
- Appli Archives AlphaNuts Takusuku FRESH!
- Appli Archives Boosim Lab Mini Game Pack
- Appli Archives Boosim Lab Minnano Yabo Neo
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 1
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 2
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 3
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 4
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 5
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 6
- Appli Archives extreme Pairon Mobile 7
- Appli Archives G-mode BurgerTime
- Appli Archives G-mode Karate Spirits
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 1
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 2
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 3
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 4
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 5
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 6
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 7
- Appli Archives IDAC Escape Game Pack 8
- Appli Archives JALECO ARGUS & FIELD COMBAT
- Appli Archives JALECO City Connection
- Appli Archives JALECO Formation Z & Bases Loaded
- Appli Archives JALECO Momoko 1200%
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Crossword
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Crossword 2
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Crossword 3
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 2
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 3
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 4
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 5
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 6
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 7
- Appli Archives NIKOLI Slitherlink 8
- Appli Archives Nippon Ichi Software Duologue
- Appli Archives Nippon Ichi Software Mini Game Pack 1
- Appli Archives Nippon Ichi Software Mini Game Pack 2
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 1 (Last Island)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 2 (Voyage History of Meridia)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 3 (Voyage History of Meridia 2)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 4 (Voyage History of Jipania)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 5 (Sheltering Cry)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 6 (mini game pack)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 7 (Sheltering Cry II Gaiden: Alec’s Side Story)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 8 (Sheltering Cry II)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 9 (mini game pack)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 10 (Little Queen Story)
- Appli Archives TEAM RISE Vol. 11 (Sheltering Cry III)
- Magic Arrows
Happion Laboratories
- sixty second shooter Deluxe
Havishamone Games
- VitaBounce!
Heavy Spectrum
- Bullion Blitz (free)
- Puzziball
Henchman & Goon
- Flem
Henchmen Interactive
- Pop Bugs Zap (free)
Homemade Games
- Front Wars : World War II Turn-Based Strategy Game
Hondotech (RiddleOfTheSands)
- Flabby Sven
HorngYeuan Digital
- MechHit
- RushCat
Hossie
- Geroneko (Japan-only)
Hyper Thetical Games (Molexendor)
- Ele-Mental
Ichthyostego
- Blue Reflection mobile
igarashi-san (Game studio 403)
- Yousei-tachi no Mazegurumi Koujou (Japan-only)
Inferno…
- MUSYNC
inosan298
- Dead End Valentine
Inukage Games
- Emil’s Task
Jiruo Software
- Bug Dasu – Debugger Kentei (Japan-only)
- Gyro Dot Eat
- Narikiri! Appli Scope (Japan-only)
Johan Valfridsson
- Flight World Simulator
Junaid Malik
- Voyage of Kepler 186f
Karios Games
- Daryl (free)
Kay Hermann
- brg
Kitten Kitten Inc. (Ai Matsushita)
- SoundPuzzle (Japan-only)
Kleio Interactive
- KI Scientific Toolbox
Kobito Studio (Naoki Sagawa)
- Colorful Manhattan ~SquMyu Zunoubu~ (Japan-only)
- Cross Link Suit ~SquMyu Zunoubu~ (Japan-only)
- Element Ensemble Battle Exam (not sure if that’s what it says; Japan-only)
- Kirameki no Kakera ~SquMyu Zunoubu~ (Japan-only)
- SquMyu – Square Music Puzzle (Japan-only)
- SquMyu 2nd (Japan-only)
- SquMyu 3rd (Japan-only)
- SquMyu 4th (Japan-only)
Late for Dinner Studios (M3/Michael Mulet)
- Night Climb
LATGroup (Mitsuhiko Shimomura)
- NotepadDX
- TonanAsiaKyo
Laughing Jackal
- Cubixx
- Hungry Giraffe (inoperative, but maybe not if you already own it)
- OMG-Zombies!
Like a Falcon
- Sakura Flow
Lindsay Cox
- Storm Ship Shiro
LiquidGames (Tim Collins)
- Apocalypse Defense
- Attack Of The Mutants
- Luminis
- Runner
- Seeker
- Visualize
The Liverpool Office
- Crystal Ice
LostVision Gamestudio
- Ahhh! Asteroids
- Animals: Cross the line
- Edge Escape
- Flappy Retro
- Hungry Snake
- The incredible physics puzzle – Episode: 1
- Insects – The Alien Invasion
- Mega Tap Tap
- Oh no! Zombies alive
- Pirates vs. Monsters
- Project: Stealth
- Shadow Ninja Rush
- Star Sweeper
Maqna Interactive
- Mussoumano Saving Latifas (free)
masaya miura
- Breaker Stones
Matsudamper
- 4PhotoTweet
- Dot Maker
- Kasanki Houshiki Dentaku (Calculator) (free)
- LiveStreamingTweet
- Mute Camera
- Photo Edit
- QR Editor
- Rensha Camera (Continuous shooting)
- StopWatch/Timer
- Suiheiki (spirit level)
Maxneet (Akie Nakao)
- FarmFury!
Mercury Active
- Tiki Rush: Escape from Lava Island
Mintah
- Ape of Steel
- Block Boy Brick
Mobile Internet Technology
- Pinky Spots Leg Massage
Mountpunch
- Chiebura
Mt.Seed
- Re:marriage
Mukagosoftware Development
- Bloodred Wyvern
- Bloodred Wyvern 2
- Gravity Anomaly Zone
NCME
- 16-bit Trader
Necrosoft
- Gunhouse
- Oh, Deer! Alpha
neko.works (baka-neko.fr)
- Night Riders, 3D Arcade Racing
Nerds in Room (Jirohn-Games)
- Hot Dog Planet
NiaProject (Nia)
- The Sexy Seashore
- YASHIKI THE RESIDENCE (Japan-only)
Niels Vriezen
- SPIKE Says
noowanda_
- Discovery
Norwind Interactive
- Super Kart Mania
Nostatic Software
- Ascent of Kings
- Candy, Please!
- ComicStation
- Fat Dragons
- Fractopia
- Kung Fu FIGHT!
- MapCache Offline Maps
- Quiet Christmas
- Quiet, Please!
- Vacation Vexation
- VoxelMaker
Omni Systems
- Eufloria Adventures
Onyx Jaguar (Alex McGilvray)
- NekoRush
Origin8 Technologies
- Tractor Trails
Pachytene Studio
- Bus no Unten Simulator (Bus Driving Simulator) (Japan-only)
- Merry Christmas Lady Santa
PenguinGames
- PurineBlock (Japan-only)
Petrus Ward (petrus)
- Super Space Serpent
Pixel Bones Studios
- Air HockeyZ: Zoo of Madness
- Run Run and Die
pixelelement (Carlos Barcenas-Portillo)
- Earth Assault
Playerthree
- Loot the Land (inoperative)
PomPom Software
- Rebel
Pon Pon Games (Satoshi Hamano)
- Behind You
- Galatea
- A Healer Only Lives Twice
- Nekomimimusumega Sekainohatemade Sanmawotabeniikuno DADADA
ptt
- Cube Dasher
- Energy Skate
- Fatty Bird
- Pojong
- Rainboxplosion
Pull the Plug Studios
- Reflect It
PYGMY STUDIO CO., LTD.
- Forevolution
- Rodem the Wild.
- Yaken no Rodem (Rodem the Wild) (Japan-only, Japanese Edition)
Quirkat
- Word Blocked
RainbowShooting
- Hoshiwo Kasaneru Mahou
Rayark
- Cytus Lambda (free)
retas
- Hyper Reminder
- Multi Counter
Rewrite Works
- Pocket Defense
- Pocket Defense 2 (Japan-only)
RideonJapan
- Adventure Bar Labyrinth (free)
Ripstone
- Cosmic Clean-Up
- Gun Commando
- Panic! (inoperative)
Rocking Pocket Games
- Blue Skies
- Dungeon Bandit
- iFishing
- iFishing Saltwater
- The Labyrinth
- Mahjong Mahjong
- Pocket Farm
Sargun Vohra
- Gravity Cube
SeazDevelop
- Merum
- Raina
- Sukelook
SFB Games
- Haunt the House: Terrortown
SlapStickSoftware
- CROSS JUMP
- Figure
- Hero or Healer?
- OVERHEAT UNION (Japan-only)
- Snow Material
Sony Computer Entertainment
- Everybody’s Arcade (free)
- NUMBLAST
- TOKYO JUNGLE Mobile
- YU-NAMA: THE PUZZLE
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- Beats Trellis
- Passing Time
Sony Digital Entertainment Services
- Domo-kun Cookie Island (Japan-only)
- Guragura BARBAPAPA (Japan-only)
- Munchy Girl Mogumi’s Easy Diet
- Records of the Three Kingdoms Mahjong Puzzle
- Rocking RODY (free)
- ROSE O’NEILL KEWPIE’s Easy Diet
- Warau Salesman: Ma no Su de Shanghai Puzzle (Japan-only)
Spicysoft
- Bike Rider DX
- Charisou DX (Bike Rider DX) (Japan-only, Japanese Edition)
Spinning Head Software
- Flick Hockey
SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
- CHAOS RINGS
Stephen Allen
- Disillusions Manga Horror
- Hill Cliff Horse
- Ocean Craft Multiplayer
- Raptor – RPG
Stinky Badger Games
- Picbox (free)
Studio de la Torre
- Jumpikus
Studio F#
- The Packet Queen
StudioIRIS
- Unicorn Savior
Super Icon
- Life of Pixel
- MegaBlast
SYNC Inc.
- incurvio
- Wipe!
TACS Games (Thomas Hopper)
- Console Saga
- Floribund
- King Bean
- Meltdown Moon
- OUT OF MIND
- Radiant Flux
- Sea Run
- Shuttle Quest 2000 (free)
- Still Life
- Super Brain Eat 3
- Super Skull Smash GO!
- Super Tank Poker
Takuya Nagayasu
- Life Born (free)
Tama Games
- Battle of Puppets
Tanaka Kenji (Kenji)
- FolkHarpKenji
Tchagata Games
- Maison Kanraku
te3tn
- Kyutain
Team Redherring
- Eternal Interceptor
- Eternal Interceptor Bit
- M.B.Re
Team17
- Alien Breed
teasoft
- 0WAR (free)
- Alien (free)
- JUSTICE LEGION (free)
- Neck Strike (free)
- Ninja Insect (free)
- RIVAL (free)
- SHOOTING Featured (free)
- Fleet Connection (free)
Tetsu Yamashita
- Miru Mira (Japan-only)
Thornbury Software
- Archery
- The Call of the West
- Shooting Range
Throw the Warped Code Out
- The Cardboard Cat
- CardBoard Cat EP (Japan-only)
Tikipod
- Aqua Kitty – Milk Mine Defender
- Rock Boshers DX
TIZ777 (Tiziano Bizzini)
- Jaggy Race!
Tomonori Misawa
- Crash Planets
toshinori tamashihro
- 3D Zombie survival
- Balancegame
- Calculator
- Dynamic visual acuity test
- Instant memory test
- Reflection speed game
- Touch speed fighter
Ullucus Heaven
- Fragment’s Note (Japan-only, Japanese edition)
- Fragment’s Note (ENG)
- Fragment’s Note 2 – Side: Shizuku (Japan-only)
- Fragment’s Note 2 – Side: Yukitsuki (Japan-only)
Underscor3e (Huseyn Abdullayev)
- Santa’s Salvation
Upside Down Bird
- Galactic Junk (free)
Vanguard Chaos Gaming
- Star Sabotage
- Star Sabotage 2.1
- Tanks A Lot
vDog
- Sword of Rapier (free)
Vlambeer
- Super Crate Box
Wilco van den Brink
- Cube Runner
with the love studios (Scott Mattt/Matott)
- Instant Dungeon!
Wizard
|
are easily marketable internationally. Smart and original dramas usually have to rely heavily on the specific contexts of their particular culture, while robots, wizards, sword fights, space ships, superheroes, aliens, massive battles, and lots of explosions are a universal language.
Making movies has certainly gotten more expensive. But the world also forced Hollywood to start making more expensive movies.Jeff Williams announcing September Apple Watch updates – AFP
In addition to launching a new 4-inch iPhone likely called the “iPhone 5se,” Apple plans to announce new Apple Watch models in March. The new lineup will be similar to the September 2015 Apple Watch revision, bringing a series of new band color options to the Apple Watch lineup. We are also told that entirely new bands made out of new materials are in development in addition to partnerships with firms beyond Hermes. Last year, Apple had discussed partnering up with popular third-party accessory makers, such as Incase, in some official fashion, but it is unclear if those are ready for this March revision.
The March Apple Watch update is unlikely to include new hardware functionality, but Apple is said to be preparing to formally release the WatchOS 2.2 update, which went into the developer beta stage earlier this month, alongside the new variations. Developer betas have revealed that the new software allows for multiple Apple Watches to be synced to a single iPhone in addition to new functionality in the Maps app. It is likely that Apple has more enhancements for this March update in development. We are told that a full second-generation redesign of the Apple Watch is scheduled to ship in the fall and is currently tracking a September announcement, a possibility TechCrunch recently raised, not this spring.
With new Apple Watch bands and software features in the pipeline along with the new iPhone model and iOS 9.3, sources say that Apple is still tentatively planning a small media event in March. Apple’s current plans call for an event-based introduction during the week of March 14th, but this could be reliant upon another product becoming ready for introduction in the spring, such as the in-the-works iPad Air 3. A major iOS app developer tells us that it started seeing signs in November that new iPad models codenamed “iPad 6,3 and 6,4,” which would slot between the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro in Apple’s internal naming lineup, are in testing. It is possible that this event could turn into an online announcement if the third announcement is not ready for March.Officials say they are going ahead with extradition of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, who allegedly hit and killed a policeman with his car in 2012 and has avoided authorities ever since, but when prosecutors finally got the police request Thursday, they could not move forward since the country for him to be extradited from was left blank.
This is only the latest delay after another recent pause in the move toward extradition related to a translation abnormality, reported Bangkok Post.
Amnat Chotchai, foreign affairs head for the Attorney General’s office, said Thursday that the form was incomplete.
“The document does not specify the country so we can’t proceed. Once the police tell us where he lives, we’ll contact that country if it has an extradition agreement with Thailand. If it doesn’t, there are other channels to bring him back,” he said. The problem may be that police don’t seem to know where the jet-setting heir is living.
Though he’s stayed mainly off the radar for the last five years, he continues to live a pampered, hi-so existence and occasionally pops up on social media.
READ: 10 photos of untouchable Red Bull heir living high life as he’s wanted for death of policeman
Amnat went on to say, “We have prepared everything except filling in the country name. Once the police give us the name, we can proceed.”
Any further delays may be that Vorayuth can’t be prosecuted one of the more minor charges, “failing to help a crash victim,” since the statute of limitations for that charge expires in a few weeks on Sept. 3.
The heir has already evaded police long enough to see the statute of limitations expire on several of the charges pending against him, including speeding.
However, the most major charge against him, “reckless driving causing death” can be prosecuted for 15 years, so until 2027.
Before dawn on Sept 3, 2012, a black Ferrari driven by Vorayuth slammed into a policeman on motorcycle, dragging his mangled body along Sukhumvit Road, before speeding away.
He had delayed hearing the charges seven times, citing various reasons. It was not until April 27 this year that the prosecutors finally charged him with reckless driving causing death and failing to help a crash victim.
The government already canceled his passport after he flew out of Thailand on his private plane two days before he was due to face the charges.A popular cultural event that has infused the Forks with music and dance since 2006 is in jeopardy.
Salsa Sundays is a live music and dance event that attracts crowds of more than 500 people to the normally slow Sunday nights at the Forks. For the second time in two years, it’s at risk of being cancelled due to a lack of funding.
It had been backed by the Forks and the Casinos of Winnipeg for six years, but funding was redirected. When the Casinos of Winnipeg started funding the Barge Festival in 2011, the Forks events staff backed Salsa Sundays without a title sponsor.
In May 2012, Susan Reid, former events coordinator at the Forks said in an email to Salsa Sunday producer Leonardo Lopez that the well received event was "gaining momentum," and that the Forks would continue to support it.
However in May 2013, Lopez was informed that the Forks was no longer in a position to fund Salsa Sundays.
Lopez, of LM Image and Event Productions, personally funded the 2013 Salsa Sundays series on his own, with a few donations. The Forks ceased funding just six weeks prior to the event start, leaving coordinators with little time to fundraise.
"It was surprising"¦ We had been told they enjoy it, the vendors enjoy it, people that work there say they get so much business," said Salsa Sundays production coordinator Valeria Chartier. "It’s great live music and dance and a cultural showcase anyone can walk up to without a ticket.
"I’ve had people telling me they can’t believe it might not happen." But that’s the situation. Chartier has spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the $10 thousand needed to put the event on for summer 2014. If they fall short, they will either cancel Salsa Sundays, or drastically downscale.
"We have a meeting scheduled with the new events coordinator at the Forks in May to discuss details," said Chartier.
"We want to raise a good amount of the money by then because that’s when the final contract needs to be signed." Salsa Sundays set up their Facebook page and Paypal account on April 9, and they are accepting donations until May.
[email protected]://github.com/midorineko/rpi_automation/blob/...
This is the livolo transmission code I use for home automation. It features an 'off' function which is all livolo lights off and one other frequency 'on' which is actually a lightswitch toggle.
However, in the code comments I provide many other possible frequencies, which can all be saved as variables and used if you need.
In case I change the file name or location the contents are bellow.
import time
import sys import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
off = '1242424352424342424242424242425342524342' on = '124242435242434242424242424242425243424242'
if sys.argv[1:] == 'off': NUM_ATTEMPTS = 1000 else: NUM_ATTEMPTS = 200
TRANSMIT_PIN = 24
def transmit_code(code): '''Transmit a chosen code string using the GPIO transmitter''' GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM) GPIO.setup(TRANSMIT_PIN, GPIO.OUT) for t in range(NUM_ATTEMPTS): for i in code: if i == '1': GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 1) time.sleep(.00055); GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) elif i == '2': GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) time.sleep(.00011); GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 1) elif i == '3': GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) time.sleep(.000303); GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 1) elif i == '4': GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 1) time.sleep(.00011); GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) elif i == '5': GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 1) time.sleep(.00029); GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) else: continue GPIO.output(TRANSMIT_PIN, 0) GPIO.cleanup()
if __name__ == '__main__': for argument in sys.argv[1:]: exec('transmit_code(' + str(argument) + ')')
# How to use:: I am putting this here, because it seems few people have figured out livolo switches. # Hold down livolo light switch for 5 seconds and wait for a beep. # Run ```python livolo.py on``` # Livolo light switch should beep again, signalling it is paired # Now running ```python livolo.py on``` will toggle the switch. # ```python livolo.py off``` is global to all switches and should work out of box.
# The following lines are possible RF codes which can be learned by the switch. # Just make them strings and save them to variables similarly to 'on' or 'off'. # I only have 1 switch so multiple RF freqs werent necessary. # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2 # 1, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 5, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2The bray harp is not a sound modern ears are used to, and even most early music groups with harps don’t use the period instrument, yet it was the standard European harp of the late medieval, renaissance and early baroque periods, from the 15th century to the 1630s, and still used until the late 18th century in some places. The bray harp gets its name from the L shaped wooden pins at the base of the strings, positioned so the strings buzz against them as they vibrate: the effect was said to sound like a donkey’s bray. It’s an older idea than the bray harp, one shared by the oldest surviving stringed instruments, made four and a half thousand years ago.
This article traces the earliest evidence for the European harp, leading to the origins and popular rise of the bray harp specifically. We ask why there is so little surviving early harp music and try to come to a feasible historical answer; and along the way take in Pictish stones, illuminated Psalters, Geoffrey Chaucer, harp-playing angels and an ape playing a rota, with a video of the harp being brayed.
Harp and bray origins
The harp is descended from a family of musical instruments with unfretted strings stretched across a frame, including the lyre of classical Greece, evidenced from the 14th century BC. The earliest known surviving stringed instruments were even earlier than the Greek lyres. In 1929, British archaeologist Leonard Woolley excavated instruments from royal tombs in Ur, southern Iraq, which have a direct relationship to the bray harp in their concept and execution of sound. Amongst the artefacts made of gold, silver and alabaster, Woolley found three lyres. They look like harps but are classed as lyres on the distinction that harp strings rise directly from the soundboard, whereas lyre strings pass over a bridge, as do the strings of the Ur lyres. They are dated 2600–2400 BC, decorated with golden bull’s heads and not coincidentally described in contemporaneous texts as sounding like a “softly lowing bull”. This sound is created by the strings vibrating against the top edge of the bridge. This is the same principle as bray pins and essentially the same sound as the bray harp. A lyre or a harp with some kind of buzzing device, be it a bridge or a wooden bray pin for the strings to vibrate against, resembles a “softly lowing bull” with a large instrument at a low pitch, or a braying donkey with a smaller instrument at a higher pitch.
The same principle applies on the begena or bèguèna (seen in three photographs below), an Ethiopian 10 string lyre used exclusively for sacred functions in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The begena has pieces of leather lodged between each string and the bridge to create buzzing, which audibly imitates the sound of Ur’s “softly lowing bull”. According to Ethiopian tradition, this was the Biblical King David’s instrument, which he played to calm Saul: “So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp [some translations have lyre] and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him” (1 Samuel 16:23). Tradition has it that Menelik I, son of King Solomon of Israel and of Makeda, Queen of Sheba (in modern Ethiopia), the first Emperor of Ethiopia ruling from 950 BC, brought the begena from Israel to Ethiopia. There is, however, no firm evidence of the begena in Ethiopia before the 15th century. Even if the story was true, the dating of King David’s life, usually from 1040 to 970 BC, takes the origin of the buzzing string principle back considerably less far than the lyres of Ur.
The rise of the European harp and the addition of bray pins
The first unambiguous illustration of a European triangular harp comes from the culture of the Picts, the Scots of the late iron age through to early middle ages. Twelve decorated Pictish stones have survived, dating from AD 8th or 9th century, all with Christian symbols, all depicting harps, some harps with players, some freely floating. These stone carvings are not detailed enough to give us any clues about construction, but their shape certainly indicates they are harps rather than lyres.
We have a more detailed view in the 10th century, in the Caedmon or Junius manuscript of 930, and this harp is without brays. The harp illustrations in the Hunterian or York Psalter of 1170 clearly show round string holders rather than rectangular brays. We see something open to interpretation on the harp in the Peterborough Psalter of 1310–20. The shapes on the soundboard look flat, more like the brass ‘shoes’ of the string band on the soundboard of a clarsach, the wire-strung harp of the Irish and of the Scottish Highland Gaels. Brass ‘shoes’, however, are semi-circular, so the shapes are probably round string holders flattened by the artist. Bray pins on European harps are not mentioned in writing nor clearly seen in iconography until the early 15th century, at which point they become ubiquitous. Both bray pins and round string holders perform the function of holding the string in place; in addition, the L shape of the bray pin is turned so that, when played, the string vibrates against it.
Iconography and written sources in the 15th century soon show the bray harp to be the standard harp (except in the above mentioned regions of the clarsach), remaining so until the 17th century. Harps of the late medieval period came in a range of sizes, from 60 centimetre lap harps with only 10 or 11 strings to 120 centimetre harps with 25 or 26 strings. Their distinctive rising, sleek shape, reminiscent of contemporaneous Gothic architecture, has earned them the retrospective name ‘Gothic harps’, though at the time, of course, they were just called harps. As can be seen above, not all Gothic harps were bray harps until we reach the 15th century.
The popularity of the harp
Harps were clearly very popular, being mentioned, for example, several times in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written between 1387 and 1400, just before the advent of brays, as an instrument to sing with, associated with the gittern, lute and psaltery, and with taverns. It was often painted on its own, with other instruments, or duetting with a lute in the 14th and 15th centuries, often in a religious setting and played by an angel.
The sound of the bray harp from c. 1400 evidently had a wider influence.
The beautifully decorated Capirola lute book, written in Venice 1515-1520, states that a player should “make it so that the first fret almost touches the strings, and so on to the end, because as the frets are nearer to the string, the strings sound like a harp, and the lute appears better.” In other words, lute strings should buzz against the frets. The lute began to be fretted in around 1400, the same time that brays began to appear on harps, so I wonder if this was more than coincidental, if the sound of frets on lutes was the same as brays on harps, that they shared the same braying frisson for at least the first century or so of the fretted lute, perhaps for much longer.
In The Garden of Earthly Delights, painted between 1490 and 1510 by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, we see the first visual evidence of the evolution of the simfony into the vielle à rue or wheel fiddle, known now as the hurdy gurdy. The key change was simple but revolutionary. A drone string, called the trompette (trumpet), was given its own little bridge, the chien (dog), which produces a rhythmic percussive buzz, the persistence and rhythm of which depends on the speed and pressure with which the player turns the crank. The vielle à rue was later to develop further but, at this point in time, the rhythmic buzz was the feature which distinguished it from its simfony forebear, putting it in the same soundworld as the bray harp.
German composer and music theorist Sebastian Virdung, in his Musica getutscht, 1511, describes a new keyboard, “just like the virginals, except that it has different strings [made with gut rather than the usual wire] and nails which make it harp” or buzz. This is likely to be the arpichordo mentioned by Italian writers of the 16th and early 17th century, a cross between a harpsichord and a bray harp. The Flemish and northern European renaissance keyboard, the muselar, was often equipped with a moveable baton, called a harpichordium or arpichordium, which had the same effect. The baton was fitted with brass hooks which, when the baton was ‘switched on’, made contact with the bass strings. You can hear the effect in this video (click on this blue text), and judge for yourself whether Dutch music theorist Quirinus van Blankenburg was right when he commented in 1739 that muselars “grunt in the bass like young pigs”.
The bray harp continued to be played through the renaissance and, when Michael Praetorius’ second and third volumes of Syntagma Musicum were published in 1618-1619, in the early baroque period, he wrote that “the strings of the harp rattle and crackle” and still described the bray harp as “the ordinary harp”.
The puzzle of harp music
We have a great deal of iconography testifying to the place of the harp in European culture, and yet we have little surviving harp music. In the medieval period, this is to be expected, as music was written either for the voice or for an instrument generally rather than one instrument specifically. This indicates the freedom of musicians to arrange their own instrumental parts and, if they could read music, they used the notation only as a starting point and improvised the rest. From relatively near the beginning of the renaissance onwards, different systems of tablature notation were developed for different specific instruments. Staff notation only shows the notes and the rhythm, and the instrumentalist works out the mechanics of producing those pitches; whereas tablature is tied directly to the instrument, showing the player the rhythm and the exact placement of both hands for all notes.
From the renaissance to the baroque period there is a wealth of tablature for the lute, cittern, and viola da gamba, and enough to keep us fairly happy for the bandora and 4 course guitar (for the latter there was ample but much of it is lost). For the harp, we have very little and it is all from the late renaissance onwards. We know there was a harp tablature system in Spain, for example, in Hernando de Cabezón’s Obras para tecla, arpa y vihuela (Works for keyboard, harp and vihuela), 1578, well within the heyday of the bray harp; then 60 years later in France, for example, in Antoine Parran’s Traité de la musique théorique et pratique contenant les préceptes de la composition (Treaty of theoretical and practical music containing the precepts of composition), 1639.
In Britain, only three sources of early harp repertoire survive, one English and two Welsh.
The first source is the George Cely Papers. In the early 1470s, George Cely joined his father’s trade to become a merchant dealing in raw wool. In the large volume of documents he left behind, dated 1475-1488, we discover that he had both bray harp lessons and dance lessons from Thomas Rede in Calais, where he spent a great deal of time on business. The bray harp is specifically mentioned, as is help in a lesson with setting the brays. There is no harp music in his papers; but his references to the music he learned is a valuable insight into the English harp repertoire back to the 1440s and ‘50s, since neither Rede nor Cely felt the need to keep up with the very latest music. George was learning unspecified dance tunes and, amongst his songs, Myn hertis lust and O Rosa bella by John Bedyngham, whose work also appears in continental manuscripts, Tos juirs and Go heart hurt with adversity, both anonymous, and O freshest flower, now lost. The work of English composers predominates: this was their heyday at home and on the continent, as John Dunstaple had effectively created the new sound of the renaissance, known as the English countenance, and thus paved the way for other English composers to be heard. (You’ll find a little more about this in Music of the renaissance: a whistle-stop tour.)
One of the Welsh sources is too corrupt to be of value. BM Add MS 14970 is an inaccurate early 19th century copy of an earlier manuscript, probably from the turn of the 17th century and now lost.
The second Welsh source is the Robert ap Huw manuscript, named after its writer, a harper from Anglesey, who calls for the bray harp to be played with fingernails. Though it was compiled in c. 1613, it is very much a retrospective: all the compositions noted date from 1340–1500, a remarkable stretch backwards in time. The reason for the book’s anachronism may also be why so little harp music appears to have been written down: harping was an expressly aural tradition, certainly in Wales, and probably as a feature of harping generally. The ordinances for the annual Welsh festival of literature, music and performance, the eisteddfodau, were drawn up in 1523 in the Statute of Gruffudd ap Cynan. This sets out the repertoire that harpists and crwth (bowed lyre) players were required to memorise for their bardic degrees, examinations in the Welsh traditional aural arts. Memory and improvisation were key: there is no reference to written music. It appears, then, that the medieval aural and improvising musical tradition, which became a written tradition during the renaissance, continued to be predominantly aural for the harp.
This aural and improvising tradition would explain three things: the ap Huw manuscript contents, its unique system of tablature, and the musical forms it contains.
The contents of the Robert ap Huw manuscript, stretching back 270 years or more, seem to be born of a fear that the old traditions would die out if they were not written down. Its harp tablature combines elements of lute, harp and keyboard tablatures of the 15th and 16th centuries from Germany, Spain and Italy, arriving at a unique system. The most plausible explanation is that there simply wasn’t a Welsh system of writing harp music, nor was there one over the borders in England, Scotland or Ireland to borrow, nor one overseas that could easily be adopted for the Welsh style of playing, so one had to be invented. As such, the tablature remained a cryptic puzzle to harpists for many years until it was finally decoded. The contents are based around 24 musical patterns, chord progressions or grounds known as “the 24 measures of string music”. The ground or ground bass, a repeating pattern upon which a melody is fashioned, is the basis for this improvising tradition. An intriguing feature of the names given these measures is that many of them don’t make any sense in Welsh, but appear to be transliterations of Irish names, suggesting a cultural link between the bardic traditions of Wales and Ireland.
Tuning: scordatura and fretting
The late medieval and renaissance bray harp was tuned and strung diatonically, that is, with only natural notes, not sharps or flats (like having only the white notes on a piano), though there are records of harps having both a B natural and a B flat string, as both were often needed for medieval and renaissance modes. Being diatonic, this meant sometimes employing scordatura, alternative ways of tuning the harp to suit the pitch of a voice or to employ musica ficta, adding sharps or flats to modify a mode.
If an individual note was needed both natural and sharpened or both flattened and natural in the same piece, the player would ‘fret’ the string. This involves reaching up with one hand to the part of the string that lies vertically across the wood below the tuning pin, and pressing the string against the wood, thus effectively shortening the vibrating string length and raising the note by a semi-tone. This is a harp technique documented independently by Spanish vihuela composers Alonso Mudarra and Juan Bermudo in the mid 16th century. Bermudo also documents a different solution to needing the same note natural and sharp or natural and flat in the same piece: tune it sharp or flat in one octave but not the other. The effect of this technique can be heard in practice in Mudarra’s wonderful imitative piece for vihuela, Fantasía X que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Ludovico, ‘Fantasía 10 that imitates the harp in the style of Ludovico’ (Ludovico being the royal harper to King Ferdinand II) where, in the final passage, we have lower f played against higher f#’. (This piece can be heard on vihuela by clicking on this text).
The slow eclipse of the bray harp
Developments in European music in the 15th century and beyond, just on the cusp of the renaissance, were to mark the end of the diatonic simfony and psaltery: the increased use of notes sharpened or flattened in some parts of the music but natural in others, together with the rise of chord sequences and chordal playing, made those instruments obsolete. The diatonic bray harp, though, remained popular, perhaps because it had the option of both retuning and fretting. Still, being diatonic was increasingly seen as a problem for which a solution had to be found. Chromaticism was achieved by adding an extra row or two rows of strings. This was not a new idea, but it was applied in a new way.
In the late 14th century, the arpa doble or two row harp had been developed in Spain, as seen in the triptych in the Monasterio de Piedra, c. 1390 (right). The distance between doubled strings indicates that they are two distinct rows rather than doubled courses, but this does not represent an early attempt at chromaticism since there are an equal number of strings on each side, indicating unison stringing rather than a diatonic row and a row of accidentals. The artist has made a very odd mistake, with the tuners apparently sitting on top of the harp arm rather than fixed into the side. While a fundamental mistake like this may call into question the accuracy of the depiction of equal stringing on both sides, in c. 1390 the necessity of available sharps and flats was not the issue it was later to become, so it seems sensible to conclude that the arpa doble was unconnected with the later search for a chromatic harp.
The idea of double stringing a plucked, unfretted instrument was in any case not new in the late 14th century. The triangular instrument known as the rota, rote, rothe, or rotta is evidenced from the late 11th century. Strung with gut, it had two parallel rows of strings, as seen on the stone carving of an ape playing a rota on the outside of the 12th century church, Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, in Surgères, France (below). Petrus de Abano, in his Expositio problematum Aristotelis, written in Paris and Padua and completed in 1310, stated that the rota had 44 strings in all, 22 on each side, and that this arrangement of double strings was archaic. As with the arpa doble, the rota had two rows of unison strings. In this period, when polyphonic voices were close in pitch, sometimes crossing over each other or singing/playing unison notes, the double string band of the rota and the later arpa doble would have provided the perfect instrument on which one person could play polyphony with voices sometimes crossing or in unison.
The later use of double or triple rows of strings to create a chromatic instrument would both change the status of the diatonic bray harp and change the harp itself.
Juan Bermudo, in his Declaración de Instrumentos musicales, Spain, 1555, proposed an additional 8 strings on the same plane as the diatonic row for the most needed accidentals, differentiated by colour, further stating that some players were adding between 15 and 19 extra strings for accidentals. The idea was short-lived and appears not to have spread.
According to Tetrachordum musices by the German writer Johann Dobneck, known as Johannes Cochlaeus, some kind of triple harp, with 3 rows of strings, was in use in England when he wrote in 1511, presumably with brays, at this point. Chromaticism was achieved by having two outer rows of diatonic notes, with the player reaching inwards to the middle row of accidentals.
There are competing claims for the precise origin of the chromatic triple harp. Despite Johannes Cochlaeus’ writing in 1511, the invention of the (brayless) triple harp is often attributed to Italy just before 1600; and yet the triple harp was soon known as the Welsh harp, and is to this day. The truth is probably that musicians at different times and in several places were looking for a way to make the harp meet the new demands of evolving music, and therefore the triple harp was an idea whose time had come.
The change from diatonic bray to chromatic brayless harp came slowly and in patches. It took until the 1630s for the triple to become the new standard harp. The change was not universal and this was by no means the end for brays. In Harmonie universelle, 1636, Marin Mersenne claimed that brays were out of fashion in France, but in c. 1680-1700, when opera houses were gaining popularity
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.